Grambling State Situation

[IrishLax]

I don't know if you all have been following this, but it's getting crazy. Basically, Doug Williams (Grambling State alum, first African American super bowl winning QB, etc.) took over the program a couple years ago. Hall of Famer Eddie Robinson is gone. So Williams takes over at the height of the recession... players like him, they win a SWAC championship, and then 2012 is a reallllly bad year.

Anyways, Williams goes out of his way to provide a lot of things for the program through fundraising and the like. Very basic things like flooring for their defunct weight room as the school refuses to do so. The president of the school doesn't like how Williams is circumventing chain of command and fires him at the beginning of this season.

Grambling is now on their third coach of the season, had players walk out of a meeting with the administration where they wanted answers, and now it has gotten to the point where they are boycotting their next game and refusing to travel. The situation has gone completely nuclear. That was a cliff notes version, Google up some articles for more detail... it's crazy.

What do you guys think about the players taking a stand and boycotting the game? Appropriate? Inappropriate?

 

[Irish Houstonian]

If the NFL can find replacement players, I doubt Grambling will have much of a problem. I'd just have an open try-out. You'd get killed on the field, but it sounds like that was happening anyway.

 

[tussin]

I think it's appropriate. College athletics are a two way street. The athletes do have a commitment to the university, but Grambling St. isn't holding up their end of the deal. These players didn't sign up to three head coaches and an administration that didn't support them. The reality of football at Grambling St. more than likely isn't what they were promised during the recruiting process.

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

Can they take away their schollies if they don't play?

 

[Rhode Irish]

Really sad situation for a once-proud program. People may have differing views after reading up on it, but to me it looks like Louisiana's handling of the financial the situation has been pretty shameful with respect to Grambling's shake in the whole mess.

 

[GowerND11]

Can they take away their schollies if they don't play?

Does Grambling St. offer athletic schollies?

 

[IrishLax]

Really sad situation for a once-proud program. People may have differing views after reading up on it, but to me it looks like Louisiana's handling of the financial the situation has been pretty shameful with respect to Grambling's shake in the whole mess.

Yeah, this was a big part of it, reading up on funding cuts. I get that they put the school/administration in a bind.

At the same time, what they were putting the players through and how they handled the coaches screams BS. The reason this got to a tipping point seems to be that the administration thought they could walk over the players. Players are saying shove it... I'm done playing if this is how we're going to be treated.

That stuff about busing 700+ miles to a game with no hotel stop and playing the same day is INSANE.

 

[woolybug25]

I think alums, donors, etc should demand that either the President or AD step down. It's not fair to hold these kids hostage. There is a massive amount of evidence that the adminstration are destroying the program that these kids committed to.

 

[Grahambo]

Summed up:

What's Behind The Grambling Football Team's Protest

 

[IrishSteelhead]

The mess goes far beyond their athletic programs. I was just reading how professors were getting massive pay cuts, and being forced to teach classes they weren't qualified to teach.

 

[IrishLax]

The mess goes far beyond their athletic programs. I was just reading how professors were getting massive pay cuts, and being forced to teach classes they weren't qualified to teach.

Yeah. Or fired or told to teach an extra class each year for free. Just a reminder that at the end of the day $$ drives all.

 

[TK22867]

Doug Williams shoulders some of the blame here too. Should have followed protocol for the sake of the players. Not many of us would keep our jobs if we constantly avoided the chain of command.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

If Gordon Gee ran Grambling, Doug Williams would have fired HIS a-ss!!!

 

[woolybug25]

Doug Williams shoulders some of the blame here too. Should have followed protocol for the sake of the players. Not many of us would keep our jobs if we constantly avoided the chain of command.

So Williams is at fault for trying to help the kids have basic necessities for the program? The guy had to go around protocol because the school is being ran by a bunch of baffoons. Which is clearly evidenced by the $hitstorm that has transpired since he left.

Williams was the only thing holding that program together. He shouldn't have to shoulder any blame.

 

[BobD]

If the team is united in their stance, then I gotta support them. If it was just a few players then I'd probably feel differently. In the end, it's just a game and fck sitting on a bus for 700 miles.

 

[fightingirish26]

It says on the espn lead that the game is cancelled

 

[military_irish]

It's good to see them taking a stance. These kids are fighting for things the D-1 kids take for granted.

Forget getting paid to play football they just want the basics.

 

[T Town Tommy]

So Williams is at fault for trying to help the kids have basic necessities for the program? The guy had to go around protocol because the school is being ran by a bunch of baffoons. Which is clearly evidenced by the $hitstorm that has transpired since he left.

Williams was the only thing holding that program together. He shouldn't have to shoulder any blame.

Sadly, the same could be sad about Alabama State right now. Their whole admin structure has cost the taxpayers here millions and are currently under investigation for several things such as conflict of interest, misappropriation of funds, lack of oversight leading to serious fiscal waste, and on and on. And their athletic program can't stay out of trouble. Sad situation indeed for all involved at Grambling.

 

[rtrn2glory]

personally i don't think these players have the right to just not play. majority of them are on scholarship and they have the obligation to represent their university and student body. i don't care what's going on behind the scenes...they need to show up and do their job.

if i were an NFL GM i wouldn't look at any of these guys

 

[Corry]

personally i don't think these players have the right to just not play. majority of them are on scholarship and they have the obligation to represent their university and student body. i don't care what's going on behind the scenes...they need to show up and do their job.

if i were an NFL GM i wouldn't look at any of these guys

It's not a job bruh, they're student athletes. Good for them for standing up for what they believe in. Its not like a few player told the administration to kick rocks. The whole freaking team walked out.

 

[IrishInFl]

Sadly, the same could be sad about Alabama State right now. Their whole admin structure has cost the taxpayers here millions and are currently under investigation for several things such as conflict of interest, misappropriation of funds, lack of oversight leading to serious fiscal waste, and on and on. And their athletic program can't stay out of trouble. Sad situation indeed for all involved at Grambling.

As is Florida A & M. They struggle with accreditation, and have previously had administrators steal financial aid money.

 

[pumpdog20]

This is on the alumni and fans. If they supported the team with more money, they would get the necessities.

 

[rtrn2glory]

It's not a job bruh, they're student athletes. Good for them for standing up for what they believe in. Its not like a few player told the administration to kick rocks. The whole freaking team walked out.

not true 22 players showed up according to ESPN last night.

and yes it is your job when you're getting a free education worth around 50 to 60k

not a well paying job, but it's their job.

 

[woolybug25]

For those wondering about the conditions they are speaking about, here is a portion of an ESPN article with excerpts from a letter. Not exactly whiney kids mad about their coach. These are real concerns.

On Friday, Grambling State canceled its football game against Jackson State after Grambling's disgruntled players refused to travel to Jackson, Miss., for the game Saturday.

Players Not Bluffing
Grambling players sent a letter to the administration outlining their complaints. Read the full Document

• Keown: Will administration fold?

The letter says "there are certain factors that are hindering us from reaching our goals" and then elaborates on many of them.

The athletic complex "is in horrible condition, and has many hazards that may contribute to our overall health," the letter says. "First, the complex is filled with mildew and mold. Mildew and mold can be seen on the ceiling, walls and floor, and are contributing to water leaks because of faltering walls and ceilings."

As has been reported before, the players say that the floor is coming up in the weight room, but the letter also asks that the university supply better detergent for uniforms.

"The uniforms are poorly cleaned and contribute to the multiple cases if staph infection," the letter reads. "Several players have been infected with staph multiple times."

A group of 26 photos obtained by Gomez from an unnamed Grambling State player appear to illustrate some of the players' complaints.

Several of the photographs show walls and ceiling tiles and even player equipment that appear to be covered in mold or mildew. Other photos show floors from the facility's weight-training room missing wide sections of its rubberized floor tiles, and torn and tattered covers to some of the room's weightlifting benches.

According to the letter, players have been complaining for some time that Gatorade and the supplement Muscle Milk were not supplied during summer camp or workouts.

[+] Enlarge
ESPN
An anonymous Grambling State player supplied this photo of what appears to be mold or mildew on equipment.
"We had to pay for those expensive items ourselves," the letter states. "We were also forced to get water from hoses underneath the stadium in 90 degree plus weather."

As has also been reported, players took exception to the fact that they had to travel by bus to Kansas City and Indianapolis.

"One trip was 14 hours while the other was 17," the letter says. "Players were drained and exhausted after those long rides."

The players were bothered, according to the letter, that "the president and athletic director traveled by plane."

Grambling State Tigers' players send letter of complaint to administration - ESPN

 

[rtrn2glory]

thanks for the lnkn to the article

but uhhh who forced them to sign there and choose to go to school there. i don't think these problems just popped up did they, or maybe they did. if you see that would you choose to go to school there?

pretty shatty sitation to say the least

 

[woolybug25]

thanks for the lnkn to the article

but uhhh who forced them to sign there and choose to go to school there. i don't think these problems just popped up did they, or maybe they did. if you see that would you choose to go to school there?

pretty shatty sitation to say the least

They chose that school when it had a committed coach and functional football program. Now they are stuck at a school with a dying program, insufficient facilities and dangerous conditions. They didn't sign up for this and shouldn't have to "go down with the ship".

For all intensive purposes, these kids could transfer, but they chose Grambling. They want it to be the once proud program they committed to originally.

 

[AgentJ]

Biggest takeaway from this:

It's only a matter of time before players boycott for $$$

 

[woolybug25]

Biggest takeaway from this:

It's only a matter of time before players boycott for $$$

I don't think that will be the case at all. These guys don't have basic conditions. If a team decided to boycott for money, the outrage would be crazy.

 

[rtrn2glory]

They chose that school when it had a committed coach and functional football program. Now they are stuck at a school with a dying program, insufficient facilities and dangerous conditions. They didn't sign up for this and shouldn't have to "go down with the ship".

For all intensive purposes, these kids could transfer, but they chose Grambling. They want it to be the once proud program they committed to originally.

you may be right, but i just have a hard time believing these issues just popped up. not saying these are right, but i think they had more of an idea of this than they're leading on

 

[BeauBenken]

This is on the alumni and fans. If they supported the team with more money, they would get the necessities.

It sounds like this school is being deprived of things that every high school football team would have access to such as proper cleaning of equipment and facilities.

You can't blame the fans and alumni if the school doesn't have someone or some way to wash the freaking jerseys.