ACC removes tourney over flag boycott

Charlotte.com ^ | 12/22/01

[shuckmaster]

NAACP protest costs Knights Stadium 2 years of college events

FORT MILL -- The Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament will steer clear of South Carolina until the NAACP lifts its boycott over the Confederate flag, an ACC executive said Thursday.

The May tournament, held at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill the past two years, was scheduled to return in 2003 and 2004 after playing in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 2002.

Coaches at the nine conference schools unanimously approved the return to Knights Stadium, but no contract was signed.

Now, the ACC has agreed to honor a two-year NCAA moratorium imposed in August on scheduling championships in S.C. cities.

The games will be played in Salem, Va., instead.

"Because of the NAACP boycott, there were some concerns about pre-awarding a championship to South Carolina," said Dee Todd, assistant commissioner of the ACC.

The decision by Todd and fellow ACC executives was announced Wednesday. They also agreed to move the NCAA Division I cross country championships from Furman University in Greenville, S.C., where they've been held for 21 years.

Members of the Rock Hill/York County Tourism and Sports Commission, who sponsored the tournament, were shocked by the decision.

"We had no knowledge that this was coming," said Bill Neely, president of the commission. "I'm extremely disappointed. We were not part of the conversation or the decision. This was thrown on us like an 800-pound gorilla."

Todd admitted that the decision was a quick one.

"It came about abruptly," she said. "Everyone was very pleased with Knights Stadium. But this issue is a lot bigger than any of us. Our conference was certainly sensitive to the NAACP situation."

Todd said as soon as the flag is removed to the satisfaction of the NAACP, the Charlotte area would once again be the frontrunner to host the tournament.

"Even though I love Knights Stadium, as an African American, I wouldn't want to cross a boycott picket line of the NAACP," she said. "We can't do that, and we can't subject student-athletes to that possibility."

In January 2000, the NAACP called for a tourism boycott in South Carolina, protesting the flying of the Confederate flag atop the State House.

The flag was moved to the Confederate Soldier Monument, located on State House grounds. The move wasn't enough to satisfy the NAACP.

"This issue has been a real mess," Todd said. "If we have to have a neutral-site tournament, we'll give one to a state that isn't flying the Confederate flag prominently."

The tournament brought 30,000 fans to York County in each of the past two seasons to watch the nine ACC schools compete for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

York County officials wouldn't say how much the local economy would be affected, but Neely said the decision hurt.

[verboten]

The notion that the ACC would not be in SC because of concern for blacks is particularly insane. Here is an organization that is helping to promote the idea that a blacks best way out of the ghetto is through sports. It is elevating their physical strengths over intellectual strengths. It promotes a lottery mentality amongst blacks. Sure they sugar coat it and try to disguise the reality, but that is only window dressing.

[aquaculture]

Well-said.

The NAACP should be focused on one thing, and one thing only: improving the lives of black people. With this in mind, their points of focus should be promoting two-parent families, discouraging illegitimacy, and education. Each minute it spends on a non-issue like the South Carolina flag is a missed opportunity.

[poet]

Unfortunately the public is being educated by the very people who come up with this pc crap and they've been at it for at least four decades. How can you educate people who were taught to "feel" rather than think? Not possible until and unless they see behind the facade' of these totalitarian wackos.
I suggest we get our Spiritual houses in order folks.

[Thumper1960]

Another black day in the history of the ACC.

[verboten]

Actually, the NAACP like most organizations is only in existance today to control people for the benefit of its corrupt leaders. Like the government, the NAACP will never go away so long as average blacks live a life different than average whites. So if the problem is solved they disappear. Addtionally, by placing blame on others they make their lives that much easier. It is hard to convince blacks that the problems they face lie within their own community. By placing blame outside themselves they can feel better, and never solve problems. If you can say "well we'd be equal except for that darn flag," and people buy it you have done one helluva job fooling them. And you never have to tick off your followers by saying they need to clean up their act.

Marion Barry expressed it best when he said "I've had a lot of bad decisions happen to me lately." He acted as if he has no freewill. It is a sad way to live, as you are always at the mercy of an unknown force.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

bump

[HILLARY IS A REAL HOTTIE]

This was thrown on us like an 800-pound gorilla

[Twodees]

Hmmm, I wonder why I never see my hometown mentioned except when there's bad news to report. Poor little ol' Fort Mill.

[rockfish59]

800 lb. gorilla!

YOU'RE FIRED!

[HELLRAISER II]

One more reason not to watch College or Pro-Basketball. They want to boycott the states, hell I can boycott Basketball.

[BlackbirdSST]

The NCAA and ACC need to stick to sports and stay the hell out of my heritage
I find them offensive, can we ban them? Blackbird.

[LadyJD]

These would-be tyrants never quit.

Then again, neither do we.

Can you see that train wreck coming?

I can.

[prambo]

These morons really like to show their stupidity in public.

prambo

[Howlin]

Thank you for the link. I let them have it!

Please ping everybody!

[Howlin]

Or, as we refer to him around here, The Missing Link.

[TC Rider]

Got it. I lost interest in the ACC when they ran off Jimmy V. But if they disqualify SC for the Bars and Stars, surely they must disqualify NC for merely electing the fine Senator Helms.