OU Asst. Coach Cale Gundy resigns after reading "shameful word"

Starting with your second paragraph first, I 100% agree. I said as much early on (see page 1 of the thread); there just has to be more to the story.

As for the second paragraph, come on! We all know context matters. It just does. It’s been said ad nauseum in this thread, but people can use different speech with different people. You can say things to your brother that you just can’t say to others. It’s just fact, it’s just life, and we all know this.

 

Either its a bad word and not suitable for anyone to say or its not. If it is a racial slur for one, it is a racial slur for all. Hard to give validity for being so hurtful when the offended party says it all of the time. Seems as if anymore, you can't say any word because someone somewhere will claim that particular word will offend them all while using the same word themselves.

 

How about this statement from the coach?
Venables: Gundy read 'racially charged' word
"Coach Gundy resigned from the program because he knows what he did was wrong," Venables said Monday. "He chose to read aloud to his players, not once but multiple times, a racially charged word that is objectionable to everyone, and does not reflect the attitude and values of our university or our football program. This is not acceptable. Period. Coach Gundy did the right thing in resigning. He knows our goals for excellence and that coaches have special responsibilities to set an example."
* * *
"As painful as it has been dealing with Coach Gundy resigning from the program, it doesn't touch the experience of pain felt by a room full of young men I am charged to protect, lead and love," Venables' statement read.

 

So in this case why isn’t the coach apologizing and then moving forward not acceptable? Clearly he made a bonehead mistake. But does a multi decade career need to be ended by it? Do we have no sense of grace and forgiveness?

 

What do you think would happen to you if you loudly said the n-word multiple times in a work meeting?

 

It wouldn’t happen. But your point is well taken.

 

It would also be fine if a non-Asian person used the word when referencing the band. There’s a difference between calling an Asian person a “slant” and just saying the word in the correct context.

 

I can see how that would keep you from having an "inside opinion" so to speak. I'm still interested in your opinion though if you're willing to give it.

 

So it sounds like the coach was irritated a player wasn't paying attention and then read the lyrics on his computer out loud which possibly made him more angry because of the content and kept reading the entirety of it all which apparently contained the N word multiple times.

Obviously speculation but if that's the case I'm not sure how to feel one way or the other about it. Probably should have apologized right then and there and then addressed the player but again, all of this is reaching without knowing exactly how it went down.

 

Then immediately on the practice field, these same minorities use the exact same words in their trash talk to both minorities and white players. But only one loses their place on the team for the exact same actions. Everyone keeps preaching equality except in cases where equality being held to the same standard impacts a minority. This must one of those equitable outcomes the Libs love spouting.

 

And now if a black coach says it they will have to resign. OU is the employer and the coaches are employees. A precedent has been set.


Be careful what you support and ask for, you just might get it.

 

I'm not sure we can base equity on hypothetical situations you are convinced are happening but cant supply concrete examples of, but if we are going to have 'equity' with players and coaches, how about paying the players first and making them actual employees like coaches are? If you prefer a model where coaches are authority figures teaching "student athletes" you by definition are going to want the coaches to set an example to maintain the illusion of amateurism or the value of college coaches mentoring athletes, so they will be held to a higher standard. That's the whole premise of college athletics lol!

 

Is that how it should be? Sure.

But don’t be so naive as to think that is how it will play out.

 

It plays out before arbitrators and judges. The coach is an employee. All employees are set to the same standard or there will be challenges. Challenges that will be in the hands of one or the other. Discrimination can and will be easily proven. It’s what I’ve witnessed as a union member in two different agencies. Any person can challenge it if they so choose.

 

If they have a zero tolerance type of policy for employees it 100% applies to all employees, regardless of race. If a massive football program like Oklahoma is flying by the seat of their pants and making it up as they go with their employees conduct, that would be really surprising, and expose them to all sorts of legal issues.

 

Great example of you conflating equity with "colorblindness" (the right-wing approach).

 

Ive coached players and witnessed first hand the things they say to each other. If you don't think racial and sexual preference terms are used in trash talk, then you are mental.

 

Rules for thee but not for me. Do as I say, not as I do. (the liberal approach)

 

Funny that you'd make that accusation when the rules that apply to you in this context apply just as much to me. Swing and a miss.

 

As I said before I think forcing a resignation is rather harsh, and the way this whole n word issue has been elevated to mortal sin status is kind of ridiculous. Having said that, it is what it is. As G-law indicated above, it isn’t something most of us would do. Our filters would prevent it. So I don’t know what is going on such that Gundy thought he could read it multiple times and everything would turn out hunky dory.