Brian Cushing Clay Matthews "White nation"

[Muhast]

...wow, even if its a "joke"

http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/facebook-group-lands-usc-football-player-in-hot-water-1.206854

An inside joke on the USC football team went awry when a Facebook group sparked outrage among students.
The racist Facebook group was created by a USC football player and showed a graphic of a black baby in handcuffs. An athletic department source said the group was a joke and had no serious purpose.
Junior linebacker Clay Matthews created the group, "White Nation," which featured a graphic with the caption, "arrest black babies before they become criminals."
Teammates David Buehler, Brian Cushing, Dan Deckas and Dallas Sartz joined the group.
"This group is not for the faint of heart," read the group's description. "All members are athletes of Caucasion (sic) descent. DISCLAIMER: In no way are the following memebers (sic) intolerant of others, we are just doing our duty of protecting the Arian (sic) brotherhood."
An athletic department source who wished to remain anonymous said the group was a joke and had no serious purpose.
The "joke" began when a black football player nicknamed some of his teammates "White Nation," the source said.
Stefanie Gopaul, a freshman majoring in psychology, discovered the group through her Facebook friendship with Sartz and Cushing and sent private messages to both, expressing her concern.
"Dallas Sartz said that White Nation is a joke on the team and that he's not like that," Gopaul said. "I was still really upset about it."
Gopaul created the Facebook group, " Clay Matthews (USC football player) expresses anti-black sentiment," and invited all of her Facebook friends to join.
"I honestly thought (Sartz and Cushing) were taking me as a joke," Gopaul said. "I posted the group so that they would know that (the White Nation group) is inappropriate."
The group received a strong response, at one time having as many as 90 members, and students expressed their outrage on the group message board and in personal messages to Gopaul.
"I received some very upset comments," Gopaul said. "A high school student wrote to me and said he wanted to go to 'SC next year and that he was glad I created the group and that it made him look at the school differently."
Football player Sedrick Ellis sent Gopaul a message explaining that "White Nation" is an inside joke on the team and that Matthews is not racist.
"My goal was that the picture and group be taken down," Gopaul said. "Even though you have this inside joke, it shouldn't be brought to Facebook because people will see it who aren't in on it."
Gopaul said she then received a message from Matthews.
"At first, Clay Matthews sounded a bit upset with me, and understandably so," Gopaul said. "But he was very nice in his second letter once I explained my intentions and actions to him."
Matthews said that another person posted the picture, and he was unsure of how to delete the group, Gopaul said.
He also wrote a formal apology to the members of "Clay Matthews (USC football player) expresses anti-black sentiment."
"He told us that he immediately went online to explain it and apologize, and to say this is not indicative of his or the team's attitude," said Tim Tessalone, director of sports information.
"We talked to him about how something done without serious intent could be perceived in a negative light and he agreed; he felt badly for his poor judgment, and he quickly moved to correct it."
A source from the athletic department said Matthew's apology said he was sorry, and that the group was not serious and had no racist intent. He also said his roommate and best friend are black and said that it was poor judgment on his part to create the group.
"As the creator of a group, it's your responsibility to watch what is posted on there," Gopaul said. "I feel like he's at least a lot more aware of what is and isn't OK."
Gopaul agreed to delete her group within two days of Matthew's apology on Feb. 14.
"I really do believe that it was a joke," Gopaul said. "Racial tension is already here at 'SC, and a lot of people were upset that he wasn't punished. I was never out to punish him, but a lot of students who saw the group wanted that."
Dinah Manning, a former member of the "Clay Matthews" group and a junior majoring in philosophy, said football players should be mindful of their status as public figures.
"The football players are ambassadors of our university," Manning said. "It is offensive that they could blindly espouse hateful language and demeaning images. If it was meant to be a joke, it was careless and in bad taste."
When Matthews left the "White Nation" Facebook group, he gave up his ability to delete the group; an administrator must manually remove each member to delete the group.
Matthew James Hodgson, a senior from Occidental College, now runs the group and said he plans on using the group to educate people about the ignorance of racism.
"(My friends and I joined) because we did not agree with the white supremacist sentiment of the group," Hodgson said. "We wanted to make the other people feel uncomfortable. I assumed control of the group with the intention to continue this process and make it known that this kind of group is unacceptable."
The membership includes three Occidental students and five other members from regional or high school networks nationwide. No USC students remain in the group.
"I didn't expect Facebook to have the impact it had," Gopaul said. "I honestly just wanted people at USC to see the (White Nation) group. … I knew if I used Facebook, people would at least see it."
Buehler, Cushing, Deckas, Ellis, Matthews and Sartz all declined to comment for this article.

 

[Verdict]

...wow, even if its a "joke"

http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/facebook-group-lands-usc-football-player-in-hot-water-1.206854

An inside joke on the USC football team went awry when a Facebook group sparked outrage among students.
The racist Facebook group was created by a USC football player and showed a graphic of a black baby in handcuffs. An athletic department source said the group was a joke and had no serious purpose.
Junior linebacker Clay Matthews created the group, "White Nation," which featured a graphic with the caption, "arrest black babies before they become criminals."
Teammates David Buehler, Brian Cushing, Dan Deckas and Dallas Sartz joined the group.
"This group is not for the faint of heart," read the group's description. "All members are athletes of Caucasion (sic) descent. DISCLAIMER: In no way are the following memebers (sic) intolerant of others, we are just doing our duty of protecting the Arian (sic) brotherhood."
An athletic department source who wished to remain anonymous said the group was a joke and had no serious purpose.
The "joke" began when a black football player nicknamed some of his teammates "White Nation," the source said.
Stefanie Gopaul, a freshman majoring in psychology, discovered the group through her Facebook friendship with Sartz and Cushing and sent private messages to both, expressing her concern.
"Dallas Sartz said that White Nation is a joke on the team and that he's not like that," Gopaul said. "I was still really upset about it."
Gopaul created the Facebook group, " Clay Matthews (USC football player) expresses anti-black sentiment," and invited all of her Facebook friends to join.
"I honestly thought (Sartz and Cushing) were taking me as a joke," Gopaul said. "I posted the group so that they would know that (the White Nation group) is inappropriate."
The group received a strong response, at one time having as many as 90 members, and students expressed their outrage on the group message board and in personal messages to Gopaul.
"I received some very upset comments," Gopaul said. "A high school student wrote to me and said he wanted to go to 'SC next year and that he was glad I created the group and that it made him look at the school differently."
Football player Sedrick Ellis sent Gopaul a message explaining that "White Nation" is an inside joke on the team and that Matthews is not racist.
"My goal was that the picture and group be taken down," Gopaul said. "Even though you have this inside joke, it shouldn't be brought to Facebook because people will see it who aren't in on it."
Gopaul said she then received a message from Matthews.
"At first, Clay Matthews sounded a bit upset with me, and understandably so," Gopaul said. "But he was very nice in his second letter once I explained my intentions and actions to him."
Matthews said that another person posted the picture, and he was unsure of how to delete the group, Gopaul said.
He also wrote a formal apology to the members of "Clay Matthews (USC football player) expresses anti-black sentiment."
"He told us that he immediately went online to explain it and apologize, and to say this is not indicative of his or the team's attitude," said Tim Tessalone, director of sports information.
"We talked to him about how something done without serious intent could be perceived in a negative light and he agreed; he felt badly for his poor judgment, and he quickly moved to correct it."
A source from the athletic department said Matthew's apology said he was sorry, and that the group was not serious and had no racist intent. He also said his roommate and best friend are black and said that it was poor judgment on his part to create the group.
"As the creator of a group, it's your responsibility to watch what is posted on there," Gopaul said. "I feel like he's at least a lot more aware of what is and isn't OK."
Gopaul agreed to delete her group within two days of Matthew's apology on Feb. 14.
"I really do believe that it was a joke," Gopaul said. "Racial tension is already here at 'SC, and a lot of people were upset that he wasn't punished. I was never out to punish him, but a lot of students who saw the group wanted that."
Dinah Manning, a former member of the "Clay Matthews" group and a junior majoring in philosophy, said football players should be mindful of their status as public figures.
"The football players are ambassadors of our university," Manning said. "It is offensive that they could blindly espouse hateful language and demeaning images. If it was meant to be a joke, it was careless and in bad taste."
When Matthews left the "White Nation" Facebook group, he gave up his ability to delete the group; an administrator must manually remove each member to delete the group.
Matthew James Hodgson, a senior from Occidental College, now runs the group and said he plans on using the group to educate people about the ignorance of racism.
"(My friends and I joined) because we did not agree with the white supremacist sentiment of the group," Hodgson said. "We wanted to make the other people feel uncomfortable. I assumed control of the group with the intention to continue this process and make it known that this kind of group is unacceptable."
The membership includes three Occidental students and five other members from regional or high school networks nationwide. No USC students remain in the group.
"I didn't expect Facebook to have the impact it had," Gopaul said. "I honestly just wanted people at USC to see the (White Nation) group. … I knew if I used Facebook, people would at least see it."
Buehler, Cushing, Deckas, Ellis, Matthews and Sartz all declined to comment for this article.

I wonder if Stefanie Gopaul created a web page denouncing the NAACP (whose presumed purpose is to advance only people of color) or the Miss Black America Beauty pagent? I think people of all colors should learn to tolerate others and not discriminate against others because of race. I see the NAACP as racist group which is no different than whites discriminating against people of color. Then again, I am probably in the minority.

 

[28 Joker]

If these two guys did this, they are idiots. I've already seen the story.

Where is their common sense?

I wouldn't draft them.

That is way out of line and not funny at all.

Playing it off as a "joke" is weak, imo. If that is their idea of a joke, they are missing something in regards to character, or they are just stupid.

That is unacceptable.

I don't want idiots on my team.

 

[dmoore]

I wonder if Stefanie Gopaul created a web page denouncing the NAACP (whose presumed purpose is to advance only people of color) or the Miss Black America Beauty pagent? I think people of all colors should learn to tolerate others and not discriminate against others because of race. I see the NAACP as racist group which is no different than whites discriminating against people of color. Then again, I am probably in the minority.

You sir, are in the minority and rightfully so. The purpose of the NAACP is to advance the rights of a protected class of individuals. They wouldn't be a protect class if they were historically discriminated. They're not trying to put themselves ahead at the expense of whites.

If these two guys did this, they are idiots. I've already seen the story.

Where is their common sense?

I wouldn't draft them.

That is way out of line and not funny at all.

Playing it off as a "joke" is weak, imo. If that is their idea of a joke, they are missing something in regards to character, or they are just stupid.

That is unacceptable.

I don't want idiots on my team.

While I don't think it's funny, I don't have a problem with it. I use my facebook to mess around with friends. I might have some stuff on my profile or be in a group that some people might find offensive. However, if someone finds it offensive they probably aren't really my friend and I don't care what they think. That chick was just trying to out some football players and get some attention for herself. When you look at the number of people in the group, it's obvious that it wasn't a big deal or have any effect on the University. If I go to USC, I'm more embarrassed that our school paper thinks that's a story than what facebook group a couple of football players are in.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

You sir, are in the minority and rightfully so. The purpose of the NAACP is to advance the rights of a protected class of individuals. They wouldn't be a protect class if they were historically discriminated. They're not trying to put themselves ahead at the expense of whites.

noone is suppressing African-American rights

 

[ejthedj]

noone is suppressing African-American rights

Right, what country do you live in? Sweden?

 

[WoodysGirl]

More On The Clay Matthews “White Nation” Issue
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2009, 12:30 p.m.

Our recent dusting off of the whole “White Nation” Facebook controversy involving two former USC players in the current NFL draft class prompted coverage of the issue by various major outlets.

So we’re compelled to present the other side of the story with some facts we have picked up since posting the initial story.

For starters, it appears clear to us that the whole thing was a joke. Though it wasn’t the kind of joke that will result in Stu Chermak or Jay Crespi suggesting a possible pilot with NBC, it was a joke.

As we now understand it, the “White Nation” label was given to the white special teams players by assistant USC coach Todd McNair, who is black.

Matthews’ former roommate at USC and one of his best friends is Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers, who is black.

Matthews’ long-time girlfriend is black.

Finally, and as several readers have pointed out, Matthews’ wouldn’t have survived for two years in a locker room including multiple black players if Matthews were a closet racist.

So while the joke was in our view stupid and unfunny, it wasn’t the product of a racist mindset. And it shouldn’t affect Matthews’ draft stock.

Unless a team is trying to replace the in-house comedian who signed elsewhere during free agency.

 

[Rampage]

:laugh1: it's just a joke that got blown out of perportion.

 

[Verdict]

You sir, are in the minority and rightfully so. The purpose of the NAACP is to advance the rights of a protected class of individuals. They wouldn't be a protect class if they were historically discriminated. They're not trying to put themselves ahead at the expense of whites.QUOTE]


If there was a National Association for the Advancement of White People, would it not be considered racist? If there was a White Miss America Pageant, would it not be also considered racist, as well? You have your biased rose colored glasses on. Likewise, now that a Black man has been elected President of the United States (in which he was obviously well liked by the Caucasian voters as well,) why are affirmative action laws still on the books?

The Rooney Rule was intended to give Black coaches a better opportunity, largely because the coaching circle was mostly white and did not match up with the demographics of the U.S. population. If there was an initiative to get more white players, to more closely match demographics, there would be public outcry.

Lets face it, racism is racism. Minorities love to play that card when it works in their favor, but you never hear the same minorities complain when it works in their favor. Racism is racism. You can't paint both pictures and say one is racism and one is not, simply because the racism happens to what you call a "non protected class". If I was Black, I would be insulted by affirmative action, because it is like going to a basketball game and someone saying they will spot you points because you suck.

 

[Verdict]

If it was a private joke among friends, and none of the participating parties were offended, then it was no one else's business. Moreover, if it was a joke, the young man, by appologizing, bowed to political correctnesss.

Keep in mind that this great Nation (United States) (Not Aryan Nation-LOL) was founded on the principle of freedom of speech. Politial correctness is destrying that principle and silencing a "majority".

 

[Verdict]

Right, what country do you live in? Sweden?

Explain who are suppressing African American's rights, and specifically how they are doing so? I'd say we are all in this same mess together.

If you are gonna hold a grudge against someone because of what their great great great grandparents did, then, I'd say you need to find something more constructive to do with your time. When anyone blames someone else for his or her position in life, even if the facts you allege are true, it does little if anything, to help out your current situation.

 

[28 Joker]

More On The Clay Matthews “White Nation” Issue
Posted by Mike Florio on April 19, 2009, 12:30 p.m.

Our recent dusting off of the whole “White Nation” Facebook controversy involving two former USC players in the current NFL draft class prompted coverage of the issue by various major outlets.

So we’re compelled to present the other side of the story with some facts we have picked up since posting the initial story.

For starters, it appears clear to us that the whole thing was a joke. Though it wasn’t the kind of joke that will result in Stu Chermak or Jay Crespi suggesting a possible pilot with NBC, it was a joke.

As we now understand it, the “White Nation” label was given to the white special teams players by assistant USC coach Todd McNair, who is black.

Matthews’ former roommate at USC and one of his best friends is Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers, who is black.

Matthews’ long-time girlfriend is black.

Finally, and as several readers have pointed out, Matthews’ wouldn’t have survived for two years in a locker room including multiple black players if Matthews were a closet racist.

So while the joke was in our view stupid and unfunny, it wasn’t the product of a racist mindset. And it shouldn’t affect Matthews’ draft stock.

Unless a team is trying to replace the in-house comedian who signed elsewhere during free agency.

Again, I don't want immature, dumb players. Where is the common sense?
That is far worse than what Martellus Bennett did, imo. You talk about making a team look bad....

It may have been a "joke" to them and their teammates, but that kind of stuff isn't anything to be joked about. It gives you a glimpse into their heads. They need to grow up. I don't want 15 year olds on my team.

It speaks to their maturity and character, imo. They may not be racists, but they went over the line. You don't have to be a racist in order to act like an immature 15 year old.

The fact that they would go that far, speaks to their maturity. The fact that they put it on the internet, speaks to their common sense.

We can talk privacy or freedom of speech, but just because it comes out of your mouth or out of your keyboard doesn't give you a free pass.

If I'm a GM, I'm asking myself this:

Why do they think this is funny?

Why did they put it on the internet for the world to see?

Do they know their "jokes" or "fun" can embarrass the team.

Do you think Flozell Adams would apporve of this?

He might sock you right in the face.

Just my opinion.

 

[jimmy40]

some people sure work hard to be offended.

 

[dmoore]

If you pass on either players because of this, you don't deserve to be running an NFL franchise, and you probably won't be for long. This isn't a story, as much as people try to make it into one.

I just found a facebook group I created in 2005. If you didn't know who was involved and that it was all a joke, people could easily have gotten offended. However looking back at it, it's one of the funniest things I've ever done, and me and my friends had a blast with it.

 

[WarDaddy]

some people sure work hard to be offended.

This Facebook group would have been a non-issue without the Picture and the Caption.


How is a black baby in handcuffs not offensive? That can't be explained away.

 

[DFWJC]

If these two guys did this, they are idiots. I've already seen the story.

Where is their common sense?

I wouldn't draft them.

That is way out of line and not funny at all.

Playing it off as a "joke" is weak, imo. If that is their idea of a joke, they are missing something in regards to character, or they are just stupid.

That is unacceptable.

I don't want idiots on my team.

I don't believe they did. If so, I'm sure those guys aren't racists....just idiots trying to be funny with an idea that is so far fetched to them that they think they can make a joke of it. Uh, bad idea that could be costly. It it out of the question to be racist.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

This Facebook group would have been a non-issue without the Picture and the Caption.

How is a black baby in handcuffs not offensive? That can't be explained away.

No kidding. Even if you accept they were "joking", who thinks that's funny?

This is absolutely shameful. I just can't believe these guys would do this. And it's even worse that USC officially tried to excuse it instead of publicly raking them over the coals. That amazes me in these PC times and I can't believe it's not a bigger story.

This screams to me that these are typical big-time college players who've been the BMOC their whole lives and have always lived in that bubble where they've constantly been told how wonderful they are and have always had people cover up their mistakes and make excuses for them. They obviously don't comprehend what the outside world is like. Sad.