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I don't have any connections to W&M, but people who do should be proud of how the venerable institution in old Williamsburg conducted itself through this feathered fiasco.* Doug

Sure you do Doug! The former Dean of UNC-CH law school who left in disgust a couple of years ago to W&M after accusing UNC-CH law for being cheapskates in running the school and for having a scape goat ram as the law school mascot.

It appears that the Dean's vast diversity and knowledge of Indian lore has reach the old school of Queens and Kings.

I don't believe compliments are due my alma mater in the case of the hostile and abusive feathers. Gene Nichol could have -- and should have -- stood up to the lunacy of the NCAA by simply ignoring the association's declaration. There would have been plenty of support from alumni to fight the NCAA, and plenty of well-educated W&M lawyers willing to put in a little bit of overtime to fight for the school.

The NCAA's decision about W&M's logo was so absurd and hypocritical, it's hard to believe a judge wouldn't rule in the school's favor.

Now, I love William & Mary as much as the next alumnus, but this issue, combined with Nichol's silly Wren Cross flap, makes me wonder where the nation's second-oldest school is headed.

Thanks, Jason. Maybe I've missed something by not following this story closely. Would the outcome be worth the time and trouble of a legal case?

Or is it a matter of principle?

You don't simply ignore the NCAA - *that* would be lunacy.

Besides, W&M won the bigger battle, and that's to keep the "Tribe" nickname. The new marks lack feathers and bright yellow and include (in three of four cases) an ampersand. What's not to like?

- John Newsom, W&M '89

I know you can't ignore the NCAA forever, but you can do it as a way of showing how serious you are about challenging its ruling.

The issue is a matter of principle; the NCAA's decision was absurd. Take a look a the University of Utah's logo -- a block-letter "U" with two feathers -- which was not deemed "abusive and hostile." It bears a striking resemblance to W&M's old logo.

The other issue is Gene Nichol and his fumbling, bumbling decision-making since taking over the presidency of the college. The Wren Cross debacle, which received national attention, a new anonymous system for reporting discrimination and the unwillingness to put up a fight against the NCAA have revealed Nichol to be an unfit college president.

I didn't follow the cross or discrimination reporting closely enough to know whether Nichol handled them well or not or somewhere in the middle.

W&M wasted enough time on the logo issue. I think he and the college are smart to let this one go and move on to something else.

Nichols is a rock star in my book. I wonder if he's being recruited to take Moeser's place?

Nah. That would be too bold a move for the good old boys.

anglico, what about this for an out-of-the-box choice to be next chancellor at Chapel Hill: John Edwards.

If he promises not to use the university (again) as a base of operations for his next presidential campaign.