February 2010
TODAY'S REPORTS |
| | | | OSR 10/8/2009 | | Very Superstitious, Indeed | | CORVALLIS, Ore. – A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned my tendency toward being somewhat superstitious as a sports fan. As y... |
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| UPCOMING HOME EVENTS |
- Feb. 11, Women's Basketball vs. Arizona State, 7pm
- Feb. 12, Gymnastics vs. Arizona, 7pm
- Feb. 13, Women's Basketball vs. Arizona, 7pm
- BUY TICKETS
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| OSR TV |
| Jan. 27, 2010 |
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| Loading Up Beaver Nation's Donations for Haitian Relief |
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| Feb. 4, 2010 |
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| ABC NEWS: Craig Robinson on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts |
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| Taylor Kavanaugh and three new fans in a faraway place. |
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Official Sports Report: October 08, 2009
A Picture Worthy of a Thousand Words, and Your Support
Commentary Exclusive to Beavers OSR |
by Brian Brooks, Managing Editor
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Who says a great college athletics photo needs to be taken by a guy with AP credentials kneeling at the far end of a football field, basketball court or dugout?
The above picture of wide receiver and special teams contributor Taylor Kavanaugh was snapped during the OSU senior's recent trip to Guatemala.
The construction engineering management major traveled to Central America with the Encountour program to build a house for a needy family, and the photo accompanied a Sept. 22 athletic department release announcing that Kavanaugh was named to the 2009 Allstate Insurance Company and American Football Coaches Association's Good Works Team.
Kavanaugh is in fairly exclusive company; the team consists of a mere 12 members – including Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
It's hard not to be struck by the genuine nature of the photo - how genuinely happy Taylor seems to be in his work, and how genuinely giddy the little girls are to have him there.
I reflected back on the image as I read the new A.D. Report posted Tuesday on OSUBeavers.com. Director of athletics Bob DeCarolis updated fans on the results of the annual Beaver Athletic Student Fund (BASF) campaign and 2009 football season ticket sales.
After a slow start, strong summer sales brought the season ticket total to just 3.8% below last year, quite admirable in a poor economy when people are reconsidering every bit of discretionary spending. BASF donations, however, lag further behind – about 10%, or $1 million.
In the report, DeCarolis drives home a key point – one that can easily be lost on fans and donors alike – when he writes::
We want to shift the dialogue from being transactional—money for tickets and a parking space—to philanthropic. In reality, donated dollars represent much more than prime stadium seating and parking spaces. These contributions fund scholarships and result in educational opportunities for our student-athletes.
It's a point I touched on in an earlier edition of OSR back in June, after reading about the OSU volleyball team spending a long evening at a local restaurant to raise money for the family of a 4-year old boy and help pay for the medical and travel costs of stem cell treatments the young man received in North Carolina. It was valuable time for the women, coming on the eve of finals week.
The recent honor bestowed on Kavanaugh is more proof that the best educational opportunities don't always take place in a lecture hall, and that the most inspiring lines from a coach aren't necessarily delivered in a locker room.
DeCarolis is spot-on when he refocuses the dialogue with potential donors back to this indisputable truth – additional proof of which is plainly evident throughout the staff and rosters of all 16 OSU intercollegiate athletics programs.
Drop a chunk of your hard-earned dough on the hometown pro sports team and, yes, your dollars will buy you a reserved seat and a choice parking space. You'll probably also get a nice letter from the team talking about all the games they'll win and thanking you for pushing the team's budget closer to the league salary cap. And you can take heart in the fact that you helped put your starting point guard behind the wheel of his third Mercedes.
When it comes to OSU Athletics, however, maybe it's time to start thinking of that seat and parking space as the ultimate "thank-you" for contributing to something much bigger than wins and losses – something that lasts much longer than a great time at the game.
People donate money to other worthy causes and get address labels, a bumper sticker or Christmas cards in return. BASF supporters get the right to scream themselves hoarse and be treated like a VIP, along with a host of other entertaining and cathartic benefits one can only find in the wonderful world of college athletics.
Take your pick.
At the end of the day, season ticket holders and BASF donors aren't just paying for a good time or building winning athletic teams. What they are really doing is supporting hundreds of Everyday Champions who will leave Corvallis and take their A-game to more important playing fields in places far removed from the world of athletics.
Places like Guatemala.
If you still feel you need a few good reasons to support your OSU athletes, in spite of the tough economic times, here are the first three I can think of:
1. 2. 3.
Good man, Taylor.
Brian Brooks is the Managing Editor of Oregon State OSR. Feel free to contact him with questions, comments or story ideas at osueditor@officialsportsreport.com.
More information on the Beaver Athletic Student Fund can be found here.
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