Pac-12 has always been the conference of tolerance and equality, the time is now to capitalize

[buffaholic]

Hotline newsletter: Pac-12’s history of social tolerance provides an opportunity to separate itself from Power Five peers

The conference of Jackie Robinson and Arthur Ashe has a moment in time with Black Lives Matters to distinguish itself from competitors that cannot stake a similar claim to tolerance.

www.mercurynews.com

Jon Wilner article above.

Could this be an opportunity for the conference to rise above its peers, to establish itself as the destination for recruits seeking campuses where the ethos most closely matches their own?

 

[InTheBuff]

Nice 'warm & fuzzy' article. Yes, the PAC 12 is doing a lot of things right but when all is said and done I don't see this turning athletes away from the SEC or Big 10 or 12.

 

[4thGenBuff]

“No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come”

― Victor Hugo

To be honest I think the only way CU ends up getting back to the highest tiers of football is to take up the lead on an idea. Granted I used to think that the idea would be something like the Air Raid or Spread Offense etc but a social issue might be even more powerful.

 

[buffaholic]

Nice 'warm & fuzzy' article. Yes, the PAC 12 is doing a lot of things right but when all is said and done I don't see this turning athletes away from the SEC or Big 10 or 12.

I'd like to think that THIS TIME, there is a wake up call that is different. I know I'm different.

You want change in Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Florida? Quit lining their coffers and giving those big fat white boys in the stands something to be all proud of, until they start mandating that racism ends in their states. Start actually working to change things.

And I wouldn't include the Big10 amongst the worse offenders (SEC, Big12, and ACC would be a little higher up for me).

Would it be a great recruiting metric? Which schools are the most racist? I've got some experience with some of the big money in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. They love their CFB, NASCAR, and White privilege, in no particular order. You need to hit these racists where it hurts. Their pocket-books and their great pride in the things they love.

 

[hokiehead]

thanks for posting this and starting the thread. Wilner is raising an interesting topic.

but, I'm struggling to see how the Pac could use this outside of recruiting pitches. I think @buffaholic summed up how that could be managed.

I don't see how "check out our history of inclusiveness, we didn't just jump on the Black Lives bandwagon.." is going to be a viable marketing strategy, but marketing is definitely not my area. Maybe the best opening is a social media campaign getting key influences to routinely publish statistics like those Wilner rattled off.

I do agree with him that the time is now. If there is an opportunity here, it needs to be grabbed before the Southern schools can counter with "check out these recent changes we've made.... we're actually now ahead of the west coast when it comes to inclusiveness".

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

A small percentage of 15-17 year old blue chip black athletes may have pause with going to an SEC program because of this, but it's the parents that have to be willing to steer their kids toward more progressive and inclusive areas of the country for this to ever matter.

 

[Buffnik]

If this can help reduce the talent drain from the PAC-12 footprint, it would be a major help. That's where I'd be focusing this message - that the grass is not greener and leaving would be walking into an uncomfortable culture.

 

[dwyermj]

I think it's just something you use in recruiting pitches. It may hit home now more than ever although kids love winning. 5 out of the 11 black power 5 coaches are in the PAC, 4 in the big10, and 2 in between the SEC, Big 12, and ACC. I think you can make a pretty good argument that the parts of the world we play in are just more inclusive based on that alone. I just don't know if that is going to be enough to sway someone to not play football in the SEC.

 

[manhattanbuff]

If the P12 membership can talk about its (mostly) progressive University cultures as a reason why black athletes should matriculate there, it’s a good thing. Ultimately, it’s still an uphill battle for most athletes who are often playing in the south because that’s close to their hometowns. @Buffnik is right that this may best work to keep talented players from the west in the P12.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

If this can help reduce the talent drain from the PAC-12 footprint, it would be a major help. That's where I'd be focusing this message - that the grass is not greener and leaving would be walking into an uncomfortable culture.

Do you think a kid raised in CA going to Alabama, Florida, or Georgia (the states) is as big of a culture shock as a kid from Georgia, Florida or Alabama coming to CA?

 

[hokiehead]

.... I think you can make a pretty good argument that the parts of the world we play in are just more inclusive based on that alone....

this triggered a thought.

all this makes sense, until you look at the actual demographics of the Pac 12 region. CA ranks highest of all Pac 12 states in terms of "% of the population that is black" and they're 31st. CO is next at 36. Oregon and Utah are among the whitest states in the nation.

what I'm getting at is, the Pac's claim to inclusiveness is somewhat undermined by the (literal) lack of inclusion of blacks in the area.

wiki link (I was surprised New Hampshire is so low on that list -- most of the population of New Hampshire is essentially in the "Boston suburbs" yet Utah has a higher percentage of blacks).

 

[Buffnik]

Do you think a kid raised in CA going to Alabama, Florida, or Georgia (the states) is as big of a culture shock as a kid from Georgia, Florida or Alabama coming to CA?

Yes. Why wouldn't it be? "Different" doesn't change by degree based on which direction you travel.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Yes. Why wouldn't it be? "Different" doesn't change by degree based on which direction you travel.

I said "as big", not different. I'm just curious about which might be the bigger culture shock

 

[Buffnik]

I said "as big", not different. I'm just curious about which might be the bigger culture shock

I don't get your point. Why would it be more shocking to go from CA to AL (or vice versa)? The amount of difference to adapt to would be the same regardless of the direction.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I don't get your point. Why would it be more shocking to go from CA to AL (or vice versa)? The amount of difference to adapt to would be the same regardless of the direction.

I think growing up around progressiveness and tolerance would make it harder to go to a place with overt racism than the other way around.

 

[Buffnik]

I think growing up around progressiveness and tolerance would make it harder to go to a place with overt racism than the other way around.

And growing up in a place where your community is always well represented and sometimes the majority would be hard to leave for a place where the number of folks from your community is so small you're often the only person of color in the restaurant or grocery store you visit, the party you go to, etc.

Mostly, the culture shock is from being in a situation that is a lot different than what a person is used to and has the lay of the land to feel comfortable in how to behave, who to trust, etc.

Equally hard switching cultures either direction in a general sense. Individuals will vary with what direction they find easier to adapt to, but as a general thing I'd assume equally challenging & rewarding for each direction. Right now, I think that with more spotlight & value on AA equality issues there is probably a bit to sell that's weighted in the P12's favor compared to a year ago.