To the editors:

Zachary S. Podolsky ’04 argues, “Football players here, however, are likely bested by at least 100 comparable groups in their primary raison d’entrance.”(Opinion, “Meritocracy 1, Harvard 0,” Feb. 26)

The Harvard football player is a wonderfully unique animal: the only groups comparable to our athletes are found within the Ivy League, and if you recall, the football team earned an Ivy League championship this year with an undefeated season. No other school in the country offers a better combination of academics and athletics: by admitting well-rounded candidates, Harvard allows students to enjoy a vastly diverse and rewarding undergraduate experience. To either lower academic standards to allow more competitive athletes to be part of Harvard or abolish recruited athletics altogether would be detrimental to the Harvard undergraduate student community.

W. Lane Arnold ’03

Feb. 27, 2002

The writer is a member of the varsity football team.