McDermott suspended at Creighton

[imdevo]

I disagree. If the intent was to demean, harass, intimidate or hurt a person or group of people, I would totally agree. In this instance, I believe the coach. He should have discussions with any of his players or staff that were hurt. But, severe punishment for an unintentional yet stupid remark is pointless. We have plenty of true racists out there to target, let’s focus on them.

Racists gonna be racists. I ain't worry about that. This is an issue with this specific system.

There should be zero tolerance in the workplace for those type of comments. He should be suspended. If there was intent to demean, harass, intimidate or hurt a person then he needs to be fired and investigated further.

I'm sure Creighton has a code of conduct and everyone should adhere to it. Regardless of how nice of a "sorry" you're able to put together with your very expensive executive PR team. Still not ok and the suspension sends the right message.

 

[Grbac]

It is silly, but its where were at right now in society.

I agree. Very frustrating. A complete double standard across the board.

 

[JustPherU]

I would argue that words are WAY more powerful than "sticks and stones."

Ever been hit in the head with a twenty pound stone? I’ll take a word arse whooping any day.

 

[Eric15]

Ever been hit in the head with a twenty pound stone?

Negative. I wasn’t involved in any of the battles in Braveheart.

 

[orangefog]

Ever been hit in the head with a twenty pound stone? I’ll take a word arse whooping any day.

I have!!! There was a curling incident.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

I'm not sure how you interpreted what I said to come up with that response. Of course there are degrees to most things.
Look at your first paragraph - I completely agree with that. Seems to me that reviewing, editing some ideas is what thoughtful people do before they speak. He didn't, and that caused him to be a dumb a$$. Learning to be more considerate, empathetic and thoughtful is not a harsh punishment for being a dumb a$$, it is appropriate.

I didn’t mean it as an indictment on what you wrote, mostly as an indictment on the cancel culture social media fascists out there.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Sticks and stones...words carry the amount of weight from the amount of attention that one freely & voluntarily chooses to give it.

I wholly concur. Being upset or hurt by words is on the listener

 

[jgeorge322]

Racists gonna be racists. I ain't worry about that. This is an issue with this specific system.

There should be zero tolerance in the workplace for those type of comments. He should be suspended. If there was intent to demean, harass, intimidate or hurt a person then he needs to be fired and investigated further.

I'm sure Creighton has a code of conduct and everyone should adhere to it. Regardless of how nice of a "sorry" you're able to put together with your very expensive executive PR team. Still not ok and the suspension sends the right message.

How many games do you think is appropriate?

 

[OmahaCuse]

Lived in Omaha and did lots with the economic dev group. Had 2000 employees there. Im close to the Creighton program and im not hearing that. Doesnt mean its not true but my friends are not hearing that.

I know the coach personally, ex players, AD, boosters, etc. He is far from a racist but a genuine down to earth guy who has the players best interest in mind regardless of color, etc. He has players over to his house plays golf with them, has many local black personal friends. Have no idea why those words came out, but was a metaphor not meant to hurt anyone.

 

[Red Holzman]

I cut a frog clear in half with a thrown rock. That was after shouting at it for an hour with no physical damage.

I shot down a dragonfly in flight at approx 20' with a thrown rock.
Was over 50 years ago -recall like it was yesterday.
Thanks for reminding me of this Great Accomplishment!

 

[OmahaCuse]

Word is that what was released publicly is a lot more “cleaned up and edited” than what actually was said the locker room

That’s anecdotal and not true

 

[OmahaCuse]

Come on guys.

I understand the apology but at what point do you take action?

There needs to be zero tolerance for comments like this. It's exhausting that it keeps happening.

Ok let me ask you. Many golf courses are still called Plantation course, some neighborhoods are called the X plantation. I have never heard of the Concentration Camp Pines course. CMON you are really taking this out of context. He apologized is sitting out a game, case closed. If he said concentration camp he would be terminated immediately regardless of makeup of players.

 

[two3zone]

He deserved a penalty for those comments.
If his players forgive him then I can see why he keeps his job but you can’t say what he did.

Just awful comments.
It will be interesting to see if he can recruit now.
MCW defended him on Twitter.

His brother plays there right?

 

[OmahaCuse]

His brother plays there right?

Yes starting PG family loves coach better than you know who (cranky old man)

 

[two3zone]

Yes starting PG family loves coach better than you know who (cranky old man)

Can’t say I’m shocked.

 

[two3zone]

I shot down a dragonfly in flight at approx 20' with a thrown rock.
Was over 50 years ago -recall like it was yesterday.
Thanks for reminding me of this Great Accomplishment!

There was a door on top of the gym at ESM high school, I was at the between the gym and the next wing and grabbed a snowball and told the guy next to me, “door knob”, turned around and winged it and nailed the doorknob. I was a hero the next week. One of my greatest accomplishments, I mean how do I ever top that? It’s been a disappointing 26 years since living up to it.

 

[Cuse69]

Had he said stay on the reservation not plantation it's no big deal, cancel culture is out in full force, wonder how this made it out of the locker room, his players told him not to resign so I'd assume someone is pissed they aren't playing and is hell bent on getting revenge.

 

[OmahaCuse]

There was a door on top of the gym at ESM high school, I was at the between the gym and the next wing and grabbed a snowball and told the guy next to me, “door knob”, turned around and winged it and nailed the doorknob. I was a hero the next week. One of my greatest accomplishments, I mean how do I ever top that? It’s been a disappointing 26 years since living up to it.

Amazing, sounds like that SU edumacation paid off for you...

 

[Charbroil]

Here's one. But I just want to see what fits my narrative.

"He didnt mean anything negative."

Yes, that is the one comment that I was referring to. And even then, that post referenced the importance of McDermott educating himself to learn how his words hurt others.

Sounds like you are using absolutes by referring to “people” on this thread when it was literally one sentence of one comment that you have a problem with.

 

[two3zone]

Amazing, sounds like that SU edumacation paid off for you...

I didn’t go to Syracuse, had to leave town for school, couldn’t imagine growing up and then staying for college there.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

It doesn’t even make sense .. I’ve never heard this phrase before ... I’ve heard “off the reservation” but that would offend native Americans ..

Then there was the Bob McNair quote of “inmates running the asylum” which is only racist if you in fact have believe black peoples disproportionately populate asylums ..

 

[kcsu]

I know the coach personally, ex players, AD, boosters, etc. He is far from a racist but a genuine down to earth guy who has the players best interest in mind regardless of color, etc. He has players over to his house plays golf with them, has many local black personal friends. Have no idea why those words came out, but was a metaphor not meant to hurt anyone.

Good to hear. Thats the read im getting as well. How Ms pub doing these days?

 

[OrangeTarheel]

From the AP story: “McDermott, who is white, acknowledged saying: “Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can’t have anybody leave the plantation.”

This much is clear - the top of the team power hierarchy just gave a metaphor to his charges that involved slavery. And he’s white and some of his charges are not. There is an unequal power relation present here. If a black student athlete addressed his peers there would be some who looked at it as an odd comment but there wouldn’t be the same level of being upset. As coach he is setting the standard for what is appropriate treatment of players and staff. Some will be hurt or unsettled by the reference and their place in it. He failed in setting the standard.

McDermotts plantation metaphor might be generously interpreted as textbook ignorance, my guess is the coach has a white washed version of a plantation in his head and not the historically accurate version that involved in many many cases terror perpetrated on a people to extract their labor. If he WAS aware of what slaves on a plantation experienced then he’s a cruel cruel man and needs more than a suspension.

How do you respond when your leader engages you ignorantly from a place of power? That’s the question it seems. I like that they asked the students. Good start. If anyone is interested in learning why plantation life is nothing to reference casually I can recommend:

 

[NKR1978]

I disagree. If the intent was to demean, harass, intimidate or hurt a person or group of people, I would totally agree. In this instance, I believe the coach. He should have discussions with any of his players or staff that were hurt. But, severe punishment for an unintentional yet stupid remark is pointless. We have plenty of true racists out there to target, let’s focus on them.

Not being able to coach a few games of basketball isn't a severe punishment. It's just a suspension. Since when did people get so soft that something so minor as a short suspension from work is considered "severe punishment"?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I presumed I might get some push back on my comment, especially with today's climate, cancel culture, etc.

Most of us heard the stick and stones reference from our parents when we were children, right, wrong or indifferent...it's just a saying. Perhaps, I should've left it out and just wrote what I stated afterwards, which is really the crux of my point. And, that holds true from a universal standpoint. That words only carry the weight that one allows it to have by the amount of attention one chooses to freely and voluntarily give it. It's the individual's choice, they possess the power and their own free will to discharge whatever energy they desire.

The bolded is actually the assertion that I was directly stating is fine for an individual to apply to themselves for their own circumstances, but one that is inappropriate to demand another apply to themselves and their circumstances. I actually completely understood your point, I just hugely disagree with the application.

To make another comparison that's relevant to the times... I believe it's hugely valuable in general for people to be conscious of their privileges in life, and self-assess them frequently. I try to do it in my own and for my own life. But I would find it completely inappropriate for me to tell another person to "check their privilege." There's little chance of that doing any good, and it would indicate an embedded judgment on my part that's simply not fair.