2/13/2012: I mostly agree that college sports has become “The New Plantation” and that it often seems that rule #1 for the NCAA is that “no black person can make money off college football”. Certainly not someone like Willie Lyles!
But it wasn’t always like that – once college sports was at the forefront of integration. Fishduck.com has a great piece on the history from Oregon. By Kurt Liedtke. This is a must read:
It was not without its difficulties though, as both Robinson and Williams were initially barred from living in campus dorms, having to find housing in off-campus apartments during their freshman year. Their white teammates signed a petition and submitted it to the school under protest demanding that their fellow players be allowed to live on campus in the dormitories alongside their peers. By their sophomore year the university relented, allowing Robinson and Williams to reside in Friendly Hall, albeit separated from others and permitted to enter the building only through their own designated entrance.
Read it all. This was 1926. What drove the coach to integrate? He wanted to win. The key is to harness that powerful motive and make it do something good. Is Oregon still doing that?
On another matter, but not totally unrelated to UO sports: author suggests to sell naming rights for privatized Penn State
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20120213_HEY__DEEP-POCKETS__YOUR_NAME_JUST_COULD_SAVE_HIGHER_ED.html
Also not unrelated to sports: affirmative action for white males a reality!
http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2012/02/the_academys_shortage_of_white_males.html
Warning: a very un-PC article from a University of Illinois political science professor emeritus.
Hopefully not to hot to handle for UO Matters!