Dr. William Gerberding (no one ever called him “Bill”), President, University of Washington, held an animus toward major college sports, believing their popularity was a convolution of priorities, and was further rankled by the esteem with which Washington Head Coach Don James was held on campus (he was just a football coach, after all).
As it was explained to me,[/i][/b] Gerberding’s politics were a little to the left of Barney Frank while James’ convictions, of course, were not. This further aggravated Gerberding as evidenced by Gerberding’s reaction when President George H. W. Bush, while in Seattle, invited James to join him (the two had met when the national champion Huskies visited Washington D.C.). Gerberding had not been similarly invited – apparently in Gerberding’s mind, a slight. Gerberding believed Bush invited James because James was a Republican, perhaps active in the party, and Gerberding read James the riot act for mixing politics with football.
James, who served in the army and has great affection for his country, reminded Gerberding that Bush was the President of the United States and, regardless of party, when the President of the United States invites you to dinner, you go. It’s a great honor. If the president was Lyndon Johnson, James would go. Jimmy Carter. But it didn’t explain why Gerberding wasn’t invited. Although, considering Gerberding’s political convictions, he probably would have declined the invitation had one been extended, Gerberding was not mollified.
