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The Power Belongs to the Players



"We live in the shadow of crime with the unspoken understanding that we are victims…of fear, of violence, of social impotence. A man has risen to show us that the power is, and always has been, in our hands. We are under siege. He's showing us that we can resist."

― Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

This past November, the University of Missouri Football team proved how powerful the players are in the abhorrent, amoral cartel that is the NCAA. By standing together, a team with a losing record brought down two of the most powerful public employees in the state of Missouri. The mere threat of the lost revenue of a player strike forced the President and Chancellor of the University of Missouri system to resign.

It is all too common to see the innocent punished so that the guilty may protect themselves. What is decidedly uncommon is when the innocent curiously find themselves with the power to punish the guilty. The national media has been uniform in its condemnation of President Ramsey’s actions today. The most charitable description I can personally think of is "woefully misguided" but I suspect that a number of people may not be mistaken when the decision to bar a group of innocent players from the post-season is categorized as cynical or otherwise disingenuous.

The simple truth of the matter is this: If the Men’s Basketball team stood in solidarity and declared that they would not play the last nine games of the season, the Ramsey administration would be over by Monday morning at the latest. With two nationally televised games against Duke left on the schedule, the consequences would devastating to the University of Louisville. The national media would rally to the support of the team, and the ban would be lifted.

If cheating occurred, so be it. Bring down the banner if necessary. But do not punish the innocent so that the powerful might cling to their power. Do not crush the dreams of children so that old men may sit secure in their castles. The power belongs to the players. It has always belonged to the players. And it is time for the players to take that power back.

-Matthew Harold Kleinert

Devoted supporter of the young men and woman who give of their time and energy on behalf of University of Louisville Athletics