Huntington News

Issue date: 7/3/07 Section: Sports

Have you checked out the new five-tool player for Northeastern Athletics?

You won't find him roaming centerfield on Friedman diamond or dribbling down-court in Matthews arena. His tools are a little different as well - he's humble, a leader, a businessman, an icon of diversity and a funny guy.

The best place to spot him would be a cozy corner office in Cabot gym, the one behind the door with "Athletic Director" pinned on the front. He's newly named AD Peter Roby, formerly of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society.

And he possesses a real solid head on his shoulders.

"If you do things for the right reasons, then you will never have regrets," said Roby at his introductory news conference June 21. "[I'm] not going to have any regrets [about being the AD]."

There's very little not to like about the New Britain, Conn., native as he starts his tenure as AD. He was once vice president of U.S. marketing at Reebok, based in Canton, just outside of Boston. A Dartmouth graduate, Roby has coached basketball at some of the most prestigious universities in America - including Stanford, Dartmouth, the US Military Academy and Harvard.

If that snippet from his resumé isn't sweet enough, here's some icing on the cake - his appointment makes him the second Division 1 African-American AD in New England college history.

"There's a significance today," Roby said about his appointment.

So, on the long list of all the things important to an Athletic department, Roby has got a head start - shoes, diversity, business and leadership.

He's a good one, that's for sure. His appointment is a home-run. An Ivy League graduate and successful businessman will surely bring in big-time donation money, an important part of the AD position. However, what makes Roby the best man for the job is the ideology of athletics he espouses.

During his time as director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society he was a lead campaigner against performance-enhancing drugs, overwhelming pressure placed on children in sport and the permissive attitude toward professional athletes.

Past comments of his could bring a smile to anyone disgusted by me-first, juiced-up, dog-fighting athletes who dominate SportsCenter nightly.

So, for your entertainment, the following are a few of my favorite Roby adages:

• In an Aug. 6, 2006 New York Times article, after Tour de France winner Floyd Landis was found to have high levels of testosterone in his system: "We're at risk of fans giving up and not caring how the results are obtained. That has the danger of creating a next generation of athletes who believe it's OK to do whatever is necessary to win."

• In a November 2004 on-air interview with Hala Gorani of CNN's "Insight," after the Ron Artest brawl in Detriot, where members of the Indiana Pacers charged into the stands: "I will admit that the behavior of fans has gotten nastier over the last few years, much more personal, but the young people coming into the game today have to be prepared for that. They have to understand that that's part of the price that they pay for being a celebrity and being a high-priced athlete. It doesn't necessarily make it right that people react the way they do to athletes, but they have to be above it, and they have to show restraint."

• And, lastly, from that same interview: "You know, 30 years ago, players used to live in the communities where the fans lived. Their kids used to go to schools together, they'd shop in the same supermarket. But because of the escalating salaries, you just don't see that anymore. It's a much more exclusive situation, and so there is a lack of empathy and a lack of being able to relate to each other that I think is affecting relationships between fans and players these days."

So there it is - some of the best Roby literature you can find with a quick Google search. Hopefully he'll produce more from his Cabot office.

- Matt Foster can be reached at sports@nu-news.com.

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