If you are a BC season ticket holder like I am, you would have received the BC Athletics Annual Report in your email yesterday. It is chocked full of useless information -- that we here at BCI might dissect at a later time, natch -- including a very interesting interview with Gene DeFilippo. Near the back of the report is a list of former BC athletes that will be inducted in the Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Many of them I've never heard of because they come from the non-revenue sports, and others are from times well before I existed.
The list goes as follows:
Cara Blumfield '03 (softball)
Jack Farrell '50 (football/baseball)
Scott Gieselman '85 (football)
Jay Hutchins '84 (soccer)
Amber Jacobs '04 (women's basketball)
Tom "Tank" Meehan '58 (football)
George Ravanis '78 (baseball)
Katie Ryan '02 (cross country/track and field)
Bernie Teliszewski '57 (baseball and football)
Peter Olivieri '65 (administration)
Congratulations to all those athletes on such a high honor.
In addition, there were three other Varsity Club HOF inductees that really stuck out for me:
Bill Romanowski '88 (football)
Gene DeFilippo (administration)
Brian Leetch (hockey)
Brian Leetch is a hall of fame hockey player and without a doubt is one of BC's most famous hockey alums.
I totally agree that DeFilippo should be celebrated and named into the Hall of Fame. All snarky jokes aside, look at all the great work he has done since he came to Boston College from Villanova. Three National Championships in men's ice hockey, 12 straight bowl games for the football team and a great turn around from the basketball program.
The one I have a problem with is Bill Romanowski. BC is all about character, correct? That is how they select recruits and what the program prides itself on. Then why the heck are we celebrating Romo? True he was a stellar athlete while at BC, but look at all his transgressions after he left the Heights:
-- 1995 -- Romo is suspended for kicking Larry Centers in the head.
-- 1997 -- In a vicious helmet to helmet hit, Romo breaks Kerry Collin's jaw
-- 1997 -- After taunts from J.J. Stokes, Romo spits in his face.
-- 2003 -- Romo is implicated in the BALCO steroids investigation, and later tests positive for steroids in November of the same year
-- 2003 -- Romanowski rips off the helmet of backup tight end Marcus Williams and punches him crushing his eye socket. Williams is forced to retire from the injury.
-- 2005 -- Romanowski admits on 60 Minutes to using steroids.
Honestly, this is the kind of guy BC wants to honor? Look at that track record! What kind of message is this sending our players and fans when BC is saying "Hey Romo, it's okay that you cheated in the pros and maliciously injured other players. Come join our Hall of Fame!"
Boston College prides itself on running a clean program, and here they are honoring one of the most egregious cheaters in football? Come on Varsity Club, keep him out. And Romo, I will never honor you, and I certainly won't be cheering for you when they announce your name during a BC football game this season.