Grambling football team refuses to play.
Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:35 pmFrom Nola.com
From the Jackson State announced Friday afternoon that Saturday's SWAC contest with Grambling State has been cancelled. Jackson State spokesman Wesley Peterson said that Grambling officials told them they would not play.
Buses that were to transport Grambling State football players to Jackson, Miss., for Saturday’s SWAC contest against Jackson State sat empty as the prescribed time to depart of 2:30 p.m. Friday came and passed.
Monroe News-Star reporter Sean Isabella reported that departure time was pushed back to 3:30 p.m. However, that time passed as well with no players. The buses left the campus empty shortly before 4 p.m.
Grambling spokesman Will Sutton said earlier Friday there will be "no forfeit" in a text to The Associated Press. He said that school officials are meeting to decide the next step.
Southwestern Athletic Conference Commissioner Duer Sharp called the situation "very disappointing."
Doug Williams, who was fired as Grambling's coach in September after only the second game, weighed in via text: "I'm proud of them boys. They took a stance.''
This comes in the wake of a chaotic, unprecedented week in which the interim coach, George Ragsdale, was replaced by defensive coordinator Dennis “Dirt†Winston to placate players. Grambling players boycotted practices Wednesday and Thursday.
Grambling president Frank Pogue and other university officials met with the players Tuesday. The meeting turned sour, however, with the players walking out, unsatisfied with Pogue’s presentation. They then decided to boycott practice Wednesday and Thursday.
Players had a list of grievances, including long bus trips for games in Kansas City and Indianapolis, the firing of Williams as coach and poor facility conditions.
Pogue met with the media Friday morning to address the situation and said then that the game, which is Jackson State’s homecoming, would go on.
If you want to read the whole story to why all of this happened, here is the SI article link:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... -football/
From the Jackson State announced Friday afternoon that Saturday's SWAC contest with Grambling State has been cancelled. Jackson State spokesman Wesley Peterson said that Grambling officials told them they would not play.
Buses that were to transport Grambling State football players to Jackson, Miss., for Saturday’s SWAC contest against Jackson State sat empty as the prescribed time to depart of 2:30 p.m. Friday came and passed.
Monroe News-Star reporter Sean Isabella reported that departure time was pushed back to 3:30 p.m. However, that time passed as well with no players. The buses left the campus empty shortly before 4 p.m.
Grambling spokesman Will Sutton said earlier Friday there will be "no forfeit" in a text to The Associated Press. He said that school officials are meeting to decide the next step.
Southwestern Athletic Conference Commissioner Duer Sharp called the situation "very disappointing."
Doug Williams, who was fired as Grambling's coach in September after only the second game, weighed in via text: "I'm proud of them boys. They took a stance.''
This comes in the wake of a chaotic, unprecedented week in which the interim coach, George Ragsdale, was replaced by defensive coordinator Dennis “Dirt†Winston to placate players. Grambling players boycotted practices Wednesday and Thursday.
Grambling president Frank Pogue and other university officials met with the players Tuesday. The meeting turned sour, however, with the players walking out, unsatisfied with Pogue’s presentation. They then decided to boycott practice Wednesday and Thursday.
Players had a list of grievances, including long bus trips for games in Kansas City and Indianapolis, the firing of Williams as coach and poor facility conditions.
Pogue met with the media Friday morning to address the situation and said then that the game, which is Jackson State’s homecoming, would go on.
If you want to read the whole story to why all of this happened, here is the SI article link:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... -football/