There is a good bit of racial tension swirling about the campus of the University of Missouri, as evidenced by this Washington Post story.
Some of the football team has decided to up the ante.
The athletes of color on the University of Missouri football team truly believe “Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere” We will no longer participate in any football related activities until President Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students’ experiences. WE ARE UNITED!!!!!
No idea where this is heading… but if a football team can take down a school president, I imagine that going to shake up more than a few people.
Get The Picture 
Did you even read the article?
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Yeah, I did. That’s why I linked it.
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What does it have to do with players strike? Never mind. Agenda.
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The Wasington Post article does not refer to a player’s strike. You find that article by clicking a link on the tweet.
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I was not clear. The article about the players strike is in the link on the tweet.
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Seriously? It talks about the reason for the strike.
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Read the Daily Caller article for a little balance and a few other facts.
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Did you even read my post?
Agenda, indeed.
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I had no idea that this was going on. And we think we have problems at UGA. Sheesh!
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If this has legs and actually happens it has the potential to be a program killer. The issues are obviously bigger than football but this could hammer the football program. Severe racial tensions and forfeiting games seems like the perfect storm. Should be very interesting to watch.
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Shame on Mizzou for seriously thinking they can out-white BYU.
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I wouldn’t have guessed that at mizzou. I spent a night in Columbia on a cross country trip and everyone seemed almost overly nice. Of course during the Civil war the whole state was a bloodbath. One thing to recommend the state though is that you can buy liquor in the grocery store.
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Butler is a brave person, and while this may sound slightly contradictory, the Missouri players are real leaders for following his lead. In a way, this is a non-sports, sports story I’m happy to read.
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I truly hope this is about something more than the Mike Brown Ferguson thing. Even the Obama/Holder Justice Department who you know went into the investigation wanting to nail Darrin Wilson to the wall had to admit when their investigation was complete that the evidence overwhelmingly supported Wilson’s version. I’m not trying to minimize the way anyone feels on the issue but if you look at this from a long historical perspective these rash of protests over people being harmed or killed for resisting arrest is a testament to how good overall we as Americans have it if we really think that qualifies as “injustice”. I saw a video a couple of days ago of an Alabama police officer in Birmingham shooting a guy who was clearly on the ground, if that video’s legit that officer should absolutely be prosecuted for murder. There are bad cops of all colors sure but for the most part the men and women in blue in this country do a good job. This is not helpful, the media has created a lot of the tension that now exists, which is worse than it has been at any point in my life time and it has been done for strictly political reasons, to galvanize and increase black turnout in advance of the 2012 (Trayvon Martin) and 2014 (Mike Brown) elections. I fully expect another media driven incident in the months leading up to the 2016 election.
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“I’m not trying to minimize the way anyone feels on the issue”
Sure you are.
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I’m originally from Missouri (Kansas City). Anti-black prejudice and associated, somewhat less intense prejudice against other racial/ethnic groups, has been a longtime problem in the state. Considering it’s been going on there for almost 200 years, I doubt there’s a solution to it. Or, if there is one, it’s going to take more time, patience and commitment to change things than anyone’s demonstrated yet. That’s not a happy prognosis, but history doesn’t encourage one.
I think several deep southern states have actually made more progress than Missouri in the last 50 years. In those places, there was strong outside pressure and eventually internal realization that Jim Crow had to end. Missouri never tthe issue.
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Never really tackled the issue. (Damn iPad keyboard.)
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Interesting. I knew it was bad during the war but I guess I figured that things had changed since.
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The KC Country Club pulled Henry Bloch’s nomination in 1990. Bloch was Jewish. Tom Watson, whose wife is Jewish, publically resigned from the club in protest. The club’s action was pretty shocking – and they soon changed their policies – but it reflected prejudice that still hasn’t completely (perhaps even somewhat) gone away.
And, based on what I saw and heard growing up (in a family with KCCC members), anti-Semites didn’t think Jews were inferior, just too alien for their comfort. The attitude toward blacks was much worse – patronizing at best and most typically entirely dismissive. This was a while back, but on visits there since, things really hadn’t changed much. I hear similar things about Saint Louis (and it’s had more public controversies recently), but don’t know it personally.
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Thanks for the insight. I did not have any idea.
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I bet they wouldn’t strike if they were having a better season.
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Well, somebody had to say it.
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Is it possible our offense was on strike during October and they didn’t announce it?
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WTF? Did you read their crazy list of demands? These kids are in for a hard reality check when they leave the pc/victim culture of the college campus and have to operate in the real world. Better to kick them off the team and let them learn their lesson now then allow them to terrorize an entire school. Better yet, let them forfeit a game and have to explain that to their teammates.
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Correct me if I’m wrong but the student athletes are only demanding the president’s resignation. The Concerned Student 1950 group has a different set of demands.
But on another note, if you’re serious about this, “Better to kick them off the team and let them learn their lesson now then allow them to terrorize an entire school” I’m nothing short of flabbergasted. Shame on you for advocating kicking kids off an athletic team for speaking out against what they see as injustice in their community. I seriously doubt the students at Mizzou feel terrorized because someone wants the university president to resign.
Often things in our world don’t change because people who have power lack the courage to use it for good, and here we have an example of a group of kids who have power (seeing as how football is a lucrative enterprise) and are willing to use it for something they think is worthwhile. That’s something we need more of in this country.
I honestly don’t know what’s going on at Mizzou, but I can venture a guess that kids who are on scholarship to play football don’t lightly take up the idea of not playing. It’s not like they said, “We want PS4’s for all of our dorm rooms or we’re not playing on Saturdays!” This is obviously something that they really care about, and instead of just saying, “Wow they’re horrible people who are acting like victims to imaginary wrongs and should be punished for it” maybe we ought to listen to what they have to say.
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Agree. In the “non OC/entitlement real world” citizens use whatever leverage they have to further their goals. Example, Donald Trump explains that he has used leverage that the bankruptcy laws provide to gain concessions in business deals. NFL and MLB owners use the leverage of the threat to move to another city to get taxpayers to give them things. These students, who live in that environment, apparently find that the environment toxic enough to use whatever power they have to change it.
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There are plenty of articles out there. I suggested Daily Caller. Breitbart and Zero Hedge also. The thing is that this is part of a national movement that has nothing to do with college football. Another irony that high school and college athletics has much more of a positive influence on the young people who are purported to be represented.
Does it do more good for a young person to be mentored through high school and college with athletics or for a group of political agitators to make the president of a university admit in public that there is such a thing as white privilege.
The wall that is the relationship between white and black athletes… teammates… is just another target for the anarchists and cultural warriors whose agenda is nothing more than finding something to do until their next target is monetized. Rather…it’s only the political class of leaders who will benefit. The poor kids on the ground will wake up several years from now wondering why they can’t get a decent job and whose fault it is.
I hate that division has become the biggest growth industry in society. As goes college football so goes the country.
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You sure have a warped view of what “terrorizing” is. By your standard, those of us who want Richt or McGarity to step down might as well go join ISIS.
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The University of Missouri is contractually obligated to participate in football games and other sports contests. It is part of the SEC and has this obligation not only to the individual schools it has scheduled to play, both in Columbia and at other venues, and a failure to send a team to play will have financial consequences for the scheduled teams’ schools as well as the conference. If the University of Missouri cannot or will not honor its commitments to those institutions, including the conference, the University of Missouri will run a grave risk of being expelled from the SEC and sued for substantial amounts of money by multiple plaintiffs.They had better field a football team for the games remaining on the 2015 football schedule and basketball schedule which is right upon us even if they have to get guys from the intramural leagues to do it. Just sayin.’
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I guess the question becomes whether or not there are 22 non-black players on the team.
Open try-outs?
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I would be surprised if there are members of the team that would cross the picket line.
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Exactly. That is why the players feel they have some leverage.
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Do you really think the SEC is going to force Mizzou to field a team? lol.
Nobody is going to touch this. The school president is done.
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Yes, the SEC will do all it can to make sure a bunch of Missouri students take the field against BYU, UT and Arky, since the networks paid the SEC for the rights to televise those games. The SEC does not want to refund money, nor does it want the specter of possible forfeits to affect bargains with the networks when the contracts are renewed.
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They probably handle it the same way they handle it when lightening forces a game to be shortened or canceled. Dont be silly. They aren’t kicking mizzou out over this.
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The television contracts have a “force majeure ” clause dealing with weather. This is not the same. No, the SEC isn’t kicking Mizzou out, but I would bet that the league will extract a financial penalty on it. I would bet that the schools’ agreement with the league requires the schools to meet their obligations to appear at the games this order to receive full revenue shares.
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If the league penalizes Mizzou, that is Mizzou’s problem. It’s is obviously part of the stick in this situation.
I can’t see the SEC willingly wading into this mess.
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?????
I do not understand the flow of your argument, I am sorry.
Yes, the SEC will penalize Mizzou, and that is Mizzou’s problem (although what to do with those tickets, programs, concessions etc at Arkansas would create a headache for Jeff Long .)
The fact that the fallout would be Mizzou’s problem is EXACTLY the players’ point. The players at not asking the SEC to do anything. Their demands are aimed at Mizzou alone and the strike impacts the very institution they want to affect.
All the SEC can do is extract compensation from Mizzou for missing games, as it should do. Did any say Jeremy Foley or Bill Battle should take sides in the dispute?
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You are the one who said that “Yes, the SEC will do all it can to make sure a bunch of Missouri students take the field against BYU, UT and Arky, since the networks paid the SEC for the rights to televise those games.”
The “yes” was your response to the question “Do you really think the SEC is going to force Mizzou to field a team?”
So unless the limit of “All it can do” is follow the contract and enforce whatever penalty is described in the contract, you seemed to imply that the SEC would get involved in this dispute in beyond just enforcing the contract.
I disagree with that assessment of the situation. The SEC will stay away from this and any penalty would probably come at the end of the fiscal, once everything is long settled in this dispute.
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Okay. If your position is that the SEC will not take a position on the controversy but will require UM to field a team and enforce it’s rights against UM we agree. If your position is that the SEC will not enforce UM’s duty to show up and play we disagree.
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I agree DP that the SEC, acting through the Commissioner, will not get actively involved at this stage. Maybe a letter may be sent from the Commissioner’s office, or something of that nature, putting Missouri on notice that the university will be held legally responsible for breach of contract, but that is about it right now. But think about all the TV revenue that will be lost. The networks have a deal. If Mizzou cancels the games the networks are going to want a proportionate amount of dough back. Plus, the tickets to the stadium. Mizzou has 3 games left, only one of which is in Columbia. Maybe the school itself would eat the loss of the refund for the one home game but what about the game against BYU at Arrowhead Stadium in KC? And the game against Arkansas in Fayetteville? This is really about money. Any players that strike will be kicked off the team and lose their scholarships. If Mizzou doesn’t field teams to these athletic events, there will be hell to pay in court and at the SEC front office–take that to the bank.
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I suspect that you are right. There will be consequences. For the school, the players, and coaches. Even mizzou fans and grads are going to feel this one.
I think that if they taking away scholarships is probably a bad idea right now. Besides the coaches are supporting them now.
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Yeah, I saw where Pinkle announced that he and the other coaches are standing behind the players on this. All I can say is if there is no game played because of this all the coaches will get fired too and they won’t get paid any buy-out. It’ll be considered a breach of contract and the University of Missouri won’t have to pay them. Moreover, none of them will ever get jobs in major college coaching again. I seriously doubt Pinkle thought this through before saying what he said. That actually may be their saving grace–the players back down when it becomes apparent that their coaches, including their beloved HC Gary Pinkle, will all be unemployed and unemployable for backing them up on this. That may incite the players to play after all.
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Senator,
I was born and raised right outside STL and attended UF for my undergrad. I have been reading your site for years as I find it one of the most insightful in regards to SEC football. I have been monitoring it closely due to the Richt situation and was surprised to see this covered. I had no idea this was going on as I had not seen it covered previously or have had any of Mizzou grad friends mention it (!). Thank you for sharing our a university in our great conference is not doing enough to protect our fellow students. Please keep up the good work.
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In defense of your Mizzou friends, I think the story just broke last night.
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So you want the man to appalligise before you fire him and then force the entire student population to take part in your crusade through your reforms. Good luck with that.
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“appalligise” is awesome.
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It is appalling.
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Once they are threatened with having their scholarships pulled they will be back at practice within minutes.
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good luck recruiting the next guy if you do that.
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You do know that the Missouri head coach tweeted his support for the players, don’t you? Apparently the entire team, regardless of race, supports them.
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Blacks claiming offense from a swastika? Sorry, that one’s taken.
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Using the word “blacks”…
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Like the Congressional Black Caucus or Black Entertainment Network?
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Do I have to explain that “black” and “blacks” are two different words?
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yes
I’m not up to speed on the new laundry list of grievances.
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What are whites then? Too many people need to lighten up and not choose to be offended by words and symbols. When one group of racists try to out do another with their faux outrage it just comes across as unserious and silly. The ridiculous demands this small group has issued to the University of Missouri only distracts from and marginalizes whatever grievance they have.
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How dare they take offense go being called Ns on campus. Don’t they know their ridiculous objections will alienate the guys that call them names?
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Exactly, why choose to let a word offend you? It only enables the name caller. Also, you obviously have not seen the list of demands. I am not saying it is right, but racism exists, always has and always will. Racists are of all colors and national origins. The sun rises in the east. Striking and demanding that a university president steps down because some fool drew some swaztikas with his poop only marginalizes whatever point these guys are trying to make.
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they dont want him to step down because of the bad behavior of students. They want him to step down because he didnt respond appropriately.
Sexual violence, domestic violence and racism are all alive and well on campuses across the country and most schools are doing every thing they can to pretend it isnt happening.
UGA just had their reported sexual assault numbers go way up. Their response was to change the way sexual assaults are reported. Shit like that make the victims feel marginalized and like they dont matter.
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Seriously? How is he supposed to respond? He condemned the silly act and then pointed out the changes in policy that the university has been working on since earlier this year to coddle these kids. What else do they expect him to do? I am sure he has other much more important things to deal with then some students getting their feelings hurt by a crappy swaztika.
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Seems like they didnt feel the response was appropriate. You obviously feel different. When you arent the group being attacked indifference to their plight is fairly easy.
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Considering white supremacist groups appopriated Nazi symbols quite some time ago, yeah, blacks find the swastika offensive. Considering what the Nazis did and what white supremacist groups advocate, so should everyone else.
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Boy, this thread is turning into everything I expected and more.
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yep.
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Also in the just bad luck department….
Next game for Mizzou is at home against BYU. School was calling for a “White Out”…
guessing they might drop that promotion this week.
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So do they actually believe they are bigger than the university and the game of college football much less SEC football or the Conference for that matter.
Think this will blow up in their face.
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I think that they are tired of being marginalized. They seem to think that cause is bigger than the game of college football. Probably some people will agree with them.
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Money runs this game and the conference. The answer will be to throw some money at the problem and hope it goes away
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How are they going to throw money at this problem? Free pizza party for the students and please forget that we dont care about someone of you?
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Why am I picturing you saying that dressed like Boss Hogg?
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Mizzou should go back to the Big 8
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Mizzou may end up being an independent. I’m not kidding. They better handle this correctly.
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Believe me… it’s the sec office that is worried about this. There are surely agitators and protests being organized at other sec schools. Community organizing is big business and pretty much the sole business of the new Democratic Party. You reap what you sow.
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What a silly comment. Players at Alabama, etc are going on strike until Missouri fires it’s president? You realize that that every person in Alabama, Georgia, etc could agree that Missouri should fire it’s president they still could not cause Missouri to fire it’s president.
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Go read their list of “demands”. It’s easy to find. Not one has a thing to do with the University of Missouri… specifically. They obviously want to start a national on campus movement. Maybe some good will come of it… who knows. Taking down the confederate flag luckily solved all the other racial issues in the country today.
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I’ve been saying for years that one day the players are going to rise up and say “we aren’t playing today.” I was thinking more in terms of pay for play, but if this protest is effective, that day is sooner than later!
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Wolfe did drop this little nugget on some protesters.
“Systematic oppression is because you don’t believe that you have the equal opportunity for success,” he said.
opps. probably would like to have that one back. It will probably cost him his job.
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Well, somebody has to tell them the truth. Unfortunately, we live in a society that increasingly confuses equal outcomes with equal opportunity.
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I think the Mizzou players went on strike after week 1.
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If Mizzou’s offense went on strike, would anyone notice?
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