Greg McDermott Suspension, Etc...

[MullinMayhem]

News cycles have never been shorter this day in age. There's always the next outrage we are presented with the next day or week. I had someone very close to me pass away totally unexpectedly when I was just getting into HS and I was playing football at the time. I took time off to grieve and decompress and quit the football team. The coach was also my math teacher. When I got back to school after taking a leave, I was in math class and raised my hand to answer a question. He called out my name seeing my hand was up and said in front of everyone "I don't take answers from quitters". He had no idea about what happened and I spoke to him after class to explain why I had not been at practice. It was a pretty awful thing, but he was very very apologetic and felt terrible for being so harsh given the situation. I forgave him on the spot and told him I accepted his apology. I would never even think of trying to get him fired. It just doesn't even cross my mind. I saw him as a human being who made an honest mistake, and how could I stay so angry at someone who didn't know what they were saying? Some things are better dealt with man to man rather than in a media circus.

[FDS]

Everyone agrees that what he said was bad and no one has heard that reference used- it's not a Midwest thing ( as someone asked). The most important piece here is that Mac is no racist. All of the local people that I've heard from directly and in the press, both black and white, including politicians, players, coaches, all have said they have not witnessed ANY instances of Mac and any racial insensitivity. This is over the course of the 11 years he has been at Creighton. Add in all his other years of coaching, and there is nothing negative about his character. To me that is the most important aspect to this. If universities and people in general are too afraid to stick up for someone or something they truly believe in because they don't want to be the next one attacked, things are going to get even worse. The media is the major problem we have in this country, always trying to drive a wedge between people based on identity politics. To take a one time mistake and try to paint the person, and more importantly, the University as a racist institution is absurd.

Just so I have this straight, if you only get caught doing the racist thing 1 time, you aren't a racist? Pretty sure if you get convicted of doing the criminal thing 1 time, you are a convict and a criminal. Why does he get a pass here? How many times does someone need to be caught doing the racist thing before they are a racist?

You must be a blast at parties. And I'm honored to meet the one person on earth who has never made a mistake in their entire life.

So how many racist things does one need to do for you not to describe them as a "mistake"? People aren't owed anything in life (especially not second chances) and it sure seems like some people here are more willing to "write this one off" or give second chances to Mac than they would one of the players that Mac said it to if that player did something similarly bad.

[MullinMayhem]

Who says it's racist? You are. Other people are. But other people don't think it is like me. I think it's insensitive. He never said a slur or anything...very different. If you're saying this is racist, that means his intent was to hurt his players and put them down. Is that really what you think? Or is it just easy to call anything and everything "racist" these days to get attention and money? The problem is that in the last 10-15 yrs, academics had a clever trick of trying to change the real definition (belief in racial superiority) to water it down to....well...literally anything and everything. Syrup, children's books, garage pull strings, you name it. Even math...yes...objective math is called "racist". If there's not enough NASA scientists..."racist". Forget all the other factors. It can only be one...right? Life is a rorsach test. You can either suffer through life with a warped sense of seeing "racism" and "hate" in everything....or you can grow up and try to live the best life you can while not immediately assuming the worst in people. The choice is ultimately up to all of us.

[FDS]

Just I have this straight: you are comparing a verdict in a court of law against that in the court of public opinion? Intelligent comparison.

Look, I don't know Greg McDermott, nor am I in tune with the Creighton community. If this is a repeated pattern of communication, then it is applicable to categorize an individual of racist behavior. However, if this truly is a one-off, one bad mistake should not be labeled as inherently racist. Stupid, yes. Disciplinary action required, of course. But, again, it is a slippery slope, for anyone, to take the worst thing someone has said an apply that to their entire livelihood and character. Otherwise, what is the purpose of education? What is the purpose of society as a whole for incarcerated individuals, using your criminal analogy?

Again, this is an unfortunate situation and the only institution capable of making the right decision is Creighton. Not angry social media posters. Not anyone here on a forum. Not anyone outside their community. Only Creighton leadership can investigate and, ultimately, make the right decision for its school, it's basketball program and community.

I compared actions that by their definition define the individual who has committed those actions. The comparison is not a stretch. Did the guy do the racist thing? If yes, then I think you have your answer? If you don't want to be labeled a racist, maybe, just maybe, don't do racist things.

As for asking what the purpose of society as a whole is for incarcerated individuals, maybe you should spend some time talking to them. Most understand that they will be labeled for life as a convict and a criminal, but that doesn't deter them from still attempting to participate in society... Just because someone has been labeled doesn't mean that they can't make efforts to be better and to change, that doesn't mean that the label just disappears. Many people are going to view Mac as a racist, maybe it is time for him (and those who are supporting him) to fix the racist thing, make sure it doesn't happen in the future, and not to spend any energy worrying about being labeled a racist, because he did what he did, he is what he is, and history can't be rewritten.

[FDS]

Who says it's racist? You are. Other people are. But other people don't think it is like me. I think it's insensitive. He never said a slur or anything...very different. If you're saying this is racist, that means his intent was to hurt his players and put them down. Is that really what you think? Or is it just easy to call anything and everything "racist" these days to get attention and money? The problem is that in the last 10-15 yrs, academics had a clever trick of trying to change the real definition (belief in racial superiority) to water it down to....well...literally anything and everything. Syrup, children's books, garage pull strings, you name it. Even math...yes...objective math is called "racist". If there's not enough NASA scientists..."racist". Forget all the other factors. It can only be one...right? Life is a rorsach test. You can either suffer through life with a warped sense of seeing "racism" and "hate" in everything....or you can grow up and try to live the best life you can while not immediately assuming the worst in people. The choice is ultimately up to all of us.

So you honestly believe what he said wasn't racist? That says more about you than it does about me. You seem to be conflating other issues you have with society with this very specific example of racist behavior. And you defense that "we don't know the intent" is basically the same defense racists have been using for decades. Racists take racists actions (sometimes they don't even know they are being racist) but rarely do they announce their intent to do the racist thing for racist reasons.

The world is changing. I am not suffering, but I have no problem calling something out for what it is. The only one seemingly suffering here is you and your fears and anger that the world is changing and people are now being held to a higher standard than you want them to be held.

[MullinMayhem]

I don't think it's racist. I think it was insensitive. Big difference. It was not a slur. The intent was not to cause harm. The intent was to rally them together. We are screwed as a country if this cancel culture continues. The media and every corporation/institution wants us to hate each other. They pit us against each other. Every day. Most typical Americans go about their lives going to work, taking care of families, etc. They don't go to the grocery store and think about race. If a person of color drops something, I will pick it up for them just like I would anyone else. It's just not a factor in how I treat people and I believe that's the case for 95% of people in this country. If you really think Mac is racist, why the hell would he choose to be a coach in an 80% black sport? It doesn't make sense logically. And I'm unaware of any other pattern of this with him. Unless I'm missing something.

[XUFan09]

I imagine the university is looking into whether McDermott has shown a history of this racially insensitive jackassery or if this is more an isolated instance. Creating a new racist phrase out of whole cloth? What the hell?! They might also be trying to gauge how the players feel about this situation as they look into things. If it's an isolated incident (which I imagine it is, given what else we know), a short-term suspension makes sense due to the power dynamics. Those dynamics favor the coach over his players and the university over the coach. If the university isn't going to have any consequences for stuff like this, it's basically telling those at the bottom in a power structure "tough luck." That's shitty to the players; if an immediate authority figure violates trust, as a player you'd hope that those higher up would at least back you up. Overall, I think McDermott is probably a good guy without a notable history, and this will get resolved soon. But, it's worth investigating, and him being suspended during an investigation is not some crazy thing for any job.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Who says it's racist? You are. Other people are. But other people don't think it is like me. I think it's insensitive. He never said a slur or anything...very different. If you're saying this is racist, that means his intent was to hurt his players and put them down. Is that really what you think? Or is it just easy to call anything and everything "racist" these days to get attention and money? The problem is that in the last 10-15 yrs, academics had a clever trick of trying to change the real definition (belief in racial superiority) to water it down to....well...literally anything and everything. Syrup, children's books, garage pull strings, you name it. Even math...yes...objective math is called "racist". If there's not enough NASA scientists..."racist". Forget all the other factors. It can only be one...right? Life is a rorsach test. You can either suffer through life with a warped sense of seeing "racism" and "hate" in everything....or you can grow up and try to live the best life you can while not immediately assuming the worst in people. The choice is ultimately up to all of us.

So you honestly believe what he said wasn't racist? That says more about you than it does about me. You seem to be conflating other issues you have with society with this very specific example of racist behavior. And you defense that "we don't know the intent" is basically the same defense racists have been using for decades. Racists take racists actions (sometimes they don't even know they are being racist) but rarely do they announce their intent to do the racist thing for racist reasons.

The world is changing. I am not suffering, but I have no problem calling something out for what it is. The only one seemingly suffering here is you and your fears and anger that the world is changing and people are now being held to a higher standard than you want them to be held.

FDS , don’t know you...actually don’t know anyone on this board personally other than the interactions we have discussing BE hoops. I find your approach to MM’s opinion a bit troubling. I may not agree with him or with you but I think we all need to return to a place of mutual respect. What he is saying is not so outrageous that he should be labeled and assumed to be something he may not be. Maybe it’s symantics but “insensitive comments” are different from flat out racism IMO. If Mac pointed to the AA players and said I need you guys (specifically) to stay on the plantation, then it is a big problem IMO. If he was addressing the entire team and using that term, he’s just being really insensitive and stupid IMO. Racism is about singling out a group and marginalizing them in words or action. Racism is a HUGE problem in this country and we need to call it out specifically when it happens. If we use that single term—RACIST—to encompass someone who says something like Mac said and also use it for someone who assaults an innocent or spray paints the N word on a church, or calls the cops on a young kid in a hoodie, then the word starts to become diluted IMO. I think it should be saved for people who are wantonly attacking those different than themselves because of a specific trait (color, nationality, culture, etc). I’m not sure Mac did that here.

Those points are all certainly debatable. Either way, when you go out of your way to paint MM with whatever broad strokes you decide are the right ones to use based on your own beliefs, you immediately end any healthy conversation. At that point both sides dig in and no one gains enlightenment. MM has some passionate views. He’s entitled to them. I haven’t seen him offer a single hate-filled position...just opinions formed from his own set of experiences that you know nothing about. And the same can be said of your experience. We can either continue to choose division and stay entrenched in the belief that only our own views have value, or we can all choose to lower the temp a bit and give each other the benefit of the doubt more. My $0.02.

[sju88grad]

Who says it's racist? You are. Other people are. But other people don't think it is like me. I think it's insensitive. He never said a slur or anything...very different. If you're saying this is racist, that means his intent was to hurt his players and put them down. Is that really what you think? Or is it just easy to call anything and everything "racist" these days to get attention and money? The problem is that in the last 10-15 yrs, academics had a clever trick of trying to change the real definition (belief in racial superiority) to water it down to....well...literally anything and everything. Syrup, children's books, garage pull strings, you name it. Even math...yes...objective math is called "racist". If there's not enough NASA scientists..."racist". Forget all the other factors. It can only be one...right? Life is a rorsach test. You can either suffer through life with a warped sense of seeing "racism" and "hate" in everything....or you can grow up and try to live the best life you can while not immediately assuming the worst in people. The choice is ultimately up to all of us.

So you honestly believe what he said wasn't racist? That says more about you than it does about me. You seem to be conflating other issues you have with society with this very specific example of racist behavior. And you defense that "we don't know the intent" is basically the same defense racists have been using for decades. Racists take racists actions (sometimes they don't even know they are being racist) but rarely do they announce their intent to do the racist thing for racist reasons.

The world is changing. I am not suffering, but I have no problem calling something out for what it is. The only one seemingly suffering here is you and your fears and anger that the world is changing and people are now being held to a higher standard than you want them to be held.

FDS , don’t know you...actually don’t know anyone on this board personally other than the interactions we have discussing BE hoops. I find your approach to MM’s opinion a bit troubling. I may not agree with him or with you but I think we all need to return to a place of mutual respect. What he is saying is not so outrageous that he should be labeled and assumed to be something he may not be. Maybe it’s symantics but “insensitive comments” are different from flat out racism IMO. If Mac pointed to the AA players and said I need you guys (specifically) to stay on the plantation, then it is a big problem IMO. If he was addressing the entire team and using that term, he’s just being really insensitive and stupid IMO. Racism is about singling out a group and marginalizing them in words or action. Racism is a HUGE problem in this country and we need to call it out specifically when it happens. If we use that single term—RACIST—to encompass someone who says something like Mac said and also use it for someone who assaults an innocent or spray paints the N word on a church, or calls the cops on a young kid in a hoodie, then the word starts to become diluted IMO. I think it should be saved for people who are wantonly attacking those different than themselves because of a specific trait (color, nationality, culture, etc). I’m not sure Mac did that here.

Those points are all certainly debatable. Either way, when you go out of your way to paint MM with whatever broad strokes you decide are the right ones to use based on your own beliefs, you immediately end any healthy conversation. At that point both sides dig in and no one gains enlightenment. MM has some passionate views. He’s entitled to them. I haven’t seen him offer a single hate-filled position...just opinions formed from his own set of experiences that you know nothing about. And the same can be said of your experience. We can either continue to choose division and stay entrenched in the belief that only our own views have value, or we can all choose to lower the temp a bit and give each other the benefit of the doubt more. My $0.02.

Great post Gumby. I'm just so saddened by the whole situation. I think what Greg said was stupid and insensitive but I'd like to believe it wasn't racist. The past week, this country has had uproars about Mr. Potato Head, Neanderthals and Dr. Seuss. I'm not going to share my opinion on any of those issues but if we're going to get upset about things like that, we're really not focusing on the real problems that this country is facing. I've always been an optimistic guy but I've spent the past 6 months looking into real estate and opportunities overseas because I am just so depressed about the way this country is trending....

[XUFan09]

I feel like too many people get caught up in labels such that racist behavior has to be downright villainous and thus the person is terrible. It is not binary like that. It's not a person's entire identity, just like being a jerk one day doesn't make one entirely just a jerk. There's a spectrum, and McDermott's behavior falls on that spectrum. He can he overall a good person and yet still this was racist behavior. Hell, it sounds like *he* is aware that what he said was racist too and he feels bad about it. Maybe that's just smart PR moves at work, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt in the context of other things we know.

When people act like "racist" is some binary label for a person where a racist is absolutely terrible, all the defenses go up and no serious reflection happens. Someone can have racist moments and still be a decent person. Really, someone can be a full-blown everyday racist, which is a major character flaw, yet still in many ways be a decent person.

One thing that is true regardless, though, is that most minorities live with racism, both individual and institutional, on a regular basis. So, it sucks for the Black players on the team that a figure they likely trust became part of that negative life experience for at least that unfortunate conversation. Again, I'm giving McDermott the benefit of the doubt that it isn't a systematic issue, with the understanding that this investigation will likely uncover it otherwise.