SWC75
Bored Historian
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- Aug 26, 2011
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In a thread on the basketball recruiting board, (about Donnie Freeman), a poster playfully speculated that, based on previous recruiting success, maybe Red Autry “will go to USC with Dino”. Suddenly, the realization that both our major revenue sports had African American coaches popped into may head. I asked if that was true at any other power 5 school and someone responded that it used to be true at Penn State but they fired their basketball coach and hired a ‘Euro-American’ but Notre Dame has hired an ‘AA’ to replace Mike Brey, so they just joined the group of two, (I haven’t attempted to verify that). At a point where I thought we were the only one, I felt that was both “cool and uncool”. Another poster wondered “Why does it even matter?” I suggested that “if it didn’t matter, we wouldn’t be the only one.”
One of our board firefights broke out.
A poster labeled it “progressive” to have two AA coaches in the most important positions. Another said “whether we like it or not...race and representation IS an issue.”
A responder said “It’s only an issue because many groups in this country continually want to make it an issue…Dino and Red are the coaches of our programs because they earned the coaching job, not because they are black. Why don’t we try not making race (or gender for that matter) an issue for once.”
That produced this volley: “I see it this way. If the AA community finds it important to celebrate then it's asinine to ridicule them for it. Let it be the choice of those it truly matters to. Otherwise just ignore it like we would a million other factoids.”
Another: “You mean it's only an issue because some groups want to complain about the lack of opportunity that is given to a group that I don't belong to. The nerve of those groups. Other AA have earned it and haven't got the jobs they should have got. It's easy to think it isn't important when you belong to the group that has always got the jobs.”
And: “It's not just about many groups " continually wanting to make it an issue", it's mentioned and brought up precisely because it IS an issue. If your point is we should ignore it, or not mention it, or act like it doesn't exist, that's a personal perspective, born of your own personal experience. The opposite of that is whether those in other groups have the same privilege, the same luxury, to offer their perspective, based on their own life experiences. And let's be clear, this is not a right or privilege that was always historically available for those same groups in the past. If it matters to them to bring it up, then it shouldn't be a problem for anyone else.”
At this point is was suggested that a separate thread be set to discuss this as it had nothing directly to do with Donnie Freeman. I decided to post it to both the football and basketball boards as it’s relevant to both.
Do you think we should ignore the fact that we’ve got African Americans in the two most important coaching positions because that’s the way it should be?
Should we ignore that we are one of only two power five schools that have that situation? Why is it so uncommon? Should an issue be made of it?
Should we be bragging about it? (I feel strongly that both men would be uncomfortable with that.) Would that imply that they didn’t get the positions based on merit?
One of our board firefights broke out.
A poster labeled it “progressive” to have two AA coaches in the most important positions. Another said “whether we like it or not...race and representation IS an issue.”
A responder said “It’s only an issue because many groups in this country continually want to make it an issue…Dino and Red are the coaches of our programs because they earned the coaching job, not because they are black. Why don’t we try not making race (or gender for that matter) an issue for once.”
That produced this volley: “I see it this way. If the AA community finds it important to celebrate then it's asinine to ridicule them for it. Let it be the choice of those it truly matters to. Otherwise just ignore it like we would a million other factoids.”
Another: “You mean it's only an issue because some groups want to complain about the lack of opportunity that is given to a group that I don't belong to. The nerve of those groups. Other AA have earned it and haven't got the jobs they should have got. It's easy to think it isn't important when you belong to the group that has always got the jobs.”
And: “It's not just about many groups " continually wanting to make it an issue", it's mentioned and brought up precisely because it IS an issue. If your point is we should ignore it, or not mention it, or act like it doesn't exist, that's a personal perspective, born of your own personal experience. The opposite of that is whether those in other groups have the same privilege, the same luxury, to offer their perspective, based on their own life experiences. And let's be clear, this is not a right or privilege that was always historically available for those same groups in the past. If it matters to them to bring it up, then it shouldn't be a problem for anyone else.”
At this point is was suggested that a separate thread be set to discuss this as it had nothing directly to do with Donnie Freeman. I decided to post it to both the football and basketball boards as it’s relevant to both.
Do you think we should ignore the fact that we’ve got African Americans in the two most important coaching positions because that’s the way it should be?
Should we ignore that we are one of only two power five schools that have that situation? Why is it so uncommon? Should an issue be made of it?
Should we be bragging about it? (I feel strongly that both men would be uncomfortable with that.) Would that imply that they didn’t get the positions based on merit?
