Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Let's just talk about it 2.0...)

[Ketchum]

This was me. I’m struggling still from this weekend Ketch.



yes.

You seem to be the exception. I know that's rare for you.

 

[Ketchum]

I guess my question is how have the upset players dating back to the 80s known about the connection yet none to very few others knew anything about it? I'm not doubting the players just blows my mind that I had no clue, you had no clue very few others knew yet a high percentage of black players knew. How is that possible? What else is there....besides bbq. Learned that today too. .

I can't explain it. There's nothing else I can think to compare this to.

 

[mkkl]

I went to UT in the early 1970”s and have observed all the way back to that time that the black UT players really don”t enjoy the post gameEyes of Texas - they seemed to endure it but disliked the song as part of the UT tradition I had no idea that maybe there was a reason hey disliked it : . It always seemed to me that singing that song and looking up into all white faces had them thinking this is their song ——-not ours - Let’s calm down and at least listen ; how bout it ?

 

[TCUHorns]

Then I feel like, as someone who actually believes in stopping slavery, and not just pretending to care, that every player who uses an Iphone should be suspended or kicked off the team until they change phones.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/06/drc-cobalt-child-labour/

Put their money where their mouths are. If you want to fight injustice that happened 117 years ago, why not fight injustice and slavery that is happening LITERALLY TODAY?

What's more important? Being offended or fighting slavery?

THIS. I’ve been posting about this for 3 days all over this board, including on page 3 ITT, and haven’t gotten a decent rebuttal from anyone.

1) Why do we use Apple equipment?
2) Why is Nike a partner of ours?
3) Why do we partner with/receive donations from middle eastern countries that still kill gay people, treat women and children like trash, and use modern day slavery?
4) Why does our athletic department allow music that degrades women, promotes violence, and promotes drug use?

These are all as bad or worse than The Eyes of Texas’ 100-year old roots.

 

[Chevybeam]

Once again, why is the university of TEXAS taking these 18 to 21 year old super grow mature adults serious? They are more than athletes and they are people etc.... well no crap buddy. Still doesn’t mean they are being killed by whitey and slaughtered by the KKK and pigs at the rate the news has a lot of people believing. These kids come from the 2000s era and most certainly have not seen to many hard times. Hard times build character and shame and respect and a sink or swim atmosphere. These 2000s era MEN are weak as wet toilet paper letting emotions they haven’t hardly experienced get to them and I am assuming most but not all. I want outrage in the rap music lyrics and the crime in the inner cities all over these Longhorns twitter pages before anyone takes any movement serious. I mean wake up and get along with your fellow man and don’t look for problems that in most cases are not truly happening. Love your fellow man and let’s just be Longhorns as one and address bigger issues like murder and rape and education in the poor neighborhoods. White brown and black come from these neighborhoods and all need guidance

 

[Ketchum]

Best article you’ve written in my opinion Ketch. Thanks and great use of James 1:19.

Thanks, brother. Hope all is well and the family is safe.

 

[CS]

That's not what this is about. This is about their experience as black student athletes at Texas. Is it inspired by the police brutality issues? Yes. Is this directly connected to trying to take steps for that specific battle? No.

This is multi-tasking, I suppose.

In no way is The Eyes of Texas undermining their experience as black student athletes at Texas. That's just absurd rationalization that is not buoyed by any semblance of reality.

 

[longhornrumble]

It’s just a song. If people feel that strongly about it, can it. I love the song and don’t attribute racism to it but I glow in the dark I’m so white. If it bothers the majority, change it. Just don’t take issue with the cow on the helmet.

 

[Ketchum]

I’m kinda with you here. I had no clue that that even existed. When did the song in shows with blackface stop? I know 99% of this board probably had no clue of the history, and that’s probably because none of us even had any sense to believe that song was nothing more than a uniting thunderous song of our great university. I’m not saying it did or didn’t have any racial connotation a hundred years ago. I think the symmetry of it is a tad bit fuzzy, and almost seeks to draw a racial line. Sometimes things can be disregarded as having an undertone, right? Who props these things up to keep minorities angered or triggered when its obvious for all of us that I don’t sing the eyes with a racial undertones? The last thing on my mind, even if I had vaguely heard of this history, would be disunity. I’m puzzled by some of these requests, and as hinted by @HuffTex, they want their own separate hall for black players? Sooooo, separate but equal? It makes no sense to me. Not every black or white player makes the hall of honor. We cannot hope to achieve equality in everyone’s eyes if we are so focused on recognizing any player because of what race they are. I’m pretty damn sure some of the biggest names to cross through this university have their names pinned in the stadium and even have statues. I’m terrified of this current direction because I know the cancel culture that exists of people that have differing viewpoints

I might be wrong, but I think they just want some recognition foe the black athletes that were the pioneers ahead of them and currently don't have any recognition.

 

[Ketchum]

Whose idea is it?

I don't know. An administrator floated it to me,

 

[Whiterock H0rn]

I agree that casting doubt on the song, whether warranted or not, has sullied the song moving forward. We are in a no win situation now, which is why this being in their list of demands is so disappointing.

I'm not sure how you can make allowances for the players but require the band to play it.

I cant see a situation where the Eyes of Texas is ever played at another Texas sporting event ever again.

I sincerely believe we have seen the last of the Eyes of Texas at UT sporting events. The damage to it can’t be undone, and it seems ill conceived to promote the playing of a song that divides teams, the student body, fans, and alums - whether the dividing line is real or perceived. Bizarre.

 

[Jmonstermont]

Our beloved University of Texas is headed at warp speed to becoming Cal Berkley.

I suppose it comes down to this for me.

Were those dudes expected to just swallow their feelings forever on this or do they deserve to be able to say how they feel?[/QUOTE

I don't really have any insight on that layer of this. Maybe? Maybe not.

I think that kind of discussion will take place, though.

It is apparent that the player’s feelings have been greatly influenced by the agenda of a professor(s).

 

[Ketchum]

I cant see a situation where the Eyes of Texas is ever played at another Texas sporting event ever again.

That may not have been what the players were aiming for, but as you said, what we have learned in the last 3 days cant been un-learned. Not only do you have to convince all the football players to have the song be played before the game, but you have to convince the entire UT band, an organization with 400-500 members that are almost all liberal pro BLM students and many black students, to all stand together and play the song. If ONE black member of the UT band tweets out that they refuse to play the Eyes, what percentage of their band mates will stand in solidarity with that one person on their protest and refuse to play it? My money is on 98% of them.

So how do you tell the football players they don't have to be there and stand for the song, but then you tell 400-500 band members that they have to stand there and play the song?

Bottom line, even if the song has a 90% in favor and 10% against it ratio... do you really want the pre-game hype machine program to include something that can divide the home teams fans in any way? How many fans that are anti-Eyes of Texas are going to be pumped up for kickoff 5-10 minutes after hearing that song?

This is a cant put the toothpaste back in the tube situation we have here. And if the BMDs want to take their ball and go home over it like petulant little children, Ill be happy to have my seats upgraded to their much better and now vacant seats.


EDIT: I thought my post aboit members of the band was very insightful and original until I got down to Ketch's elmo gif after posting this. Insert my own elmo gif here.

I thought your post was really smart.

 

[Horn2013]

As a father of two young men currently attending the University of Texas at Austin the past 48 hours have been as depressing as anything in recent memory. My wife and I have stayed after every football game specifically to sing the Eyes of Texas with our sons, the other fans, the team and the university as a whole. I will admit I have felt tears well up on more than one occasion while singing The Eyes of Texas. I am not quite sure why, but I think its is because of the absolute overwhelming sense of pride and feeling blessed beyond measure for having both our sons attending this great university. The song is in no way racist. To me the real question is why does the university permit a few professors to sow these seeds of discontent?

I completely agree what many others have said, you can't give in to this demand there will be no end to it. And in the end The University of Texas will no longer be a University of the first class.

 

[CS]

I don't know. An administrator floated it to me,

He floated a turd.

 

[borna'horn]

I sincerely believe we have seen the last of the Eyes of Texas at UT sporting events. The damage to it can’t be undone, and it seems ill conceived to promote the playing of a song that divides teams, the student body, fans, and alums - whether the dividing line is real or perceived. Bizarre.

Or maybe as this dies down people will realize how stupid it is?

 

[Horn2013]

As a father of two young men currently attending the University of Texas at Austin the past 48 hours have been as depressing as anything in recent memory. My wife and I have stayed after every football game specifically to sing the Eyes of Texas with our sons, the other fans, the team and the university as a whole. I will admit I have felt tears well up on more than one occasion while singing The Eyes of Texas. I am not quite sure why, but I think its is because of the absolute overwhelming sense of pride and feeling blessed beyond measure for having both our sons attending this great university. The song is in no way racist. To me the real question is why does the university permit a few professors to sow these seeds of discontent?

I completely agree what many others have said, you can't give in to this demand there will be no end to it. And in the end The University of Texas will no longer be a University of the first class.

 

[Horns08]

THIS. I’ve been posting about this for 3 days all over this board, including on page 3 ITT, and haven’t gotten a decent rebuttal from anyone.

1) Why do we use Apple equipment?
2) Why is Nike a partner of ours?
3) Why do we partner with/receive donations from middle eastern countries that still kill gay people, treat women and children like trash, and use modern day slavery?
4) Why does our athletic department allow music that degrades women, promotes violence, and promotes drug use?

These are all as bad or worse than The Eyes of Texas’ 100-year old roots.

Because no one wants to to admit to being a hypocrite. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

 

[Ketchum]

They didn't say how they felt. They issued a list of terrorist demands to the University.

Weirdly, you use a hostage metaphor to describe being forced to swallow feelings for years because you're terrified to be honest about being bothered, no?

 

[magnahorn]

Topical.

View embedded media

I actually liked what Obama said quite a bit there. Taking that to its logical conclusion maybe the black athletes and all the various students calling for all these changes could aim just a little bit of all these calls for change internally. Maybe, if you really think The Eyes of Texas is a racist song, it's more a you problem and less a me problem, because I have never given the song a second thought as to its statement on racd

Or maybe as this dies down people will realize how stupid it is?

Right. All the people who "requested" we no longer play The Eyes of Texas are just going to magically forget about it eventually? No.

 

[jttexas05]

If the players put together a shit sandwich of a 7-5 season after leading a movement to cease the singing of The Eyes of Texas after a game, the vitrol will be uglier than after 2016 Kansas.

Hard to disagree even though we've become pretty numb to the suckage.

 

[I Hear Voices]

2005 Ohio State game was memorable for the human trash outside the stadium. And it was a long-standing problem prior to that. Previous OSU President had a committee look into it. Do some research. They can’t fix it because they don't want to.

 

[Ketchum]

This board has the biggest group of Texas fans you've ever known in your life... yet somehow, players that don't even know the history about the football team, like we do, know the history of that song more than we do?

Does this seem like something that is just pointed out to them to make a point, to anyone else?

I might ask some black people for answers. Our sample size on this board is pretty one-sided.

 

[Horn2013]

As a father of two young men currently attending the University of Texas at Austin the past 48 hours have been as depressing as anything in recent memory. My wife and I have stayed after every football game specifically to sing the Eyes of Texas with our sons, the other fans, the team and the university as a whole. I will admit I have felt tears well up on more than one occasion while singing The Eyes of Texas. I am not quite sure why, but I think its is because of the absolute overwhelming sense of pride and feeling blessed beyond measure for having both our sons attending this great university of the first class. The song is in no way racist. To me the real question is who is sowing these seeds of discontent?

I completely agree with what many others have said, you can't give in to this demand there will be no end to it. And in the end The University of Texas will no longer be a great University of the first class.

 

[Ketchum]

Both those texts read to me like the people weren’t particularly outraged. In fact the first text read like complete indifference and surprise that this has become an issue. He does point out this is all coming from one teachers class at the school.

Much like America in general, it’s the loud folks out on the fringe that cause all the trouble for 95% of the population. Sounds like there’s one teacher stirring shit up and telling students they should be offended by this.

it’s sad that our players don’t have leaders on the team or the coaching staff that could explain to them that they are being coerced into doing something that’s ultimately causing more divide and anger. If their goal is unity, they swung and missed wildly.

That is not how people inside the university that know about the situation would describe it.

 

[CS]

Weirdly, you use a hostage metaphor to describe being forced to swallow feelings for years because you're terrified to be honest about being bothered, no?

There is an ocean of difference between an athlete-penned column expressing concern about the song and a list of demands submitted to the University with attendant consequences for lack of compliance. Surely you understand this.

 

[Ketchum]

Thanks for all your time and effort ketch

man I just feel so low about this shit - it just sucks

I feel you.

 

[MauiHorn]

You deserved better than what you're getting here @Ketchum.

I get that people are mad. As you do.

Its a no win. Just shut it all down for 3-6 months.

 

[borna'horn]

Right. All the people who "requested" we no longer play The Eyes of Texas are just going to magically forget about it eventually? No.

There is nothing racist about the song, and most level headed people know this. The song had a bad weekend. Certain people won’t change their mind, but here’s hoping the majority don’t allow distant past history destroy a great tradition that is embedded in our conscious.

 

[TCUHorns]

As a father of two young men currently attending the University of Texas at Austin the past 48 hours have been as depressing as anything in recent memory. My wife and I have stayed after every football game specifically to sing the Eyes of Texas with our sons, the other fans, the team and the university as a whole. I will admit I have felt tears well up on more than one occasion while singing The Eyes of Texas. I am not quite sure why, but I think its is because of the absolute overwhelming sense of pride and feeling blessed beyond measure for having both our sons attending this great university. The song is in no way racist. To me the real question is why does the university permit a few professors to sow these seeds of discontent?

I completely agree what many others have said, you can't give in to this demand there will be no end to it. And in the end The University of Texas will no longer be a University of the first class.

Same. I’ve had tears during The Eyes before. I have sat through TERRIBLE UT football games to sing it after the game. First one that popped in my head was UCLA 66, Texas 3 in 1997. I was in middle school, in the 120 degree upper deck with my little brother. He wanted to leave after the 3rd quarter. I told him NO, we have to stay til The Eyes is played after the game.

Ive watched a lot of shitty football over the years to wait for The Eyes at the end of the game. That’s what keeps a lot of fans in the stands all 4 quarters. Take that away at the end of the game??? Y’all better win every damn game or at least keep it close, otherwise the stands are going to get real empty really fast in DKR in the 4th quarter.

And same with all those RRS beatdowns in Dallas over the years. If you take away The Eyes, losses will look much uglier.

 

[wbrom42]

I’ll say this. I had some profound talks a few weeks ago and I really felt as though it was an awakening for me. I really felt like I saw their perspective.

But in two weeks I still can’t get past all the crime. Fathers not fathering. 1 out of 3 males statistically bound for prison. I can’t get past that.

At a minimum you are talking about a failure to adapt and overcome. At least show me that this is on the freaking radar and I’m willing to jump with both feet to fight for criminal justice system reform.

Perhaps I’m ****ing crazy. Maybe 28.5 months deployed just changed my perspective so much that I’m a lost cause. I should be quiet because I’ll never be normal in society again.

I listen to a lot of combat veteran podcasts. I listen to a lot of guys talk about being turned around. Coming back from the ledge. The one thing you hear over and over and over is that you have stop feeling sorry for yourself. Nobody owes you a goddamn thing.

Programs that help veterans. You hear over and over how you have to have some skin in the game to commit to a program. The pure handouts just fail over and over. No real change happens from the disability money paid out to veterans. Combined with the free drugs, this is the reason so many veterans commit suicide. Here’s $2000 and some pills, thanks.

This is a complex issue. Shaming all white people because of screwed up things done in the past is bullshit. It’ll go freaking nowhere. That shit has to stop.

 

[Ketchum]

But they didn’t say the song upsets them for x,y and z reasons, they said they want the song changed, right? They didn’t stop at education on the song, they made a demand it go away.

Correct. They didn't attach explanations to any of their requests/demands.

 

[o5prey]

the interesting thing to me in this is I feel bad - and I feel bad for the players

And I feel the players don’t care about us or our support it’s almost like the feelings for a pro team

 

[Ketchum]

Most people are not upset with you. I disagree with most of the players requests, and disagree with some things you’ve said... but at the same time you’re in a no-win situation and this is a tough topic to tightrope over.

Again I disagree with a lot of your viewpoints but I also think you’re doing a solid job of handling it, given the circumstances.

Thanks.

 

[TNobis60]

That's not what this is about. This is about their experience as black student athletes at Texas. Is it inspired by the police brutality issues? Yes. Is this directly connected to trying to take steps for that specific battle? No.

This is multi-tasking, I suppose.

Then what do the changes accomplish?

Will not singing a song or renaming a building really make the student athlete experience better? Is the student athlete experience really sullied by those things? I was not an athlete at Texas so I don’t know.

I don’t know that cosmetic change is actual change.

If your house is really on fire, are we really going to worry about repainting the picket fence?