# 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:** 5
**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, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/81 "2015-11-09T22:10:05Z")
> [@treis](#): > > The president didn’t have previous work experience in academia and didn’t have background as an academic (highest degree was a bachelors). He was a VP at IBM and then a consultant. Judging by that, he probably doesn’t have the necessary experience or “correct” beliefs to lead a university in the micro-agression age. Yeah, university communities have been notoriously unfriendly to Presidents from “outside the bubble”, even though, at least for a large public university the majority of the President’s job is political and fundraising (thus he doesn’t really **need** to be a professor as he has no real involvement with the day to day academics of the school), I suspect they disliked what Wolfe represents and that was all it took. He lost the support of the faculty but I think it’s likely he never had the support in the first place. But at the end of the day, if this is like other State college systems I presume the Board of Trustees (or whatever it is titled) is appointed by the Governor, and they select the President. If the President was selected to slash and burn that reflects the political will of the State, expressed through the Board, and so likely any replacement President will be following the same path. Especially if, like in many States, Missouri is cutting public funding for higher education. I know a lot of state schools have long had only a small portion of their budget tax funded, but when it’s a multibillion dollar budget even a tiny bit can be $100m, so if it goes away cuts are often required. Cuts for Planned Parenthood related activities of course sound political, but the President isn’t in a position to effectively take stands against his political masters (and the next President won’t be, either–students and faculty typically don’t get a vote in selecting University Presidents.) ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/82 "2015-11-09T22:20:01Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > **Dalej42** valuing athletic competition above all other social issues? Didn’t see that one coming. :dubious: > > Has there ever been an issue where you thought that maybe SPORTS! is not the most important thing in the whole wide world? Ironically, the _football über alles_ attitude personified in the OP is the very thing that makes the players’ strike threat viable. ---
**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, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/83 "2015-11-09T22:31:50Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Ironically, the _football über alles_ attitude personified in the OP is the very thing that makes the players’ strike threat viable. The irony of it is pretty special. Value (like life) finds a way. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/84 "2015-11-09T22:43:22Z")
As I remarked earlier, you have to remember that this community is very impacted by Ferguson. It is also rural, and racism is very real. To dismiss the anti-racist aspects of this incident as trivial misses the mark badly. Racial tensions are deeply ingrained in the wider community, and won’t disappear with a few training seminars. Good for the football team, the faculty, and the student body for pulling together to call attention to the issues they are facing. Hopefully the next administration does better. ---
**Author:** ![DoggyDunnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@DoggyDunnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoggyDunnit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/85 "2015-11-09T23:40:33Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > …social justice warriors… Ladies and gentlemen, the phrase that immediately identifies someone who sits calmly in the middle of a metaphorical burning building, saying “Fire? What fire?” ---
**Author:** ![jsquire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jsquire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsquire)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/86 "2015-11-09T23:58:50Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > They get scholarships, meal per diems, other perks of being an athlete. I mentioned earlier in the thread that the university would have been justified in taking that away (and suspending the pay of the coach who supported the “strike”), but they would not have actually done it because of the additional negative PR such a move would have generated. > > We don’t have to find out now since the president has resigned. All athletics grants-in-aid (technically not “scholarships”) are on a year-by-year basis. In most cases, the players’ 2015-16 academic year is already paid for. AFAIK, the decision to renew or not is completely up to the head coach. Athletic administration would likely have had to fire Pinkel first before they could get at the players, and that’s a headache they didn’t want. Besides, getting a reputation as being unfriendly to African-Americans is not going to help you recruit in either of the two big-ticket sports. Pinkel grew up in northern Ohio when unions still mattered and his other big head coaching experience was at Toledo (my hometown), where unions still matter even now. Given this I’m not surprised at all that he supported his athletes. Even a cold self-serving calculation that he’d have them back on the practice field sooner if he supported them than if he didn’t would have turned out to be correct. I can’t say whether or not the football players’ actions were the straw that broke the camel’s back. Faculty were planning a walkout too and that’s no small matter. Everyone seemed to hate Wolfe and that rarely happens for no good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Hooleehootoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/87 "2015-11-10T00:00:00Z")
> [@furt](#): > > - The faculty don’t like him because he’s not one of them and because he cut budgets. > - The grad students don’t like him because the school took away their health-insurance subsidies (even though [according to the school](http://www.komu.com/news/mu-to-stop-health-insurance-subsidies-for-graduate-students/), the ACA requires this). > - The liberals don’t like him because the school defunded Planned Parenthood. > - And the African-American activists don’t like him because he didn’t do what most University presidents would have done about a couple of anonymous racial incidents: cancel classes, do the correct public emoting, proclaim collective guilt/vicimization, and then spend a shitload of money on whatever it is they demand you spend money on. Okaaaaay. But even if I accept all that, how did this coalition convince the football coach to convince his players to blackmail Wolfe? (Stated above that Wolfe ‘works for’ Pinkel, which I’ll also swallow). How will Pinkel assure that the next president re-funds PP, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/88 "2015-11-10T00:29:20Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Color me surprised that Wolfe actually resigned. He’s a big man for doing so. Don’t give him that much credit. The Board of Trustees noticed Wolfe had completely lost control of the school and strongly “suggested” it was time for him to go. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/89 "2015-11-10T01:20:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Enginerd** : > > Ironically, the football über alles attitude personified in the OP is the very thing that makes the players’ strike threat viable. Yeah, the OP’s position really isn’t consistent. On the one hand, he’s saying that football is so important that nothing should be allowed to interfere with it. On the other hand, he’s saying that the football team (players and coach) shouldn’t have any say in the doings of the school. But if football is so important, then that means that they should have a say. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/90 "2015-11-10T01:24:26Z")
> [@furt](#): > > - The faculty don’t like him because he’s not one of them and because he cut budgets. > - The grad students don’t like him because the school took away their health-insurance subsidies (even though [according to the school](http://www.komu.com/news/mu-to-stop-health-insurance-subsidies-for-graduate-students/), the ACA requires this). > - The liberals don’t like him because the school defunded Planned Parenthood. > - And the African-American activists don’t like him because he didn’t do what most University presidents would have done about a couple of anonymous racial incidents: cancel classes, do the correct public emoting, proclaim collective guilt/vicimization, and then spend a shitload of money on whatever it is they demand you spend money on. > > The first three of those are the tinder, the last was the flame. > > The students share the same ideology as the [children now having tantrums](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/the-new-intolerance-of-student-activism-at-yale/414810/) at Yale: they want their university to be a “safe space” where ugly people and ideas never confront them, where the fact that they are hurt or offended is supposed to bring the world to a screeching halt, where public discussions are extensions of their therapy (“I don’t want to debate. I want to talk about my pain”). > > And I don’t want to debate. I want to talk about my pain. Another good post. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/91 "2015-11-10T02:27:22Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t think anyone expects that. Leadership doesn’t require unattainable results, but it does involve acknowledging the problem, and addressing it. Here’s part of the demands from the protestors: > [@](#): > > Tim Wolfe must acknowledge his white male privilege, recognize that systems of oppression exist, and provide a verbal commitment to fulfilling Concerned Student 1950 demands. > [@](#): > > We demand that the University of Missouri creates and enforces comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum through out all campus departments and units, mandatory for all students, faculty, staff, and administration.This curriculum must be vetted, maintained, and overseen by aboard comprised of students, staff, and faculty of color. > **[Local Kansas City Breaking News and Live Alerts - KMBC 9 News](https://www.kmbc.com/local-news)** > > KMBC 9 News is your source for the latest local headlines and live alerts. Visit Kansas City's most reliable source for breaking news. That doesn’t exactly make them sound like they’re reasonable partners. Demand 1 for them is for Wolfe to present himself and confess his guilt of being white and male. The other demand quoted, essentially says only black people are qualified to supervise a racial inclusion curriculum. That’s ridiculous and fairly offensive. This is what I meant with my snippy comment. The range of acceptable views for college faculty is narrowing. If you say something that falls outside of that viewpoint, or in this case don’t declare your support of that loudly enough, you’re a target. With enough publicity you might lose your job (and realistically your career). ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/92 "2015-11-10T02:35:05Z")
[If there was any question at all about the stupidity of the Concerned Students 1950 movement at Missouri (as well as the ugliness of mobs), it has been eliminated in full.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRlRAyulN4o) The question I do have is: does the student photographer have any legal action he can take against some the individuals in the video? Just watched it again. What a bunch of ignorant, hypocritical douchebags. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/93 "2015-11-10T02:43:13Z")
> [@treis](#): > > That doesn’t exactly make them sound like they’re reasonable partners. Demand 1 for them is for Wolfe to present himself and confess his guilt of being white and male. The other demand quoted, essentially says only black people are qualified to supervise a racial inclusion curriculum. That’s ridiculous and fairly offensive. That’s only if you believe that’s what “acknowledging privilege” means. I’m sure the protesters would disagree with that POV. As for the second point, I do not see the word “black” anywhere in your quote, nor do I think it’s completely outrageous that people of a minority community have a say in the way they’re being treated. Or are you one of those people who look at committees on women’s issues being all men and think, “There’s no problem with that”? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/94 "2015-11-10T02:57:45Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > As for the second point, I do not see the word “black” anywhere in your quote Just what do you think “of color” means anyway? It certainly doesn’t mean my pale beige/pink color, and I suspect it doesn’t mean the pale brown of guys named Martinez and Garcia either. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/95 "2015-11-10T03:00:44Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > That’s only if you believe that’s what “acknowledging privilege” means. I’m sure the protesters would disagree with that POV. Yes but that is my feeling. By failing to acknowledge and validate my perspective you are making this board not a safe space for me to express my view point. By bringing up white privilege these students make me feel ashamed and guilty to have been born white. > [@Leaper](#): > > As for the second point, I do not see the word “black” anywhere in your quote, nor do I think it’s completely outrageous that people of a minority community have a say in the way they’re being treated. Or are you one of those people who look at committees on women’s issues being all men and think, “There’s no problem with that”? I’m one of those people that think a person shouldn’t be excluded from a job based on their skin color (or gender since you asked). The quote says the people on the board should be “of color”. I interpreted that to mean black people only but I guess it could mean “no whites allowed”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/96 "2015-11-10T03:01:10Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Yes but that is my feeling. By failing to acknowledge and validate my perspective you are making this board not a safe space for me to express my view point. By bringing up white privilege these students make me feel ashamed and guilty to have been born white. You do realize that there’s nothing remotely innovative about this (for lack of a better word) argument, and that it’s been addressed many times over many years, right? > [@bump](#): > > Just what do you think “of color” means anyway? “Not Caucasian”, which would include people of half black/half white ancestry and Hispanics, as far as I know, and as far as I personally am concerned. Of course, the definition the organization uses might be different, but my point is that it’s not necessarily as narrowly defined universally these days as you seem to think. ETA: I think I see the problem: I think the term “people of color” has grown out of the purpose it was originally coined for, which WAS (IIRC) to provide an alternate term for dark skinned people in particular. I don’t think it’s limited as such in general usage today; I’ve seen it used to refer to Asians, Hispanics, Native peoples, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/97 "2015-11-10T03:43:05Z")
> [@Hooleehootoo](#): > > Okaaaaay. But even if I accept all that, how did this coalition convince the football coach to convince his players to blackmail Wolfe? (Stated above that Wolfe ‘works for’ Pinkel, which I’ll also swallow). How will Pinkel assure that the next president re-funds PP, etc.? I don’t think Pinkel gives a hoot about any of that. There’s no coalition, I’m just explaining that his unpopularity, and the controversy as whole, was about more than just the racial incidents. The players themselves have said this. The players decided on their own to support the grad student. Pinkel decided to support the players. The end. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/98 "2015-11-10T03:46:48Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > You do realize that there’s nothing remotely innovative about this (for lack of a better word) argument, and that it’s been addressed many times over many years, right? I think you can say the same thing for the students’ positions. > [@Leaper](#): > > “Not Caucasian”, which would include people of half black/half white ancestry and Hispanics, as far as I know, and as far as I personally am concerned. And you have no problem with this? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/99 "2015-11-10T04:11:19Z")
The biggest problem I see there is that they want a board “comprised of” people of color. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/100 "2015-11-10T04:20:54Z")
> [@treis](#): > > I think you can say the same thing for the students’ positions. Indeed, which is the entire point. I would guess that you think things have gotten better, to the point where the student action is silly at best and rabble rousing at worst. They, I’m sure, would disagree. Which, again, is why they’re doing it to begin with. > [@](#): > > And you have no problem with this? Nope, not when the entire point is to address racial issues. Otherwise, you get stuff like the aforementioned women’s issues committee with all dudes on it. > [@Peremensoe](#): > > The biggest problem I see there is that they want a board “comprised of” people of color. Ooh, excellent point. Now that I’ll heartily condemn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039.md?page=6)