Athletic double standards

Over the weekend, yet another University of Minnesota football player was arrested. What surprises me isn’t that someone was arrested after trying to start a fight, but that such acts are completely ignored by the University — quite a double standard.
Recall riots of years past, like the Spring Jam riot. Unjustifiable student actions led to the arrest of 12 and the academic punishment of six. These students faced the consequences of their actions. And that’s fair, because students at this University are held to a certain standard, established by the University of Minnesota student conduct code.
Football players, however, seem only to be held to secret, unspecified team rules established by head coach Tim Brewster. University student athletes’ ego inflation is becoming a cause for concern for students and local citizens alike. Maybe it’s time for Brewster and other University athletic leaders to give the “It’s only a game; get over yourself” speech.

Charles Bair
University undergraduate student