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Message: [QUOTE="willtalk, post: 2419077, member: 1220"] Integrity- Root word integrate. It means that your actions and beliefs are one in the same. To rationalize- root word ration ( to create potions and give out not the whole but only a part. People of integrity stand by their beliefs irregardless if anyone else follows suite or not. A person of integrity standing by their beliefs or values is always the first step towards change. Change usually does not come from the people who have the immediate power to do so. Those that have the immediate power are usually responsible for the rules as they are. To use that as an excuse is purely a rationalization to justify ones own lack of character. Character is built via challenge and opposition. Ironically the purpose and value of sport in our educational systems was as a vehicle to build character not just to win. To win is just a means for those in sports to try their best, therefor developing character in the the process. While it is important to recognize that winning is an important part of the process, it should not become our primary objective. When our main focus becomes to win our objectives become goal displaced. The means then supersedes the ends in importance. The means (winning) to the ends ( development of character ) then becomes a justifiable rationalization for winning at all cost. We therefor can rationalize (take things out of context and use only a part of the whole ) to justify our own agenda's. That is the usual path to justifying goal displacement. The ND coaches attitude is a microcosm of college athletics in general. She is able to use the rational that she is not different than most other coaches and in that she wouldn't be wrong. No one wants to stick their neck out first. It is akin to the "Emperors new Clothes" where no one wanted to say the obvious because of negative career or social ramifications. The biggest problem with that is that after a while the illusion becomes reality in everyone's mind and people no longer see the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes. We have created a world where winning ( this includes grades and degree's) supersedes character and ethics. This seems to be where we are at right now not only in the context of sports in our educational institutions, but also the very purpose of the institutions themselves. Do we focus purely on spewing out information in a quest for creating an illusion of intellect and competence, or should we also focus on building character? If it is the latter then we need to examine those we entrust with that task. How can someone teach what they themselves have failed in. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach