What is it with the SEC? Or the politics of the states having schools in the SEC?
First, the University of Mississippi drops Colonel Reb as its mascot. Now, the University of Tennessee has banned student-athletes from owning guns.
This comes after some pot-smoking basketball players were found with handguns that had altered serial numbers.
So, how does the school respond? Banning drugs? Throwing idiots off the team? No, they ban guns. Stupid athletic director.
Oh, and then there’s the whole Second Amendment thing. But let’s suppose we ignore that for a second. (After all, many on the left do it all the time. It’s used to being ignored.)
Let’s look at the school itself. The University of Tennessee. What’s the school’s nickname? The Pundits? No, that’s not it.
The Moonshiners? Nah.
The ‘Possums? That’s not right.
Hound Dogs? Nope.
The Volunteers? Yes, that’s it! The Volunteers. Because Tennessee’s nickname is “The Volunteer State.”
Now, how did they get that name? Wouldn’t have anything to do with the War of 1812, would it?
…when President James Madison called on Tennessee to help defend the “Lower Country,” Tennesseans volunteered en masse, earning the nickname “The Volunteer State.” Tennessee Governor Willie Blount was asked to send 1,500 troops for the defense of the lower Mississippi region and an expedition under the command of Andrew Jackson, major general of the Tennessee militia, was outfitted in December 1812.
You think that maybe left-wing nutcases think the “Volunteer State” nickname came about from registering voters?
What will happen when they discover that the “Volunteer” nickname is from gun-owners offering to help defend others?
Maybe they’ll want to change the mascot.
How about the Dumbasses?
Libtards must think the Volunteer State is where the national headquarters for VISTA (Volunteer In Servitude To Amerika), Etc…….
Univ. of Louisiana Lafayette team nickname is “Ragin’ Cajuns”. The cartoon cajun man has been replaced with a stylized Tabasco pepper. No kidding.
The football team plays at Cajun Field and the basketball team plays in the Cajundome.
A few years back, the local African-American community fought hard to change the name of the Cajundome to something that also recognized the contribution of people of color: something like the Cajun-Creole-Dome. Fortunately, the issue died from disinterest.
So who judges whether a team name is demeaning or respectful?
Hey, wait, Fred Thompson is from Tennessee! and The Tennesse Thompsons rolls off the tongue nicely, plus, there was that cool submachine gun.
I agree with you. After all, smoking pot is already a rule violation. So instead of confiscating illegal guns from testosterone hyped drugged up 250 pound teenagers, we should have MORE guns! That will solve the problem! More guns for athletes!
In fact, they should have a rule in the SEC that its players should be carrying during games. After all, the violent crime rates are so low in Florida, Louisiansa, Arkansas and Georgia, it would serve as a good deterrant if the b-ball players, for example, are crotching a .22. “Oh, you wanna foul me again?” More guns would be a good thing, especially if there are fights over who won a game of Madden, or who is banging who’s girl, and there is liquor involved. More guns in dorms is the only answer.
so if a dumbsh*t athlete says something stupid, do all athletes’ first amendment rights get abridged too?
or let’s try that with religious liberties…
How about they just adopt a rule where you can’t own anything that is illegal. If you are a law abiding citizen, living off campus, (it is illegal to have a gun on university property in Tennessee) and you own a handgun that has not had the serial number filed off, and you are not smoking dope, then there is very little chance your handgun will get the university in trouble.
Of course, if someone is going to use drugs and scrub off serial numbers when those things can be felonies, what is the chances that they are going to care about what the coach says? For that matter, what are the chances they are going to care about what he says about anything?
Basil, we should not expect any common sense from a modern university. In particular, one that hired Lane Kiffin to be their head football coach.
Is this the same UT that is soon to give Al Gore an honorary doctorate?
[That’s the one: Honorary Doctor of Laws and Humane Letters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology – B]
As a Gator fan, I think the Tennessee Dumbasses is an entirely appropriate and fitting name.
Basil, you better tread lightly when ripping my alma mater. That’s a good way to get a Tennessee-sized ass whoopin’.
[Hey, I’m not the one banning guns at UT. Which makes the athletics area a “gun-free zone.” That worked so well in Blacksburg, Virginia. – B]
#10, Wait, I think I may have known you in real life.
The University has no legitimate authority to “rule” that athletes, nor even students nor staff, cannot “own” firearms! Neither does the State nor Federal Government. The key words there are “own” and “legitimate.” I would argue that the authorities have no legitimate authority to even disallow the carrying of firearms on campus as the campus is owned or was purchased with public funds and I’m pretty sure the Univ. receives both federal and state funding support. I’m anxiously awaiting the McDonald v. Chicago ruling for which oral arguments will be heard tomorrow, March 2, 2010, at the SCOTUS and an opinion released in June. All firearm laws currently existing which do not deal directly with the subject of commiting crimes with firearms are unconstitutional.