NCAA Football Star Says He's Boycotting Team Over Coach's Shirt
UPDATE, June 16, 2020: After the publication of this article, Gundy and Hubbard addressed the controversy together in a video posted to Twitter. We have updated this article to include the video and their comments.
Oklahoma State star running back Chuba Hubbard on Monday launched an attack against head coach Mike Gundy’s choice of T-shirts by saying he would refuse to play for the team because of a picture that showed Gundy wearing a shirt with the logo of a network Hubbard does not like.
Hubbard ran for more than 2,000 yards and scored 21 touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2019, making him an All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, according to KFOR-TV.
“I will not stand for this.. This is completely insensitive to everything going on in society, and it’s unacceptable. I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE,” Hubbard tweeted, sharing an image of Gundy wearing a T-shirt with the logo of the One America News Network, a conservative alternative to the mainstream media.
I will not stand for this.. This is completely insensitive to everything going on in society, and it’s unacceptable. I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE. https://t.co/psxPn4Khoq
— Chuba Hubbard (@Hubbard_RMN) June 15, 2020
ESPN reported that some commentators on the network “have been critical of the Black Lives Matter movement, which Hubbard has repeatedly shared his support of on social media.”
A chain reaction of tweets followed by current and former players.
As an O-line we stand and support Chuba https://t.co/5zau9yTpCF
— maybe: tev (@TevenJenkins) June 15, 2020
I stand with him! https://t.co/WWOs2ALxml
— Amen Ogbongbemiga (@closedprayer) June 15, 2020
OSU Athletics and University need major change. 100% support brotha https://t.co/2JquXm3aPe
— Justice Hill (@jhill21_) June 15, 2020
Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis then issued a statement amid silence on the part of Gundy.
“I hear and respect the concerns expressed by our Black student-athletes,” Hargis said. “This is a time for unity of purpose to confront racial inequities and injustice. We will not tolerate insensitive behavior by anyone at Oklahoma State.”
I hear and respect the concerns expressed by our Black student-athletes. This is a time for unity of purpose to confront racial inequities and injustice. We will not tolerate insensitive behavior by anyone at Oklahoma State.
— Burns Hargis (@burnshargis) June 15, 2020
Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder released a statement later Monday calling the comments from players “of grave concern.”
Some pushed back about the rush to judgment.
Just so I understand.. football players are freaking out because a guy wore an @OANN shirt? What? https://t.co/5PiMboRZU0
What? @ChanelRion @Liz_Wheeler @JackPosobiec— Joe Pags Pagliarulo (@JoeTalkShow) June 15, 2020
You won’t stand for a guy wearing a t-shirt you don’t like? Do you think you should be the one dressing him every morning? I mean the narcissism is off the charts. Good Lord.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 15, 2020
Oklahoma State football star Chuba Hubbard is boycotting the program because head coach Mike Gundy wore an OAN t-shirt.
Welcome to sports in 2020. We now boycott because a coach wore a t-shirt a player didn’t like.
This country is going insane. https://t.co/ZReybpgEN9
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) June 15, 2020
One commentator at the network cheered on Gundy.
What a great shirt! ??? https://t.co/HrNE92baiF
— Jenn Pellegrino OAN ?? (@JennPellegrino) June 15, 2020
In April, Gundy talked about the media’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and cited One America News, according to a transcript of his comments posted by The Oklahoman.
“It was really interesting to me to see with the mainstream media, sadly enough, just how negative everybody can be. And let’s just report the news. Let’s start putting some things in there that are positive, because I know there’s positive out there. I’ve talked to people that are working in the medical field, they’re hands-on, they’re in these hospitals, they’re in these doctors’ offices, they’re seeing us recover from this. We’re not hearing any of that,” he said.
“And so my personal opinion is from the mainstream media, I’m a little disappointed in all the negativity, for whatever reason. I don’t know if it’s politically driven or not. But I think it’s time to start talking about some of the positives of what the people are doing to make it better, and the medical support and the reading in the study and the emergency release of the FDA products to try to get some drugs back to help people.
“So, that’s my personal opinion. Everybody has a right to an opinion. My opinion is let’s start getting some of the positive things out as we continue to fight this. Now, I know medical professions have to keep the danger out there so people will stay home. I’m not disagreeing with that. But I just haven’t been real happy with the mainstream media and the way they’ve handled that,” he continued.
“I tell you what’s funny is, I was flipping through stations. I found one — I don’t even know if anybody knows about this — it’s called OAN. It’s One America News. And it was so refreshing. They just report the news. There’s no commentary. There’s no opinions on this. There’s no left. There’s no right. They just reported the news. And I’ve been watching them the last week, because they’ve given us the news and given us more information — in my opinion — some of the positives are coming out. So, that was refreshing,” he said.
Hubbard tweeted a video late Monday in which he and Gundy stood together and addressed the controversy. “Change is coming I promise you that,” Hubbard wrote.
Change is coming I promise you that. pic.twitter.com/wTGHtByh3N
— Chuba Hubbard (@Hubbard_RMN) June 15, 2020
“In light of today’s tweet with the T-shirt I was wearing, I met with some players and realized that it’s a very sensitive issue with what’s going on in today’s society,” Gundy said in the video. “And so, we had a great meeting and was made aware of some things that players feel like can make our organization or our culture even better than it is here at Oklahoma State. And I’m looking forward to making some changes, and it starts at the top with me. And we got good days ahead.”
Hubbard followed up with an apology.
“I’ll start off first by saying that I went about it the wrong way by tweeting,” he said. “I’m not someone that has to tweet something to make change. I should have went to him as a man. And I’m all about passion. So that was bad on my part. But from now on, we’re gonna focus on bringing change, and that’s the most important thing.”
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