Changes made on Campus but the Eyes of Texas stays

Discussion in 'West Mall' started by PecosBill, Jul 13, 2020.

  1. PecosBill

    PecosBill 1,000+ Posts

  2. PecosBill

    PecosBill 1,000+ Posts

  3. dukesteer

    dukesteer 5,000+ Posts

    Quick first pass: UT didn’t cave... I need to examine more deeply...

    Appears to have been handled very adroitly.
     
    • Agree Agree x 4
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
  4. 2003TexasGrad

    2003TexasGrad Son of a Motherless Goat

    I hope everyone is happy. Yay.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  5. SouthBayHorn

    SouthBayHorn 25+ Posts

    Agreed.

    Good thing there are no Lebanese-Americans on the two-deep. :smile1:
     
    • Funny Funny x 2
  6. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    I like it. Statue of Whittier - deserved. Statue of Herman Sweatt outside Painter Hall - not football related but also deserved.

    Renaming the field for Ricky and Earl (stupid-*** voters, should have been Ricky, Earl, and Vince) instead of Joe Jamail? Great idea in my book. Nothing against Joe Jamail but I'd rather have stuff named after guys who were actually part of the program. Joe still gets his statue. And it sounds like his family approved the name change and said it was something Joe himself would have been on board with.

    Keeping the Eyes? Excellent. I always loved the jumbotron segments where the players of the past watching the current team were portrayed as being the embodiment of "The Eyes of Texas". "My name is Butch Hadnot [or whoever] and the Eyes of Texas (as the camera match cuts from the UT logo to Bevo's face to the player's own eyes) are upon YOU!" Guys like Whitter and Rene Ramirez who overcame racism, Freddie Steinmark who overcame cancer, etc, their eyes are upon us to see what we do with the legacy they left us.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. Orangeyman

    Orangeyman 100+ Posts

    For me, the players better not delay or complain about ANYTHING to do with this response. For me, this whole episode won’t soon be forgotten in the way it was handled by the players. Yes, I understand they are young. However, having players issue an ultimatum at this point in our history creates a razor thin margin for me to NEVER have anything to do with this team ever again. And, that is saying something being a fourth generation alum. I am also even more disappointed in Tom Herman. Although, I shouldn’t have been surprised give his sophomoric antics.
     
    • Agree Agree x 5
    • Dislike Dislike x 2
  8. IvanDiabloHorn

    IvanDiabloHorn 1,000+ Posts

    Extremely poor response. I, along with a whole bunch of others, will no longer send donations in any manner to UT. School of business( I graduated before Red gave his $), Law school, athletics and scholarships. Gone. The present administration does not deserve another cent from the folks they just spit on.
     
    • Dislike Dislike x 2
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  9. dukesteer

    dukesteer 5,000+ Posts

    IDH, please explain...and I’m not being argumentative. I just want to understand your perspective.

    I will say this. The loser in this whole episode might be Tom Herman. I don’t think anyone likes the way he handled the situation. Not a guy anyone can trust.
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Agree Agree x 3
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  10. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Do you even Mensa, Bro?

    :fiestanana:
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
  11. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    I'm not understanding the "they didn't cave" response. Renaming buildings, having multiple statues built and placed on campus, renaming the football field (I don't believe it was a random offer by the family, I'm betting more like a request of the family that was approved), giving millions to lure more african americans to campus, etc, etc, etc.

    Looks to me like they "caved" on everything except the Eyes. Some of it might be helpful, but they are doing way too much. This has already happened once and it will come up again and again until everyone white is erased from campus and replaced with something else.
     
    • Agree Agree x 7
    • Dislike Dislike x 1
  12. dukesteer

    dukesteer 5,000+ Posts

    Vol, I don’t read it that way. They kept The Eyes, and only one building name changed as I am reading it, and in that case information about Moore will be added inside the building. The Littlefield Fountain stays as does the statue or Hogg.

    I have no issue with the statue of Whittier. In fact, I support it.

    • Rename the Robert L. Moore Building as the Physics, Math and Astronomy Building and provide historical explanations within the building about why past university leaders chose to name the space for Professor Moore.
    • Educate our community and visitors about the history and context of many of the names that remain, such as the Littlefield Fountain, the statue of Gov. Jim Hogg, the Belo Center and the pedestals on which a series of statues stood until 2017. Building on the work done by the Campus Contextualization Committee, this education may take the form of plaques and a website that our community and visitors can easily access from their phones.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  13. DrRad

    DrRad 250+ Posts

    If I recall correctly, Chris Gilbert's mother was Lebanese. Gilbert was the first was the first player in NCAA history to record three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  14. 2003TexasGrad

    2003TexasGrad Son of a Motherless Goat

    Joe Jamail still has the natatorium to his name. Not a big deal. Id put the Whittier statue right outside the tunnel as the players run out. Maybe they can slap his *** as they run onto the field.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • WTF? WTF? x 1
  15. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    I have avoided posting on this topic because frankly neither side in the debate has exactly covered themselves in glory. There are some things my fellow posters have said that are unfortunate in the extreme and hopefully calmer heads can now prevail. There were always parts of what was asked for by the players that I was fine with and parts I wasn't. I could distinguish between the two without having to take an extreme all or nothing position, I am glad the University looks to have done the same and given on some but not others. I have two degrees from this institution and care deeply about it. I sang the Eyes of Texas to both my kids just minutes after they were born and I love taking them down to Austin and to the campus. I will continue to sing the Eyes of Texas with the same pride as I did my first time because to me it is a clarion call to go out and make the world a better place because the eyes of my institution and my state are upon me.

    As I look at each of the specific changes to be made, I am more than OK with them. Some were long overdue and it is unfortunate it took the events of the past few months to finally bring them about. As a law alum it was disappointing to me that there wasn't something already on Sweatt v Painter. Almost like the law school wanted to pretend that UT wasn't involved in that ground breaking case. A good question for us long time alums (I am class of '95) is why didn't we already have some acknowledgement and why did it take these events for us to finally put up a statue of Heman Sweatt and clearly acknowledge that case and Heman Sweatt's contributions to our law school.

    As for the name change for RLM, look him up (google is your friend) he was a despicable human being and we should all no more want his name on a building than we would want the Charles Manson psychology building or Jeffrey Dahmer Biology Building. Acknowledging history is just as important as preserving it and our homage to the Confederacy on the south mall was always something I gave side eye to in my time as a student. I get why to African American students it was a big middle finger to them and why it needed to be removed.

    I also think a statue of Whittier at the stadium is a great idea. A better question is why didnt we already have a statue of Whittier. Why wasn't there already some acknowledgement in the hall of fame that he broke an extraordinary barrier and that UT is better for it. You cant pretend away our history of all white football teams until 19 freaking 70. Same thing with other African American athletes who broke the color barriers down for other UT sports. This is UT sports history warts and all and acknowledging it and saying that we have learned and will learn from that history is important.

    Finally, Joe Jamail has his name on about 20 other things on campus so naming the field for the two Heisman winners is cool and will make for an awesome ceremony if not this fall then next (because at this point we really are not very likely to have fans at games or any games at all).

    My sincere hope is that this begins to put all this behind us and we can make these changes and move forward. The Eyes of Texas are on all of us to be better human beings, be the ones who make this a better state, better country, better world. :hookem:
     
    • Like Like x 6
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Winner Winner x 2
    • Hot Hot x 1
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020
  16. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    While I disagree with your position Ivan, I do respect your position. Maybe someday you will reconsider.
    Yes; and he didn't help himself with his tweet following the announcement.

    What now? The floor in the new arena - The T. J. Ford and Kevin Durant Floor?
     
  17. 2003TexasGrad

    2003TexasGrad Son of a Motherless Goat

    If it ends systemic racism in this country, yes.
     
  18. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    Here's my take: Get rid of statues, build new ones, rename fields, but in the end, you still have to catch the pass/make the tackle/score the touchdown. If these changes get you that, great, let's see an undefeated season. As far as non-athlete blms, great you got your change now you still have to go to class/work hard/get the grades/graduate/go get the job. If all of this helps you do that fantastic, but, just like on the football field, no one's handing you anything.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  19. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Naming a basketball floor after two of the greatest basketball players to pass through the University of Texas doesn't do anything but honor them.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
  20. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    End systemic racism? Someone running for Miss Universe? "I would like world peace"......like waving a magic wand and everything is "fair" because we all know life if sooooo fair....
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • Winner Winner x 1
  21. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    I think @2003TexasGrad was being sarcastic maybe.
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  22. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    humblest apologies, late to the party.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  23. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    No worries, I was lecturing and talking down to Viper Horn lol.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  24. n64ra

    n64ra 1,000+ Posts

    I find this interesting
    Not that kids in 20 years will know the building was formerly named RLM but segueing into this one
    Shouldn't this also be used to explain why university leaders chose to name the space for President Painter? Or is it just a space to explain what Painter did wrong leaving all to wonder why the building was ever and is still named after him?
    Last, I don't follow this point.
    That song has already been redefined. It was originally made to mock the then university president, but no one sings it today for that purpose. I see the note tries to explain
    That's what it was already redefined to do, even in sports as an intimidation of opponents.
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  25. Horns11

    Horns11 10,000+ Posts

    Sweatt v Painter stuff: around 1999-2000, there was a small commission in order to determine what could/should be done about the building name, the SC case, remembering it, etc., and it became kind of a petty, shameful back-and-forth (not unlike this forum) in which supporters of keeping Painter's name on the building "painted" Sweatt as a guy who couldn't hack it at UT, flunked out, cheated on his wife, etc. It was promptly shut down and everyone disassociated from it.

    Agreed on RLM. As smart as he was, he didn't relent on his anti-women and anti-Semitic stances until the last decade of his life, and even then still kind of held on to the anti-black rhetoric.

    I think some of the Whittier stuff is glossed over because, unfortunately, he was an average player. He paved the way for guys like Rosey Leaks to come to Texas and deserves more than just a cursory glance. He's our Jackie Robinson but way under-recognized.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  26. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    Wait, if the field is named after Earl and Ricky, will the fans start throwing EC Sausage and weed on the field? Or will the fans be required to smoke weed and THEN eat the sausage?
     
    • Funny Funny x 4
  27. Orangeyman

    Orangeyman 100+ Posts

    I am certain that would do it.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  28. longhorn47

    longhorn47 500+ Posts

    Why not a sausage-based edible? 2 birds and all that...
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
    • Winner Winner x 1
  29. 2003TexasGrad

    2003TexasGrad Son of a Motherless Goat

    :lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:
     
  30. 2003TexasGrad

    2003TexasGrad Son of a Motherless Goat

    All I can do is laugh these days to keep my sanity.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2

Share This Page