p.E.I. SUN Issue 8' Vol 15

designed and

pyrighted 'by Diane

Oct.27

PAGE 5

neuraux, :wf“~*V

"Keep .the is another

tradition way of

"Keep a home for radition to grow into." The history of the

ongoing CIAU/AUAA controversy over the fate of the Atlantic Bowl (and ultimately, of university football in Atlantic Canada) illustrates the way in which

implications of a particular debate come to supercede in importance the cogent issues of that' debate. However much the implications of a controversy may add intensity to the debate, they nevertheless undermine the well-intentioned spirit of trust upon which any communication must be founded. This is especially so in regional debates, for although the specific issues may intersect the interests of the regions represented, the meaning of those issues varies dramatically with place and community. . A ~ The present controversy began in Edmonton last June at the annual meeting of the

jadvantage for} thew Atlanticc. Uninersities€_'.~«' ‘ * t~ The CIAU ~decided to rotate

' the gnome advantagefwithithef. disagueisuj=. otherVuj: threes

., 1 conflicting“ sweating...

ation.

,Such" a

communications between . regions fails in contemporary Canada. It is an . illustration worth exploring, for it demonstrates ' new the

’waived

Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) when the organization voted to institute a Vrotating hone advantage ‘in the two semi inal series that precede- the : Vanier Cup championship ‘game. Traditionally situated. in ' Halifax, the Atlantic Bowl is an automatic . home

,7 waotball a; ‘nference (AUFC)‘champions.~.

uthe'gamssinzordergﬁturg8h3”€”*., .years. 7503Q' , .

gamaﬁﬂﬂﬁw$M”Wﬁkw

A¢§hﬁéren¢es.ex‘ThiSﬁdQéiSibﬁjit | “ would.” _i be: 2. {omitted _, from,

. eff «.eonez-overs‘yvour *3. " ' " "..,r¢s~icna1ay

"tor m‘ 7‘ an mﬁwvw ‘rt...::.»~ ‘ In athet,ﬁestern‘

Conference, football teams travel between

air, and costs escalate when, like last year, the Western Conference champions

instance, regularly contests by

must. travel to the east coast for the semi-final contest. The chief

implication of this decision for'the Atlantic region is the uprooting of the region's only major\Tootball contest, an event that attracts spectators from well beyond the arena of the particular schools ‘competing. '

In response to the CIAU action, the Atlantic Universities Athletic Association (AUAA), which represented the AUFC at the Edmonton meetings, voted to withdraw from the CIAU playoff structure for the 1983 season. Although the possibility of such an action had been considered at the annual meeting of the AUAA in May, the move came as a shock to many people associated with university athletics in the Maritimes, 'chief among them being the coaches of the four teams that comprise the AUFC. Only one of the four men knew of the plans to boycott the playoffs, and even he was led to believe the AUAA would retain sole posession of the Atlantic Bowl.

Questions arose immediately following the AUAA withdrawl, focussing on the present and future impact of the action on players in the AUFC. Players and coaches wondered if the one-year loss of eligibility that is imposed when a player transfers to another university would be in the event that Atlantic athletes might wish

to transfer to schools in other conferences in order to have the chance to compete for the national ‘chamionship. Coaches wondered what effect a

possible migration of their star players would have on future player ~recruitment. Even a slightv disadvantage

.to-recruitmsnt programmes in :tneM-Atlanticv.rcsions.coulew. spell death. for- the AUPC,W{

which has watched three .of

litsi.teansgﬁfoldsgin;.recent 3 he 'addition, - the '

learned. ' that its

national, r made ' ‘ "-7 if!

spears .

.department

players in would share

the conference in All Cannadien honours, or than one of the regions coaches might be considered for Coach of the Year awards. The CIAU, scheduled its playoffs wihtout including the Atlantic teams. This effectively eliminated any chance that the AUFC might rejoin the league before the end of the season, for such a move would require a massive rescheduling that would prove problematic for

meanwhile, post—season

the other conferences, in particular the Western Conference, which was

awarded an automatic berth in the championship final, held at Varsity Stadium, in Toronto late in November. Throughout the Atlantic conference, players ' and coaches organized to attempt a reinstatement of the AUFC into the playoff structure, but were denied readmittance. The 32

*members of the Axemen squad

at Acadia University , in a joint statement, threatened both the AUAA and the CIAU with legal action of they

could not compete for the national championship.

In the House of Commons, deputy minister of

Fitness and Amateur Sport, Peter Leseaux, said during question period that his is urging the CIAU to settle the growing

controversy. The next day, the CIAU agreed to consider the AUAA request for readmission, and announced 'that the AUEC would

henceforth be included in the national rankings. Meanwhile, university football fans across the region are waiting to know the .fate of the\ Atlantic Bowl. The game, they argue,

has been a tradition since,

1959. It pays for itself. I It regularly attracts a median of about 8000

spectators. Atlantic teams have performed well in the contest, winning 10 0f the 22 games thus far. And it is the ‘only major football contest that is played ,east

of. Olympic stadiums: It is;*» V g g - of ,mediabucks is-tradition,.

in shert, a tradition., A falls

That argument silentlY,:,of,gthe. ears of ‘natiOnal;.., ‘ - gathletics- organisers .- I The; _

theywconsideré'when;,staginggi - such a contest are economic,.

Inot sentimental. There are

;; media grights,,to_negotiate,

programmes and souvenirs to

vend, spectators to accomodate.

And through all the discussion, from the league

officials to the fan in the seat, little mention is made of the individual players, and of their concerns. It

is their tradition, too. This is not meant to

suggest that the CIAAU is

different to football

tradition. But is is to say that the organization, by mere fact of its lack of familiarity with the Atlantic context, has to date failed to acknowledge that what may be construed as a media event in Upper Canada is a community event in the Atlantic region. And the Atlantic people, though not predisposed to any

islike or distrust of the individuals who comprise the

CIAU, have endured through much of this century a constant erosion of the

elements and extensions of

community, and this erosion remains for the region an important and volatile issue. ‘ Whereas in Ontario, university football is viewed as an early glimpse of future professional

stars, it is in the Atlantic region a final performance before the athletes depart for professional careers. When' ' Atlantic Canadian football fans approach the loss of the Atlantic Bowl with talk of tradition, the real meaning of that notion is, sadly, missed. League officials and mediafolk hear only the ageless chant of Maritime traditionalists, as if that tradition were the primary concern of football fans in the region. What, in fact, the region's fans are saying is that they want to watch football, and they want to watch it‘ live. There is, . admittedly, nonextensive national media coverage and no offshooting megabucks generated. There is simply a community of football fans who wish to continue viewing their game. And ’the only argument they can mount against the power

For ,tradition is to community .what money is to iatf~it‘is. that *element

"which. comes closest to the

heart and the soul. -. By Paul A. Shields

“halifax,tN.S.__l‘l'