Nutritional supplements

Damien Dumonceaux, football student-athlete
St. John's University (Minnesota)
St. Cloud Times (Minnesota)

Discussing why student-athletes should research supplements before taking them:

"It all depends on the extent you want to take it to. If you're willing to put in the time and do the research, you're probably going to be able to find something that can work for you. But you have to be careful.

"I'd be a lot more leery of a supplement that didn't list any of its ingredients than I would of one that has it all spelled out. You have to research the product, see what doctors say about it and get it checked out carefully before you even think about taking it.

"But the biggest thing is that you can take all the supplements you want, and if you don't eat right and you don't put the work in, they're not going to help you. A lot of people don't understand just how important exercise and nutrition are."

Mark Henderson, football student-athlete
St. Cloud State University
St. Could Times (Minnesota)

"You really do have to be aware of what you're putting in your own body. We have strength coaches who can test ingredients, and we have coaches that we can talk to as well. The resources are out there. You have to use them.

"I don't take any supplements myself. I just don't feel the need for it. Other guys might feel that it helps them function a little better, or gives them a little bit of an edge. That's fine, as long as you make sure you know what you're doing, and that what you're doing isn't going to be bad for you or illegal."

12th Division I-A football game

Steve Spurrier, head football coach
University of South Carolina, Columbia
Memphis Commercial Appeal

"I'm shocked that some of these university presidents say it (a 12th game) is too much for football players, yet baseball plays about 72 games, and our basketball team this year had a season that lasted almost seven months because of a preseason Canadian tour. And we've got presidents who are worried about playing another football game on an open date? I don't understand that."

Diversity in hiring

Floyd Keith, executive director
Black Coaches Association
Indianapolis Star

Discussing the BCA's recently developed report card that grades institutions on how they conduct searches for leadership positions in athletics:

"Maybe we have to send the report card to student-athletes. We're going to try to make sure that's something that's in front of decision-makers. This next hiring cycle will be the third (to be measured by the report cards). If there's no change, then evidently this doesn't work. In other sports, you see changes. It means there's something seriously, systemically wrong with football."

Basketball issues

Mark Gottfried, head men's basketball coach
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Memphis Commercial Appeal

Discussing the concept of moving the start of basketball season until after the first semester in mid-December:

"We'd love to see it as a national discussion, to make basketball a one-semester sport. Start your practice in mid-November, start your games after first semester finals in December and then basically play your season in January, February and March.

"Then have your (NCAA) tournament run through the end of April. Instead of March Madness, you'd have April Anxiety."

John Brady, head men's basketball coach
Louisiana State University
Memphis Commercial Appeal

"The crossroads is what would the NCAA do when it comes down to the money they receive from CBS? Now what's best? Is it the contract and the money? Or is it the welfare of the student-athlete?

"That's what I want to talk about. When it comes to eliminating money from CBS, how true are you about academics? In our meeting here with CBS, they didn't embrace that (mid-December start) idea too well."

Baseball issues

Skip Bertman, athletics director
Louisiana State University
Chicago Tribune

Discussing a charge from the Division I Board of Directors to review the length of the playing and practice season in baseball:

"The NCAA presidents, I adore and respect immensely. But they don't know any more about baseball than I know about running a university. People talk about softball's success. You know why softball doesn't have APR problems? Softball doesn't have to worry about the draft."