Jim Carter on boycott: “I’m so proud of all of them...I would’ve stood with them.”

BleedGopher

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per Marcus:

Jim Carter met with more than a dozen Gophers football alumni Thursday for their annual celebration of legendary University of Minnesota coach Murray Warmath’s birthday later this month.

But the conversation shifted from Warmath to the Minnesota football team’s announced boycott over 10 suspended teammates after fallout from a sexual assault allegation in September.

“I’m so proud of all of them,” said Carter, a former Gophers captain who later played for the Packers. “The alumni there supported the statement these kids made. I think it took a lot of courage. I texted a lot of those kids. I think they did the right thing. I would’ve stood with them.”

From several Gophers alumni to boosters, the reaction Friday was of overwhelming support for the players in the aftermath of the football team’s boycott Thursday night.

Former Gophers All-America and two-time Super Bowl champion Tyrone Carter immediately backed the suspended players on social media after they tweeted early Thursday hashtags of #WeHadEnough.

“We’re looking at the process of how [Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle and University President Eric Kaler] handled the case,” Carter said. “How they issued out the suspensions while [coach Tracy Claeys] was not here. They had some times where they couldn’t defend themselves. Every student has a due process order they have to go through. Don’t look at athletes, seeing that the bowl game is right here, so you can do that to those kids. That’s the thing that bothered me the most.”

Carter said if the players commited an assault “they should be punished, but let them go through the due process.”

http://www.startribune.com/support-for-players-boycott-strong-among-alums-donors/407164606/

Go Gophers!!
 

In the same article:

Major U donor and Ames Construction founder Dick Ames spoke passionately about his disgust for so many recent incidents with Gophers athletics, including former athletic director Norwood Teague’s resignation for sexual harassment in August 2015.

“Do you think I feel like pouring money into a program that is like that all the time?” Ames said. “Not at all. I’m not the only booster who feels that way. I know some boosters who aren’t interested in the athletic program who are going to feel another way. But the ones of us who think sports are important are naturally going to be hurt by it.”

On the football players’ boycott, Ames said, “I hope those boys don’t give up.”

But he believes the damage has already been done on the program.

“Even if they get this settled, it’s going to hurt the program and recruiting,” he said. “You think those coaches out there at other places are going to use this against us? You’re darn right they are.”

http://www.startribune.com/support-for-players-boycott-strong-among-alums-donors/407164606/

Go Gophers!!
 




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