'18 Athletic Department Study Showed Serious Racial Bias in Iowa Football
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
This whole idea of the program oppressing black culture is almost entirely bullshit. First off, the program is built to be a sort of higher education and prepare the athletes for their careers and for the majority of them that won't involve playing football. I certainly don't have a problem with guys wearing backwards hats and earrings etc. (and this rule is no longer in effect) but the principle of the rule was never about oppressing black culture. Future employers wouldn't allow this in the workplace and that's this was designed to prepare players for. Second, if you know anything about building a team culture it centers around the team and not the individual. You can call it militaristic if you want but most books and programs are designed to teach this method of teamwork. Coach K has several books and videos where he preaches exactly this.
Butkus051
Well-Known Member
POWERFUL STUFF.....
If the U of I was aware of racial problems in early 2019 as this article documents, it places the situation in a whole new light....especially from a legal standpoint. Having prior knowledge and not taking action adds legitimacy to the claims and zeros to the settlement figures. This quite possibly could be the deciding factor in whether Ferentz and or Barta lose their jobs.
If the U of I was aware of racial problems in early 2019 as this article documents, it places the situation in a whole new light....especially from a legal standpoint. Having prior knowledge and not taking action adds legitimacy to the claims and zeros to the settlement figures. This quite possibly could be the deciding factor in whether Ferentz and or Barta lose their jobs.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Most of the complainants are beyond the statute of limitations, so the legal risk in terms of lawsuits probably isn't huge, but from a compliance, PR and publicity angle, this thing is leaking nuclear reactor. I don't think they would run Ferentz this close to the season unless the new independent Report is damning, but I also don't think we will get a season this year. I have previously said that there is only a 10% chance Ferentz is there in 2021. I now revise my prediction to this in light of The Germ and Rob's story: "Kirk Ferentz has coached his last game for The University of Iowa." There will be no farewell tour and no 10 minute tear-filled roaring ovation as he leads the team off the field for the final time. None of that.
They formed a committee in 2018. There was some awareness and they did take some action by forming the committee. No player ever spoke to Kirk directly about any of these issues though. It's hard to know what actions are appropriate if no players speak up to the man in charge.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
KF runs too tight a ship to be left out of the loop. IMO if he didn't know what actions were appropriate its because he didn't want to know.
I can see both sides. There's a lot of players stories that I don't find remotely offensive or have any racial undertones. If those are the stories he heard then it would be pretty easy to dismiss any rumblings he may have heard and I wouldn't blame him one bit.
carneyhawk
Well-Known Member
Kicker, I think this is worse for Barta. He's the guy who constantly preaches, "Win, graduate, do it right". How could he possibly be oblivious to the horrendous transfer rate of black athletes and the equally bad graduation rate of black athletes. His 3 legged stool of win, graduate, do it right is now little more than a single unit pogo stick. To me the transfer rate & graduation rate are virtually indefensible. .
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
The black player graduation rates are appalling. That should be unacceptable and there should have been more done immediately about that from the UNIVERSITY. The racial bias issues are more complex. I'm not making excuses for him...because KF dropped the ball on addressing the racial biases in a big way. He should have done more immediately and he should have talked about it with his players.
I'm sure KF viewed his rules/policies as part of the discipline he wants from all players. That somehow a haircut & tats are part of that disciplined approach to modeling the behavior you want. He's coaching from a 60s and 70s mentality and it's not going to fly in today's world. He has to make changes and it looks like he is.
To be fair, you have anonymous comments coming from players in this report. I wonder how many programs would come out clean in that type of report...especially now. Do you think if players at Okie State could comment anonymously about Gundy...it would be all candy canes and pop sickles?
Barta and the University are both as culpable as KF. They carry the big stick.
I'm sure KF viewed his rules/policies as part of the discipline he wants from all players. That somehow a haircut & tats are part of that disciplined approach to modeling the behavior you want. He's coaching from a 60s and 70s mentality and it's not going to fly in today's world. He has to make changes and it looks like he is.
To be fair, you have anonymous comments coming from players in this report. I wonder how many programs would come out clean in that type of report...especially now. Do you think if players at Okie State could comment anonymously about Gundy...it would be all candy canes and pop sickles?
Barta and the University are both as culpable as KF. They carry the big stick.
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IowaLawWasRight
Well-Known Member
There is one 100% objective issue alleged that, if the numbers are accurate, is the nail in Kirk and Barta's coffin and it has nothing to do with the "Iowa way" or graduation rates, which can be attributed to a number of outside factors. That issue is drug testing. If black players were indeed "randomly tested" at a rate substantially higher than white players, we have an incontrovertible racial bials/racial discrimination issue that Kirk will not be able to simply brush off and say "I dropped the ball." It would be objective proof of racism. The rest of the allegations can be explained away by a good lawyer with one justification or another.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing the University will hang their hat on the Husch Blackwell report. That report will look into the drug testing and everything else. Plus, it is being done by a law firm that is quite experienced in doing these types of investigations.
That report will dispose of the matter, one way or the other, from the University's perspective, and will determine the fate of Barta/Ferentz, IMHO.
That report will dispose of the matter, one way or the other, from the University's perspective, and will determine the fate of Barta/Ferentz, IMHO.
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
Exactly. The thing I keep telling myself is that, if I'm ever investigated for wrong doing...I want to hire the investigator and pay him well...very well.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I should have said that I think its as bad if not worse for Barta. Regardless of whether it was handled in a manner that was perceived to have addressed matters and the belief that changes had been made within the organization Barta was aware of and involved in how this matter was handled. Barta is Kirk's direct supervisor and should have stayed on top of things and followed up to see that this was thoroughly handled.
In my opinion, whether I believe where Kirk is coming from or not, it was a matter that had gotten to the point where it wasn't simply a football issue. As Kirk's supervisor if there wasn't enough done by Kirk and staff to address these matters, it's definitely Barta's place to step in and make sure its done properly. If it was initially addressed in 2018 and there's still problems now I see that more on Barta then Kirk.
Even when random testing is employed it is possible that one segment of a population could be selected for testing at a substantially higher rate than other segments. For example the population is 120 so in every test each member of the population has a 1 in 120 chance of being selected. And, being selected in an initial test does not preclude being selected for testing in any or all successive tests. Are you are suggesting, in the "randomly tested" reference, that a random number generator test was not used? You do know it is still possible to deliver desired outcomes using a pseudo random generator when the initial seed is known. But I'm not buying any of this. Because, successful people act in their own self interest. What does it take to win in Big Ten football--superior athletes with football talent. Players who happen to be black often qualify. So, to do something to players on the team who are black flies in the face of self interest.
Why is it that Daniels is just now speaking up? He left Iowa in 2017. Might be a football variation of 'me too.'
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kicker22
Well-Known Member
I think I would agreed with you prior to this being brought to their attention in 2018. After the matter was addressed in 2018, if there were rumblings and I'm KF I'm making damn sure that these rumblings are looked into. IF I'm evenly remotely associated to the program and aware of what was addressed in 2018, then anything that has even the slightest racial undertone is being taken seriously.
Tremors before an earthquake can be perceived as a warning sign, but after an earthquake those same tremors may mean things are far from over.
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
This just greeted me when I opened Yahoo! This does not look good. I no longer think Ferentz survives.
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
This. Ferentz doesn't survive. The saving grace for Iowa football is that there likely won't be a 2020 season due to Teh Germ, giving a new HC and staff time to staunch the damage and begin to rebuild.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I don't know how much of a saving grace that would be. If there is a season, or any sporting news whatsoever, that will help get us out of the spotlight. We'll still get hammered by opposing coaches on the recruiting trail, but I don't think it'll get the national attention like it has. Unfortunately when there's no news, any story is going to be national attention and unfortunately for the football team it couldn't have came at a worse time.
But either way it's going to sting and stay with us for awhile.
