The Missouri compromise

Recent reports say some Missouri football players have revolted. They refuse to take part in any team activities until the President of the school resigns or is fired over certain "racial" incidents on campus.

Well then. If I'm the Prez of Mizzou U, this is what I tell them.

I oversee the entire operations of the whole university. That takes in a lot of stuff. I cannot and will not be held responsible for every little thing that is said and done between students on campus. College kids are typically rebellious and sometimes do dumb things. They always have and always will.

Attention football team. Those of you under scholarship have been given free tuition, free classroom literature, free room and board, and free food. These are things most students and/or their parents have to pay for. On top of that, we have provided you with the finest athletic facilities and all the first class amenities that go with it. A weight room, trainers, medical personnel, etc. Again, free of charge.

You get to play in a beautiful stadium and enjoy the exposure that comes with TV and the rest of the media coverage. You no longer ride buses like you did in high school, but are flown to road games. This all comes out of our pocket.

We have upheld our part of the bargain that came with your scholarship. However, if you decide to renege on your end and stage some sort of boycott -- this is what will happen. Your scholarships will be immediately revoked. You are free to go elsewhere in search of whatever greener pastures you think can find.

Walk-on players joining your misguided cause will quickly find themselves walking off. This will not be tolerated. You caught a break just by being allowed to play football for our fine university. If this isn't good enough, it's a big country with hundreds of other colleges out there. Maybe you can catch on with one of them. Good luck.

It it my understanding the head coach has joined arms with you -- his "team" -- in a show of unity. That is his prerogative. However, it my prerogative to rule up or down as regards the future employment at this university of anybody in the athletic department. I will have the coach in my office tomorrow for a nice long chat regarding his input and opinions on such matters. Depending on how that goes, he might still be the coach the following day. Or maybe not.

But here's the bottom line. I have little doubt some of you feel you have suffered various slights while on campus. Guess what? It happens. Not just here, but everywhere else. At other schools, in real life jobs when you have departed our facilities to find your way, neighborhoods, bars, restaurants, and most any other place life will take you. Is it right? No. Is it real? You betcha. Get used to it, because that's just the way people are -- and always have been. It's the nature of the species. Good grief, look around. There have always been millions of people willing to slaughter each other in wars over which particular deity or religion they believe in. It's still going on today.

So I don't want to hear about football players and their whiny minions complaining, much less "striking", because everything isn't just perfect in their world.

The choice is yours.

I have more important matters to tend to.