Shae Peppler: Tennessee, Universities Need To Challenge Themselves To Do What’s Right
Colleges, coaches and administrators have to figure out how to start making it easier to do the right thing.
Colleges, coaches and administrators have to figure out how to start making it easier to do the right thing.
I remember feeling slightly ill that day.
I was a week out from the start of all the college football media day events last year, and I spent my day catching up on allegations and scandals surrounding various sports figures and acts of violence toward a woman.
I also dove into Jameis Winston’s numbers from training camp, considering he’d just gone No. 1 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Was Winston convicted, or even arrested or charged in a case of an alleged sexual assault? No, but more was made about him not being available in Chicago for the NFL Draft than about him having to answer any tough questions.
And here I am, a couple weeks until the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and I’m watching yet another press conference about women and their allegations, and again, I feel slightly ill.
Just days ago I saw 16 Tennessee head coaches sit and talk about the “culture” of an athletic program. Sure, maybe their point was to show that Knoxville doesn’t enable sexual assaults or have an environment that encourages anything of the sort, but it took a good 20 minutes for someone to come forward and say/ask why none of those 16 individuals – who are in a position of power – had mentioned one of six alleged victims – now it’s up to ei
It was more about the sport, the players, the wins and losses, and the environment around the athletic department, and not about the individuals suffering from being shut out or not heard.
The ones who needed to be front-and-center – one way or another – if we’re talking sports, lost.
The almighty coaches chose to avoid the discussion.
I report, cover, watch, and follow sports and athletes every day. I get it. Good players give you wins, wins make problems go away, wins make more money. It’s not neuroscience, and it’s the way of the world, not just sports. But as I said this summer, and as I believe as I watch the snowfall in February, people in authority at these schools need to have a bigger voice; a voice that has a concrete message of win or lose, we’ll do the right thing.
No one is a traitor by speaking the truth. The right thing should always be what matters most.
Maybe Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart needed to emphasize that point should an athlete or student or “bystander” see a sexual assault or altercation on or around campus, authorities need to be called and action needs to be taken.
That line shouldn’t be glanced over and sandwiched around something like “the education that our university provides to students in that regard is impressive,” and “they should seek out the appropriate desk.”
The words “go to authorities” was in there, I heard it, but I had to rewind a few times to be sure I did.
I had to rewind to be sure I heard the one thing that truly mattered. The message should be extremely clear, whether something wrong happened or not.
Kids make mistakes, stories get misconstrued, and when you are put on a field or court or diamond to show your worth, it is often times tough to turn the “game” switch off to real life. I’ve heard coaches and players yell things I couldn’t even fathom coming to mind when you’re only down by six, but that’s sports, and that is why we love sports. It’s an escape from reality and an opportunity to rally around an outcome we all understand: WIN.
So captains, coaches and athletic directors, you have to challenge yourself to know when there is a situation that is bigger than the score and the game and your team, because otherwise the individuals that can rally with you will lose and won’t be heard.
And, suddenly, you’re the traitor, because you were put in the position to do what is right.
MORE: If Butch Jones’ ‘Traitor’ Remark Is True, Tennessee Has To Fire Him
