My email to Dave Zirin, who wrote an article critical of...

Jan 18, 2017, 9:36 PM

Dabo. Ok the point of me posting this is not debate the two main issues Zirin brought up, but to show how I as a liberal point out to Zirin, a fellow liberal, how he is wrong and acting the opposite of the way how we as liberals claim to act. And on how wrong he is to stereotype Dabo from minimal information and the false assertions he makes about Dabo. Also, of interest because Zirin brings up Clemson's long ago past, is the fact that the college Zirin went to is a mostly white university that is having issues about diversity in it's student population and faculty. Ok here it is:

"I'm contacting you about your recent article about Clemson's Head Coach Dabo Swinney. Let me first start off by stating I have been reading your articles for some time now, and they have been very informative. It was through one of your articles I first learned about the behavior of Donald Sterling, the former Clippers owners. Secondly, I am liberal and a Clemson fan. I was surprised by all the inaccurate statements you made about Dabo Swinney, which totally misrepresented the person he is. You claimed he stated Black Lives Matter should move out of the country, this is a statement he never made in the press conference Q&A you were referencing. Also, you incorrectly wrote that he stated he would punish his players for protesting the anthem. When in fact he never made this statement. The statement he made on that was he doesn't have to worry about that issue with his players because at Clemson, as at most colleges, players do not make their entrance until after the National Anthem is played.

One area where you are completely misinformed is you calling him clueless and entitled. You are dead wrong on that. Dabo Swinney grew up in poverty and had serious family issues. While attending the University of Alabama he had to share a bedroom with his mother. Since you failed to do your research on Swinney hear is a link to a story about his life story: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14519758/dabo-swinney-overcame-pain-poverty-reach-new-heights-clemson
So Swinney is hardly a person who is entitled. He come from impoverished and stressful family circumstances and overcame that. His story is a story that we as liberals should celebrate since we believe in standing up for people who come from poverty.

You stated that he is what is wrong with college sports. Nothing could be further from the truth. He emphasizes academics to his players and staying out of trouble. He does not hesitate to issue out the appropriate punishment for players who aren't keeping up in class or get in trouble with the law. Here is an example right here of a Clemson player doing great academically: http://www.espn.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/93425/clemson-qb-deshaun-watson-on-brink-of-off-field-greatness-too

You also tried to connect him to the racist aspects of Clemson's long ago past. A history Clemson University acknowledges, even with Tillman Hall still retaining that name. Link here: https://www.clemson.edu/about/history/properties/fort-hill/african-americans.html and here https://www.southcarolinaradionetwork.com/2016/04/13/clemson-university-adds-markers-telling-of-slave-history-at-school/ and here http://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2016/11/14/clemson-recalls-forgotten-history/93810464/
If you would have done your research you would have also have known that at one of the games during the season, Clemson honored a descendant of one of the slaves at John C Calhoun's plantation. Link here: http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=28500&ATCLID=211169524&SPID=103723&SPSID=658250
So your assertion that Dabo Swinney has something to do with the racist aspects of the history of Clemson is dead wrong. Dabo Swinney has never praised this era and has never said a negative thing about African Americans. He has always had close relationships with his black players, lasting after they have left Clemson. So that was completely misguided of you to connect him to historical situations that happened long before his life. Also, it seems your Alma Mater has problems addressing issues of race. Link here: http://themacweekly.com/2013/04/an-open-letter-to-macalester-college-addressing-racism/
So maybe you need to go to your Alma Mater and address your school's lack of diversity, before lambasting a University that is addressing the racist aspects of it's past (although they still need to make a statement to the South Carolina legislature that they want to change the name of the building), since your mostly white alma mater is failing to address issues of diversity in it's student population and faculty. Also, you pointed out that Clemson is built upon a refurbished plantation. Let's not forget the college you attended is built upon Native American land, as is every American institute. So what has your college done to acknowledge the Native Americans that once inhabited the area that it was built upon?

I don't agree with him on his comments on Kaepernick or paying college players, but that does not make him a bad person in the way you tried to portray him. If you would have done your research on Swinney, you would know that he himself played under the same set of rules today's players are under. So maybe his opinion is influenced more by that, than your claim of him "exploiting labor". Just because a person has a differing opinion than you doesn't mean said person is evil. I think players should get paid, especially with all the money in college sports. But at the same time I can understand the reasons why some people aren't as open about this idea or are very hesitant. I don't demonize them. So it's a terrible comparison and injustice to those in the past, to compare this issue to the oppression that black people have suffered throughout the history of this country. The more apt comparison would be that college athletes are suffering from the same thing average Americans are suffering from, stagnating wages while upper management's wages have sky rocketed. Another point about why Dabo is not an intolerant person, is that after Michael Sam came out, he stated that he played with gay players and have coached them and would have no problems with a gay player on his team. He was the first coach in the Southeast to come out and say he would have no problem with gay players. So Dabo Swinney is hardly a person who is clueless and entitled as you claim. Link here: http://www.tigernet.com/update/coach/Swinney-I-played-gay-players-Alabama-14924

As far as the Kaepernick issue, not everybody is going to be as socially conscious to understand the reasons why he does this protest. So not everybody who disagrees with the way Kaepernick is doing his protest is a person who is evil. You or I may have the ability to understand the reasons for the protest, but not everybody digs down deep to be socially aware of all the issues. Some people just don't have the time or take the time to research these issues. After all with the current state of the mainstream media, you really have to dig deep to educate yourself on these issues. And I hardly think Dabo Swinney, with his busy schedule, is taking time to dig deep into these issues. Much like you didn't take time to do research on Swinney past his comments on these two issues.

The biggest problem with your article, and one that is frowned upon by liberals, is that you stereotyped Swinney without having done your research on him. This is a popular tactic used by by right wing tv media, internet media, and talk radio shows. And let me show how easy it is to be wrong about a person just because of their opinions on a few issues. My Father is a life long loyal Republican. However, my Father is a huge James Brown, Ray Charles, and Muhammed Ali fan. When I first learned the homophobic slur "######" and called my sister it, he explained to me what it meant and made it extremely clear never to use that kind of language. Twelve years ago I briefly worked for him when he was working for a local school district being in charge of small renovation projects. Every time a project came up, he made sure every time that we reached out to black owned businesses to make sure they were aware of the contract bids. Also, my Father always makes sure to vote for a black candidate for school board. My Father doesn't agree with Kaepernick's protest. But, at the same time my Father has celebrated the artistic achievements of black people, has black friends, and went out of his way to make business opportunities available to black owned businesses. So does his stance on this one issue make him a bad person, when he taught me tolerance and acceptance while growing up as a kid and a teenager?

If you're so concerned about issues of race, inequality, and poverty in the South; then please come move hear to South Carolina and help us liberals in South Carolina fight against it. It's easy for white liberals who don't live in the South to paint broad strokes about the history and the way things are in the South. But for us liberals who actually live in the South we don't have that luxury. We are trying to change hearts and minds. We don't stereotype a person because of their opinion on a certain issue. And if a person holds an opinion we think is wrong, we engage in a discussion with them and try to get them to open up their mind and understand the issue completely. Here in the South those of us fighting against poverty and inequality, we are on the frontline fighting this. Our friends and family members are affected by this issue. We don't have the luxury that you do to paint broad strokes, because we are trying to change the region of this country for the better. And being contentious with a person that doesn't hold every single opinion you do, is a recipe for failure. There are people we can reach out whose minds we can change on these key issues. Demonizing these people is not the solution. So once again I extend you the offer to come here to South Carolina and help us fight against poverty and inequality. Since you are so concerned about the Kaepernick and college players getting paid issues, reach out to Dabo Swinney and engage in a respectful discussion about these two issues with him. Ask him about all the money he has raised for cancer research. Reach out to former and current Clemson players and ask how they feel about Dabo Swinney and his attitudes toward black people. Seek out a professorship at Clemson University and engage with students and student athletes about what needs to be done for Clemson to properly address Clemson's past history. Come down here because us down south liberals have been waiting since the Civil War, with a few exceptions, for you out of south liberals to come down here and help us fight on these issues.

Thank you for your time,

PS, here are the twitter handles of former Clemson players you can reach out to discuss Dabo Swinney:
@sammywatkins
@Nukdabomb
@VicBeasley3
@GradyJarrett
@AEllington38
@DeshaunWatson4
@Wanye_Kanye
@tayscott7
@BranchNout90
@CJSPILLER"

Now once again my point isn't to debate those two issues, but to show how I as a liberal can point out to someone of the same political persuasion that they are wrong in their assessment.

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to have a reasonable discussion on politics on tnet. I don't think that all Republicans or right wingers are intolerant, because I know too many that aren't. But, at the same time, and what probably rubs people the wrong way on here, I will point out true intolerance and BS conspiracy theories if I see someone post stuff like that. But that is mostly with people who post political topics on the main board. I don't post that much about politics on the politics board. And my point in responding to political topics on the main board is mainly to bring enough attention that the political posts don't happen at all on the main board. As no political position has a thing to do with Clemson athletics, not right, left, or center. Tiger4lif3®

My email to Dave Zirin, who wrote an article critical of...

Re: My email to Dave Zirin, who wrote an article critical of...

It depends on your definition of liberal...

Tl;dr***

Re: My email to Dave Zirin, who wrote an article critical of...

WGAF...?***

I'm sure it will mean as much to Zirin...

Get a life man, you're over 50 and still acting like...

Re: Get a life man, you're over 50 and still acting like...

Re: My email to Dave Zirin, who wrote an article critical of...

This is the first post that has ever indicated that you are

Yeah I'm reasonable, but it's d*** near impossible...

I can understand Zirin. Can't have coaches thanking God.***

Uh yeah there is a difference between thanking God...

Either way, the far left cringe when they hear it.***

Re: I can understand Zirin. Can't have coaches thanking God.***

sometimes I wish I was socially conscious

Good work*****

that Zirin article didn't raise my pulse a bit after reading

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