LF: Oklahoma State football coach apologizes for t-shirt after star running back Chuba Hubbard calls him out

Title: Oklahoma State football coach apologizes for t-shirt after star running back Chuba Hubbard calls him out
Source: CNN
URL Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/spor ... -chuba-hubbard-trnd/index.html
Published: Jun 16, 2020
Author: Jill Martin, Alicia Lee and Saba Hamedy
Post Date: 2020-06-17 20:51:41 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 166
Comments: 1

(CNN)Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy has released a video statement apologizing for wearing a One America News Network shirt, one day after his star running back called him out.

"(My players) helped me see through their eyes how the T-shirt affected their hearts," Gundy said in the apology. "Once I learned how that network felt about Black Lives Matter, I was disgusted and knew it was completely unacceptable to me." The statement came a little over 24 hours after Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State's running back, called out Gundy on Twitter for wearing the T-shirt branded with the logo of the right-wing news outlet.

"I will not stand for this," Hubbard tweeted on Monday, linking to a photo of Gundy in the shirt. "This is completely insensitive to everything going on in society, and it's unacceptable. I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE."

The tweet led to a team meeting between Gundy, Hubbard and his teammates, where they "expressed their feelings as individuals and as team members," Gundy said.

He added, "I want to apologize to all members of our team, former players and their families for the pain and discomfort that has been caused over the last two days. Black lives matter to me. Our players matter to me. These meetings with our team have been eye-opening and will result in positive changes for Oklahoma State football."

OAN has been regularly promoted by President Donald Trump on his Twitter feed because of how the channel frames him in a flattering light. The network offers viewers right-wing conspiracy theories and pro-Trump commentary mixed in with wire video news packages that are sometimes skewed to fit its editorial viewpoint.

Hubbard, who in 2019 was named an unanimous All-American, Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, said he went about things the wrong way by tweeting.

"That was bad on my part," Hubbard, who finished eighth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, said, "but from now on we're going to focus on bringing change, and that's the most important thing." Hubbard added in another tweet, "No don't get it twisted. Foots still on the gas. Results are coming. It's not over."

Support from OSU community

Gundy has praised OAN in the past. During a news conference in April in which he talked about the team's options for returning amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gundy called OAN's coverage "refreshing."

"They just report the news. There's no commentary. There's no opinions. There's no left. There's no right," Gundy said, according to Yahoo News.

Meet OAN, the little-watched right-wing news channel that Trump keeps promoting

After posting his initial tweet, Hubbard received support from teammate and team captain Amen Ogbongbemiga as well as current Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill.

"OSU Athletics and University need major change. 100% support brotha," tweeted Hill, who played at OSU from 2016-2018 under Gundy.

Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis quickly addressed the situation Monday evening, tweeting, "I hear and respect the concerns expressed by our Black student-athletes. This is a time for unity of purpose to confront racial inequities and injustice. We will not tolerate insensitive behavior by anyone at Oklahoma State."

Oklahoma State Athletic Director Mike Holder also responded in a statement Monday, saying, "This afternoon has been very disturbing. The tweets from the current and former players are of grave concern."

Maybe they ought to all just pack it up, head back to STEM classes, and learn something useful instead of playing with balls.