KEITH GROLLER TOUR AT LAFAYETTE

Article from Keith Groller

I have to thank Frank Tavani -- yes, that Frank Tavani -- for taking time out during one of his most intense weeks of the entire year to spend a half-hour showing me around Lafayette College's Bourger Varsity Football House today before the Leopards' weekly media luncheon.

The spectacular building located just beyond the west end zone at Fisher Stadium is awesome.

When it was dedicated in June of 2007, Tavani said: "What does this mean to the campus? It means we now have the finest facility in the country at any level bar none, and it's something we can all be proud of."

You know something, he was absolutely right.

The coaches' offices alone are jaw-dropping. No expense was spared, from the carpeting, to the closets to the huge high-def screens that are in virtually every room. This is a first-class, well-designed, brilliantly-conceived, top-notch facility that has to be the envy of any FCS (I-AA) school in the country. There might be a few NFL teams that may not have a place as classy as this one.

You put this together with the press box and what's available in Kirby Fieldhouse, the sparkling field turf, the renovated seating areas and you have, simply, the best football facility of its kind anywhere and I've probably visited at least 25 I-AA schools and even some small Division Ones in my nine seasons on the Lehigh football beat.

If I'm a college recruit and see what I saw today, I am asking as fast as I can "Where do I sign?"

Whenever there was a chance to cut a corner and take some money off the budget, Bourger, who played football at Lafayette in the late 1960s would say, "Don't worry about it. We're doing this the right way."

Jack Bourger

(Jack Bourger, left, wanted to do things the right way, and he did)

Oh sure, he academic people will scoff and say do you really need all of those amenities?

But you know what? I'd say image is very important to a school and no one sets that image more vividly than sports and there's no more higher profile sport than football.

I just was really, really impressed with the place and again have to thank Tavani for taking the time to show me around. He didn't have to do that and he certainly could have done it at some other, less stressful time, but it was a very classy gesture and greatly appreciated.

I wish I could have taken some people with me on the tour: Lehigh alums.

I think they would have been just as impressed as I was and left wondering: "Why don't we have anything like this?"

Look, Lehigh doesn't have terrible facilities. But there's a definite need for an upgrade in some areas, especially at Goodman Stadium. It's time to pump some dollars into the program.

Instead, people assume the status quo is good enough and just go along year after year with no improvement taking place.

Lafayette is now running circles around Lehigh with its state-of-the-art palace and the energy and enthusiam surrounding the program is palpable.

People want to put all of the blame on Andy Coen for Lehigh's third consecutive losing season.

I think you've got to look at the whole picture and realize the whole program needs a shot in the arm, an infusion of dollars and someone other than the coaches to say, "Look, we care about you. If you are a Lehigh football player, you deserve to be treated first-class and have the very best equipment, the very best in all surroundings."

Lafayette has that right now.

I'm not a dummy. You still have to block, tackle, throw, catch and run to win games -- and oh by the way -- Lafayette has done a great job in that regard, too, especially during this stellar 8-2 season.

All of the good stuff that I saw today doesn't equate to wins and championships. Yet, I believe a building like the one I was in today sets a tone, sets the culture, gives a young student-athlete a sense of pride and a desire to live up to a high standard.

And those kinds of things can make a difference. I believe that if you build it, they will come -- championships that is.

We'll see what happens on Saturday. Despite the lopsided overall records (Lafayette is 8-2 and Lehigh 3-7), it could be a close game.

But right now when it comes to facilities, there's no contest.

Keith Groller