# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/21 "2015-11-08T23:27:56Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Fighting for [Indian independence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_strike#Gandhi_and_Bhagat_Singh) from British rule was a “disgusting example of narcissism?” :dubious: What about [women’s suffrage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_strike#British_and_American_suffragettes)? [Irish independence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_strike#Irish_republicans)? [Human rights in Cuba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_strike#Cuban_dissidents)? > > Sure, whatever. I haven’t read all the links but very few, if any, of those Irish Republicans went on hunger strike for Irish independence. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/22 "2015-11-08T23:30:21Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Oh please, master, won’t you enlighten us as to the complexities of structural racism, and why it is irrelevant to this situation? We wait at your feet, staring up with awe and anticipation, for your measured and thoughtful instruction on the complex issues facing our society. :rolleyes: I love the idea that defacing a dorm with a swastika made out of shit is “supposedly racist”. I wonder what would have to happen for him to declare it definitely racist. Having a hanging from the flagpole by a noose? ---
**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:** [November 8, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/23 "2015-11-08T23:36:22Z")
> [@RetroVertigo](#): > > Dale, you seem triggered. In my day, it was known as “kneejerk.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/24 "2015-11-08T23:38:13Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I love the idea that defacing a dorm with a swastika made out of shit is “supposedly racist”. I wonder what would have to happen for him to declare it definitely racist. > > Having a hanging from the flagpole by a noose? Oh, that happens every day. don’tcha know? Maybe, maybe if they were wearing white sheets and hoods and burning a cross at the same time, although that might just be a pep rally for the team. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/25 "2015-11-08T23:39:14Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Having recently relocated from Columbia, MO, I wanted to thank the OP for bringing this matter to my attention. That town rises and sets on the actions of the football team. I was initially prepared to join the OP in roundly condemning their silliness. > > Until I read up on this. > > The OP might do well to remember that this region is also still recovering from the events in Ferguson Missouri. Also that while certain parts of the state are more cosmopolitan, other parts of Missouri are still connected to a deeply racist past. > > I am actually proud to see that the football team is using their celebrity to raise awareness of ongoing race problems on campus. I’m a graduate of the school. You’re right there is a still weirdly backwards way-of-thinking in Boone County. The school populace is, as most big universities, a liberal place as opposed to the 100 mile radius that surrounds the school. As an anecdote, a friend of mine married a local girl who was basically disowned from her family, because my friend is black. Her parents have yet to meet their grandchild who will be turning 10 later this year. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/26 "2015-11-08T23:47:31Z")
I also want to point out that there is a sizeable minority of African-American’s in CoMo (around 10-12%, depending if you include the surrounding metro), which is different than almost all other rural towns in Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/27 "2015-11-09T03:04:00Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > I haven’t read all the links Then perhaps you should. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/28 "2015-11-09T12:12:58Z")
You do not negotiate with blackmailers, terrorists, or social justice warriors. The university stands to lose one million dollars in the event of a forfeit. Here’s what needs to happen. 1. Tom Wolfe (president) calls coach Pinkel into his office. In no uncertain terms, Pinkel has to end his support of the strike. Major college football coaches work up to 80 hours per week in the season, he doesn’t have time for pet political causes. If Pinkel refuses, then fire him immediately for insubordination. Have security escort his ass off campus. I’m sure a member of the coaching staff will be glad to assume head coaching duties in Pinkel’s absence. 2. Once you have a coach that’s willing to focus on football, call a team meeting of the players. Tell them they have one hour to decide if they want to be part of the team or not. If a player doesn’t want to, then revoke his scholarship and student-athlete privileges. They can be regular students or transfer to another university. 3. If there aren’t enough players to fill a team for Saturday’s game, then on Tuesday have walk on tryouts. I’m sure there’s plenty of former high school football players enrolled at Missouri that would love to play. Even if the BYU game is a ridiculous blow out, there won’t be a forfeit and no one million dollar forfeiture fee needs to be paid. It’s seriously time to stop letting the inmates run the asylum. > **[Missouri player strike could cost Tigers $1 million to BYU - NBC Sports...](https://collegefootball.nbcsports.com/2015/11/08/missouri-player-strike-could-cost-tigers-1-million-to-byu/)** > > The threat of a cancellation to this week’s game between Missouri and BYU became a bit more realistic Sunday afternoon following a released statement from University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe. Boiling in controversy related to alleged... ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/29 "2015-11-09T12:58:08Z")
Why do you care? You seem to have a lot invested into a school that you don’t follow. If it doesn’t bother me, who goes to 4-5 home games & travels for a game a season, than why does it bother you? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/30 "2015-11-09T13:05:49Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > You do not negotiate with blackmailers, terrorists, or social justice warriors. The university stands to lose one million dollars in the event of a forfeit. Here’s what needs to happen. > > 1. Tom Wolfe (president) calls coach Pinkel into his office. In no uncertain terms, Pinkel has to end his support of the strike. Major college football coaches work up to 80 hours per week in the season, he doesn’t have time for pet political causes. If Pinkel refuses, then fire him immediately for insubordination. Have security escort his ass off campus. I’m sure a member of the coaching staff will be glad to assume head coaching duties in Pinkel’s absence. > > 2. Once you have a coach that’s willing to focus on football, call a team meeting of the players. Tell them they have one hour to decide if they want to be part of the team or not. If a player doesn’t want to, then revoke his scholarship and student-athlete privileges. They can be regular students or transfer to another university. > > 3. If there aren’t enough players to fill a team for Saturday’s game, then on Tuesday have walk on tryouts. I’m sure there’s plenty of former high school football players enrolled at Missouri that would love to play. Even if the BYU game is a ridiculous blow out, there won’t be a forfeit and no one million dollar forfeiture fee needs to be paid. > > It’s seriously time to stop letting the inmates run the asylum. > > [Missouri player strike could cost Tigers $1 million to BYU - NBC Sports](http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/08/missouri-player-strike-could-cost-tigers-1-million-to-byu/) Didn’t you mean to say “Here’s what needs to happen for this to blow up further and spread to other teams and other campuses like wildfire.” ---
**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:** [November 9, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/31 "2015-11-09T13:35:59Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Didn’t you mean to say “Here’s what needs to happen for this to blow up further and spread to other teams and other campuses like wildfire.” Yep. Finally, student athletes with balls/conscious. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/32 "2015-11-09T13:41:47Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > The school’s paper has a timeline of racial incidents and the school’s response (or lack of response) to each one [here](http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/racial-climate-at-mu-a-timeline-of-incidents-to-date/article_0c96f986-84c6-11e5-a38f-2bd0aab0bf74.html). So, a Facebook post about an unidentified passenger in a pickup truck allegedly calling somebody the N-word, and a drunk who was asked to leave the scene of a play practice (and who has since been “moved from campus”). And a swastika drawn in poop. It will be interesting to find out who did that. There is no chance, of course, that a black activist did it to try to get sympathy for his cause. That never happens. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/33 "2015-11-09T13:42:32Z")
I think this is one of those things that’s just between the participants, because it’s really hard to judge from the outside. How much institutional racism was there? Was it 7 racism? Because if it’s any more than 7, that’s a big problem. And on a scale of “kinda, a little bit” to “really now that’s a bit rude,” how dismissive/unresponsive was the President and University administration? I’m not wholly convinced of the wisdom of the students’ list of demands, but, again, I’m not there so I don’t really have a good idea of what I’m talking about. Really nebulous situation, I hope they get it sorted out. > [@dalej42](#): > > I predict the players will ultimately fold and they’ll play next Saturday. I predict you’re wrong. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/34 "2015-11-09T13:51:58Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Didn’t you mean to say “Here’s what needs to happen for this to blow up further and spread to other teams and other campuses like wildfire.” College football players are generally not an activist bunch but I think I agree that a Dale-advocated-type crackdown would not bring about his desired solution. Attempting to cow people who ultimately hold the real leverage – they have the talent that people will pay to watch – could blow up in the big schools’ collective faces. When the athletes really find their voice, the lawsuits that we are seeing may not even be necessary. A couple of boycotts may earn the same results and a lot quicker, too. ---
**Author:** ![howye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9adbd/32.png) [@howye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/howye)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/35 "2015-11-09T13:53:10Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > You do not negotiate with blackmailers, terrorists, or social justice warriors. The university stands to lose one million dollars in the event of a forfeit. Here’s what needs to happen. > > 1. Tom Wolfe (president) calls coach Pinkel into his office. In no uncertain terms, Pinkel has to end his support of the strike. Major college football coaches work up to 80 hours per week in the season, he doesn’t have time for pet political causes. If Pinkel refuses, then fire him immediately for insubordination. Have security escort his ass off campus. I’m sure a member of the coaching staff will be glad to assume head coaching duties in Pinkel’s absence. > > 2. Once you have a coach that’s willing to focus on football, call a team meeting of the players. Tell them they have one hour to decide if they want to be part of the team or not. If a player doesn’t want to, then revoke his scholarship and student-athlete privileges. They can be regular students or transfer to another university. > > 3. If there aren’t enough players to fill a team for Saturday’s game, then on Tuesday have walk on tryouts. I’m sure there’s plenty of former high school football players enrolled at Missouri that would love to play. Even if the BYU game is a ridiculous blow out, there won’t be a forfeit and no one million dollar forfeiture fee needs to be paid. > > It’s seriously time to stop letting the inmates run the asylum. > > [Missouri player strike could cost Tigers $1 million to BYU - NBC Sports](http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/08/missouri-player-strike-could-cost-tigers-1-million-to-byu/) Brillant! While the school president is doing all this, he might as well just have the fiscal office draw up a check for the remainder of the coach’s contracted salary - cause he is going to get paid that. Dollars to donuts his contract spells out at the very least a firing process and this ain’t it. Moreover, despite what YOU think, I think at the very least the head coach has himself a good case for an inadequate cause for termination. Were it me, I would also throw in a garnish of some defamation and civil right violations just for fun. Bonus time, if you think after summarily booting the head coach in this situation, any of the coaching staff is going to assume his duties, which they are not contractually obligated to do… And to finish it up, the NCAA rulebook is vast and byzantine, but hey let’s on a whim yank scholarships and fill a roster midseason with walk on players who have not been checked out. Have we met all academic, financial, and medical requirements for those new players? You have less than a week to do so - go! As far as pulling scholarships, not an area I have studied but I would hazard a guess that the school and the NCAA have requirements about due process for pulling scholarships. Those rules probably prohibit doing so during an academic term. But then nothing is too hasty or poorly thought when it comes to squashing those who wish to call attention to racial issues in this country. Cover it up and you boys get back to pickin cotton, I mean playing sports. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/36 "2015-11-09T14:11:13Z")
Faculty are joining in on walk out in solidarity: > **[Some University of Missouri Faculty Members Walk Out in Solidarity With Students](https://abcnews.go.com/US/missouri-faculty-staff-walk-students-solidarity-show/story?id=35068809)** > > Concerned Faculty group urged faculty to "stand in solidarity" against racism. This is not a trivial issue- the situation on campus is untenable and when faculty, students, athletes are all giving you the same message, you have to accept that something is clearly wrong on campus wrong and needs to be fixed. [QUOTE=from the article] “We, the concerned faculty of the University of Missouri, stand in solidarity with the Mizzou student activists who are advocating for racial justice on our campus and urge all MU faculty to demonstrate their support by walking out on Monday November 9 and Tuesday November 10, 2015 along with other allies such as the Forum on Graduate Rights,” according to a statement released late Sunday night by The Concerned Faculty group. “Faculty will meet at the Carnahan Quadrangle starting at 10am and will be present throughout the day to respond to student questions in the form of a teach in. Students are encouraged to check email for information from their professors.” [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/37 "2015-11-09T14:18:53Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > You do not negotiate with blackmailers, terrorists, or social justice warriors. The university stands to lose one million dollars in the event of a forfeit. Here’s what needs to happen. > > 1. Tom Wolfe (president) calls coach Pinkel into his office. In no uncertain terms, Pinkel has to end his support of the strike. Major college football coaches work up to 80 hours per week in the season, he doesn’t have time for pet political causes. If Pinkel refuses, then fire him immediately for insubordination. Have security escort his ass off campus. I’m sure a member of the coaching staff will be glad to assume head coaching duties in Pinkel’s absence. > > 2. Once you have a coach that’s willing to focus on football, call a team meeting of the players. Tell them they have one hour to decide if they want to be part of the team or not. If a player doesn’t want to, then revoke his scholarship and student-athlete privileges. They can be regular students or transfer to another university. > > 3. If there aren’t enough players to fill a team for Saturday’s game, then on Tuesday have walk on tryouts. I’m sure there’s plenty of former high school football players enrolled at Missouri that would love to play. Even if the BYU game is a ridiculous blow out, there won’t be a forfeit and no one million dollar forfeiture fee needs to be paid. > > It’s seriously time to stop letting the inmates run the asylum. > > [Missouri player strike could cost Tigers $1 million to BYU - NBC Sports](http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/08/missouri-player-strike-could-cost-tigers-1-million-to-byu/) 1.) Ain’t going to happen. Pinkel will likely have a statue of himself somewhere on campus when he retires. 2.) Pinkel is extremely loyal, to a fault, of his staff. Wolfe will coach the team before one of Pinkel’s assistants will. Of that I am certain. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/38 "2015-11-09T14:25:59Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > I think this is one of those things that’s just between the participants, because it’s really hard to judge from the outside. > [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > College football players are generally not an activist bunch… I think that, in some important ways, both of these statements are true. And that is one of the things that helps to convince me that this action is not trivial, and has not been undertaken for trivial causes. College football is something that hundreds of thousands (millions?) of American kids dream of playing. For most of the players on this team, this team is the culmination of all their hopes and dreams. Most of them aren’t going to on to the NFL. If the team is like a lot of other teams at the top of college football, some of them probably won’t even leave the university with a very meaningful education. This is their one big stage in their whole life, and college football makes them heroes on campus. The way college football players are idolized on campus and by the alumni is all the ego-trip they probably need. For them to be willing to risk all of that, i’d wager that the cause has to be pretty damn serious. There is probably room for argument about it, but i think it shows at least that the players have thought about this, and have not taken the action lightly, or simply out of narcissism. The only narcissists in this conversations are the people who think their football fix is more important than anything else in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/39 "2015-11-09T14:31:40Z")
Considering it is the athletic department, the AD on down, not just the coach, that are supporting the player’s boycott of all football activities, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. If the team forfeits the game against BYU this coming Saturday, it will cost the school around $1 million, potentially more. But there are reports that the entire football team isn’t squarely behind the boycott. There is also now a large group of the faculty at Mizzou that are planning a walk-out of classes until Wolfe resigns. My prediction, Wolfe steps down today or tomorrow. A new President is appointed by whatever legislative authority exists for such appointments in the State of Missouri, who agrees to more proactively address such issues. And the world goes on. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/40 "2015-11-09T14:47:15Z")
I’m torn on this, I’ve long been interested to see what would happen if college football players took a stand against the money machine of college football. I always expected it to come in response to the millions of dollars schools make off the players who get almost no share of the revenue. But instead it’s this, I’ve tried to withhold judgment because I’ve yet to find an amazingly in depth article about what’s happened, but after reading [this](http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/racial-climate-at-mu-a-timeline-of-incidents-to-date/article_0c96f986-84c6-11e5-a38f-2bd0aab0bf74.html) timeline I am a little confused as to what the President has done that warrants his firing. There’s been three racial incidents alleged/reported, one was made known in a Facebook post–the person who yelled the racial slur in that incident is unknown, and there is no one available to corroborate the incident. The second, it was a single intoxicated student, who I’ve read elsewhere may have been removed from campus. The third involved an act of vandalism that no one witnessed. So there aren’t any perpetrators that the President is protecting. The rest of the timeline is just a bunch of situations where protesters confronted the President, and were unhappy with his response or his answers to their questions. There has been an announcement of mandatory diversity training for staff. Additionally, President Wolfe has held several open discussions on race relations at the school. He has said racism is unacceptable, and he’s also apologized for not interacting more positively with protesters in the past. I guess I’m just not seeing what he’s done to deserve his head being removed. It feels like this is a situation where activists just want to protest, and they’ve arbitrarily chosen to remove the President because he’s the guy in charge, and it’ll be a feather in their cap if they remove him. College President is always a somewhat political position, so just the fact that there’s controversy surrounding him (justified or not) will likely cost him his job, but to me I don’t see how this is a just or desirable result. Maybe there’s more I don’t know about, but as an outsider I’m not seeing how the President is able to wave a magic wand and fix “racists are present on campus.” Does he summon every faculty member, staff member, and student to mandatory interrogations and quiz them on their racial views, and then expel/fire any who have racist positions? I’d be shocked if that was even legal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039.md?page=3)