In the meeting room at the Nittany Community Center last night, about 35 people gathered to discuss the role of black athletes in the black community.

The idea sprung from a discussion earlier this year during which members of the Black Caucus discussed the real or perceived disconnection of the athletes from the rest of the community.

Of course, it was never mentioned that all big-time athletes are isolated in our society, whether black or white.

Several football players were asked to attend, and they sat quietly waiting to discover what they were there for.

At first, nobody was sure.

The meeting started with a discussion of how football players don't say hi to other members of the black community.

Of course, the greater issue of why people don't say hi to other people in general was never breached. Is it too much to say hello and smile, or at least give a little nod?

It took a while, but the meeting eventually admitted its real purpose: to pressure black athletes into using their status to further the agenda of the Black Caucus.

The phrase "much is expected from those to whom much is given," or any of its variants, was tossed around all night.

It's a nice phrase and has some merit. But it is simply unfair to tell athletes that they should stand out for social causes because they are in the spotlight.

Michael Jordan was chastised throughout his career for not taking a tougher stance on Nike using child laborers in foreign countries to make shoes.

Never mind that Jordan was one of the best ever to play the game, or that he's got enough championships for a whole hand and another finger. His career as a basketball player isn't complete unless he directs social change as well as he directs an offense.

Recently, the New York Times called for Tiger Woods to skip out on the Masters so as to send the message to Augusta officials that women should be allowed to join the exclusive club.

So, Tiger, could you just drop your livelihood and sit at home while the best golfers in the world duel on one of the best courses in the world during one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world all because there's a social cause that we believe in?

Should women be allowed to join Augusta? Yes, without a doubt. Should blacks have more opportunities at this school? Unequivocally and unquestionably yes.

But should athletes be the ones to lead the fight? Only if they want to.

Linebacker Deryck Toles said, toward the end of the discussion, that he felt as though he was being "jumped on."

He was. The night was one-sided to say the least, and the actual issue at hand never came into focus.

On one hand, the members of the discussion wanted to get to know the players as human beings, wanted to know them on a personal level.

Takkeem Morgan, vice president of the Black Caucus, lamented the fact that Larry Johnson appears on the cover of this publication day after day, and is therefore only known to the readers as an athlete.

I'll be the first to say that I'd love to sit down with Larry Johnson and tell his whole story and try to write about him as a person. But I'm also the first to realize that there is almost no chance of that happening.

So, the black community wants to reconnect with its athletes on a personal level. Great.

But it also wants them to use their supposed power to draw attention to Black Caucus concerns.

While they want to cut through the hype, they also want to use the hype.

The fact is, though, that if a football player wanted to join the Black Caucus' fight, or, more importantly, felt he had the time to, he would do so.