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.

[shuckmaster]

Aw, Shucks!

[shuckmaster]

ping

[gg188]

DOG - In 1966, the American fox hound became the state dog. George Washington imported fox hounds into Virginia for hunting purposes. All fox hounds are descendants of these dogs. The American fox hound is also one of four breeds of American origin, the other three originating in other states. The American fox hound is a medium-sized hound trained to hunt foxes.

Symbols of the Commonwealth of Virginia

I'd say this rules out Virginia as the site. Hunting? Chasing poor little foxes and shooting them? George Washington brought foxhounds over from Europe. There are so many politically incorrect things associated with this that I sure don't see how the ACC can award a tournament to Virginia. "Next!"

[jmp702]

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.

In a follow up statement, the National Cowards Athletic Association said that until Furman University changed it's name, no NCAA sanctioned events will be held on the campus. "We are extremely offended that any university in America would name itself after former Los Angeles police detective Mark Furman."

Repeated calls by this reporter to correct the basis of the origin of the Furman University name, were unreturned.

[archy]

"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."

Seem like this sister need to learn to think for herself

Does this also mean that they'll boycott the elections if a candidate on the ballot uses the Confederate flag as the symbol of their political party?

If so, this may be a great time to start one that does.

-archy-/-

[CWRWinger]

"CWRWinger Boycotts ACC"

Yankees Go Home!! SC needs to develope an ecomony which does not depend so much on sports, anyway.

[G.Mason]

Looks like a racial war to me.

With the risk of sounding profane, screw the naacp and all that support it.

I, for one, have had enough of this black crap.

<< "This was thrown on us like an 800-pound gorilla." >>

It sure was...and if you quit feeding the gorilla "bananas" it just may go away.

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

"The May tournament, held at Knights Stadium in Fort Mill the past two years..."

KNIGHTS stadium? Didn't some knights go on Crusades and kill some of those peace-loving Muslims? Never again shall we play in this racist venue!

[TommyDale]

Just more ignorance, hatred and venom from the NAACP. Some day these people will learn that they don't need a special "leader" or organization to think for them.

[aomagrat]

The NAACP said it would end the boycott if the Confederate Flag was removed from the Statehouse. South Carolina removed the flag from the Statehouse and placed it at the Confederate Soldier's Memorial, a place of historical context. That wasn't good enough for the NAACP, NCAA or ACC. What we have here is a jihad against southern culture. Everything southern must be destroyed. If South Carolina gives in again to the NCAAP, NCAA and ACC and removes the flag from the memorial, then they will demand the removal of the memorial. The NCAA and ACC need to stick to sports and stay the hell out of my heritage.

FREEP the NCAA and ACC now.

[billbears]

Actually there was a story about a black man running under the Confederate party for mayor in either Rock Hill or York(both in SC) this year. Sounds like he knows the real history of the Confederacy

[shuckmaster]

As a long time follower of ACC sports, I must tell you that I am absolutely stunned at the news that the ACC has conspired with a racist hate group to make a political attack on an individual American state. And for what? Because they have a monument to their long dead soldiers? You people are truly disgusting and should hang your miserable heads in shame!

[rebelyell]

The naacp is a pack of marxists that have to continously conjure up fresh "outrages" so they can get the media attention and contributions they so crave. The acc....well they just suck. The SEC rules college football and baseball(always has) and for the last 5 years we have held our own in roundball. As for the boycott, I love it! It's damn good for business here in SC! And the effect on the landscape has been glorious......Confederate flags EVERYWHERE! Deo vindice!

[muawiyah]

Hey, you ever eat fresh fox?

Til' you have don't say nuthin' 'bout it.

[mrswasp69]

Furman University was named for Richard Furman of Charleston, SC. He was a prominent minister and the first President of the Baptist Convention in America. The history of the university can be found online.

[mrswasp69]

The one thing we can be thankful for is that our monuments were protected at the same time it was written to move the flag. If people, like this reporter, stop caving in to these nuts then they will effectively loose the power they seem to hold. As a native South Carolinian, I say "Keep the Boycott, Keep the Flag". A good bit of our county's tourism is connected to its historic background. They are not the kind of tourists we want anyway.

[Texbob]

The NAACP is just like Queers, nothing ever satisfies them. If these sports org. want to join the NAACP, then good riddance. South Carolina is better off without them. South Carolina will be around a long time after the NAACP has collapsed.

[verboten]

Exactly. We all should avoid college sports anyway. The notion that the NCAA or ACC has any honor is laughable. These institutions say with straight faces that their sports stars are "student athletes." In fact they are nothing but revenue generators in a corrupt scheme whereby the powerbrokers have gotten mostly the government schools to provide local entertainment. I went to UNC and I hope that Rasheed Wallace couldn't on his own pass any class there. If he could then my degree is worthless.

[Soul Citizen]

Thank You, BUMP!, besides OJ is an acquited man tried again in a state court for liability for a crime he was found innocent of!

Basketball is a fantastic sport, however there is absolutely no reason for the ACC to be playing politics!

This flag debate is not a racial issue, it is a battle over the consolidation of power into a central government.

Everyone should have learned the truth behind the cause, observing the abuse of power during the Clinton Regime.

This is a continued effort to divide the people of the states, and undermine the resolve of our country in war time.

The ethnic cleansing of southern heritage will not be allowed to continue!!

We really need to begin with educating the public about the constitution and the orgins of the principles behind the proclamations set forth therein!