Cincinnati Reds radio announcer Marty Brennaman was the key note speaker at Saturday’s Marshall baseball banquet and fundraiser. During his speech Brennaman called Marshall University President Stephen Kopp “queer” for softball because the University opened a new softball field in 2008 while the baseball team still does not have a on campus baseball facility. Although the baseball stadium issue has always been a black eye for Marshall’s athletic department Brennaman’s homophobic statement and general lack of understanding was out of line Saturday night.
First, lets clear up why Marshall softball has a new facility. In 2007 Marshall reached a financing agreement with Capstone Management for a new student recreational center and residence halls. The new residence halls were built over Marshall’s old softball stadium, requiring a new facility be built. The new Softball stadium was financed through the University’s “Bridge Campaign”. Along with our new softball stadium this campaign also saw the Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories and the Marshall Foundation Hall be built.
I imagine many of you are asking why Marshall did not include a baseball stadium in the Bridge Campaign. This answer is simple economics, the softball stadium cost $2.5 million. Two South Eastern Conference (a baseball conference similar to C-USA) members, LSU & South Carolina, are set to open new baseball stadiums at 36 million dollars each this spring. Now Marshall does not have to spend 30 million dollars for a quality baseball facility but rest assured it will cost much more than $2.5 million.
I am by no means a gay rights activist but Brennaman calling president Kopp, or any one else for that matter, queer, is unacceptable. I know Brennaman put it in the context of Kopp being queer for softball but it is still deplorable. Besides, what did Brennaman even intend by calling Kopp queer for softball? Is he trying to accuse our president of supporting the softball program or is he trying to infer Kopp is homosexual? As a happily married man I think we all know Kopp’s sexual orientation, and even if he were gay who cares? In terms of supporting the softball team I give credit to our president for caring about a underappreciated sport.
This notion that Kopp is not a friend of Marshall’s athletic department is ridicules. Yes, he did stop plans to build an indoor practice facility but guess what, we did not have the money for it! During any football recruits visit to Huntington coach Holliday made sure that recruit met with Kopp. I don’t think many recruiting visits include a sit down visit with the University’s president. Kopp can also be seen at almost every home football and basketball game. I have also seen him on the sidelines of many away football games. Does that sound like some one who is against the athletic department?
I want a new baseball stadium for Marshall just as much as the next guy. The fact that our baseball team travels two hours round trip for home conference games is inexcusable. Area high schools have better facilities than our baseball team practices on. Even with these facts what Brennaman said on Saturday was inexcusable. He owes president Kopp an apology, along with baseball coach Jeff Waggoner for allowing Brenneman to speak about a Marshall official that way.
I hope coach Waggoner can learn from this experience and avoid biting the hand that feeds him.
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