Meanwhile, during halftime, at Purple Kansas....
- Thread starter cyinne
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For all we know, the KU marching band did something similar Saturday, but none of the six people in the crowd took a picture of it.
He** to pay now, even the band director's wife is involved:
From Geralyn Tracz:
Please share the statement below with as many people as you can:
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
As I watch my husband remain silent at the request of administration as his fate is decided, I feel I am under no such compulsion to do so. As Winston Churchill once said "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."
The truth of the current Internet firestorm my family is facing is that my husband and the K-State Marching Band have done NOTHING wrong.
The decisions being made today stem from a complaint of unsportsmanlike conduct filed by the University of Kansas with the Big 12 Commission. To avoid the possibility of more severe sanctions, K-State is deciding how to best “handle” the situation. This situation spiraled out of control when a perceived obscene formation from last Saturday’s halftime was tweeted out to the awaiting Internet mob! Since then, my husband has received emails stating that they are trying to get his name added to the list of sexual predators as well as threats if he shows his face in Lawrence. This, all from the image of a Jayhawk fighting the Starship Enterprise in what I hope people understand was a fictional battle in space.
My husband has also received hundreds of emails and tweets of support from around the country. I have watched him try and fail to control his emotions while reading all of the heartfelt words telling him the difference he has made in their lives and expressing gratitude. He has dedicated his life to education and teaching students how to be the best they can be. Not just on the field or in the classroom, but in life. The K-State Band under his leadership has garnered a nationwide reputation of excellence on and off the field. Wherever they have traveled, bowl games to concerts, officials have written letters to our athletics and admin to say how impressed they were with our student’s respectful behavior and how well they represented K-State. To think he would put something inappropriate in a halftime performance is beyond reason.
While the Big 12 and administrators at both universities spend time debating this issue, I am struck by the absolute absurdity in the context of college football. This is a sport driven by rivalry, passionate fans, and TV revenue. Broadcasts of national rivals make for big ratings and big money. TV and sports shows thrive on it. We watch our schools mascot taunt the opposing mascot and fans. We buy T-shirts with every manner of printed slander against the opposing team. Other bands have depicted the demise of the rival school’s flag and K-State itself had Willie the Wildcat pummel someone dressed as a fan of the other team at every pre-game to the delight of the crowd until it caused physical harm and was prohibited. I have also watched time and time again as athletes break the law and never even miss a practice. And yet - here we are. The reputation of a man and this wonderful organization, who have done nothing but given their time and devotion to the university they love, will be forever tarnished by the image of a jayhawk on the football field. And a CUTE image at that!
I am appealing to all marching band members, high school and college, as well as football fans and community leaders, to express your support IN A RESPECTFUL WAY to administrators at Kansas State and University of Kansas, as well as the Big 12 commissioner. At some point, common sense has to rule and say enough is enough. The Internet can cause so much damage but it can also be a powerful tool. Time to use it for good. (I would have a link to all involved but I’m sure you Internet savvy people can find the info.) Thank you to everyone for your wonderful support and your words of encouragement to our entire family.
Geralyn Tracz – proud wife of Dr. Frank Tracz
From Geralyn Tracz:
Please share the statement below with as many people as you can:
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
As I watch my husband remain silent at the request of administration as his fate is decided, I feel I am under no such compulsion to do so. As Winston Churchill once said "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."
The truth of the current Internet firestorm my family is facing is that my husband and the K-State Marching Band have done NOTHING wrong.
The decisions being made today stem from a complaint of unsportsmanlike conduct filed by the University of Kansas with the Big 12 Commission. To avoid the possibility of more severe sanctions, K-State is deciding how to best “handle” the situation. This situation spiraled out of control when a perceived obscene formation from last Saturday’s halftime was tweeted out to the awaiting Internet mob! Since then, my husband has received emails stating that they are trying to get his name added to the list of sexual predators as well as threats if he shows his face in Lawrence. This, all from the image of a Jayhawk fighting the Starship Enterprise in what I hope people understand was a fictional battle in space.
My husband has also received hundreds of emails and tweets of support from around the country. I have watched him try and fail to control his emotions while reading all of the heartfelt words telling him the difference he has made in their lives and expressing gratitude. He has dedicated his life to education and teaching students how to be the best they can be. Not just on the field or in the classroom, but in life. The K-State Band under his leadership has garnered a nationwide reputation of excellence on and off the field. Wherever they have traveled, bowl games to concerts, officials have written letters to our athletics and admin to say how impressed they were with our student’s respectful behavior and how well they represented K-State. To think he would put something inappropriate in a halftime performance is beyond reason.
While the Big 12 and administrators at both universities spend time debating this issue, I am struck by the absolute absurdity in the context of college football. This is a sport driven by rivalry, passionate fans, and TV revenue. Broadcasts of national rivals make for big ratings and big money. TV and sports shows thrive on it. We watch our schools mascot taunt the opposing mascot and fans. We buy T-shirts with every manner of printed slander against the opposing team. Other bands have depicted the demise of the rival school’s flag and K-State itself had Willie the Wildcat pummel someone dressed as a fan of the other team at every pre-game to the delight of the crowd until it caused physical harm and was prohibited. I have also watched time and time again as athletes break the law and never even miss a practice. And yet - here we are. The reputation of a man and this wonderful organization, who have done nothing but given their time and devotion to the university they love, will be forever tarnished by the image of a jayhawk on the football field. And a CUTE image at that!
I am appealing to all marching band members, high school and college, as well as football fans and community leaders, to express your support IN A RESPECTFUL WAY to administrators at Kansas State and University of Kansas, as well as the Big 12 commissioner. At some point, common sense has to rule and say enough is enough. The Internet can cause so much damage but it can also be a powerful tool. Time to use it for good. (I would have a link to all involved but I’m sure you Internet savvy people can find the info.) Thank you to everyone for your wonderful support and your words of encouragement to our entire family.
Geralyn Tracz – proud wife of Dr. Frank Tracz
Jeff Morris, the Vice President for Communications and Marketing for KSU, told KMAN after the post gained steam that the complaint of unsportsmanlike conduct was not filed by KU and is strictly coming from the Big 12. - See more at: http://1350kman.com/k-state-announc...lowing-band-performance/#sthash.ReA3YCFt.dpuf
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Didn't the Big 12 also announce a fine of $5,000 and that all further KSU band routines had to be reviewed before being used at any halftime?
All penalties were imposed on themselves by Kansas State. It was in reaction to the Big 12's warnings of violations. "Kansas State will pay a $5,000 fine and its marching band will perform without its director later this season as part of SELF-IMPOSED sanctions following a routine that turned into a widespread social-media meme over the weekend. The SCHOOL also said Tuesday it would require approval of all future halftime shows after the Big 12 WARNED of POTENTIAL sportsmanship and ethical conduct violations."
Only in the eyes of circle jerking youngsters who seldom have thoughts north of their belt buckle, and, of course, victim-card-laying squawks.
https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/641292845568032768
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How does the Big 12 learn about potential issues? It's not like Bob Bowlsby sits around watching Buzzfeed and Twitter all day to spot sportsmanship issues from Big 12 schools. Somebody has to file a complaint. KU filed a complaint for something so minor as using an opposing team's flag for a little rivalry fun.
You're joking, right? A) This was reported in a large number of standard media sources and B) if you don't think that the Big 12 is active in social media to both release information and to monitor news about their members then you are completely oblivious. I can 100% guarantee that the Big 12 (and every other conference) has an employee whose entire job is monitoring social media for information that affects them and their members.
