DePaul Fans & Grads

[Razor]

My wife attended the 3rd game of the NIT Tournament between Air Force and DePaul last evening at the Air Force Academy. Before the game began, both teams were on the floor for warm-ups, and then for announcing the starters, as usual. However, when Air Force started lining up on the sidelines in preparation for the playing of the National Anthem, the DePaul team--players, coaches, managers, everyone--quickly left the floor, heading back in the direction of their locker room. They were absent for the entire song, but came back out once the roar from the crowd following the song subsided. My wife was stunned a team would do that, and asked her friend what that was all about. Her friend, an AF season ticket holder, told her a number of teams have done that this season, and in previous seasons, to intentionally show disrepect to the AF team. Apparently, these coaches and players are too stupid to understand to whom they're really showing disrespect. On a more uplifting note, she said that not only did the walls reverberate from the volume with which the crowd sang the National Anthem, the crowd just as loudly booed the DePaul team when they reimerged. That, and Air Force won.

Any of you with any sort of ties to DePaul University, and especially those with ties to the basketball team, need to express any feelings you have over this stunt to the university leadership. Is this the face of DePaul you want people to see and remember? Is a coach that condones this type of behavior providing the type of leadership we want our young adults to receive?

[Sdiver]

Holy Crap !!!!

Being from Chicago, I used to go to a few De Paul games. I can tell you know, I WILL NEVER GO TO A DE PAUL GAME AGAIN, and will rightly BOO them if I am at ANY game to which THEY are the visiting team.

Razor,
Mind if I cut and past this off to a few friends still stuck back in Chi-town? I think they'd be in the same boat as me, after reading this.

[Razor]

Go right ahead. I shot off an e-mail to the university president; haven't heard back yet.

[The Reaper]

Dear Reverend Holtschneider:

I was tremendously disappointed the other night to see your Men's Basketball team walk off the court and sit out the National Anthem.

This is incredibly disrespectful to a country that affords us the religious and political freedom that this one does. I cannot see what purpose this action serves, other than to show disdain for the United States of America or your opponents, but it does clearly demonstrate for me the total lack of respect and consideration that your employees and representatives choose to display, apparently with your approval.

I suppose that it is the right of your sudent-athletes and staff to behave in this immature manner, just as it is my right to inform my children who are approaching college age that DePaul will not be on the list of schools that I will consider paying for them to attend.

It is a real shame to see the representatives of such a formerly renowned and fine institution of higher learning behave so disgracefully and disrespectfully. I am relieved that I weill not have to witness it again this year.

This action reflects more clearly on your institution and personnel than it does on any external cause or issue.

Regretfully Yours-

TR

[Monsoon65]

Intentionally show disrespect to the AF?

Now, of course, we all know what would have happened had the AF players did something along those lines.

I'll just have to put DePaul on the long list of shitbird colleges I'll make sure my nieces don't attend.

Thanks for the heads up. Hope you enjoyed the game . Go Air Force!

[Leozinho]

Razor,

PM sent.

[The Reaper]

Reply received from DePaul Director of Athletics. Frankly, I was surprised at that.

They are stating that AFA failed to follow the NCAA tournament protocols. Could the AFA be at fault for deviating from the protocols?

Since I wasn't there, can someone who was tell me if this is, in fact what transpired? It certainly sounds plausible, and might be why "a number of teams have done that this season, and in previous seasons, to intentionally show disrepect to the AF team. "

TR

"Dear Mr. R,

I’m writing in response to your email sent on March 23 to Father Dennis Holtschneider, President, DePaul University. First, let me state that your characterization of the DePaul Men’s Basketball Team, “walked off the court and sat out the National Anthem” is a misrepresentation of the situation as the team and coaches did not walk off the court during the playing of the National Anthem. The team and coaches left the court at the 10 minute mark and returned at the 4 minute mark (as they had done for all previous games this season). The National Anthem was played at the 7 minute mark.

The DePaul University Men’s Basketball Team and coaching staff were not acting disrespectfully, they were however following the NCAA’s protocol that is used for all rounds of all NCAA Championship events (the NIT is a Championship event) which is for teams to go to their respective benches at the 0:00 mark, proceed to the free throw line extended attentively for the National Anthem followed by the teams and coaches shaking hands, followed by team introductions. At the time the National Anthem was played, our team was having their pre game meeting as the protocol would dictate. Many NCAA Division 1 conferences have adopted the same format so that there is no change for teams when they enter the post season. I can only assume that games management at the AFA was unaware of this standard use of this protocol and opted to use another format. At the time my Associate Athletic Director who is retired from the military this past summer as a Navy Commander (0-5) and was accompanying our team on this trip noted to me that it was unusual for one of the Academies to not follow standard protocol. As the games manager for our first round hosting of the NIT, he was perplexed by this action. He had met the AFA Operations Director the day before the game and no such deviation of the protocol was noted.

While we assumed there was no disrespectful intent on anyone’s part to us as the visiting team to play the National Anthem other than when the protocol dictated, likewise, there was no disrespectful intent on DePaul University’s part when we followed the protocol. I trust this serves as clarification.

Sincerely,

Jean Lenti Ponsetto
Director of Athletics
DePaul University
Chicago, IL 60614"

[Monsoon65]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Reply received from DePaul Director of Athletics. Frankly, I was surprised at that.....

I got the same reply from them yesterday. I was surprised myself. Not sure about the game rules and whatnot; I was wondering if someone was deviating, too.