Things are currently a mess in Grambling -- at least with their football team. As the proverbial saying goes -- it seems the inmates have taken over the asylum. Apparently, the players on their football team are dissatisfied with a few things with the program itself and have issues with their school administration in general.
That's fine and dandy, because everybody should have the right to voice their opinions when they have concerns about things that affect them. It's freedom of speech, the American way, and, a certain women's basketball program in Rochester, Mi. notwithstanding, most everybody enjoys the right to do so.
To a point. But if those words and/or ensuing actions result in causing harm to others -- that's a whole different thing.
Such would seem to be the case with the players on the Grambling State football team. For their own reasons, they've not only boycotted practices, but refused to travel to a road game against Jackson State. Of course, the cooler (see politically correct) heads are saying all the "right" things in trying to resolve this matter, but sometimes enough is too much and people need to be held accountable.
The Grambling State football players self-cancelling the game against Jackson State goes way over the line. These guys signed on to play football for a university, and most got scholarships, as in free room/board, and college education, along with whatever perks come with being jocks. They don't seem to understand how fortunate they really are.
But they have no right -- NONE -- to decide how to run the football program, much less adversely effect another fine school. Any game is important between two college teams, but this one perhaps even more so for Jackson State. It was their "homecoming" game, typically a big deal at most universities for their alumni and such. A crowd in attendance of over 20,000 was expected. By nixing the game, the Grambling players cost Jackson State untold thousands of dollars in revenue.
And it's not like some kind of holy war exists between Grambling and Jackson where atrocities might await the visiting team. To boot, it's only about 150 miles between the two cities. Hardly even worth the cost of a big airplane. Maybe a 3 hour bus ride. In other words, the travel distance could hardly be considered a major issue.
Sure, ever since legendary coach Eddie Robinson retired, Grambling State hasn't been so good. In fact, they're 0-7 this year and pretty much getting blown out by every team they face. For that matter, they've lost 18 straight against any team that remotely qualifies as belonging in the NCAA. Further, their basketball team was the ultimate doormats while posting a 0-28 record. Things are not good at Grambling these days when it comes to wins and losses.
Regardless of that and whatever other issues they may have -- the football players are just that. Players. If and when they start sabotaging a program, be it their own, or especially that of another school -- somebody needs to send them a very strong message.
If yours truly had been in a position to make such a call at Grambling State -- I would have told them the following.....
"While we highly value your status as student athletes of our fine university and will continue to do our best moving forward -- if you're not on that plane/bus going to Jackson State to represent us in a big game -- for us AND them -- your scholarships will be immediately revoked and you will no longer be welcome on campus in any capacity. Your opinions on issues are always welcome, will be given due consideration, and hopefully resolved to our mutal satisfaction. But know this -- you're here to play football, not make administrative decisions. Should you ever want to do that, we strongly suggest you keep going to class and studying hard. If you're still interested in such a position after you've attained your Master's degree, give us a call and we'll set up an interview. It's all up to you. But for now your job is to play football and occasionally go to class. If that's unsatisfactory, then take a hike."
The inmates running an asylum never works out well in the end.
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