The development at the Univ. of Missouri over the last few days has been a "major moment," and college sports, "or at least the power dynamics within college sports, will never be quite the same," according to Sam Mellinger of the K.C. STAR. College athletes watching the Missouri football players' strike that helped facilitate UM System President Tim Wolfe's resignation yesterday saw "undeniable proof of the power they hold." In two days, a group of college football players "effected the change ... that student protests, faculty complaints, and a grown man starving himself could not" (K.C. STAR, 11/9). YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote the power of the players that was "suddenly displayed here is undeniable." Wetzel: "In how many locker rooms are athletes marveling at what just happened in Columbia?" Former footwear exec Sonny Vaccaro, a longtime critic of the NCAA, said, "The Missouri kids crossed a line that had never before been crossed. The game has changed." National College Players Association Founder Ramogi Huma: "The players have always had power on campus, it's just rarely channeled. Here it was channeled and you see there was enough power to compel a university president to resign." Wetzel cited a major program AD as saying, "I can tell you that every athletic director in the country is watching this closely" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/9). Ohio Univ. professor David Ridpath said, "I look at this as certainly a watershed moment. I think this is an incident that will make athletes realize that ... ultimately they have the power." Huma: "This will be a turning point where players really witnessed the type of power they can display" (L.A. TIMES, 11/10). FS1's Ryan Field said this was an "unprecedented move that could have ripple effects on college campuses down the road." FS1's Spencer Tillman: "What we had here was a seminal moment in the history of college sports" ("Fox Sports Live," FS1, 11/10).
POWER TO THE PLAYERS: In Columbia, Jacob Bogage writes if it "wasn't already clear in a town that presses pause on football Saturdays," the Missouri football team yesterday showed "how much influence it holds in university decisions and politics." Team members "perhaps set a precedent for future protest movements on campus," as athletes refusing to take the field over any issue "could ruin a university's reputation" (Columbia MISSOURIAN, 11/10). In N.Y., Eligon & Pérez-Peña in a front-page piece write it was the football team's refusal to play that "may have dealt the fatal blow to the university's leaders." The prospect of a strike by an SEC team "drew national attention." U.S. Rep William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) said the idea of Saturday's game against BYU being canceled "got the attention of the alumni and the board, along with a substantial penalty they would have been facing." Clay: "That would have been a disaster for their recruiting of black athletes and of black students to the university" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/10). USA TODAY's George Schroeder writes when the players "decided not to participate in team-related activities," the momentum of the protests "rapidly grew." This "isn't the first boycott in college sports, only the most recent." But because it "threatened a football game and toppled high-ranking university officials, it has resonated the loudest" (USA TODAY, 11/10). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay writes college athletes watching the events at Missouri "have seen how much power they potentially have," and that "feels significant." The football team "took a position without any assurance of a response, but a response was stunningly quick, undoubtedly owing to the profile and economic impact that even a 4-5 team possessed" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/10).
TEAM TURNED THE TIDE: In N.Y., Joe Nocera writes nearly two months had passed since the first of several recent racial incidents on campus "before the football players decided to get involved" in protesting against the administration. Once they did, Wolfe "lasted all of 36 hours." It turns out that the football players "had something the other protesters didn’t: power." There "wasn’t the slightest hint that Wolfe was considering resigning -- until the football players got involved" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/10). In K.C., Mary Sanchez writes nobody was "all that annoyed by complaints of racial tension until the football team made a stand." Student-athletes "turned the tide." Sanchez: "Start to admit that reality and it just might lead to attitudinal changes that will make a difference for all students" (K.C. STAR, 11/10). A CHICAGO TRIBUNE editorial states Wolfe "appeared to be surviving -- until the weekend, when at least 30 African-American football players vowed not to play" until he resigned. When the football team spoke, that "was a fearsome and unavoidable voice of dissent" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/10). ESPN's Michael Wilbon: "The national spotlight comes when sports are involved ... and they tipped it" ("PTI," ESPN, 11/9). ESPN's Dan Le Batard: "This is sports as leadership. This is sports as social activism" ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 11/9). Former Missouri DE Michael Sam said, "None of this s--- happens without the football team. If they hadn't been involved in this, you wouldn't see all these people out here. You wouldn't see results." THE MMQB's Robert Klemko writes if what occurred in Columbia "proves a watershed moment in the realization of the bargaining power of college athletes, Missouri's football players handled it with extreme humility, tact and, for the most part, the appearance of unity" (MMQB.SI.com, 11/10).
OFF-FIELD VICTORY: In Houston, Brian Smith writes the football team "accomplished more during the last two days than every other program will pull off the entire year." Yesterday was a "stunning reminder that sports are never, ever just about sports and every generation has its own voice" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/10). In Tampa, Tom Jones writes the football players "have used their talent to become football stars," and used their stardom "to make a difference." That is "way more important that anything they will do on a Saturday afternoon" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/10). In Miami, Greg Cote writes Missouri "might not even make it to a bowl game this year," but what happened over the last few days makes the season "a success" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/10). ESPN's Paul Finebaum said Missouri and coach Gary Pinkel "have scored the singular biggest win of the year in college football" ("College Football Live," ESPN2, 11/9). In DC, Jerry Brewer writes the football team, "amid a middling season, just executed its finest finish" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/10). ESPN’s Michael Smith said the players “won’t score a more significant victory this year, or the rest of their lives” ("His & Hers," ESPN2, 11/9).
IMPACT ON COLLEGE LANDSCAPE: SI's Andy Staples wrote the aftershocks of yesterday's developments "could affect all of major college sports," and college athletes "should have a deeper understanding of exactly how much power" they hold. Staples: "If the players want to create meaningful change, their colleagues at Missouri have already given them the blueprint" (CAMPUSRUSH.com, 11/9). ESPN's Scott Van Pelt asked, "How many NCAA athletes look at the impact one team had in Missouri and consider the significant amount of power they possess as a group?" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/10). Former Northwestern QB Kain Colter, who unsuccessfully tried to unionize his NU team, said, "The ability for players to boycott games and practices has always been there, but this is one of the rare incidents where that leverage has actually been used. I hope that players all over the country realize how powerful a tool this can be” ("Closing Bell," CNBC, 11/9).
COME TOGETHER: YAHOO SPORTS' Pat Forde wrote he is "heartened by the players' willingness to get involved in a major campus issue." The players are "not just there to run, lift weights and smash into student-athletes from rival schools; they should be learning about the larger world, testing their belief systems and, occasionally, challenging authority" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/9). The AP's Ralph Russo notes the rise of the empowered college athletes "goes beyond race but there is no denying black athletes have been leading figures in some of the most significant recent examples." In addition to Colter trying to unionize players at NU, players two years ago at HBCU school Grambling State "refused to play a game against Jackson State because they were upset about the firing of a coach, long bus trips to games and poor facilities" (AP, 11/10).
SLIPPERY SLOPE? In Orlando, David Whitley writes under the header, "Missouri Drama Sets A Scary Precedent." He asks, "Do you really want your football team running your university?" Wolfe's "beheading merely confirmed what everybody knew," that football "runs the show." The difference here was players "decided to wield their power" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/10). CBSSPORTS.com's Dennis Dodd asked, "What's next? What if players somewhere -- anywhere -- want winter conditioning at 8 a.m. instead of 6 a.m.? You don't collectively bargain with a football coach. ... We'll let society sort out the nobility of any athlete protest in the future. The point is: it can succeed. It has succeeded" (CBSSPORTS.com, 11/9). VICE SPORTS' Kevin Trahan wrote when an individual athlete "takes on a single school or the NCAA as a whole, it's usually an uphill battle," and "a losing one." Trahan: "But every football player together? They can essentially control a university" (SPORTS.VICE.com, 11/9).
