Your statement is as responsible as your sensationalist approach to an IOWA FAN SITE. This isnt the New York Times or Esquire. Back to your question. White, Black, Yellow, Green, Blue...asking for 1) Hair style/length, 2) Dress Code, 3) Uniform, 4) covering Tattoos, 5) several other items are not illegal or racially biased is acceptable for an educational institution or business.. Not getting to wear a wife-beater or hoodie is not a violation of civil rights or a right guaranteed by the constitution. Most people's work places, as Iowa is an AT WILL employer state, can demand any of these or fire non-compliant employees. None of these things are racially biased items.
Using racial slurs, allowing variations to the codes for different races.....both are items where a program can/should be held accountable. Not getting to "be you" is a decision each individual must make as it pertains to being a member of a football program or place of busoness. Its America. Any athlete could choose a program that fits their motivation better. To your point, IF any athlete feels that the program is forcing them to adapt to a uniform code that they don't appreciate, if they MUST wear something outside of the expected uniform, find a new place to play/work. The very same is true for anyone here. Go into your bank job tomorrow wearing shorts...see what happens. D
DO NOT blur the lines. I feel Doyle crossed the line and got what he deserved. KF has and is facing criticism for not knowing exactly how YOU would create culture as is most of American business and industry. Its easy to sit back in the recliner and say i would do this, this and that better.. YOU struggle with it in this limited environment. Do you not at times? It's hypocritical to demand that some can wave a magic wand and solve or have answers for every thing that comes up when you know having all people agree with policy is impossible. They addressed the issues. Doing nothing would have been a problem. Doing what you think they should do is a difference in opinion.
The University of Iowa is unique. WE ARENT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. Come on, our population/talent pool is the size of one city in a blue blood school's state. We arent a southern (warm) school or a coastal school. There are no culturally exciting metropolitan areas here. So the Iowa way is to get kids who are willing to be trained hard for bigger things in life. The staff is known for developing kids so we get kids that want to get to the next level knowing the staff is very good at making pros. Will we be as effective with less discipline? Again, don't mistake discipline to mean racism. Making kids follow tough rules and act in a certain way is an Iowa advantage. Look at any coach talk about Iowa. "You are in for a war." "Their kids are extremely well-coached and disciplined." "You always know when you played Iowa because the next week in practice you hurt."
No, I don't expect a black student athlete to "lower" himself or to conform to white culture. A dress code is not white culture. Hair length is not white culture. Wearing a required uniform (tshirt/shorts) is not white culture. It is called being disciplined. Write a letter to the military asking them to abandon all disciplinary "rule adherance" techniques and let me know what they tell you. You have an agenda. You want to be a hero. You will reply and hide behind doing the right thing. Not up in here. Not at fanning flames to a fire on a very decent gentleman. Let the process work itself out. He who has no sin, cast the first stone.
