“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”
Rutgers University men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, Jr., was caught on video being verbally and physically abusive toward his players, including using homophobic slurs (a particularly sensitive issue with the university given the recent suicide of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student taunted about his sexual orientation.) In December, when reports first surfaced, the school suspended and fined the coach who earned a mediocre 44–51 record during his tenure. This month, once the tape became public, the coach and his assistant were fired, popular Athletic Director Tim Pernetti and in-house lawyer John Wolf resigned, multiple basketball recruits pulled their commitments to the university and Rutgers President Robert Barchi’s future remains uncertain.
Seven years ago, almost to the day, that same university earned high marks when it came to the defense of its women’s basketball team after radio and TV personality Don Imus and his cohorts referred to the Rutgers women’s basketball team — comprised primarily of African-Americans — as “nappy-headed hos” and “hard-core hos.” Imus was eventually fired, and Rutger’s Hall of Fame women’s head basketball coach Vivian Stringer, one of the winningest coaches in history, was recognized nationwide for her leadership during the crisis. The controversy helped establish Stringer as a protector of players — the kind of coach someone would want for their daughter. It cemented her reputation.
TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment