Someone Needs To Be Removed From Unt

UNTflyer · November 8, 2007

SAN ANTONIO -- As I was sorting through the daily emails on Monday, something that I do just about every day, I came across an interesting e-mail from an associate who always has an opinion about the sports coverage up in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. This particular e-mail that I received entitled “Local media declares Coach Todd Dodge 'not guilty' of 'racism'” had some points that the writer wanted to get out on why the local media up there was so quick to say that the University Of North Texas football staff was very inclusive and was not discriminating against any of its black football players.

I wrote him back with the following questions and/or statements: “Should it surprise us that a black athlete who got benched may all of a sudden say he is being discriminated against? Here's a question....how many players at North Texas are African American on the football team? Maybe the new standard should be before anyone plays the race card, we do a diversity check on the roster and see if there is a legitimate claim.”

In case you don’t know what the topic of discussion is here this week, it is about a UNT football player who got disciplined by new head coach Todd Dodge. Dominique Green, a defensive back who is African American, made claims that Dodge discriminates against black players and has filed a complaint with the Texas NAACP and his local chapter near Denton. Green’s co-witnesses to his allegations are Desmon Chatman and Gary Oubre. Green’s complaint stems from a sideline altercation in which he has been indefinitely suspended.

"I am suspended indefinitely for saying, 'We are from the hood,' on the sideline," Green said. "[uNT wide receivers coach] Clayton George charged up to me on the sideline and said we didn't need that. I asked him what was wrong and he said we didn't need to say that, so I asked him what was wrong with saying that we are from the hood."

If this sounds like it is much ado about nothing, that very well could be. For all we know, all we have here is a football player who decided to act ignorant on the sideline and when corrected by a coach, he decided he was going to challenge authority.

Any other time this type of story wouldn’t get a sniff at being something major but because Green has essentially said that he was discriminated against for saying a very ignorant phrase during a time when his teammates were in the midst of losing to Middle Tennessee, it does becomes news.

But let’s look at this situation for a moment and let’s ponder both sides of it. Let us take Mr. Green’s side of the coin and say that maybe he was correct in his allegations. If Green has the evidence to support his claims and if Mr. Oubre and Mr. Chatman are credible and can bolster the claim, then Dodge, who was an assistant coach in the 1990s at UNT, would be in deep water and the university has every right to discipline him, his staff or any individuals associated with the program for the remarks.

If that means that people lose their jobs, then so be it; it is the price you pay for being racist at a time when race diversity is still something this country struggles with. If Green’s claim has merit, then racism shouldn’t be tolerated at UNT and the appropriate actions need to be made; with or without the intervention of the NAACP.

However, let’s flip the coin and let’s say that Green’s comments are bogus; his allegations have no merit. Then what? If this should turn out to be the reality of the situation then a very harsh punishment needs to come to Mr. Green and if that means that he is indefinitely suspended from the football team not for his comments that originally brought the suspension but from making false allegations towards his head coach, then that should be his punishment.

If that means he has to forfeit his scholarship at UNT, oh well. If that means that the school’s president deems it necessary to dismiss him from the campus on those grounds, so be it. If that means that a harsh punishment comes to Mr. Chatman and Mr. Oubre for conspiring with Mr. Green on these allegations that have proven to be false, then justice must be served.

Just like in the previous example, racism of any sort or magnitude should not be tolerated and that includes “reverse racism” in which someone falsely accuses another of being racist and does not have the evidence to back up the claim.

Dominique Green's allegations are serious in nature and they must be taken as such until a complete investigation gives us unbiased results. As stated above, if Green’s allegations turn out to have merit, then the appropriate action, no matter how serious the punishment may be for Todd Dodge and his staff may be, must be taken in a swift and decisive manner.

However if Green’s allegations are bogus and the evidence points to a football player who didn’t like how he was treated for being insubordinate two weeks ago, then Green needs to face some serious consequences of his own. As stated here as well, if that means that he is booted off campus and loses his privilege of being on a Division I-A football team, oh well. If the stigma that follows him is one who is like the boy who cried wolf and he doesn’t get an opportunity to further himself educationally, then that may be a price he has to pay as well.

Something of a serious nature must be done to help Dodge or whoever is the falsely accused individual may be so that that person’s reputation in society is restored or rebuilt somehow.

False accusations are what destroys well meaning individuals and sometimes the harm done is so devastating that the falsely accused never recovers. The person who accused that individual out of malice must be punished some how and in some fashion.

As many readers know, I have no problems calling a spade a spade on this issue and I’ve built my reputation on a national level being one to discuss this issue as open and as frank as one can get. This particular story is no different. As I’ve stated, I believe in fairness for tall of those involved and that sometimes means having a harsh judgment brought down upon you.

Whoever the guilty party is in this case, a swift and harsh judgment needs to be rendered by the UNT powers that be. If Dodge is guilty of discriminating against Green and others, then he needs to be removed as the head coach of the football program and suffer whatever fate may await him down the road.

If Green is guilty of making false allegations against Dodd and his staff, then Gren needs to be removed from the football team on a permanent basis because he will forever taint the locker room and the chemistry of the team and face the fate that may await him as well.

Either way somebody has to be gone off of this team and away from the UNT campus.

http://www.blackathlete.net/artman2/publis..._From_UNT.shtml

RETSO · November 8, 2007

Bye Bye Green.

Dont let the door hit you where the good lord split you!

MeanGreengdub · November 8, 2007

Bye Bye Green.
Dont let the door hit you where the good lord split you!

Saw Green at the basketball game the other night, had to bite my tounge, I really wanted to say something.

H-towngreen · November 8, 2007

I too am one who certainly hopes that Green is gone for good.

UNTLifer · November 8, 2007

I understand your feelings towards Green, but something tells me that Coach Dodge is the type of person to forgive and offer a second chance should Green adhere to a strict set of rules. I just feel that Dodge would like to see Green become a better person in the long run and not throw him out over this issue. Then again, I have been wrong before.............once.

mrsgreengoblin · November 8, 2007

I understand your feelings towards Green, but something tells me that Coach Dodge is the type of person to forgive and offer a second chance should Green adhere to a strict set of rules. I just feel that Dodge would like to see Green become a better person in the long run and not throw him out over this issue. Then again, I have been wrong before.............once.

Wasn't Green already on a second chance though? How many chances should one person get?

GreenMachine · November 8, 2007

Wasn't Green already on a second chance though? How many chances should one person get?

Depends, are you a democrat or republican? Depending on that answer, the answer could be anywhere from 2 to infiniti.

foutsrouts · November 8, 2007

Guys like Green are usually wise to bite the bullet and sign up for a stint in the military. He'd likely learn some basic manners there and would probably be a lot better off in the long run. Maybe he'll attend the game this Saturday and be lucky enough to make some contacts on the other sideline.

Censored by Laurie · November 8, 2007

Depends, are you a democrat or republican? Depending on that answer, the answer could be anywhere from 2 to infiniti.

What an odd answer to a seemingly straight forward question

risinggreen · November 8, 2007

Guys like Green are usually wise to bite the bullet and sign up for a stint in the military. He'd likely learn some basic manners there and would probably be a lot better off in the long run. Maybe he'll attend the game this Saturday and be lucky enough to make some contacts on the other sideline.

Yeah, I probably would of grown up a bit more when I was in my twenties if I had made that decision myself. I hear the military is pretty good at ramming a little discipline down your throat when necessary.

meangreendork · November 8, 2007

What an odd answer to a seemingly straight forward question

What an odd [POLITICAL LANDMINE] to a seemingly straightforward question. Anyways, if this's a discipline thing, then I would say that Green should be cut. Even if the episode at the game and at the practice were all that happened before the accusations, I'd consider the accusations to be a serious misstep in behavior and send him away.

Smitty · November 8, 2007

Then again, I have been wrong before.............once.

Another illusion destroyed. First it was the Easter Bunny (he's doing 12 to 15 for bank robbery after a failed hip-hop career), then Santa (he's actually...French), and now this.

trud1966 · November 8, 2007

Last week when this was all opening up, I basically said this same thing as this article, and a couple of people slapped me for it. I still say, for Green to make a statement/accusation like that, is grounds for dismissal from the University. One post said that was unrealistic because ( and I cant remember who said it) a charge of racism in reality can't be "proven false".......WTF? Why? because someone can secretely be a racist and just lie about it? Last time I checked, you dont have to be proven false in this country. Youre innocent until proven guilty. An accusation was made AGAINST Dodge. It's not Dodge's responsibility to defend himself The burden of proof falls on Mr. Green, which we all know doesnt have anything. Anyway I'm off on a tangent.

My point is this. Will UNT dismiss him? I doubt it. Should they? I think it's well within their rights. To make a statement/accusation or "label" them if you will, and NOT have to evidence to back it up is inexcusable. To me, the very label of "racist" (IF UNTRUE IN DODGES CASE) is no better than somone walking on campus and pointing at black student and calling them the N-word. Would the Univserity allow a student to do that? I realize the obvious difference being that NOBODY is the "N-word", but in reality there are Racists out there. But an untrue accusation like that has caused an uproar at UNT and could have done some very serious damage to Dodge's credibility and reputation. It really doesnt have anything to do with UNT, it's a personal attack. Green could have chosen to go the AD or higher and said he didnt feel he was being treated fairly, and pleaded his case. But instead, he chose the play the race card and intentionally damage a man's life, for lack of a better reason than to draw attention to himself.

Im sure somewhere in a student handbook at UNT there is a section on codes of ethics and what is expected from students. We dont need a student like that.

I say let him look for an education elsewhere.

NT80 · November 8, 2007

Last week when this was all opening up, I basically said this same thing as this article, and a couple of people slapped me for it. I still say, for Green to make a statement/accusation like that, is grounds for dismissal from the University. One post said that was unrealistic because ( and I cant remember who said it) a charge of racism in reality can't be "proven false".......WTF? Why? because someone can secretely be a racist and just lie about it? Last time I checked, you dont have to be proven false in this country. Youre innocent until proven guilty. An accusation was made AGAINST Dodge. It's not Dodge's responsibility to defend himself The burden of proof falls on Mr. Green, which we all know doesnt have anything. Anyway I'm off on a tangent.
My point is this. Will UNT dismiss him? I doubt it. Should they? I think it's well within their rights. To make a statement/accusation or "label" them if you will, and NOT have to evidence to back it up is inexcusable. To me, the very label of "racist" (IF UNTRUE IN DODGES CASE) is no better than somone walking on campus and pointing at black student and calling them the N-word. Would the Univserity allow a student to do that? I realize the obvious difference being that NOBODY is the "N-word", but in reality there are Racists out there. But an untrue accusation like that has caused an uproar at UNT and could have done some very serious damage to Dodge's credibility and reputation. It really doesnt have anything to do with UNT, it's a personal attack. Green could have chosen to go the AD or higher and said he didnt feel he was being treated fairly, and pleaded his case. But instead, he chose the play the race card and intentionally damage a man's life, for lack of a better reason than to draw attention to himself.
Im sure somewhere in a student handbook at UNT there is a section on codes of ethics and what is expected from students. We dont need a student like that.
I say let him look for an education elsewhere.

As an athletic donor, I have serious reservations about paying for his education if he remains on ship from UNT. Much damage has been done to the rep of the coaches and football program. He should at a minimum be dismissed from UNT and certainly not remain on paid education!

H-towngreen · November 8, 2007

I highly doubt that he would be on ship past this year. I would like to see him kicked out but I know thats unlikely. I have no problem with him staying in school on his own dime. The only way he would stay on with a ship is if for some reason TD lets him back. Which I highly doubt.