Two days after ending the boycott of all football activities, a dozen Univ. of Minnesota football players yesterday spoke with the media, "reflecting on decisions they made with little regrets," according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. The players indicated that they "shed national light on what they see as a lack of fairness in university investigations such as the sexual assault case that erupted last week." UM LB Nick Rallis: "If people wonder, ‘Now that you’ve stopped boycotting, do you regret it?’ Absolutely not. The boycott has been successful. It brought national awareness to not only the situation we have on our hands, but a flaw in the system with a lack of due process." Christensen notes the boycott also "brought widespread criticism from those who viewed their stance as tone-deaf toward sexual violence." Rallis: "The most important thing is, this was not a stance about sexual misconduct. It’s not our place to say whether they committed misconduct, and those found responsible will be held accountable" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/20). In Minneapolis, Chip Scoggins writes he is "not sure" how Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys can "survive past the Holiday Bowl." UM AD Mark Coyle and President Eric Kaler "must decide, if they haven't already," whether UM football can "win back support and trust with Claeys in charge" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/20).
