Mizzou head football coach Odom has revoked the Bill of Rights.
Report Mizzou head coach prohibits players from legally owning handguns (404)
“Missouri head coach Barry Odom says his players are prohibited to legally own a handgun while they are a member of the Tigers football team.”Stevens reports that Odom does not want his players owning handguns, even if they’re obtained legally, while they are members of the Mizzou football team.
As it’s being reported, this isn’t a ban on possessing handguns on campus, or at practice or games. It is a ban on ownership. Perhaps he’ll also be banning players from attending religious services.
One might wonder if there’s some particular reason the newly empowered tyrant coach felt the need to render those under him helpless. I think he’d be better advised to review his coaching technique than alienate his players, not to mention triggering lawsuits. And loss of support from alumni (at least one I know has already reacted poorly to this report).
I wonder how many players will fail to report for practice. And if they do so to confer with attorneys.
Update: Fox Sports has pulled the story. Thanks to Jeffersonian, in comments below, we see that Odom is in damage control mode and is claiming that he only banned the illegal possession of handguns. The previous story was so specific, and even included the context of hunting rifles being allowed that I very much suspect the original report was accurate and that, as expected, alumni and lawyers, pointed out the error of his victim disarming ways.
I had to read this 3 times, before it really sank in. I have a kind of interest in college sports, as I was a former high school football player with college scholarships offered, and I used to follow college football before it went professional.
I tried to think what my reaction would have been if the college that recruited me and that I choose to attend had a coach that came up with this rule. Even as a very young man, I was a strong supporter of freedom and I think that it would have been hard to play for someone who had this as part of his conditions for playing football at that school.
Remember that by the time a young man gets to the college level of sports, in this case football, they have developed a love for the game. I know that I certainly did. I would have been giving up on one school to go to the next one which had offered me considerably less in the way of financial help, but I think that I would have had to have done so.
You see, that is the one thing that I learned from my high school football coach, a former U.S. Marine, and a Vietnam veteran, twice wounded, and now gone early due to his wounds. Athletics, especially at the high school level, but also all the way up to the highest levels of professional sport, are all about character. If you are not true to your character and to what you believe to be right and proper, then you are not only a bad athlete, but you are a bad person.
I hope that Mizzou sees many of it’s players, cheerleaders, and supporters, all show how disappointed they are with this coach and send him packing. Or at the very least, tell him to stick to coaching football, because it is certain that he has no idea how to teach young men about character or responsibility. Not to mention that pesky Constitution.
The Foxsports link appears to be dead, and “mizzou handguns”, “missouri handguns” or “barry odom handguns” return no results in their search function.
Looks like some backpedaling and/or Authorized Journalism occurred:
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/mizzou-clarifies-coach-barry-odom-s-comments-on-team-gun-policy-090116
But actual bans may be more widespread:
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=8085
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/28864/
Summary from here,
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/football-2/mark-stoops-has-one-of-the-strictest-no-handgun-rules-in-the-sec/
Looking at the other responses via @MatthewCStevens, Stoops has one of the strictest no-guns rules in the SEC:
Georgia’s Kirby Smart: Educates players on owning handguns
Florida’s Jim McElwain, Tennessee’s Butch Jones, South Carolina’s Will Muschamp, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn: University policy prohibits guns on campus
Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason: Makes it clear to his players there’s no need for handguns on campus, but has had issues when players arrive on campus or go home for breaks
Arkansas’ Bret Bielema: Allows players to have licensed handguns, mentions popularity of hunting
Missouri’s Barry Odom: Players prohibited from owning a handgun while they are on the team
Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze: No official team policy, but says he would have to distinguish from a hunting rifle and a handgun
Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen: Players not allowed to have handguns
Banning people from attending religious services? Ironically, you’re much more likely to run into a coach who insists that you do, and calls for a prayer before or after the game. The politics of getting onto, and staying on a team being what they are, it’s prudent to agree, even if it’s an obviously christian prayer…and you’re not a christian.
Injuries per 100,000 participants:
Hunting with firearms – 41;
Running/jogging – 72;
Weight lifting – 328;
Exercise activity – 460;
Cheerleading – 1,229;
Tackle football – 5,197.
https://www.nssf.org/PDF/research/IIR_InjuryStatistics2013.pdf
Page 5
Here’s a little more: “Gun Rights Groups Launch Investigation Into Public University and Sports Team Firearm Policies”
http://www.shootingwire.com/story/384382
IMHO with the Supreme Court changing the constitution at will, with the President signing treaties & making law without the Senate or Congress approval, with unelected bureaucrats making law, with Congress giving up the control of the purse strings, etc etc etc the constitution is not being followed so there is no rule of law nor a union or republic any longer.
The kind of man that would leave his guys defenseless is the kind of man that would leave you behind on the battlefield.
“… “You talk about the culture on living the right way and the culture on being a college student-athlete and address it. I believe in being honest and upfront and making sure all the information is provided very, very clearly.”…”
Oh, it’s loud and clear tyrant; “…living the right way…”
Like, living without Jews or Christians or dissent, or choices, or defense. You know, stuff like that, the right way. Loud and clear, pal.
Oh, and why do your players where helmets? Is that the right way? Let’s ask your chief rivals (enemy) if they want you to have pads. SEE! But of course that wouldn’t be fair to leave them defenseless. Do you understand now?
Here is the really bad part. this guy gets it; planning, practice, strategy, power, deception all equal advantage but, it’s just a game. And where it counts, life and death, who cares. he’s a terrible coach if doesn’t understand from whence his penchant for tactics comes and how to apply it across the board. I would fire him, not because of the gun policy, but because he can’t apply basic understanding of himself and others.