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Fights at Kansas may signal bigger problem
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(Members of Kansas University's basketball team)
LAWRENCE, KS - As most of you are probably aware, unless you’ve been asleep the past few days, there have been a series of fights and skirmishes at the University of Kansas involving members of the institution’s football and basketball programs. According to sources within the school, the friction between the players stems from uncontrollable jealousy and fierce competition for on-campus celebrity. And yes, that includes “who can get the most babes.” Sophomore basketball player Tyshawn Taylor, who was treated at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital, suffered a serious hand injury during the scuffle that’s expected to keep him out of action for up to 4 weeks.
After sustaining the injury, the talented guard from New Jersey wasted no time letting the world know about it. “I got a dislocated finger ..from throwing a punch ..so don’t let the news paper gas yall up aite,” Taylor wrote in his Facebook account. “Real (racial slur)s do real things .. point plankn.” An animated Taylor continued. “Keep my my name out ya’ mouth for you get smacked in it. Never get outta character…I’m always a G about it. (racial slur)s be muggin me ..you know I’m mugging back.” Keep in mind; this verbiage came from a Division I college student.
Although many punches were thrown, no other injuries were reported. Taylor, however, gets the “Gas Face” for spewing the “n” word all over Facebook. Folks, there are so many avenues we could travel here. Should athletes with no aspiration of excelling in academics be recruited to college campuses in the first place? Should students who spew racial slurs be allowed to keep their scholarships? Who’s more at fault in this situation, the parents or coaches? All of these questions raise valid points. However, what I find most interesting, specific to the University of Kansas, is this: in an effort to obtain the “Brass Ring” in both football and basketball, the school has, in my opinion, lowered its standard in the overall quality of student athlete it recruits. And, when I say quality, we’re talking both behavioral and social.
Think about it. Kansas went from recruiting such wholesome, marketable players as Jacque Vaughn, Kirk Hinrich, Wayne Simien, Nick Collison and Aaron Miles to bringing in questionable characters like Sherron Collins, Tyshawn Taylor, Dezmon Briscoe, C.J. Giles and the Morris Twins just to name a few. Heck, a couple years ago, a KU football player tried to attack a cashier at a Lawrence Taco Bell and got stuck in the drive-thru window. Kansas, like many institutions nationwide, is under serious pressure to win, and win big. Alumni and boosters have donated millions of dollars to finance brand new athletic facilities to help the university maintain a competitive advantage. So, it’s probably safe to assume losing is not an option.
The problem with high expectations is sometimes intrinsic values and morals are sacrificed at the expense of collecting supreme physical talent. Has the strategy worked from a competitive standpoint? You darn skippy. Let’s see…Kansas shocked the football world by winning the 2008 Fed Ex Orange Bowl. The same year, Bill Self and the boys upset Memphis to collect the school’s first basketball championship since 1988. Now, I propose this question: Did the strategy work from a growth and maturity standpoint? After this latest on-campus debacle, my answer is a resounding “no.” And I’m certainly not alone. Some former players have already gone on record claiming the feud between the basketball and football programs has been escalating under the media radar for years.
“It’s always been a feud between basketball and football players,” said a recent KU football graduate who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s about who’s more popular on campus with the girls and stuff like that. It’s escalated really bad now, but it’s always been there.” If the anonymous player’s statement is true, why didn’t athletic director Lew Perkins, Bill Self and Mark Mangino squash the feud from the outset? The answer is simple. College athletics is big, big business. The student athletes, in my view, play the role of self-conscious victims. After all, the players pack the arenas and perform for free while the academic institutions cash in on large television, ticket, concession, endorsement, logo and apparel revenue.
Ok, I know what you’re thinking. The athletes are given all expense paid, free-ride scholarships for their services. Well, some students at KU feel the same way. Daniel Simanovsky, a junior from Overland Park, expressed his frustration. “I feel like they need to chill out,” said Simanovsky. “They’ve got the good life.” I understand Simanovsky’s argument. But, I counter with this question: What good is a scholarship to someone with no aspiration of excelling academically? The degree, itself, is nothing more than just a piece of paper. The knowledge obtained through daily study and practice should be considered more important. In other words, the diploma is practically useless without an adequate skill set to complement it.
See, I’m convinced fans, coaches and athletic departments around the globe, including Kansas, will excuse unruly player behavior as long as their teams are winning. This explains why parents, fathers in particular, are so important. Real discipline, in my opinion, starts at home. Collins, Taylor, Briscoe, the Morris Twins and thousands of other student athletes nationwide don’t have positive relationships, if any, with their biological fathers. And you could make a strong case this is the root of the problem. The on-campus squabble is just the byproduct. Macho acts to prove manhood are usually forced. However, we must remain cognizant of this simple fact: in order for a boy to become a great man, he must see one first.
Ok, you’re probably thinking athletes aren’t the only confused souls stuck without daddies; which is true. However, the ‘Average Joe’ is not thrown into the national spotlight. Like cockroaches when the kitchen light is switched on, constant media coverage is bound to expose warts not originally known to the public. After all, we had no idea this type of animosity existed on the KU campus until now. An optimistic Perkins believes the school can move on from this without any further damage. “We all wear KANSAS on our uniforms, and we’re proud of that. We need to act like it,” said Perkins. “We’ve met; we’re all on the same page, and we will move forward together. The football team is ready to get back to work, focused on Saturday’s game against Southern Mississippi, and the basketball team will continue to prepare for another great season.”
So, whose more at fault? The parents or coaches? Depends on who you ask. Some people believe the scuffle in Lawrence could be tied to a “gangsta” culture endorsed through “Hip-Hop” music. Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock wrote an article on September 25, suggesting violent lyrics in gangsta rap is to blame. Though subjective, I certainly understand his argument. What shocked me, however, was Whitlock’s self-admitted association with the industry. “If you know me personally, you know I’m friends or friendly with many of this city’s rap artists,” said Whitlock. “You may have seen me out socializing with Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, Big Scoob, Skaterman, Snug Brim and the Rogue Dogg Villains.”
Whitlock continued. “Rich the Factor and I hang out at the same spot before we hit the casino… Scoob, Skat, Snug the RDVs and Rich would all be classified as gangsta rappers. Their music is sexist, violent, filled with stories about drug dealing and laced with the N-word.” Ok Whitlock, I’m confused. If we’ve all come to the conclusion gangsta rap is poisonous and, in some instances, fatal to our nation’s youth, why condone the practice through association with its artists? As a sportswriter for a large city newspaper, I’m appalled by Whitlock’s remarks. This, in my opinion, is the bulk of the problem. Gangsta rap must be condemned; not negotiated and associated with.
Please understand I make this statement as a former resident of the public housing system. I’m not suggesting we condemn the artists. I’m simply stating censorship should be in order. Seriously, the influence of gangsta rap on today’s youth has spiraled completely out of control and is border-line hypnosis. Think I’m full of it? Check this out. When asked to explain the use of the “n” word, Collins replied: “It’s like second nature to us… Jay-Z uses it. Lil Wayne uses it. These are rappers we look up to and listen to their music.” Taylor agreed. “It’s a word we use on a regular basis,” said Taylor. “It’s accepted when we’re talking to each other.” Wow! There you go parents. Jay-Z and Lil Wayne have overlapped you, the dozens of teachers, coaches and administrators on campus in educating your children. Now, do you agree gangsta rap should be condemned?
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