Left out Wide Out

It’s a football game that claims to showcase the nation’s best senior collegiate players and top NFL draft prospects. General managers, head coaches, assistant coaches and scouts from every National Football League team will make the trek to the Deep South for a “one-of-a-kind NFL Coaches Convention.” Roster spots for this highly anticipated showdown are based on a player’s projected ability to perform in the NFL.

Otherwise known as the Senior Bowl, this nationally televised postseason all star game kicks off this weekend in Mobile, Ala. without Oregon State’s First-Team All American wide receiver Mike Hass.

Come again?

He was not invited.

By now, every Beaver fan is familiar with “the Mike Hass Story.” The improbable storyline of the walk-on from Portland who worked his way into the Beaver’s starting rotation and Pac-10 record books. In his senior season, the Jesuit alumnus torched the Pac-10, catching 90 balls for 1,532 yards receiving en route to winning the Biletnikoff Award, presented to the nation’s top wide receiver.

All this, apparently, was not enough to turn the heads of Senior Bowl officials.

So this weekend, instead of basking in the well earned recognition of a sterling college career, No. 28 will run sprints and lift weights at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, in preparation for the NFL draft in April.

Meanwhile, Oregon’s Demetrius Williams will suit up for the Senior Bowl’s North Squad; which begs the obvious question: How does 2nd team Pac-10 (Williams) trump First-team (Hass) in the eyes of Senior Bowl officials? Oh, and for the record, Williams caught 35 fewer passes on the season than Hass for 500 fewer overall yards, and had one less rap song written about him.

Now imagine for a minute you are an NFL General Manager in need of a wide receiver. Based on these numbers, the decision is simple. However, while Hass has relied on yardage numbers to bolster his reputation among professional scouts, his physical stats have hampered his draft status.

Scouts point to a less than impressive time in the 40-yard dash and Hass’ not-so-meaty build, as evidence he is unprepared for the physical demands of the NFL. Senior Bowl officials bought into the same line of thinking.

However, let’s consider some recent facts surrounding the Senior Bowl selection process.

Last year, this alleged “all-star” game included only 10 of the first 30 players selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Over the last six years, the game has included only 61 of the 180 first-round NFL picks.

Let’s also not ignore the fact that the game is held in Mobile, and is top loaded with regional talent: 20 ACC players and 24 SEC players are on the roster.

It is worth noting that many NFL draft experts believe Hass has “the best hands” of any graduating receiver in the nation. Some have gone a step further and labeled him the best receiver in the country.

All things considered, Hass may have the last laugh.

It was only a few decades ago that University of Tulsa star Steve Largent entered the NFL amidst nagging doubts about his size, speed and durability. Standing only 5-feet-11 and weighing a modest 187 pounds, Largent amassed 819 catches, 13,089 yards and 100 TD’s in 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He twice lead the NFL in receiving yards, earned three pro bowl berths, and missed only four games due to injury during the first 13 seasons of his career.

Not bad for a guy labeled too slow and too small.

Hass is already on the way to proving his doubters wrong. In last weekend’s East-West Shrine Game, a “poor man’s” post season all-star game, he caught 4 balls for 107 yards and the game winning touchdown to help his West squad in a come-from-behind win.

“All I can do is work my rear end off and try to improve my stock,” said Hass in a recent interview with The Oregonian. No sour grapes, no bitterness; just an honest workman-like approach to the game.

Now THAT’S something the NFL should welcome.

Being ‘pride’-ful does not mean being hateful

College campuses have long served as a lightening rod for social change and open public protest.

In the 1960s the government sent its military to the University of Alabama to enforce desegregation. During the Vietnam War era, universities were the site of many anti-war protests and demonstrations.

Now, fast forward to 2005 on the Oregon State University campus, where the “Straight Pride Movement” has established its presence.

The organization’s message is “straight” to the point, “(gay marriage) weakens the family and undermines the values that support it … (and) will ultimately destroy our society and dramatically impact religious civil liberties,” declares the “Straight Pride” Web site, www.straightpride.com.

“Straight Pride” enthusiasts like one OSU student who explained on the Straight Pride Facebook group, “I agree with this cause mainly cuz’ (sic) of the stupid gay pride center.” Some students at OSU express a similar sentiment and go a step further with T-shirts that unabashedly advertise the “Straight Pride” message.

The message espoused by the “Straight Pride” movement, however, is contradictory and far from clear. It seems logical that a “Straight Pride” movement would work to strengthen its community and encourage other heterosexuals to take pride in their sexual identity. The not so hidden agenda of the “Straight Pride” movement has very little to do with any of these things. A little background information helps to bring this organization’s goals and purpose into sharper focus.

The “Straight Pride” movement has connections with “Rock for Life” which, according to straightpride.com, “is a division of the American Life League, the nation’s largest pro-life educational organization.”

“Straight Pride” links its Web site to Dr. James Dobson’s, founder of Focus on the Family and author of Christian self-help books.

Dobson was in the news recently when he worked with Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to prevent the removal of Terry Schiavo’s feeding tube. Dobson also publicly lent his endorsement to California’s Proposition 22, which sought to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Political analyst Michael Crowly of Slate magazine cites Dobson as the catalyst in President Bush’s successful re-election campaigns in Florida and Ohio.

“Straight Pride’s” association with these organizations and its not-so-“straight pride” political efforts suggests its motives extend well beyond the realm of strengthening the heterosexual community (if that was ever the case to begin with) and are more closely aligned with promoting right-wing, neo-conservative policies.

All things considered, naming this movement “Straight Pride” is an affront to the gay community and the campus Pride Center.

Homosexuals have historically suffered public ridicule, persecution and hate. They need a resource center that offers programs and support services that provide a means of empowerment in their community.

Heterosexuals, by contrast, have collectively never been subject to discrimination and hate because of their sexual orientation.

I have yet to hear of a straight person being robbed, severely beaten, tied to a fence post, and left to die — as in the case of Matthew Shepard — simply because they were heterosexual.

Imagine the outrage if a campus movement was established that was directly insulting to another group of traditionally oppressed people, African Americans, for example.

I would not expect this movement to be accepted on campus as the “Straight Pride” movement has been.

I support the freedom of speech and the existence of this movement on campus. It is the duplicity, dishonesty and hidden agenda of this group that is troubling. The “Straight Pride” movement, contrary to its name, seeks not to support or affirm the sexual identities of heterosexuals but simply serves as a guise under which conservatives hide to advocate against gay marriage and other hot button conservative issues such as abortion.

Some clarity must be established. Perhaps this movement should consider a name change: “Straights against Gay Marriage,” or “People Who Don’t Want Guys Marrying Guys.”

Either way, it’s time to stop hiding behind the facade of “Straight Pride” and come out of the closet.

Rename your movement to reflect its purpose.