Jeff Pearlman calls University of Delaware racist

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/070920&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

Crazy! He's writing about U of D Football's refusal to ever play Delaware State. And he has a quote from the Wilmington News Journal's Kevin Tresolini, who theorizes that "some old rich white guys in the University of Delaware's upper power structure" are "afraid this little black school might steal their thunder. They're afraid that if Delaware State beats them it'll raise their stature and lower the University of Delaware's."

Whether in sports or politics or anywhere, I detest "rich old white guys" formulations, but that thesis is legitimate enough - U of D may well be scared that some little black school will steal its thunder. But Pearlman sets up the quote like this: "In the ensuing 116 years, Delaware has treated Delaware State not as academic/athletic brethren, but as a piece of gum affixed to the bottom of its loafer. Del. State is where the scary black people congregate, where 'those' types of folk go to college."

That's a very different thing than what Tresolini says...and, for such a serious accusation, he offers no evidence of racism whatsoever.

Bad bad.

 

I didn't know the University of Delaware had any thunder to steal.

 

Why do they have to be BLUE hens? Why can't they be black hens?

 

I thought the Delaware legislature mandated that the schools played.

 

This has been a trouble point for ages with the University of Delaware. It has nothing to do with race. Yes, Delaware State is a predominately black school, but they won't play each other due to disagreements and questions in the upper management of the schools. Dr. Roselle (the previous president) did not want UD to play DSU because of a vested interest, what it was, I am not sure. It would be great for the economy because they could probably play at a neutral location and bring a whole bunch of revenue that way. The fans want it and the players want it. But the administration does not. If both teams ever make the playoffs together, there could be a match-up, but only in that case I can see it happening. Otherwise, the schools are going to be too hard headed to make any headway in the game.

 

I thought Delaware State was Division II?

 

Del State is D1 Sub Division or whatever it is called.

 

Delaware State is gaining steam as a respectable place of higher education. They have a good engineering program and a growing business school.

In other sports, the Blue Hens face off against the Hornets. The Cross Country and Track teams are traditionally invited to every Delaware Invitational and there has been talk of a basketball game in between the two, but it would be UGLY.

The University of Delaware is a white institution as Pearlman stated in his story. It seems as if the administration wants to sequester the African American population of students into one area of campus. If you go on campus, you will see the split as you cross Main Street. The dorms in "Laird Campus" are traditionally given to the minority students. Why I just don't know.

In this instance, there is no racism for the reason why the teams will not play each other. As Headbutt and I have stated, there is a problem in the higher administration that they won't play them, and I can hope at least that it is NOT racism. Maybe things will change under the new president at the University of Delaware.

 

Mayfly is right about the split on campus between the African American population and the white population--you'll see it everyday, at the student center, in the dorms, everywhere. And Pearlman is right that the students would want to see it; I would definitely rather watch an in-state rivalry over watching us light up Westchester.

However, I don't think it's racism being the reason the teams don't pay each other in football, but it's on UD why they don't play, that's pretty obvious. Maybe I'll do some sort of enterprise story about it for The Review.

 

More of it is about the north versus the "slower lower". Once you cross the St. Georges Bridge both ways, people's viewpoints change.