Editor,
As an alumnus of UNM, I am disappointed by the lack of support that UNM has given Elizabeth Lambert. The press is turning her into a villain, and her own school is not giving her the support that she needs. Instead of giving her an indefinite suspension, the school should be giving her unconditional support to help her in the court of public opinion.
I have played soccer my entire life, and I can attest that everything that Lambert did in her game I have seen done by someone else. In fact, I will go on to say that, with the exception of the hair-pulling takedown, everything else done in the game happens in every competitive game that is played. I can also attest that it is easy to get emotionally charged during a game, and that incidents build on top of each other. I have also played long enough to know that rough play is not limited to one side. For every action that Lambert took, it‘s guaranteed that there was an equal action by BYU.
Finally, I feel that once again an Olympic sport is being punished by the school’s lack of control over its revenue sports. Would UNM have made the same decision if the football coach had not had all of his problems? How can a football coach receive a one-game suspension for assaulting an assistant during a coaches’ meeting, but a student-athlete is being suspended indefinitely for doing something much less? Please do not punish the student-athlete because you can’t control your million dollar football coach.
I am proudly going to be wearing my UNM sweatshirt this weekend. However, this weekend I am not supporting my school. This weekend I am supporting the student-athlete that my school has turned its back on.
Jon Ramey
UNM alumnus
