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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUniversity of Minnesota Football Team Ends Boycott after Rape Details Released
University of Minnesota Football Team Ends Boycott after Rape Details Released
The University of Minnesotas football team announced on Saturday that they would end the boycott they initiated after ten of their team members were suspended in connection with a sexual assault.
Their decision to play in the Holiday Bowl Game came after the Universitys Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action released an 80-page report on Friday detailing the gang rape of a female student on September 2. The report describes how the female student was too intoxicated to consent and was assaulted by multiple men on the football team. The incident involved 12 Minnesota football players and 10 of those players were found responsible for violating the student conduct codes involving Harm to Person, Sexual Misconduct and Violation of University Rules.
Before the report was released, and without inquiring into the details of the assault, the University of Minnesota football team decided to boycott as a response to their teammates suspension, refusing to play in the Holiday Bowl on December 27th unless the suspensions were dismissed. The boycott was led by the teams captain Drew Wolitarski, who incited the wording of Donald Trump, saying he wanted to make our program great again by supporting his brothers who were falsely accused.
The Universitys President Eric Kaler and Athletic Direct Mark Coye declared they would not submit to the teams protests, upholding that the schools values were more important than their participation in the Holiday Bowl.
The boycott evoked outrage among activists and sexual assault survivors. Protests erupted around the University of Minnesotas campus where students came together to show their support for survivors. Sports Columnist Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post remarked that there are a million good social-justice causes over which a major college football team could boycott. This isnt one. Jenkins said that boycotting the suspensions shows the team does not recognize that women on campuses face an epidemic of sexual crime.
http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2016/12/19/university-of-minnesota-football-team-ends-boycott-after-rape-details-released/
RedWedge
(618 posts)Too bad it took a leak to make it happen, but I'm glad it did.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Yes Student Athletes need our support,but,what is lacking is,who is the Adult in the room. Until the U of M makes it mandatory and that all Athletes fully understand respect of each gender,and enforce the rules for those who break them,this will continue. How many more times will it take before there is a whole sale clean out of the Gopher Athletic Department include Coaches and Aides? And they wonder why the Public gets pissed off.
niyad
(113,860 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)know several Corporate and Business Sponsors,until they themselves clean up their act,nothing changes. And in that lies a real problem. As far as the football program,that has been a disaster looking for a spot to happen for years. Yes it is all about the MONEY.
niyad
(113,860 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Than anything else that's dumbed down our country. All the tribalism, the abuse and drunken rioting for no good reason are celebrated. It's a disturbing culture.
niyad
(113,860 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Roman's and the Lion's Mythology at play. It sells Beer and Chips.
niyad
(113,860 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Something about the culture- so mindlessly emotional, so dependent on beer and and endless supply of appetizers often served by women you spend the whole day around ignoring for not just one game, but all fucking day.
Mind you, I know great guys who are into it, women too.
But it's really just a bizarre sausage fest in my eyes. Baseball and basketball are different somehow.
And I love beer and apps. But I don't get it.
Much of the slanted Sinclair news crap gets packaged to stations that are heavy into college football.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)new several,my neighbor,who passed two years ago,was one of the World's top Money earners.
So true what you say about Sinclair,we have several of their Stations hear in Vegas.
Generic Brad
(14,276 posts)I have met him multiple times and have heard first hand accounts of how he did the right thing while under intense pressure.
He is an exceptional leader and educator.