Herbert's good for the heart

While some may admire President Adam W. Herbert's charisma, and others may respect his intelligence, I dare to venture outside the realm of reason. \nIn fact, sometimes, when evaluating the success of a person, we should abandon all insubstantial cries for common sense and turn to irrational emotion. \nNow, since IU is not a living person, let's give it life. If IU had a heart, it would be basketball. Nothing else draws more emotion from students, professors and alumni.\nEnough of the diversity debate. We don't need a racially diverse president. Amidst the squabble of political correctness, we've lost sight of the real goal: a president who knows IU basketball. \nWe're tired of stiff men in stiff suits. We want a president who can serve as the brain and soul of the university.\nSo, though Herbert, much like the infamous Herman B Wells, may chat with the plebeians and dine with the patricians, he cannot properly lead IU unless his presidential finesse transfers onto the court.\nSince IU's first official game in the winter of 1901, the sport has grown, as has the university's affiliation with the game. Few, if any colleges, can boast of a broad national fan base comparable to IU. \n"From its humble beginnings around the turn of the century, Indiana basketball has grown into a phenomenon rarely seen on any college campus, or in any state of the nation," Pete DiPrimio and Rick Notter write in the "Hoosier Handbook: Stories, Stats and Stuff about IU Basketball."\nThough Herbert may have social skills, intellectual prestige and academic experience, we cannot overlook the necessity of having a president who knows the difference between a forward and a guard -- a man who knows "basketball was invented in Massachusetts, but perfected in Indiana."\nIn the beginning, IU struggled for a single basketball victory. In fact, the team lacked a coach and fans, according to the Handbook. But throughout the last 100 years, the game has developed into an obsession. \nIf the Board of Trustees has hired a person inexperienced with Hoosier hysteria, it might jeopardize the future of IU ball. \nLuckily, Herbert's got game. With his height, he could easily play center.\nAnd the trustees recognized his potential. They looked beyond Herbert's respectful resume. \nIn Florida, Herbert held season tickets to the Miami Heat, and claims he only missed two of the team's 41 home games. \n"I don't intend to miss any (of IU's games)" Herbert said in a press conference this summer. \nWe riot when a coach leaves. We riot when we win a game. As bizarre as it seems, every central emotion revolves around basketball. And Herbert knows our bipolar hoops tendencies.\nHe's a basketball fan, enough said.\nWe can rest assured for this year's athletic season, knowing we're in good hands. \nThough he cherishes athletics, Herbert, as any president, puts academics at the top. \n"We are first and foremost an institution of higher learning," Herbert said this summer.\nHerbert's athletic prowess and natural love of the game makes him the right spiritual leader for IU basketball. He knows basketball. Maybe he's almost too good. After all, we don't want him running off to become the next president of the NCAA.