The Big Ten on Monday unveiled the names of its new divisions and awards, and in doing so enshrined the conference's embrace of a man who has fought against civil rights.
This week former University of Minnesota quarterback Tony Dungy became one of only four men in the history of Big Ten football to have a postgraduate award named after him. And it isn't just another award. It's the conference's humanitarian award. That's right: In the 114-year history of the conference, of the thousands of men to play football at the member schools, the Big Ten felt the need to name their humanitarian award after a man who has actively fought against the equal rights of gay Americans.
Dungy hasn't simply spoken against gay civil rights, he has put his money where his mouth is. In 2007 he used his new-found Super Bowl-champion status to raise over $70k for the Indiana Family Institute, a group whose primary purpose is to keep gay marriage illegal. Dungy specifically endorsed the organization's anti-gay position at a fundraising event:
"I'm on the Lord's side, and I appreciate IFI for the stance their taking, and I embrace that stance, and that's important."
Big Ten schools have made steps forward on gay issues. Indiana hosted LGBT Appreciation Day during their game against Northwestern earlier this year. Earlier this year Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel said a player's sexual orientation would be a non-factor for him. So why would the Big Ten make such a clear statement in support of institutionalized homophobia?
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany gave some insight while singling out Tony Dungy in an interview with ESPN as someone the conference wants to embrace:
"We think the leadership issue is a powerful issue, whether it's Tony Dungy or whether it's Pat Fitzgerald or whether it's [former Big Ten commissioner] Wayne Duke, whoever it is. We think that those things resonate and carry meaning that's tied to who we are, who we want to be."
Who we are. Who we want to be. Leadership. Those words are powerful. And they are unmistakable.
Certainly Dungy has done good work in his life. His outreach to youth is praiseworthy. The problem is that, in a world where gay youth are killing themselves, the Big Ten has made it clear that outspoken homophobia isn't a consideration for them. David Duke attended LSU. Strom Thurmond attended Clemson. Will we now see the SEC or ACC name their humanitarian award after either of these men? Of course not. They are and were racists, and in sports it's not all right to be a racist. On the other hand, outspoken homophobia isn't just welcomed, and you don't just win humanitarian awards...you can have the awards forever named after you.
It isn't the rookie award. It isn't the offensive player award. It is the humanitarian award. Humanitarians are people like Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, Mohandas Gandhi. These are people who fought for understanding, equality and civil rights. Never would they have supported an organization whose sole purpose is to prevent a group of people from realizing equality.
If it was written into a Hollywood script it wouldn't be believable. A man raises tens of thousands of dollars to fight against civil rights, he says he embraces the fight against civil rights... and he has a humanitarian award named after him.
It's bad enough that gay sports fans have to watch an outspoken homophobe like Tony Dungy on NBC every Sunday night. Now Big Ten and college football fans will be reminded of his fight against gay equality every year. The conference just pushed those Big Ten athletes struggling with their sexual orientation two steps further into the closet. All in the name of humanitarianism.
Really? I don't recall reading about any of these people being in favor of gay marriage. I would bet that all three of them were likely against it.
Your comparison of homosexuality to race is commonly made, and is becoming the position of the law in this country. But there are millions who believe in traditional values who view homosexuality as as perversion and who view homosexual activity as immoral. Amongst these are many many people who are great humanitarians.
So there is nothing surprising about this award going to Dungy.
But comparing Tony Dungy to David Duke and Strom Thurmond is just foolish.
*Public speaker for Fellowship of Christian Athletes & Athletes in Action
*Began a mentoring program for young people, Mentors for Life in Tampa, provided Bucs tickets for participants
*Supports Big brothers/Big Sisters
*Supports Boys and Girls Club
*Strongly supports Prison Crusade Ministry
*Foster parenting organizations
*Family First
*Launched Basket of Hope program aiding patients @ Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis
*Appointed by Pres. Bush to the President's Council on Service and Civic Partipcation in 2007
*Invited by President Obama to serve on Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
*Authored
--Quiet Strength (2007) a memoir that reached No. 1on NY Times non-fiction list for 32 weeks,
--You Can Do It (2008) a children's book [another No. 1 on NY Times Best Seller]
--Uncommon (2009), a lesson learned book that reached No. 2 on hardcover advice list of NY Times
--The Mentor Leader (2010), debuted at No. 2
Notwithstanding, the unnumerable achievements in football he has, including the first African-American coach to win the Super Bowl(2006).
If all you see on Sunday Nights is a homophobe and one who "fights against gay equality...", then I pity you.
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Tony Dungy is being honored for what he has done, and shouldn't be punished for what he doesn't believe in. There are few people who are perfect. For all we know, MLK might not have fought for gay rights. It can of course be argued that he may have, but at the same time his religious beliefs may have made him fall on the side against gay rights.
We also look at other leaders who have been on the wrong side of some issues. Are we going to discount all the great things FDR did because of the Japanese Interment camps? Heck we complain about Gitmo and most of them are not citizens, FDR imprisioned US Citizens for no reason other than their ethnic background. Or Abraham Lincoln who suspended Habeus Corpus and then when the Cheif Justice said only congress could do that, Lincoln issued an arrest warrant for the Justie. Are we going to discount everything Lincoln did because he circumvented the constitution? No. So why should be forget the good Dungy has done because of one view.