# Missouri football players threaten to strike? An exercise in pure stupidity **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 8, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039 "2015-11-08T18:42:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/181 "2015-11-19T18:57:04Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Well I can tell you a little about conditions in Missouri. > > The majority of blacks in the state live in the big cities of Kansas City Missouri and St. Louis Missouri. In both cases the public schools are terrible. Ratings of [KCMO](http://www.greatschools.org/missouri/kansas-city/) and [STLMO](http://www.greatschools.org/missouri/st.-louis/st.-louis-city-school-district/) schools. The schools academics are so watered down and weak that so while they technically graduated from high school, they are way underprepared for the rigors of college academics. You just cant do well in a college environment when at best you have a 5th grade level education. So we should be fixing public schools in Kansas City and St Louis so the children in those areas get better educations and are prepared for college. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/182 "2015-11-19T19:15:54Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Ok then. Over here in the real world, a lot of people think that many things - social issues included - are more important than sports. As **bobot** mentioned, that group includes [Mizzou’s head coach](http://deadspin.com/missouri-head-coach-gary-pinkel-voices-support-for-play-1741298611). Ok, I get that in the USA university football players are stars, but who are they representing besides themselves? Unless the issue is directly related to sports, why should the president sit with them (as opposed to, say, a representative body of students) to discuss the policies of the university? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/183 "2015-11-19T19:38:38Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So we should be fixing public schools in Kansas City and St Louis so the children in those areas get better educations and are prepared for college. And responsibility for this lies squarely on the president of a university in the same state. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/184 "2015-11-19T20:23:07Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Second, This is NOT the same as a cross burning on somebody’s yard. Its the stupid act of a college student who are well known for stupid crap. As opposed to cross-burners, who are well known for their intelligence and sophistication?😕 It’s an act intended to make members of minority groups fear for their safety. The clear implication is that someone who is vandalizing property today may be killing people tomorrow. I don’t see why anyone should be reassured by the thought that the person threatening to kill them probably isn’t very smart. Sure, nobody was actually physically harmed or even directly threatened, and the vast majority of vandals _aren’t_ going to progress to more extreme forms of aggression. But terrorist acts, by definition, are intended to make the target population feel a sense of insecurity and danger out of proportion to the actual threat. To say this is no big deal is like saying that, since only about 0.001% of the US population died on 9/11, there was no good reason for anyone to have strong feelings about the attack, or for high-level government officials to be directly involved in responding to it. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/185 "2015-11-19T21:05:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So we should be fixing public schools in Kansas City and St Louis so the children in those areas get better educations and are prepared for college. Good luck. The state has tried over the years dumping all kinds of money in those districts and no good. Best bet is to find the bright ones early on and get them into some type of college track or magnet program. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/186 "2015-12-14T23:53:22Z")
Good news. A Missouri state representative has introduced a bill to revoke the scholarships of any athlete who refuses to play for any reason besides injury. This seems reasonable. If a player decides they’d rather be a social justice warrior, then they can quit the football team and go on a hunger strike on their own dime. No more extortion from a small minority of players. > **[Missouri state representative files bill to revoke striking Mizzou players'...](https://collegefootball.nbcsports.com/2015/12/14/missouri-state-representative-files-bill-to-revoke-striking-missou-players-scholarships/)** > > The Missouri House of Representatives will review a house bill filed by Republican state representative Rick Brattin that would seek to strip any scholarship athlete in the state of Missouri of his or her scholarship if they refuse to play their... ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/187 "2015-12-14T23:57:17Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Good news. A Missouri state representative has introduced a bill to revoke the scholarships of any athlete who refuses to play for any reason besides injury. This seems reasonable. If a player decides they’d rather be a social justice warrior, then they can quit the football team and go on a hunger strike on their own dime. No more extortion from a small minority of players. > > [Missouri state representative files bill to revoke striking Mizzou players' scholarships - NBC Sports](http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/14/missouri-state-representative-files-bill-to-revoke-striking-missou-players-scholarships/) I was under the impression the whole team, and coach, supported the Missouri action. Not a small minority of players. In any event, I doubt the school will want to give up its football program. I think they’d rather work with the players and address any grievances. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/188 "2015-12-15T00:07:04Z")
Poor “Republican state representative \*\*Rick Brattin…” \*\* must be a little bit dad-gummit-ly outraged that the strike produced results. He’d probably be quite supportive of: Dalej42 says: “I’d like to see the university revoke their meal privileges while they’re on ‘strike’ …” That’ll show those upitty n… no good guys. “At this time there is no hearing scheduled and the bill is not yet confirmed for the House calendar in Missouri, but [House Bill 1743](http://www.house.mo.gov/billsummary.aspx?bill=HB1743&year=2016&code=R) is officially prefiled as of Monday afternoon.” Missouri: A wheel on the track. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/189 "2015-12-15T00:24:44Z")
The whole team certainly did not support the strike. I imagine the strike would have fallen apart had it gone on for longer than a day. There’s no need to make thinly veiled racial discrimination insinuations towards me. The players are there to play football. In exchange for playing, they get room, board, and tuition. They’re not obligated to play football, but they can’t keep scholarship benefits while they go off on some social justice crusade. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/190 "2015-12-15T00:40:05Z")
I, too, imagine that the strike would have fallen if it had not succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/191 "2015-12-15T00:41:39Z")
You say “social justice crusade” like it’s a bad thing. You don’t want teachers trying to improve their community, or football players trying to improve their campus. People have been organizing for social justice for quite some time, and I, for one, approve. Personally, I don’t care if the airline pilots strike for better meals for coach passengers. Whatever they think they can do to make the world a better place is okay with me. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/192 "2015-12-15T00:57:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > There’s no need to make thinly veiled racial discrimination insinuations towards me. The players are there to play football. In exchange for playing, they get room, board, and tuition. They’re not obligated to play football, but they can’t keep scholarship benefits while they go off on some social justice crusade. And most likely if the matter had continued on for the rest of the semester they _ **would** _ have lost them. They probably do have a minimum participation requirement. So the legislation proposed is unnecessary (and asinine). Schools have academic regulations and disciplinary procedures in place, _let them use them_. If the school administration is incompetent at \*applying \*those tools, that is their problem. If the protestors win, then hey they win. Kudos and let’s go to the next game. \* Why does this seem to **offend** you so damn much? \* It was just a \*&^% student protest. Students do protest, y’know. Or are you going to advocate stripping ALL scholarships (sport, academic merit, need-based, earmarked, legacy) from anyone who at any point stops doing whatever they are supposed to be doing, be it for one day or one month, to make or join a protest? How about for just advocating a protest? ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/193 "2015-12-15T01:00:43Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Good news. A Missouri state representative has introduced a bill to revoke the scholarships of any athlete who refuses to play for any reason besides injury. This seems reasonable. If a player decides they’d rather be a social justice warrior, then they can quit the football team and go on a hunger strike on their own dime. No more extortion from a small minority of players. > > [Missouri state representative files bill to revoke striking Mizzou players' scholarships - NBC Sports](http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/14/missouri-state-representative-files-bill-to-revoke-striking-missou-players-scholarships/) It’s “reasonable” if the players are contracted employees with a scholarship as their compensation. But that opens a smelly can of worms for the schools if that is indeed the case, not the least of which is that nasty old wage-fixing concept. If this silly law, which has no chance of passage, makes it onto the Missouri books, it will serve mostly to destroy the football program of the state’s flagship university. What quality players will want to come to a program in a state so openly hostile to scholarship athletes? What if the players strike in protest of the new law and the school has no leeway in how it handles the situation? Good luck filling the stands and getting the boosters happy happy happy to give give give when the walk-ons are taking on Alabama. The schools have a big problem on their hands, one that they can’t legislate away. The harsher the rules, the more likely becomes the rebellion. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/194 "2015-12-15T01:13:32Z")
So the only allowable excuse for refusing to play is injury, according to **dalej42**? I’d be interested, under those circumstances, to see what would happen when a football player had a close family member pass away during the season and wanted to take time off for the funeral. I could imagine **dalej42** coming here to start a thread titled, “Get out there and play, you pussy, unless you want your scholarship revoked. It was only your grandma anyway.” Of course, that’s not what the bill actually says. Unsurprisingly, the OP gets even the basics wrong. Here’s the relevant text from the bill: > [@](#): > > Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any college athlete who calls, incites, supports, or participates in any strike or concerted refusal to play a scheduled game shall have his or her scholarship revoked. [Link](http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills161/billpdf/intro/HB1743I.PDF) (pdf) It’s still a stupid bill, but it’s not quite as silly as **dalej42** ’s misinterpretation of it would suggest. And it’s nowhere near the most stupid piece of legislation that [Rick Brattin has supported in Missouri](http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/02/intelligent-design-missouri-evolution): > [@](#): > > Late last month, Rick Brattin, a Republican state representative in Missouri, introduced a bill that would require that intelligent design and “destiny” get the same educational treatment and textbook space in Missouri schools as the theory of evolution. Brattin insists that his bill has nothing to do with religion—it’s all in the name of science. [And](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/republican-wants-women-get-permission-father-having-abortion): > [@](#): > > A Missouri Republican is pushing a bill that would allow a man who gets a woman pregnant to stop her from having an abortion. The measure would force a woman who wants an abortion to obtain written permission from the father first—unless she was the victim of “legitimate rape.” > > The bill contains exceptions for women who become pregnant as the result of rape or incest—but there are caveats. > > “Just like any rape, you have to report it, and you have to prove it,” Brattin tells Mother Jones. “So you couldn’t just go and say, ‘Oh yeah, I was raped’ and get an abortion. It has to be a legitimate rape.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/195 "2015-12-15T12:45:47Z")
So, _is_ **dalej42** Rick Brattin? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/196 "2015-12-15T13:49:27Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And most likely if the matter had continued on for the rest of the semester they _ **would** _ have lost them. They probably do have a minimum participation requirement. So the legislation proposed is unnecessary (and asinine). Schools have academic regulations and disciplinary procedures in place, _let them use them_. If the school administration is incompetent at \*applying \*those tools, that is their problem. If the protestors win, then hey they win. Kudos and let’s go to the next game. Clearly the weak, downtrodden college administration needs the government’s help to avoid being taken advantage of by the powerful, rich, influential student athletes. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/197 "2015-12-15T15:24:05Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You say “social justice crusade” like it’s a bad thing. You don’t want teachers trying to improve their community, or football players trying to improve their campus. People have been organizing for social justice for quite some time, and I, for one, approve. Personally, I don’t care if the airline pilots strike for better meals for coach passengers. Whatever they think they can do to make the world a better place is okay with me. Obviously student athletes are not really people and simply alive for our entertainment purposes. Dance football players, dance! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/198 "2015-12-15T15:54:17Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Obviously student athletes are not really people and simply alive for our entertainment purposes. Dance football players, dance! The players are provided with scholarships worth thousands of dollars. That’s also thousands of dollars they’re avoiding in student loan debt. They can spend their free time running around and whining about a university president not checking his privilege to the satisfaction of some crybaby activist. But, they can’t threaten to cost the university a million dollars in forfeiture penalties. The options are: 1. Take the scholarship and be bound by the conditions 2. Don’t take the scholarship. No, I don’t usually agree with Rick Brattin. I’m strongly pro choice and his proposed abortion restrictions are silly. Intelligent design is a joke and shouldn’t be taught in any school. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/199 "2015-12-15T16:10:46Z")
What if the football players held a strike to protest gold-digging bitches who try to ruin careers of hardworking date rapists – I mean, honorable athletes? I suspect that someone’s head would explode. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/200 "2015-12-15T16:18:35Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The players are provided with scholarships worth thousands of dollars. That’s also thousands of dollars they’re avoiding in student loan debt. > > They can spend their free time running around and whining about a university president not checking his privilege to the satisfaction of some crybaby activist. But, they can’t threaten to cost the university a million dollars in forfeiture penalties. > > The options are: > > 1. Take the scholarship and be bound by the conditions > > 2. Don’t take the scholarship. > > No, I don’t usually agree with Rick Brattin. I’m strongly pro choice and his proposed abortion restrictions are silly. Intelligent design is a joke and shouldn’t be taught in any school. This is a lot of whining about other supposed whining “crybabies”. They protested and won. Sometimes protests succeed – this one succeeded. Boo-hoo. It also demonstrates that the schools need the athletes more than the reverse, for this level of college athletics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039.md?page=11)