CollegeSwimming.com reports that N.J. budget ills force cuts to Rutgers Swim Team

This sucks.

CollegeSwimming.com The casinos can remain open, but apparently not the swimming team. Following a turbulent week that saw the state government shut down over the legislature's inability to pass a spending bill, the Rutgers Board of Governors today approved a universitywide budget for the 2006-07 academic year that includes the elimination of men's swimming. The cuts are a part of a larger $50 million package of spending cuts across the state university.

The Scarlet Knights have been enjoying growing success under Chuck Warner. The men's team has moved to the top half of the Big East while sending swimmers onto NCAA's in three of the past four years. More importantly, the institution is New Jersey's flagship university.

There is plenty of talk in our region about how gambling is going to bring in all this money. Well, in Jersey, home of Atlantic City, what is going on there? They've had gambling. Now they get this mess up.

Gambling is bad. But the ill that comes in the wake of gambling's discussions are very bad for folks far from the slots and casinos. This is bad for everyone. We can't put a fire-wall around the gambling backlash crud that has already shown its face and is going to get worse.

If you hate gambling -- as I do. We've got to fight. One candidate for governor wants to NUKE the gambling law, by the way, Russ Diamond.

Any Rutgers grads, swim fans or common sense folks out there in or around Jersey want to fight for that swim program -- jump on board too.