Kirk Ferentz getting sued for being racist

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Interesting quote from Jordan Lomax (a former black player) in The Athletic today:

“I don’t want to discredit any stories. What I will say is that, to me personally, I feel like some of them have been sensationalized, and there is some ulterior motive behind it...I think there are players that are capitalizing on the moment. I don’t know if it’s to seek some monetary gain or what is behind it.”

Actually, that’s now Jordan Lomax and James Daniels (who started this entire movement) claiming that some of these stories are BS and/or sensationalized. We also have the former players on the Washed Up Walkons podcast claiming many of these stories are exaggerated or completely fabricated, and that multiple black players have reached out to them and thanked them for calling out some of the BS stories.

Of course, that won’t matter to any of you. You guys will continue to believe every statement that every player makes, no matter how ridiculous and obviously false it is, as long as it paints the Iowa program in a negative light.

No one is disputing that there were racial issues in the Iowa program. The program has taken steps to address those issues and will continue to take further action going forward. The current players, and many former players, seem to think that Kirk is the right person to lead those changes. That’s good enough for me.

The purpose of bringing up Lomax’s comments is to point out that most of the outlandish stories - the ones that many of you point to in support of your assertions that KF, BF, etc. need to be fired - are sensationalized or flat out fabricated.

This is such a ridiculous post, I don’t even know where to start.

Pointing out that someone is exaggerating a story, or that they are not telling the truth, is not an attempt to smear their character.

Further, I am not using the Washed Up Walkons podcast to prove anything. I am bringing them up because their statements corroborate and support the claims of James Daniels and Jordan Lomax.

Finally, it’s hilarious that you would accuse the Washed Up Walkon guys of having an agenda to push, yet you never once questioned the agenda of Robert T. Green or some of the former players who have come forward with outlandish or obviously false claims.

That is NOT what 'Lo said at all. You are outright spreading lies.

I never claimed that is what Lomax said.

What the **** are you claiming then?

 

[Brodie0]

Name one. I think you may equate "outlandish and obviously false" with something you don't agree with.

The Washed Up Walkon guys opinion is fine. Go ahead and give one. But they've made it apparent they are protect Kirk at all cost types, and I guess I'm not too concerned about the experience of a white player in a discussion about how black players were treated. To me, I don't need to know much more about their opinion when they try to dismiss what was obvious racism as "discipline" and "culture". Please. Because the Iowa Way worked well for you, doesn't mean it wasn't damaging.

And, like so many others, and I'll admit myself in that group, the Washed on Walkons have confirmation bias. We all want evidence that fits our perceptions. So they are going to latch on to anything that shows there wasn't a pervasive race issue, and to me that's the definition of an agenda.

Moral of the story is if you want to give the perception you're amenable to change, don't do what you're doing. Don't do what the Washed Up Walkons are doing. Don't try to discredit and disprove tiny details in the face of what is overwhelming evidence. It looks petty and it looks defensive. If anyone truly cared about the program moving forward they'd quit with this and listen for a change.

Name one? Like Akrum Wadley’s mom claiming that Kirk Ferentz is a racist and hates mixed race couples? Or Jonathon Parker claiming that Brian Ferentz, at a practice in front of the entire team and coaching staff, yelled “only a dumb*** black player would do it like that”?

False statements like the above make it more difficult to effect positive change. Are you seriously questioning why someone would care that people are making wild and baseless accusations?

 

[Statefan10]

I never claimed that is what Lomax said.

Lomax was critical of Kirk, but believed, like many others that Doyle was the main issue. Lomax, like others, believes Kirk deserves the opportunity for another shot. There are some that also believe Kirk does not deserve that opportunity.

With that being said, I'm sure everyone can understand those that may have been treated worse want more consequences for Kirk. No one should point to Lomax or Daniels as the reasons why Kirk should stay, while also diminishing other guys' statements. And that works both ways. All voices in this need to be heard. There are still voices out there that haven't be heard.

 

[kcbob79clone]

What should I do differently as a fan? The everyday fan didn't know all of this stuff before Daniels said something. Were we supporting a racist program when we didn't know anything about any of this?

Ignorance is no defense. Now that you know if you truly support the players you should be pushing for change. And wondering if a regime that has been in place for 20+ years and had players sit down with the staff approx 10 years ago with little or no changes. Had an internal investigation in 2018 with little or no changes, whether that staff should be in charge of the change when they have ignored it for so many years. Change is only happening because it came to the public view and wouldn't be done without the public scrutiny. Not much confidence in the existing regime can lead the change, do you?

 

[Statefan10]

Ignorance is no defense. Now that you know if you truly support the players you should be pushing for change. And wondering if a regime that has been in place for 20+ years and had players sit down with the staff approx 10 years ago with little or no changes. Had an internal investigation in 2018 with little or no changes, whether that staff should be in charge of the change when they have ignored it for so many years. Change is only happening because it came to the public view and wouldn't be done without the public scrutiny. Not much confidence in the existing regime can lead the change, do you?

I don't support everything that Gitwitit has said here, but he's mentioned numerous times he thinks the best way for change to really happen in the Iowa Football program would be to get rid of Kirk.

 

[qwerty]

You mean these washed up walk ons?
Drake Kulick: white player from state of Iowa
Tyler Kluver: white player from state of Iowa
Kevin Ward: white player from suburban Chicago

I am sure they had the exact same experiences in the football facilities as the black players from across the country

 

[Clonefan32]

Name one? Like Akrum Wadley’s mom claiming that Kirk Ferentz is a racist and hates mixed race couples? Or Jonathon Parker claiming that Brian Ferentz, at a practice in front of the entire team and coaching staff, yelled “only a dumb*** black player would do it like that”?

False statements like the above make it more difficult to effect positive change. Are you seriously questioning why someone would care that people are making wild and baseless accusations?

So...what of this has been proven false? Any of it? Again, it sure seems like "false" means "I don't agree with" in your mind.

Here's a little exercise you can try. Take a piece of paper, and drawn a line down the middle. Label the left side "Honest" and label the right side "Liar". Go through everyone you can think of who has voiced an opinion regarding this issue. I would venture to guess everyone on the left side has been positive towards Kirk, and everyone on the right side has shed him in a negative light. Should tell you everything you need to know.

For the record, I don't think Lomax or Daniels or Kluver are lying. I just struggle with the idea of taking what they say as proof positive this didn't exist, or wasn't as bad as other people said it was. You're talking about dozens of people with different experiences. Ok, so Lomax, Daniels, Kluver, et al didn't experience the same thing, what's that have to do with what the others experienced?

 

[kcbob79clone]

I don't support everything that Gitwitit has said here, but he's mentioned numerous times he thinks the best way for change to really happen in the Iowa Football program would be to get rid of Kirk.

I do remember that but wonder if he believes that why is he here and not on all of the HoKKKs forums trying to change minds there.

 

[Crookedhatkid]

I still haven’t once heard a good answer to why anyone should believe that Kirk is the right person to lead a change in culture. In both Lomax and Daniels statements of support for Ferentz neither addressed the fact that he had been presented with the fact that their was a discriminatory culture before Daniels was forced to come out on Twitter to initiate actual change.

 

[Gitwitit]

Ignorance is no defense. Now that you know if you truly support the players you should be pushing for change. And wondering if a regime that has been in place for 20+ years and had players sit down with the staff approx 10 years ago with little or no changes. Had an internal investigation in 2018 with little or no changes, whether that staff should be in charge of the change when they have ignored it for so many years. Change is only happening because it came to the public view and wouldn't be done without the public scrutiny. Not much confidence in the existing regime can lead the change, do you?

Do you think the current players are just not going to speak out honestly for fear of retaliation? The players that have spoken out have said they are seeing positive changes already. I guess IMO if they were not seeing any change someone would have transferred by now. There are plenty of guys that would have plenty of transfer options available. I'm fine with KF and BF being forced out but if they are not I will continue to support the players. I have no power to make any sort of push for change.

 

[BCClone]

Brodie0 thinks ESPN is controlled by Cyclones. As is CBSSports, USA Today, Bleacher Reports, HawkeyeNation, Globe Gazzette, Football Scoop, etc.

No self-respecting cyclone would EVER claim control of the globe gazette. That is one awful newspaper.

 

[Gitwitit]

I do remember that but wonder if he believes that why is he here and not on all of the HoKKKs forums trying to change minds there.

I'm on HR and there are plenty of posters there saying that it would be best if KF just retired.

 

[JP4CY]

Do you think the current players are just not going to speak out honestly for fear of retaliation? The players that have spoken out have said they are seeing positive changes already. I guess IMO if they were not seeing any change someone would have transferred by now. There are plenty of guys that would have plenty of transfer options available. I'm fine with KF and BF being forced out but if they are not I will continue to support the players. I have no power to make any sort of push for change.

I think it's really too soon to know what changes have been made and their effectiveness. Right now we don't even know if Brian should be coaching there for example..

 

[Statefan10]

I do remember that but wonder if he believes that why is he here and not on all of the HoKKKs forums trying to change minds there.

There is absolutely no way he'd be able to change their minds. No amount of evidence coming out would justify firing Kirk. Even if all of this were true.. every single story. Even DJK and Wadley's were true. Most of those fans would still hold their same opinion. That's just the way it is.

 

[Clonefan32]

No...Do you think the entire athletic dept is racist?

I think that's such a lazy question. Do I think Kirk hates black people? No. Do I think he's out attending KKK rallies in his free time? No. So a racist by it's typical definition, no, I don't think he is.

But that's such a lazy line to draw. He was well aware that there were issues of racism and racial disparity in his program and chose to do nothing about it. To me, that's a big, big issue and it's a form of racism. On the same level as what I mentioned above? No. Damaging? Yes.

 

[Statefan10]

I think it's really too soon to know what changes have been made and their effectiveness. Right now we don't even know if Brian should be coaching there for example..

If you had to be publicly shamed for the entire nation to see in order to get meaningful change done, I'm not sure you should be the leader in creating that change.

 

[JP4CY]

If you had to be publicly shamed for the entire nation to see in order to get meaningful change done, I'm not sure you should be the leader in creating that change.

And then who is the final decision maker? Barta? Yikes.

 

[BCClone]

Citing the guys from Washed Up Walkons as authorities for race relations. Are you listening to yourselves?

Who are they?

 

[cyclone4L]

No...Do you think the entire athletic dept is racist?

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Do you think the current players are just not going to speak out honestly for fear of retaliation? The players that have spoken out have said they are seeing positive changes already. I guess IMO if they were not seeing any change someone would have transferred by now. There are plenty of guys that would have plenty of transfer options available. I'm fine with KF and BF being forced out but if they are not I will continue to support the players. I have no power to make any sort of push for change.

I mean after a long weekend we were already hearing how close the team was and that the world needed to be put on notice. In reality yeah I'm sure there are still a lot of players that are afraid to speak out because they know Iowa is trying to sweep this under the rug and they don't want to burn any bridges.