University of Texas

[shoothoops]

This is quite the read from the Texas Tribune regarding "Eyes of Texas" school alma mater song.

"It's time for you to put the foot down and make it perfectly clear that the heritage of Texas will not be lost," wrote another donor who graduated in 1986. Their name was also redacted by UT-Austin. "It is sad that it is offending the blacks. As I said before the blacks are free and it's time for them to move on to another state where everything is in their favor."

"At least two people argued that because the Black student population at UT-Austin is small, their voices should not outweigh the larger wishes of the alumni base."

"Less than 6% of our current student body is black," wrote Larry Wilkinson, a donor who graduated in 1970, quoting a statistic UT-Austin officials have stated they’re working to improve. "The tail cannot be allowed to wag the dog….. and the dog must instead stand up for what is right. Nothing forces those students to attend UT Austin. Encourage them to select an alternate school ….NOW!"

Wilkinson reiterated his opinions in an interview with the Tribune. "Everything in life all comes back to money," he said. He said he did not get a personal response to his email from Hartzell, only a generic message that said the song would remain."

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/01/ut-eyes-of-texas-donors-emails/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

All this for a song sung to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad."

This will not help recruiting.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Austin the city is liberal, at least for Texas. UT definitely less so.

Of course it is the old, white dudes arguing that the minority doesn't like racism they should just move on. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Meanwhile a couple hours to the east, there have been protests going on years because there is a statue of a Confederate General (and former Texas Governor and University President) in the middle of the university's main plaza. The comments I have seen regarding that would make the commenters in this UT article blush.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I mean, why don't the black kids at UT just transfer to the University of Liberia?  That's theirs.

(Teal for wades.)

[BrewCity83]

These are the song's lyrics that everyone's fighting over?:

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn --
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
'Til Gabriel blows his horn.

I must be missing something.  Why is that offensive to anyone?

[Galway Eagle]

These are the song's lyrics that everyone's fighting over?:

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn --
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
'Til Gabriel blows his horn.

I must be missing something.  Why is that offensive to anyone?

The words are attributed to the lead general of the Confederacy is my understanding.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

These are the song's lyrics that everyone's fighting over?:

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn --
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
'Til Gabriel blows his horn.

I must be missing something.  Why is that offensive to anyone?

In this case, it's not about the lyrics to this particular song, but the tune that it was written to. It's sung to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad." The children's version we know is pretty clean, but the original version had the n-word in it, multiple references to slavery, cotton bales, etc.

Some people have also stated that the title/line "The Eyes of Texas are upon you" is a reference to a phrase repeated often by General Lee, "The eyes of the South are upon you." I've seen it reported, I don't know what if any historical proof exists to back it up.

[BrewCity83]

In this case, it's not about the lyrics to this particular song, but the tune that it was written to. It's sung to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad." The children's version we know is pretty clean, but the original version had the n-word in it, multiple references to slavery, cotton bales, etc.

Some people have also stated that the title/line "The Eyes of Texas are upon you" is a reference to a phrase repeated often by General Lee, "The eyes of the South are upon you." I've seen it reported, I don't know what if any historical proof exists to back it up.

But none of that stuff is in the Texas song.  The Texas song is something that UT has made its own over the years and is deeply ingrained in the culture of the school.  The words to that Texas song are clearly not offensive.  This is a great example of something that can be seen as offensive only to someone who is really reaching for it.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Here is a good summary.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/ut-austin-eyes-of-texas-song-racist/

I have two thoughts on this:

1. If you get rid of everything in the south that has racist origins, you wouldn't be left with much.  Yes, the title is based on a Lee saying, and yes it was performed at minstrel shows, but the lyrics themselves are creepy...but fine.  And I joked about it earlier, but it is a cool tradition in a sport that's full of them.

2.  That being said, it's just a song.  And the reactions to players not wanting to stand up and sing that song, for whatever reason, are really obscene.  Making players stand up and sing a song they really don't want to sing is dumb.  If you want to sing it in the stands, go ahead!  Make your little longhorn with your hand and hug your wife as your weep for the lost days of your youth.  But if some player from suburban Dallas has no interest, just let it go. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

But none of that stuff is in the Texas song.  The Texas song is something that UT has made its own over the years and is deeply ingrained in the culture of the school.  The words to that Texas song are clearly not offensive.  This is a great example of something that can be seen as offensive only to someone who is really reaching for it.

But they are still playing the song.  The problem is that most of the players don't want to sing it.  And apparently Joe Texas Alum gets mad when the football players don't sing.

[Pakuni]

Speaking of things that won't help recruiting. the Black Coaches United is advising recruits to think twice before committing to schools in Tennessee because the state legislature wants a ban on kneeling during the anthem.

https://sports.yahoo.com/black-coaches-advocacy-group-athletes-tennessee-schools-after-gop-anthem-push-012833570.html

[BrewCity83]

But they are still playing the song.  The problem is that most of the players don't want to sing it.  And apparently Joe Texas Alum gets mad when the football players don't sing.

I hope they can find some middle ground that allows the song to keep playing at games for the alums to sing, but lets the players stay out of it if they don't want to sing it.  Clearly it's dumb to make anyone sing it who doesn't want to (unless it's part of a fraternity hazing, of course).

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

But none of that stuff is in the Texas song.  The Texas song is something that UT has made its own over the years and is deeply ingrained in the culture of the school.  The words to that Texas song are clearly not offensive.  This is a great example of something that can be seen as offensive only to someone who is really reaching for it.

Well, the second paragraph is in the song for sure. And the tune of the song is there. I mean if we put positive lyrics over the top of the Nazi Party Anthem I'm sure we could find fault with that. But I agree in the sense that on my personal Richter scale for offense, this one doesn't register very high.

In general, I'm not a big fan of telling people what they should and shouldn't be offended by. If the football players don't like it and don't want to sing it, I don't think they should be made to.

Either way, some of the responses by the alumni are disgusting.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I hope they can find some middle ground that allows the song to keep playing at games for the alums to sing, but lets the players stay out of it if they don't want to sing it.  Clearly it's dumb to make anyone sing it who doesn't want to (unless it's part of a fraternity hazing, of course).

That was already the middle-ground.  But Coach Sark has said that the entire team will sing.  So there goes the compromise.

[BrewCity83]

I agree it's not a good idea to make anyone sing.  I could see at least making them be present when others are singing it though; the players did choose to attend and accept the scholarship at the UT and when they made their campus visits, I'm sure they were exposed to the song.  If they were so uncomfortable with it, they could have easily chosen to go somewhere where the school song was less offensive.  It's not like some racist song was suddenly sprung upon these unsuspecting students with no warning.

[GooooMarquette]

I agree it's not a good idea to make anyone sing.  I could see at least making them be present when others are singing it though; the players did choose to attend and accept the scholarship at the UT and when they made their campus visits, I'm sure they were exposed to the song.  If they were so uncomfortable with it, they could have easily chosen to go somewhere where the school song was less offensive.  It's not like some racist song was suddenly sprung upon these unsuspecting students with no warning.

I’d bet that many players didn’t even know the words to the school song when they committed. What do you think the odds are that Stevie Mitchell knows the words to Ring Out Ahoya?

[Jockey]

Meanwhile a couple hours to the east, there have been protests going on years because there is a statue of a Confederate General (and former Texas Governor and University President) in the middle of the university's main plaza. The comments I have seen regarding that would make the commenters in this UT article blush.

Certainly not justified - but there is a huge difference between racism and protesting over a statue of a traitor.

[Jockey]

But none of that stuff is in the Texas song.  The Texas song is something that UT has made its own over the years and is deeply ingrained in the culture of the school.  The words to that Texas song are clearly not offensive.  This is a great example of something that can be seen as offensive only to someone who is really reaching for it.

That's right. As white people - we should get to decide what is offensive to minorities. This is America, d*mn it.

[MU82]

I agree it's not a good idea to make anyone sing.  I could see at least making them be present when others are singing it though; the players did choose to attend and accept the scholarship at the UT and when they made their campus visits, I'm sure they were exposed to the song.  If they were so uncomfortable with it, they could have easily chosen to go somewhere where the school song was less offensive.  It's not like some racist song was suddenly sprung upon these unsuspecting students with no warning.

So you believe that before signing a letter of intent, each recruit was told he would have to stand and sing this song, that it was a requirement to being a scholarship football player at UT?

Speaking of things that won't help recruiting. the Black Coaches United is advising recruits to think twice before committing to schools in Tennessee because the state legislature wants a ban on kneeling during the anthem.

https://sports.yahoo.com/black-coaches-advocacy-group-athletes-tennessee-schools-after-gop-anthem-push-012833570.html

Should be "fun" the first time the cops actually try to enforce that law.

Ah, "small gubmint."

[BrewCity83]

I’d bet that many players didn’t even know the words to the school song when they committed. What do you think the odds are that Stevie Mitchell knows the words to Ring Out Ahoya?

Again, what in the lyrics to "The Eyes of Texas" are being seen as offensive? 

[BrewCity83]

So you believe that before signing a letter of intent, each recruit was told he would have to stand and sing this song, that it was a requirement to being a scholarship football player at UT?

I believe a recruit that's interested in attending Texas will have watched many Texas football games and will have witnessed with his own eyes and ears what the players are doing at the games and will have an idea that this would be expected of him.  If singing the song is a requirement to being a scholarship football player at UT, then yes, I do believe that every recruit will have been told this.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I believe a recruit that's interested in attending Texas will have watched many Texas football games and will have witnessed with his own eyes and ears what the players are doing at the games and will have an idea that this would be expected of him.  If singing the song is a requirement to being a scholarship football player at UT, then yes, I do believe that every recruit will have been told this.

So then they get there, learn more about the song and hear some of their teammates bitch about the requirement...and then what.

It's a dumb requirement.  It has nothing to do with football or team building.  It has everything to do with appearances.

[BrewCity83]

So then they get there, learn more about the song and hear some of their teammates bitch about the requirement...and then what.

It's a dumb requirement.  It has nothing to do with football or team building.  It has everything to do with appearances.

I don't disagree with you.  But I also don't disagree with the alumni who want to retain their tradition of singing the song. 

Shouldn't make the players sing it if they don't want to though. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Again, what in the lyrics to "The Eyes of Texas" are being seen as offensive?

It's been explained to you. The line "The Eyes of Texas are upon you" is a reference to a repeated quote by a confederate general. And the tune it is played to has racist origins. You don't find it offensive and that's fine. Others do.