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OMAHA, NEB. – Five Creighton male basketball players explained in a short pre-game video on Saturday why they were hurt by coach Greg McDermott’s remarks in his locker room speech following a loss last weekend.
A sixth player who did not speak in the video, star goaltender Marcus Zegarowski, said after Saturday’s 93-73 win over Butler that even though McDermott made a mistake in his choice of words, he loved and supported all its players.
McDermott has twice used the term “plantation” in his comments calling for team unity. The university suspended McDermott indefinitely on Thursday, after coaching in a Wednesday loss to Villanova. Assistant coach Alan Huss was the interim head coach of the Butler game.
“I need everyone to stay on the plantation. I can’t let anyone leave the plantation,” McDermott told the players after a loss to Xavier on Feb. 27, using a term evocative of slavery and the pre-war period in the south.
The Creighton players had not commented publicly on McDermott’s remarks until five black players spoke in the pre-game video at CHI Health Center Arena.
“James Baldwin has said that not everything that is faced cannot be changed, but nothing can be changed without being faced,” said Bluejays forward Christian Bishop at the start.
Guard Shereef Mitchell then said: “For slaves, life on a plantation was filled with mental, emotional, physical, psychological and sexual abuse. You belonged to the property and not to a human being. neither rights nor voices They were stigmatized like cattle, driven from their homeland and deprived of their culture, language and basic human rights They worked 18 hours a day, six days a week. reprehensible such as lack of productivity, failure to follow instructions or resistance would result in beatings or death and that is why … “
“What Coach Mac said hurt me and my teammates,” said guard Denzel Mahoney.
Guard Antwann Jones then said: “People talk about inequalities and equalities but don’t really know what it means to be equal. And I feel like this is the start of a new conversation to have in the future. Let’s continue to educate everyone. other, and keep growing. “
Forward Damien Jefferson said, “If I were your son, would that matter? Let’s disagree with racism. Let’s start the conversation.”
The video ended in silence, with all of Creighton’s players stranded arm in arm on the pitch.
Next, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, also known as the Black National Anthem, was played.
Neither team was on the pitch for the national anthem.
Zegarowski, spontaneously, praised McDermott for the impact he has had on him since arriving on campus and that the coach’s remarks in the locker room shouldn’t define him.
“A lot of the guys in that locker room were suffering from it, and I was suffering from what he said,” Zegarowski said. “At the same time, Coach Mac has been a huge mentor to me, and I know he would take a ball for me and everyone in that locker room, including the coaching staff.
“I know he made a very big mistake with what he said. Only I know everything he did for me as a player, but more importantly as a human being. loves, he loves everyone in that locker room. He’s my trainer; I love this guy. People make mistakes, and he’s my guy. “
McDermott apologized publicly on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.
Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen said additional penalties were under consideration, none of which would be made public.
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