Zac Crews - Updated

[argh!]

Mine was displayed all over the front page for my whole family and all of misssoula to see.

As long as it was an inside joke that you and your friend said earlier, and you were dumb enough to not realize it was bad, and if you wanted to do it privately but we’re too dumb to check a box, and if your mom and dad think it was unfair, and you don’t seem very sorry that you did it, you’re just sorry how others took it, I think you’re in the clear as long as someone writes an article about how hard it’s been on you.

good observation.

 

[MiningCityGrizFan]

Bobby is a football coach, not a group therapist. Many current players innermost feelings were at risk. Bobby made the right decision.

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

 

[SoldierGriz]

Bobby is a football coach, not a group therapist. Many current players innermost feelings were at risk. Bobby made the right decision.

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

Spittin' facts! :clap:

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

Spittin' facts! :clap:

Agreed.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Bobby is a football coach, not a group therapist. Many current players innermost feelings were at risk. Bobby made the right decision.

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

So am I misunderstanding that Bobby wanted them to meet him and they(specific members of the team) said they wouldn’t? I thought that’s the story that’s going around.

 

[Spanky2]

Bobby is a football coach, not a group therapist. Many current players innermost feelings were at risk. Bobby made the right decision.

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

Concerns: we know the comments Zac made. What if he made additional negative comments in a group discussion? Some of the existing team players may have pent-up long term feelings that could erupt, especially, if Zac says the wrong thing. Conclusion: a group meeting about something this volatile could destroy the team.

 

[mthoopsfan]

He's definitely sorry that he didn't make the transaction private. UM would have faced way more backlash if they signed him. The cons outweighed the pro. Especially when Hauck has a lot of pressure on him. The out roar from all his haters would have been in full force. None of you remember all the bullshit when he was rehired? Either way this kids family is obviously just butt hurt. Raise your kid better.

This is the only issue I still have with him. We’ve heard atleast 3 or 4 times now from people that are posting like they’re in the know that he’s “sorry that he didn't make the transaction private”. To me that tells me he’s a kid that still doesn’t understand the severity of what he posted. Not wishing he’d have never made a racist post. Just wishing that no one except his friends had seen it.

First, you should just admit that you were wrong on this narrow point. He never said he was sorry that he didn't make the post private. Anyone who has posted that is WRONG.

This is what the article said:

"When Crews made the comment on Venmo, he had no idea it would go public. In fact, Thanksgiving was the first time he realized that such transactions are available to everyone to see, unless you go out of your way to mark it private.”

“I always thought it was a bank transaction,” Zac says. “I didn’t know it was going to be a public thing. I guess now you can’t assume anything on the internet is private.”

"As far as what was on that transaction, Crews cannot defend what he wrote. He can only say that he was making a joke with a friend, and he emphasizes that it was not directed at anyone.”

“When I had it typed out, it wasn’t in reference to an African American,” Zac says. “I wasn’t trying to be racist. Looking back at it, it’s a racist term and a racist comment. We didn’t realize that Venmo was a public thing. My friend and I are really close. I knew he wasn’t going to say anything. It was just between two good friends. Things get said all the time.

“However, that doesn’t make it right to say or OK to say.”

"None of that, of course, makes the comment acceptable. Crews calls the comment “a horrible thing that should have never been said.” He calls it a mistake."

 

[CDAGRIZ]

I understand the criticism of the administration, but they weren't the cause of the situation. If you say racist stuff that offends people, I don't think you get to dictate the terms of how it's handled. Especially when your explanation is basically that you didn't want people to know about it.

I'm sure I'll get crucified for this post, but as someone whose family has been discriminated against based on race, I stand by it. Fin.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

Concerns: we know the comments Zac made. What if he made additional negative comments in a group discussion? Some of the existing team players may have pent-up long term feelings that could erupt, especially, if Zac says the wrong thing. Conclusion: a group meeting about something this volatile could destroy the team.

Here is the thing, these would have been steps to take prior to making any decision by the coaches if they were or weren't going to extend a spot. Just letting Zac have an opportunity to make amends with no promises would have been the better path. The coaches just assumed it would go away if no one talked about it and they could extend the offer down the road.

 

[mthoopsfan]

You have it backwards, from my recollection. He said he was sorry that he didn’t know it was or could have been perceived as racist. He said he didn’t know or realize that it wasn’t private on Venmo.

His contention is he didn’t know what he posted could be perceived as racist? THAT’S his defense and apology??

If true, he’s got no shot in any locker room in America. And probably no shot in any social or business setting either.

His primary defense is that it wasn't intended to be racist and at the time he didn't know it could be viewed as racist. He has also said he didn't know the post would be public.

You and I disagree on what is racist. I say the N word is not racist per se. Lots of people, including Blacks say it. Indians will say the Prairie N word, and that's not racist when said by them. The use of the term, and wether the word or the situation is racist, depends on how it was said, who said, and why.

I agree with this dictionary definition. As a POC, and someone raised where there is/was a lot of racism, I know one hell of a lot more about the subject of racism than you do.

Merriam Webster Dictionary. The definition uses the N word written out. That's an example of the word not being racist per se. It's an insulting term, not a racist term. Everyone doesn't agree on what the word means or its definition.

"Definition of nigger

1 offensive, see usage paragraph below —used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a Black person

2 offensive, see usage paragraph below —used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a member of any dark-skinned race (see RACE entry 1 sense 1a)"

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

I understand the criticism of the administration, but they weren't the cause of the situation. If you say racist stuff that offends people, I don't think you get to dictate the terms of how it's handled. Especially when your explanation is basically that you didn't want people to know about it.

I'm sure I'll get crucified for this post, but as someone whose family has been discriminated against based on race, I stand by it. Fin.

Then why did the coaches drag this decision out for 8 months? If it was indeed an issue with the coaches, they should have taken immediate action. They only took action after the Kaimin stirred up the nest. Doesn't make it look like they handled it very well. I don't think anyone here condones what Zac did, and ultimately, I don't have issue with their decision. The process just seems a little shady.

 

[mthoopsfan]

You have it backwards, from my recollection. He said he was sorry that he didn’t know it was or could have been perceived as racist. He said he didn’t know or realize that it wasn’t private on Venmo.

If he didn’t know it would be perceived as racist he is either stupid or.,,,,,ummm racist. How could you not know it would be perceived as racist.

See my above post on the definition of the N word. Even Merriam Webster dictionary doesn't define the word as racist. There are other views too, like yours.

 

[mthoopsfan]

Bobby is a football coach, not a group therapist. Many current players innermost feelings were at risk. Bobby made the right decision.

No. He didn't. The right decision would have been to allow Zac to address the people who he unintentionally offended. And to address the controversy that was intentionally created when a former Griz player (Keenan Curran) organized the Twitter campaign with Corbin and Akem.

The right thing to do would be to bring everyone together, allow Zac to apologize, and allow Sammy and other players to share their feelings, give them an opportunity to accept Zac's apology, and then come together as a team.

That was the right decision. Instead, Hauck made the easy decision; telling everyone to be quiet and hope it would blow over. Then he threw Zac under the bus when the Kaimin hack used Zac as an excuse to attack Hauck.

There's no guarantee that that approach would have worked. Hauck and coaches obviously thought their strategy was better. It did't work either. I think Crews should have been allowed on the team.

 

[CDAGRIZ]

I understand the criticism of the administration, but they weren't the cause of the situation. If you say racist stuff that offends people, I don't think you get to dictate the terms of how it's handled. Especially when your explanation is basically that you didn't want people to know about it.

I'm sure I'll get crucified for this post, but as someone whose family has been discriminated against based on race, I stand by it. Fin.

Then why did the coaches drag this decision out for 8 months? If it was indeed an issue with the coaches, they should have taken immediate action. They only took action after the Kaimin stirred up the nest. Doesn't make it look like they handled it very well. I don't think anyone here condones what Zac did, and ultimately, I don't have issue with their decision. The process just seems a little shady.

Yep, I don't disagree. I'm just saying a complaint against the way it was handled obfuscates the cause of the handling. There would be no delay about which we can speak if someone didn't say racist things. Giving the administration a bomb and expecting to have them handle it exactly the way I want it handled comes off a tad whiney. That's it.

 

[uofmman1122]

Then why did the coaches drag this decision out for 8 months? If it was indeed an issue with the coaches, they should have taken immediate action. They only took action after the Kaimin stirred up the nest. Doesn't make it look like they handled it very well. I don't think anyone here condones what Zac did, and ultimately, I don't have issue with their decision. The process just seems a little shady.

Yep, I don't disagree. I'm just saying a complaint against the way it was handled obfuscates the cause of the handling. There would be no delay about which we can speak if someone didn't say racist things. Giving the administration a bomb and expecting to have them handle it exactly the way I want it handled comes off a tad whiney. That's it.

Couldn't agree more.

I personally don't care what's "fair" or "unfair" to Zac.

He's 100% responsible for everything here.

 

[MiningCityGrizFan]

Why are you all so worked up over this kid. He may have been a great high-school but there are many as good or better than him you could possibly risk losing by having the perception that the coaches allow racist on the team.

There are a number of reasons why.

Because he's a great kid from a great family who's being drug through the mud by people who don't know what they are talking about.

Becasue he's not racist. He made an terrible joke with no intention of it going beyond his friend or causing offense to anyone.

Short version: Zac and a buddy were duck hunting and all of the ducks his friend shot happened to be black. After they got lunch on the way home, he repaid his buddy on Venmo and used emoji's and jokingly implied his friend was a racist because he only shot black ducks. He admits it was a terribly bad joke and without understanding the context, it looks absolutely terrible. He also didn't realize Venmo messages are public by default. Again, he wasn't trying to be malicious and never intended to hurt or offend anyone.

Because self-righteous hypocrites act as if a lifetime of overwhelmingly postiving actions and behaviors (4.0 student, accomplished athlete, community volunteer, never in trouble at school or with the law, etc.) are all wiped away because he made a really bad joke.

Because the Venmo message was from 2020 and someone saved it and then made sure the screenshot made it's way into the hands of former Griz players who shared the screenshot on Thanksgiving Day of 2021.

Side note: Why isn't anyone asking how Griz players from 2018 and 2019 living in Washington and California got an almost two-year old Venmo screenshot from a high school kid in Montana? That seems like a question an actual journalist might be interested in.

Because he missed out on on the Gatorade POY and the Shrine Game -- He was a lock for both. He also lost out on the fun of signing day and having the Griz announce him as part of their recruiting class. Each of these is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a Montana kid who grew up rooting for the Griz. He missed out on all of it.

Because the pain, embarrassment, and loss he had already experienced at that point should have been more than enough punishment, but Zac - a kid still in high school - had to endure the humiliation of the Kaimin smearing his name to the entire university community in the spring.

Because after all of that, and being told to remain silent by Hauck, and never responding to any of his critics and the unfair, rude, inaccurate and dishonest things being said about him and his family for more than six months, Hauck pulled his scholarship right before he graduated high school.

Those are all of the non-football reasons. There are plenty of football reasons too.

Becasue he's a generational talent that is better than every kid the Griz has signed in this year's class. The Griz were lucky to get him over schools like MSU, NDSU, and Boise State. I think Fresno State may have also been recruiting him, but I could be mistaken.

Because he was the best high school football player in the state for the last two years and allowing him to go to the Cats is beyond stupid.

Because he's a natural leader that players look up to; that's why he asked to speak to the team. A high-school kid asking to address his future college teammates. Talk about guts. He was willing to humble himself and apologize for saying something that hurt them and caused them offense and to ask for their forgiveness and the opportunity to demonstrate the person he truly is.

Becasue he would have been a game changer for the Griz no matter where he played, think Troy Anderson but for the Griz.

Because he likely would have worn #37, been drafted, and eventually been a Griz hall of fame. Yes, he's that good.

Those are some of the reasons I'm so worked up over this kid.

 

[zengriz]

“Earlier in the day when we were duck hunting,” Crews remembers. “It was my first time duck hunting. I had shot my first duck, and that phrase had been said earlier in the day when were duck hunting.”

His quote from the article...pretty disturbing really...what in fact do we know about that duck......

So that explains that his family has raised him using this term. And why do they hate ducks so much?

...they say duck hunting is a sport...
...leaving one to ask the question...
...what the duck thinks about that...

... :wtf: ...

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Why are you all so worked up over this kid. He may have been a great high-school but there are many as good or better than him you could possibly risk losing by having the perception that the coaches allow racist on the team.

There are a number of reasons why.

Because he's a great kid from a great family who's being drug through the mud by people who don't know what they are talking about.

Becasue he's not racist. He made an terrible joke with no intention of it going beyond his friend or causing offense to anyone.

Short version: Zac and a buddy were duck hunting and all of the ducks his friend shot happened to be black. After they got lunch on the way home, he repaid his buddy on Venmo and used emoji's and jokingly implied his friend was a racist because he only shot black ducks. He admits it was a terribly bad joke and without understanding the context, it looks absolutely terrible. He also didn't realize Venmo messages are public by default. Again, he wasn't trying to be malicious and never intended to hurt or offend anyone.

Because self-righteous hypocrites act as if a lifetime of overwhelmingly postiving actions and behaviors (4.0 student, accomplished athlete, community volunteer, never in trouble at school or with the law, etc.) are all wiped away because he made a really bad joke.

Because the Venmo message was from 2020 and someone saved it and then made sure the screenshot made it's way into the hands of former Griz players who shared the screenshot on Thanksgiving Day of 2021.

Side note: Why isn't anyone asking how Griz players from 2018 and 2019 living in Washington and California got an almost two-year old Venmo screenshot from a high school kid in Montana? That seems like a question an actual journalist might be interested in.

Because he missed out on on the Gatorade POY and the Shrine Game -- He was a lock for both. He also lost out on the fun of signing day and having the Griz announce him as part of their recruiting class. Each of these is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a Montana kid who grew up rooting for the Griz. He missed out on all of it.

Because the pain, embarrassment, and loss he had already experienced at that point should have been more than enough punishment, but Zac - a kid still in high school - had to endure the humiliation of the Kaimin smearing his name to the entire university community in the spring.

Because after all of that, and being told to remain silent by Hauck, and never responding to any of his critics and the unfair, rude, inaccurate and dishonest things being said about him and his family for more than six months, Hauck pulled his scholarship right before he graduated high school.

Those are all of the non-football reasons. There are plenty of football reasons too.

Becasue he's a generational talent that is better than every kid the Griz has signed in this year's class. The Griz were lucky to get him over schools like MSU, NDSU, and Boise State. I think Fresno State may have also been recruiting him, but I could be mistaken.

Because he was the best high school football player in the state for the last two years and allowing him to go to the Cats is beyond stupid.

Because he's a natural leader that players look up to; that's why he asked to speak to the team. A high-school kid asking to address his future college teammates. Talk about guts. He was willing to humble himself and apologize for saying something that hurt them and caused them offense and to ask for their forgiveness and the opportunity to demonstrate the person he truly is.

Becasue he would have been a game changer for the Griz no matter where he played, think Troy Anderson but for the Griz.

Because he likely would have worn #37, been drafted, and eventually been a Griz hall of fame. Yes, he's that good.

Those are some of the reasons I'm so worked up over this kid.

So all of these things happened to Zac because of who?

 

[garizzalies]

Then why did the coaches drag this decision out for 8 months? If it was indeed an issue with the coaches, they should have taken immediate action. They only took action after the Kaimin stirred up the nest. Doesn't make it look like they handled it very well. I don't think anyone here condones what Zac did, and ultimately, I don't have issue with their decision. The process just seems a little shady.

Yep, I don't disagree. I'm just saying a complaint against the way it was handled obfuscates the cause of the handling. There would be no delay about which we can speak if someone didn't say racist things. Giving the administration a bomb and expecting to have them handle it exactly the way I want it handled comes off a tad whiney. That's it.

Exactly. I love how all these posters with the power of retrospect are going to tell us the proper way to handle a tar baby. I think Hauck did exactly the right thing. He didn’t create this mess and should not be responsible to fix it or even address it.
So, how do you handle a tar baby??—you don’t! Am I the only one who remembers that nursery tale? You don’t touch it—exactly what BH did—because you can’t set it down. It’s like Coaching 101.
All the posters that wanted ZC to meet with the team—hell no! Are you nuts? You are all assuming it will be sunshine and rainbows and I can guarantee you the opposite. The lame duck explanation would never fly. And there would never be consensus on this issue anyway, so why would you invite unnecessary dissension into the locker room?

 

[alabamagrizzly]

This is the only issue I still have with him. We’ve heard atleast 3 or 4 times now from people that are posting like they’re in the know that he’s “sorry that he didn't make the transaction private”. To me that tells me he’s a kid that still doesn’t understand the severity of what he posted. Not wishing he’d have never made a racist post. Just wishing that no one except his friends had seen it.

First, you should just admit that you were wrong on this narrow point. He never said he was sorry that he didn't make the post private. Anyone who has posted that is WRONG.

This is what the article said:

"When Crews made the comment on Venmo, he had no idea it would go public. In fact, Thanksgiving was the first time he realized that such transactions are available to everyone to see, unless you go out of your way to mark it private.”

“I always thought it was a bank transaction,” Zac says. “I didn’t know it was going to be a public thing. I guess now you can’t assume anything on the internet is private.”

"As far as what was on that transaction, Crews cannot defend what he wrote. He can only say that he was making a joke with a friend, and he emphasizes that it was not directed at anyone.”

“When I had it typed out, it wasn’t in reference to an African American,” Zac says. “I wasn’t trying to be racist. Looking back at it, it’s a racist term and a racist comment. We didn’t realize that Venmo was a public thing. My friend and I are really close. I knew he wasn’t going to say anything. It was just between two good friends. Things get said all the time.

“However, that doesn’t make it right to say or OK to say.”

"None of that, of course, makes the comment acceptable. Crews calls the comment “a horrible thing that should have never been said.” He calls it a mistake."

Ok, that does sound like he’s actually sorry and that he realizes he made a dreadful mistake using a racially charged word. So what do we do when we make mistakes? Learn from them and move on.