Jay, I just glanced at the Summer 2011 USF MAGAZINE. On page 3, an alum praises Fr. Lo because he "LISTENED!" On page 5, it reports Fr. Privett earned an Award for Justice. But it was the article "Student Graduates from USF After 48-Year Break" that got me thinking of the statue you propose. If Fr. Privett can give a diploma to a student who leaves USF a semester shy of graduation for personal responsibilities, our Father President can certainly make a humble gesture of past mistakes to Mr. Russell. And Fr. LoSchiavo can too. But the issue is really less whether the grantors make a proper offer. It's more whether the grantee accepts or even responds to their offer. The proposers of the statue will really have to grovel, and I doubt that's in their nature. Personally, I understand Mr. Russell's indignation.
Ok, calm down all you old timers. I'm one too. I understand the odds are ridiculously stacked against the statue. Mr. Russell has as much said he wants nothing more to do with USF after being rebuffed. I also realize a significant gesture by these two Jesuits, Coach Walters, and fellow Nat'l Champ teammates probably and, perhaps, certainly won't effect an acceptance or even an acknowledgement. But at least a last gesture might be properly made and extended one last time. Go ahead and call me foolhardy. But I just had to post this after reading the recent mag. I think if this gesture is ever accepted, and it won't be, but if it is, Jay will be overwhelmed with petitions and donations for a statue of our most famous and most worthy alumnus. So Jay, it seems your next move should be getting our two top Jesuits, AD, bb coach, and teammates to mount another offer that avoids the mistakes of the last one. Without this, I think your statue idea is doomed. I guess this post almost removes me from the statue skeptic list.