Black Missouri Football Players Boycotting Team Activities Until School President Leaves Office

COLUMBIA, Mo. (TheBlaze/AP) — Black Missouri football players announced Saturday night on Twitter that they will not participate in team activities until the university president is removed from office.

The statement from the athletes was tweeted out Saturday by several members of the football team, including starting running back Russell Hansbrough.

The move aligns the team with campus groups who have been protesting the way university president Tim Wolfe has dealt with issues of racial harassment during the school year. Jonathan Butler, a black graduate student, is in the sixth day of a hunger strike to call attention to the issue.

I have tried to understand exactly what the minority students are angry about at the University of Missouri and I still can't figure it out unless it is that the University President is a white man. Considering that 83% of students at the University are white that seems that they are being represented (not that race should even matter).

Apparently there have been some issues with a few drunk students using racial slurs. What does this have to do with the President and what is he supposed to do about it if they haven't been identified? Also, the University recently ended their contract with Planned Parenthood. Again, I am not sure what this has to do with racial tensions.

Anyway, if anyone can figure out exactly what the issues supposedly is at this University I would appreciate. I am probably just being 'insensitive', but I really don't get it this time. What crimes has this University President committed exactly? What should be done with the rest of the football season? Does anyone really think the graduate student on hunger strike is going to let himself starve to death or do we even care?

My opinion is forfeit the rest of the games this year (they already have a losing record and aren't going to a bowl game) and move on. I see no reason to give in to unreasonable demands regarding the employment of what seems to be to be an innocent University President whose only crime appears to be being white at a traditionally liberal institution of 'higher learning'.

Source

a reply to: Metallicus
If true, this is not the way to get results. If unfounded let them forfeit their dreams of fame and fortune. Actions do have consequences.

a reply to: Metallicus

They are saying it is because of his lack of response to the incidents. Had nothing to do with him being white like you are saying.

Sounds a bit race baitish to me. Why even bring race up?

Also, don't necessarily agree with them demanding his resignation.
Oh and you might want to talk about the swastika made out of feces as one of the incidents that sparked this. More then just drunk kids throwing out slurs.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: Metallicus

They are saying it is because of his lack of response to the incidents. Had nothing to do with him being white like you are saying.

Sounds a bit race baitish to me. Why even bring race up?

Also, don't necessarily agree with them demanding his resignation.
Oh and you might want to talk about the swastika made out of feces as one of the incidents that sparked this. More then just drunk kids throwing out slurs.

Why bring up race? Because the BLACK FOOTBALL PLAYERS in the article are making it a racial issue. Not sure what a swastika has to do with being black either.

a reply to: Metallicus

Yes that they are the victim of racism. You are the one saying they are only going after the pres because he is white. Which you are implying racism of the students no? What is it called when you call racism with no real proof of that claim? That is what the race baiter Sharpton does I thought.

They want him to resign because he lack of action, where do you get it is because he is white. And if you really want to act like the swastika has nothing to do with anything then it is on you.

Because we all know white supremacy never uses that symbol.
/sarcasm

Oh the poor white man being targeted by blacks. The reason why he is being targeted isn't because he is white it's because racism has been going on for some time on that campus and he has sit on his butt and done nothing about it. Here is the timeline of incidents that led up until the students calling for him to leave. Racial climate at MU: A timeline of incidents so far this fall It took maybe two minutes to find this next time do a little searching instead of playing the race card and start the poor white guy whine. Also the head coach who is white is also supporting his players in their call for the president to leave. So much for this just being black against white huh?

a reply to: Sremmos80

He has responded. Every incoming student will be forced to take racial sensitivity training over two incidents that may have happened and may have involved students.

The student body is upset because they don't think the President kowtowed enough.

However, where the football team is concerned, there have been signs that Pinkel has lost control of his team and locker room this season. The starting QB Mawk has been suspended twice for unspecified violations of team rules with the second one being for the rest of the season. This is a huge red flag that things are not exactly kosher, and a team that was supposed to be challenging for the East half of the SEC again is near the bottom because it's got a barely functional offense.

That this many players have now decided that faux outrage is more important than football is just another sign that things are not good with the team.

a reply to: ketsuko

Ya didn't mean for it sound like he has done nothing, my mistake. The students felt it wasn't enough.

Why is it faux outrage? Since you don't agree with it does that mean it is fake?
Not sure this shows lack of control either, he shouldnt have that much control that the team should feel the sport comes first over their every day life and how they are treated.

a reply to: Sremmos80

I call it faux outrage because this has been an ongoing thing for a while now, and no one on the football team much cared until ... suddenly ... after the starting QB was benched the record was trashed.

Do you honestly think if they were in a title hunt they would care and be boycotting?

a reply to: Sremmos80

Shocker! We disagree with each other...again.

We would argue over the sky being blue (yes, I understand the light refraction issues making it *appear* blue...I don't actually want to argue over this).

a reply to: Metallicus
No you are right about the sky.

Want to talk about the topic not eachother?

Do you think the students are really only doing this because the presisent is white?

a reply to: buster2010 and

a reply to: Sremmos80

YES they are targeting him because he is white. Do you honestly believe if the President were black he would be targeted with this BS protest? You probably do, because, you are going to disagree with anything I say because of our history, but frankly, I will never believe if a black University President had engaged in the exact same response this would be an issue at the University.

If you say it doesn't have to do with the President being white then you are more naive than I thought you were.

a reply to: ketsuko

Hard to say, but are you sure it has nothing to do with the most recent event and not about the suspension?

Is it that crazy that they decide their civil rights are more important then the game? Because it should be for them.

a reply to: Metallicus

If you say it doesn't have to do with the President being white then you are more naive than I thought you were.

Sound like Jesse and Al. They would be proud!
Race baiting like a pro.

Who knows what would happen if it was a black president, since it isn't then we don't know.
You trying to deflect with this hypothetical does nothing.

originally posted by: buster2010
Oh the poor white man being targeted by blacks. The reason why he is being targeted isn't because he is white it's because racism has been going on for some time on that campus and he has sit on his butt and done nothing about it. Here is the timeline of incidents that led up until the students calling for him to leave. Racial climate at MU: A timeline of incidents so far this fall It took maybe two minutes to find this next time do a little searching instead of playing the race card and start the poor white guy whine. Also the head coach who is white is also supporting his players in their call for the president to leave. So much for this just being black against white huh?

Thanks for the link - Racial climate at MU: A timeline of incidents so far this fall

Read it all and it appears to be more "look at us" nonsense based on little or nothing. Their biggest complaint is "systematic" (systemic - this is a college, right?) racism at the school. The initial incident was based on a claim someone used a racial slur with no evidence to validate it. Then we have a poop swastika. Ok, Jews could be upset over that but what does that have to do with black students?

Racial relations is becoming theater of the absurd.
Reminds me more of the tantrums of preschoolers.

a reply to: ketsuko

So they would/should care more about football than racism?



Sure.

So far the defections are that if the Wolfe was black this wouldn't be happening and if the football team was better this wouldn't be happening.

Both hypotheticals that aren't not the case. Nothing about the actual issues going on from those against this.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
So far the defections are that if the Wolfe was black this wouldn't be happening and if the football team was better this wouldn't be happening.

Both hypotheticals that aren't not the case. Nothing about the actual issues going on from those against this.

The issues do not appear to be a big deal to me. These things happen all the time on college campuses. There are stupid people that get even dumber when they drink and they do stupid things without even thinking about their impact. That is what some kids do when they are on their own for the first time.

I don't care about their football team, but I also don't see that these incidents are a big deal. Maybe it is because I am white and don't see racism against blacks. Maybe it is because I don't empathize well with others. Regardless, this response defies reason to me.

a reply to: Sremmos80

If you are referring to the swastika,

1.) Do we know for certain it is genuine and not a hoax as is so often the case when the "climate" needs to be further established?

2.) Why would African-Americans care about a swastika? A noose I could understand.

3.) If they were winning, wouldn't be something more akin to the NFL players doing their "hands up don't shoot" at a game? Boycotting a winning season is something that's anathema to athletes when it doesn't directly affect their team.

But hey! It's Mizzou. I really don't care if they make themselves look ridiculous over this.

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
Thanks for the link - Racial climate at MU: A timeline of incidents so far this fall

Read it all and it appears to be more "look at us" nonsense based on little or nothing. Their biggest complaint is "systematic" (systemic - this is a college, right?) racism at the school.

You shouldn't critique grammar if you don't know what you're talking about:
Systematic vs. systemic:

The adjective systematic means (1) carried out using step-by-step procedures, or (2) of, characterized, or constituting a system. It typically describes carefully planned processes that unfold gradually. Systemic, which is narrower in definition, means systemwide or deeply engrained in the system. It usually describes habits or processes that are difficult to reverse because they are built into a system.

There is some gray area between the words. When there is doubt, it’s usually safer to go with systematic, which is older and more broadly defined.

Further, a student asked the president what it meant, and this was his answer:

One student released a video in which the UM System president responds to the question, "Tim Wolfe, what do you think systematic oppression is?"

Wolfe says, "It's — systematic oppression is because you don't believe that you have the equal opportunity for success — "

The crowd of students reacts negatively, and the chatter is mostly inaudible.

Someone in the crowd yells, "Did you just blame us for systematic oppression, Tim Wolfe? Did you just blame black students —" before the video cuts off.

Yeah, I think I'd probably yell the same, given that a college president doesn't even have the faintest notion about it.

Instead, you turn and critique the students for their word choice.