NCAA Football “RESPECT Weekend”

This past weekend, The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the NCAA became partners to initiate “RESPECT Weekend” held for games during the Labor Day weekend from September 3 – 7 to show sportsmanship. All teams were to have a pregame shaking of hands just prior to kickoff lead by the head coaches and the athletics directors, this according to the NCAA Press Release last Tuesday.

“We wanted to show sportsmanship in a clear way.” said Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director and former longtime head coach at Baylor University. Teaff also said, “This is a symbolic initiative that says to the football world, our fans, our students, our student-athletes and athletics departments that sportsmanship is a vital part of the successful football programs we have in this country,”

No kidding --- isn't that part of what the NCAA is about? I thought it was anyway. The unfortunate truth is that has been swept under the rug by players, coaches, administrators, AD's, fans and university presidents.

According to the release, attending patrons and television viewers saw different types of promoting RESPECT Weekend in the forms of signs, public address announcements, and merchandise giveaways.

Hmmmm … we the fans had to be bribed to buy into this initiative? I can't help but wonder if the NCAA and AFCA think those of us who love college football are nothing more than people the teams of our choice stomp the opponents. We must be morons!

Here's a couple of tidbits I was not aware of having to do with RESPECT Weekend. According to the press release, The AFCA already has a code of conduct that at least the coaches should shake hands prior to and at the conclusion of each game.

Says Teaff, “We want to make sure we’re teaching the right thing to our student-athletes, the student bodies and the youngsters out there watching the game.”

Keep teaching this people because I wonder how many are truly understanding this message.

How did RESPECT Weekend come about? Apparently, there was two-year study of student-athletes, coaches, conference commissioners, administrators and fans. The study revealed the the greatest concern of college sporting events was fan behavior.

It took two years of study to determine fan behavior was the greatest concern at collegiate athletic events? I think many of us could have told them this after one event for crying out loud!

Finally, who is “them”? The folks who conducted this study? Of course, none other than the NCAA.

All I can say to that is what the characters of the old Guinness commercials would say …

“BRILLIANT!!!”

Of course I kid.

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