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Every man must justify his existence, no matter how small he may be. And in this justification, man mustalso express how he fits into the scheme of his existence, whether he is the pivot point of the universeor just an atom among the cosmos.The athletic director used to be the pivot point of the finite universe of a university, but lately thesegentlemen are finding themselves to be just another atom in the compound of the abstract thing wecall an institution of higher education. Still, they can and must define their existence and their rolein the institution.Hoyt Brawner is the Athletic Director of the University of Denver, and he defines his existence whileunder fire from all sides. He speaks and few listen, but many criticize. And those who criticize shouldnot continue to do so unless they know their own place in the scheme of things. No man should belittleanother's existence, for he then shows his preponderant ignorance and insecurity in the positionhe has chosen in nature ...I presume that everybody has a different opinion ofthe purpose of athletics, but I feel that the sportsprogram at any institution should be developed asan integral part of the educational process. Thedivision of athletics at the University of Denver hasas much to contribute to the institution as any otherdepartment.I have four major reasons for believing so stronglyin this type of program at a university, and especiallyat D.U. First of all, I think the student body is important,and sports activities more than any otherfacet unite the students. I go to football games,basketball games, hockey games, etc., and see thestudents rally together. It unites them and givesthem a purpose. It also develops their spirit andgives them an espirit-de-corps which no otherdepartment on campus can possible match.Secondly, athletics provides for student entertainment.I think that it is important that students beallowed to participate in various activities and athleticsoffers the best opportunities for this. Unfortunately,when a man is on a varsity team, he hasabove average talent, and this leaves the problemof allowing for the people who are good in a sportbut don't quite match up to varsity talent. This iswhy I feel that intramurals are a very important partof the physical program. They allow room for theathlete who doesn't want fierce competition butwould like to relax in a friendly game of some sort.And I would estimate that almost every man in thisUniversity has participated in a sport at one time oranother.Athletics build leadership; you can't say that aboutother departments. And this leadership is very importantto our nation. I think sports also developcompetence in the men that participate. Additionally,they develop responsibility, not only to thecoach and the sport, but also to the institution andteammates. They provide a close and lasting associationwith fellow players, as well as contact withopponents, who can also become life-long acquaintances.I have been lucky, over the pastyears, to have become friends with many of theopponents I played against in college.Individual training and testing are also developedin sports activities. A man has to sacrifice to be agood athlete; he must pay the price to win. Heregiments himself so that he can fit everything intoa twenty-four hour period.Another definitely important role played by anathletics department is its contact with the alumni,and that is one accomplishment no other departmentcan come close to. No other segment of theUniversity provides an avenue of contact so widethat it can touch all alumni. Of course this contactis not as good at D.U. as it is in some other institutions,but one must remember that the Universityof Denver is a "different" type of school.Public Relations is also a big part of the athleticdepartment function. There is a certain amount ofidentification with a winning team, and through itthe University's name becomes known not onlyto the alumni, but also to the community, the state,and possibly the nation.Now if you think I'm pro-athletics, it's because Iam. If people think it's not an important facet ofAmerican life, then why do 80 thousand go to thisfootball game, and 16 thousand to that basketballgame, with 20 million watching the events on television?192