Posted on 09/04/2023 10:28:05 AM PDT by DFG
The University of Central Florida had to apologize for a social media post deemed insensitive during the team’s 56-6 blowout win in its season opener against Kent State on Thursday.
The post featured UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee on the phone on the sidelines at FBC Mortgage Stadium, captioned, “Somebody call the National Guard.”
While the post was supposed to reference a famous Shannon Sharpe moment in which he pretended to use the sideline phone to speak to the President to call the National Guard during a 1996 Broncos game against the Patriots, it instead reminded people about a tragic Kent State moment more than 50 years ago.
In 1970, the National Guard was deployed to Kent State’s campus because of students protesting the Vietnam War, and troops fired into the crowd, killing four students and injuring nine others, causing a nationwide student strike.
“An unfortunate post was made with the intention to reference the famous Shannon Sharpe sideline clip of him on the phone from a 1996 game against the New England Patriots,” UCF said in a statement to USA Today.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I laughed.
And then I cried, when I realized just how much better UCF is at football than we are.
I don’t remember the Shannon Sharpe moment, but sure do remember 1970 Kent State. That’s what came first to mind.
I saw the Shannon Sharpe rant real time, and I’m a Pats fan. Even so, I thought it was hilarious.
But, when you toss Kent State into the mix, it’s not funny.
who put that post up online? Maybe some youngster, who wasn’t even alive at the time of the Kent State shootings?
I often wonder if the National revulsion against the Kent State shooting was a turning point in the downfall of America.
We as a country became aghast at what happened there and what happened in cities like Chicago, Washington DC and other hot spots in the 60’s and 70’s.
And now - as a result - we actively permit and accept terrorism in cities like Kenosha, Portland and Minneapolis.
Maybe a return to a Kent State mindset would actually save lives, billions of dollars, and return some sanity to a disunited States of America.
Same here and the photo that went along with it.
The Reds were rampaging through the town burning. Not enough were shot.
The Guard fired into a crowd that was aggressively engaging them.
Some might even call it “attacking the Guard”.
“Do stupid things, win stupid prizes”
I do not understand UFs inability to attract a quality coach.
Jeffrey Miller (shown) was 270 feet away from the guardsmen. The other three dead were between 330 to 390 feet away. At least one person was just walking between buildings and was not involved in the protests.
The SDS leaders that fomented the real rioting and burning of the old ROTC building were gone by the time of the shooting iirc.
Okay, thanks! First time I’ve seen that.
Same for me. Turbulent times.
Probably, but today’s kids aren’t even taught what July 4, 1776 celebrates, and that’s because their teacher’s weren’t taught either. It’s just some random date to memorize for a test just so you can graduate high school.
History lessons are so 20th century.
I remember those years. Like the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots in Chicago.
The SDS, Students for a Democratic Society, were at that as well.
SF writer Larry Niven coined a motto:
“Never throw s**t at an armed man”.
Words to live by.
Looking forward to November
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