http://www.statenews.com Every fall, college football administrators around the country collectively hold their breath in anticipation of their grades. Atypical of grades normally seen on college campuses, these are released by the Black Coaches & Administrators, or BCA, and reflect on the demographics of black coaches in Division I football programs. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:31:13 -0500 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33036 I appreciate MSU’s conscious efforts to have more diversity in the coaching ranks. The presence of black coaches more commensurate with the number of black athletes playing the game will serve as a model and inspiration to people of color all over the country. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:17:08 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33036 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33040 I am a strong proponent of equal opportunity. I believe anyone with a stake in the game should be given an equal chance. Affirmative action is illegal in Michigan and does not provide an equal opportunity. Diversity should not be sought out just for the sake of diversity. There are many highly skilled and talented minorities and they will out shine their competition on there own. I am not a minority so I cannot speak for them, but I know I would want to get a job based on my own merit, not because of policy. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:01:06 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33040 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33055 “MSU a leader in Big Ten with percentage of black coaches, organization sees room for improvement”, as if hiring more black people is seen as a “positive” and hiring more non-blacks a “negative”. I’m sure coaches do not turn down applicants based on color, and if they do, they are probably bad at what they do. I’m sick and tired of hearing how minorities don’t have opportunities, when I see them all the time in managerial and leadership roles. This mindset is getting outdated. Now what if they had a percentage of black coaches that was above percentage in society? Would they call out and ask for more white people to be represented? Not likely. It might be considered racist. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:09:21 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33055 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33061 Enough of quotas, preferential treatment, and affirmative action. Let people take roles and job based on merit and stop playing the race card. How are we as a society ever supposed to get passed race, if we constantly look at it as a factor? Montgomery and Puryear should be where they are because they are good coaches, not because a quota is trying to be met. Racism is a double standard in this country and it’s getting real worn out. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:29:03 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33061 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33062 Honestly, I am really sick of hearing about minorities not having opportunities as well. Being a young white person I feel that I am now becoming the minority, even though my parents are suffering and have been suffering financially I am unable to recieve aid simply because most aid is giving to those of race other than white. Just like blacks can’t choose their color of their skin, neither can I and I shouldn’t have to feel that because I am white I should be generalized as having money. Enough with the minority and race issue, if everyone wanted equal opportunity than quit the talking about minorities! Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:32:45 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33062 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33064 I simply wish that people would go color blind and we wouldn’t have to throw statistics around like this. Being young and white I always wonder what the future is like, as in if when we’re a minority can we play like this? I feel the answer would be no, it will be wrong for a WCA to be formed. Personally, I’m all about everyone being included, but that takes time. I’d say the biggest problem in America now is the separation due to incomes. People from downtown Detroit, be they white, black or Hispanic are for the most part screwed in the same fashion, but the white folk are excluded from forms of assistance. I still think it’s so wrong that the affirmative action was overturned in Michigan, but how long do things like that stay valid? “Montgomery and Puryear should be where they are because they are good coaches, not because a quota is trying to be met.” -JR That is SO TRUE, who’s best is what really matters to me, not the quota! Case and point example Bobby Williams HORRIBLE coach and when he was fired, it was race related according to many. Does that mean in was race related when John L. got canned, HELL NO! That Williams statement of race relations was infuriating, to me. Martin Luther King, Jr. is looking down on America proud of us all, so I think we’re doing well. However, there is always room for improvement for those of EVERY color of skin! Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:11:15 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33064 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33074 Why is it that “diversity” always refers to people that look different? Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:15:13 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33074 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33075 Ummm… Unless you’re talking about Clint Eastwood in Gran Turino, I don’t know who you mean when you bring up the white people in downtown Detroit. The fact of the matter is that minorities (with the exception of Asian Americans) are considerably worse off than whites in this country by absolutely any measure. And while you guys are correct to note that it often seems unfair to have policies that take note of this, I think you’re missing the big picture. Policy simply cannot be designed to take into account each individual case. The idea is to view the aggregate population and try to generate the most positive results. And since it is undeniable that there is some systematic issue that causes minorities to be underrepresented and underprivileged, policy ought to correct that. And sick of it, I don’t even know what to make of what you said. First of all, the idea that ‘most aid is giving to those of race other than white’ is flat-out incorrect. Absolutely factually wrong. And if it were true, why would that make you feel like a minority? Think about it, if everyone is NOT starting with equal education, income, and quality of life, how could we possibly expect to see equal opportunity by ignoring these facts? Aren’t those things a big part of what creates opportunity? Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:27:16 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33075 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33078 Sick of it…“I am unable to recieve aid simply because most aid is giving to those of race other than white”.. While I do feel for your financial situation i think it is a GIANT leap in dedcuction to say that most aid is given to students who are not white. Minority students don’t even make up 15 percent of student populations at most universities..so just by the law of averages more non minoritiy students recieve aid. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:36:09 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33078 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33080 Sick of It..Also i think u need to understand that if anything poorer students have a harder time getting through college than ones well off. If your having trouble paying for school imagine what a poor person has to go through to get a loan for school when everybody in his/her family has bad credit, and can’t cosign for their education. Imagine the interest rate on a loan when there is no one co-sign. My brother is paying out of his rear end to send both his kids to college so to assume that most minorities here at msu don’t share the same experience you are is flat out wrong. While i am not hear to chastise you, I do wish you wouldn’t make such unfounded accusations Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:54:57 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33080 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33083 I wish there was a way to get it economic based, which would account for the race issues in America. I wish we could put incomes/credit first, then we could derive the problems for all. I feel that putting the race card in simply toxifies it for many, however that is my personal belief. I dare the person who commented on my white people in downtown detroit comment to prove me wrong. Of course it’s simply conjecture on my part, but last time I checked with friends…white people are in downtown Detroit, too. At least that is what my buddy Leronda told me years ago when there was a similar article in the State News. However, that was about the unfair treatment of African Americans at Michigan State University and she simply said BS…she earned her BS/MS at MSU coming from a fam with little to no money, and going to a crappy thugged up school. Let’s not forget Leronda is African American. Most of all, I wish the money would go to paying the downtown D teachers well, giving them proper resources to educate people, and more community groups would get funded to give the children greater opportunities to succeed. What America has become SUCKS with regards to the way we’ve divided. However, I believe we can come together. The most messed up thing is that every body sees things differently. There are TONS of white people that PISS me off due to their sick racism. But my best friend (who is black) says that it’s flat out worse across the bord, due to it going under the table. Where I live in SoCal there are tons of White Supremacy groups and lots of money, too. That is sick crap and those that wish divide and claim supremacy should go away, in any way shape or form. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:16:02 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33083 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33094 I think many of the people commenting here are missing the point. The BCA is not asking for hiring quotas. The BCA is demanding that more minority candidates be considered. The idea is to cast as wide a net as possible when searching to fill coaching vacancies. You want to cast a wide net so that you can find as many talented candidates as possible. Actively seeking out minority candidates that otherwise may not be obvious candidates widens that net. Not doing so is a disservice to the MSU community. MSU students and alumni should be proud that their school is a leader in the NCAA in this regard. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:12:11 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33094 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33097 Hopefully one day their will be a black president and we can stop talk about race in this country. I can’t wait for that day. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:27:19 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33097 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33103 honestly, this a race obsessed country. OBSESSED! get over it. every third article in SN is about race. Zzzzzzz Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:24:01 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33103 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33109 “I think many of the people commenting here are missing the point. The BCA is not asking for hiring quotas. The BCA is demanding that more minority candidates be considered. The idea is to cast as wide a net as possible when searching to fill coaching vacancies. You want to cast a wide net so that you can find as many talented candidates as possible. Actively seeking out minority candidates that otherwise may not be obvious candidates widens that net. Not doing so is a disservice to the MSU community. MSU students and alumni should be proud that their school is a leader in the NCAA in this regard.” Are you serious? There is a reason why there aren’t more minorities in those coaching positions and it’s not because of their skin color. I don’t understand this “cast a wide net” jargon. You are implying that minorities don’t have the same opportunities as white people. Actively seeking out minorities that wouldn’t be obvious because of WHAT they are not WHO (coaching attributes) they are is racism. I don’t understand the need to have quotas (it is a quota because they are stating percentages, just not specific target percentages), besides self-interest of a race. Doing so is a disservice to the MSU community. MSU students and alumni shouldn’t be proud about how many minorities are in their staff. Let it go. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:13:57 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33109 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33121 Sense of entitlement is BS, nothing more nothing less. We’re all competing and the grounds are getting fairer and fairer. But the you owe me attitude has got to stop. Martyrdom and professional victim is BS and makes headway IMPOSSIBLE. If people just do their best, they get good results. If they feel entitled to better because look what your neighbor did to my great great grandfather. What the heck??? My family didn’t exist in the US when slavery occurred so it ain’t on me. Try to make the best you can and God will deliver, doesn’t matter who you are. If you want to play the poor me, poor me cards you won’t get a darn thing…because you don’t deserve it. Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:31:13 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/33121