Frank's Statement

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Frank's Statement

Post by Aggie19 » December 13th, 2020, 1:40 pm

Didn't see this posted elsewhere:

"As all college football fans likely know by now, Utah State University’s final game of the season was cancelled yesterday after USU football players chose not to play in protest of something they feel very strongly about: discrimination and bias,” the statement read.

“It is my understanding — from members of the team leadership council who attended a meeting with Utah State President Noelle Cockett and Athletic Director John Hartwell — that I was not ultimately considered for the position of head coach at Utah State (my beloved alma mater) because of concerns that my religion and Pacific Islander culture would negatively impact the University’s future football program. I have twice served as interim head coach and have gone through the interview process but was not notified of a formal hiring decision until after Noelle Cockett and John Hartwell met with the team.

“As disheartened as I am to learn that this kind of religious and cultural bias exists (because I am Polynesian) at Utah State University, I am equally heart-broken for my players – many of whom are seniors who were preparing for the last game of their collegiate experience. I want to express my upmost respect and admiration for their decision to stand up for what they believe in — and I’m truly honored that they would stand up for me.

“As we move forward, it is important to me to protect both the institution and players that I love. My only hope for this painful and unfortunate situation, is that it will be a positive step in our community’s anti-discrimination journey. To accomplish this, Utah State University Trustees should demand a thorough and independent investigation of religious, cultural and racial discrimination throughout the Utah State University.”


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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by captain68 » December 13th, 2020, 1:44 pm

Whelp, there goes any hope of getting any Polynesian recruits for a while.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by hickaggie » December 13th, 2020, 1:45 pm

I smell a lawsuit.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by TrueAG » December 13th, 2020, 1:45 pm

Wow! Scorched earth



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Turtle » December 13th, 2020, 1:46 pm

He seems to really play up the Polynesian aspect when that didn't seem apparent from the player's statement. I thought it was mostly a religious issue.
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by hickaggie » December 13th, 2020, 1:47 pm

Turtle wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 1:46 pm
He seems to really play up the Polynesian aspect when that didn't seem apparent from the player's statement. I thought it was mostly a religious issue.
Playing up both is important here. This statement was not written by him.
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by ineptimusprime » December 13th, 2020, 1:49 pm

:anonymous:

Wow. Just wow. Hope someone was recording that Zoom call.

Also, to whatever lawyer wrote this, the word is “utmost,” not “upmost.”



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by GaAggie » December 13th, 2020, 1:50 pm

He learns of this "bias" from what his players told him but apparently not from his own observations?

“As disheartened as I am to learn that this kind of religious and cultural bias exists (because I am Polynesian) at Utah State University,...."
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Aggie84025 » December 13th, 2020, 1:51 pm

We can probably kiss our poly pipeline goodby. Whether the reports are true or not, this will for sure hamper our ability to bring in poly players and other players of diverse background.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by TrueAG » December 13th, 2020, 1:52 pm

Frank better hope he gets a good payout on a settlement because if I'm an AD, I wouldn't touch the guy.
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by captain68 » December 13th, 2020, 1:55 pm

It will hamper Polynesian recruiting no matter how this ends up. the Polynesian community is so close knit that they will take Frank’s word over Noelle’s word anyway. This will hurt recruiting for several years to come.
Last edited by captain68 on December 13th, 2020, 1:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Sl7vk » December 13th, 2020, 1:58 pm

Frank is going to burn down the house as suspected.
All the talk of him being a great Aggie, blah blah blah....
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by rAggie » December 13th, 2020, 2:02 pm

He's calling for an independent investigation, well, good thing the Board of Trustees announced yesterday they were ordering an independent investigation.


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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by ineptimusprime » December 13th, 2020, 2:04 pm

captain68 wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 1:55 pm
It will hamper Polynesian recruiting no matter how this ends up because the Polynesian community is so close knit that they will take Frank’s word over Noelle’s word anyway. This will hurt recruiting for several years to come.
About the only thing that could help is a recording of the Zoom meeting that exonerates Cockett.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Aggie84025 » December 13th, 2020, 2:09 pm

The part that bugs me is where he says that it pains him to learn that there is this cultural band religious bias at USU. Frank has been at USU for like 12 of the last 14 years. He has dealt with hundreds of players within football/academics. If things were so bad and their is all this discrimination why did he stay for so long and what he has done to fix it. He has been in a position of leadership within the football for most of the past decade. If there are issues with culture and religious bias what has he done to fix it.
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by JonnyCienPesos » December 13th, 2020, 2:11 pm

He just went all in. He better hopes it all went down the way the kids say it did.


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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by ineptimusprime » December 13th, 2020, 2:13 pm

JonnyCienPesos wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:11 pm
He just went all in. He better hopes it all went down the way the kids say it did.


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Yes, were I Frank, and were I trying to balance a potential lawsuit and my future employability, I would have left it at “troubling allegations” and called for an investigation. He affirmatively states discrimination happened based only on what he’s heard second hand from players.

He will have a hard time finding another job if the players are discredited based on how that statement is worded.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by 2004AG » December 13th, 2020, 2:15 pm

Boy what a great Aggie my (I can't express myself without swearing).



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by 2004AG » December 13th, 2020, 2:17 pm

Now I'm even more glad he didn't get the job. GTFO.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by splintorb » December 13th, 2020, 2:17 pm

ineptimusprime wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:13 pm
JonnyCienPesos wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:11 pm
He just went all in. He better hopes it all went down the way the kids say it did.


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Yes, were I Frank, and were I trying to balance a potential lawsuit and my future employability, I would have left it at “troubling allegations” and called for an investigation. He affirmatively states discrimination happened based only on what he’s heard second hand from players.

He will have a hard time finding another job if the players are discredited based on how that statement is worded.
That’s my problem with it! He doesn’t talk about ANY previous first hand experience to mistreatment...it’s all, “from what I’m told...”.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by USU78 » December 13th, 2020, 2:18 pm

... but of course he had nothing to do with the strike.


You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by FL350Aggie » December 13th, 2020, 2:18 pm

Wow, just wow. At this point he is trying to damage the program as much as possible for his own possible gain. Don’t let the door hit ya Frank!!!
Last edited by FL350Aggie on December 13th, 2020, 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by USU78 » December 13th, 2020, 2:19 pm

ineptimusprime wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:04 pm
captain68 wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 1:55 pm
It will hamper Polynesian recruiting no matter how this ends up because the Polynesian community is so close knit that they will take Frank’s word over Noelle’s word anyway. This will hurt recruiting for several years to come.
About the only thing that could help is a recording of the Zoom meeting that exonerates Cockett.
Did you just flip the burden of proof?


You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by TrueAG » December 13th, 2020, 2:19 pm

This is what happens when you give false hope to unqualified individuals. They become entitled.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Empire of Dirt » December 13th, 2020, 2:20 pm

Oof... Didn't see that coming.

I guess he decided that whatever he could make on a lawsuit will be more than any future earnings as a college football coach.

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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by hickaggie » December 13th, 2020, 2:20 pm

ineptimusprime wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:13 pm
JonnyCienPesos wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:11 pm
He just went all in. He better hopes it all went down the way the kids say it did.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, were I Frank, and were I trying to balance a potential lawsuit and my future employability, I would have left it at “troubling allegations” and called for an investigation. He affirmatively states discrimination happened based only on what he’s heard second hand from players.

He will have a hard time finding another job if the players are discredited based on how that statement is worded.
[/quote

The race and religious accusations cut both ways on a new hiring. Employers are going to both wary of him even being considered and wary of being sued if they don't give him a documented chance.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Intermeddler » December 13th, 2020, 2:20 pm

If the person who actually drafted the players statement didn’t also draft this I’ll wear BYU gear to work for a month
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Naked Bull Rider » December 13th, 2020, 2:21 pm

The Polynesian pipeline isn’t going anywhere. Stop overreacting.

None of the alleged comments have even been confirmed. Morgan Scalley admitted to using the N word and the Utes are still bringing in talented black athletes.

At the end of the day, memories are short and 18 year old kids just want to play football. If you think a kid with one FBS offer is going to turn down Utah State, you’re up in the night.
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by AgMac » December 13th, 2020, 2:22 pm

He honestly should have just released a statement that read:

"$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"

Not surprising, but disappointing. What a joke. As others have stated, you've been with the program as a player and coach spanning 2 decades without a hint of bias, but now you're going scorched earth because some entitled brats were mad that you didn't get picked.

I have never been happier that we didn't hire Frank.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Aggie formerly in Hawaii » December 13th, 2020, 2:22 pm

TrueAG wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:19 pm
This is what happens when you give false hope to unqualified individuals. They become entitled.
Which on top of the bigotry, would be an extremely stupid reason for her to say what she alleged to have said. Maile should never have been in consideration for the job. He isn't a good coach. His ethnicity or religion should never have come up.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by BLUERUFiO » December 13th, 2020, 2:24 pm

Ouch.


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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by ineptimusprime » December 13th, 2020, 2:24 pm

USU78 wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:19 pm
ineptimusprime wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:04 pm
captain68 wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 1:55 pm
It will hamper Polynesian recruiting no matter how this ends up because the Polynesian community is so close knit that they will take Frank’s word over Noelle’s word anyway. This will hurt recruiting for several years to come.
About the only thing that could help is a recording of the Zoom meeting that exonerates Cockett.
Did you just flip the burden of proof?
Yes, when we’re talking about the burden of proof in the court of public opinion. If this is left in the vague realm of he said/she said, I think Cockett is done and USU gets left with a lovely black eye.

Hope to be wrong!

Frank will of course bear the burden in any lawsuit.
Last edited by ineptimusprime on December 13th, 2020, 2:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by bluegrouse » December 13th, 2020, 2:25 pm

Does this mean he’s decided not to stay and be part of the new staff?
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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by Aggie formerly in Hawaii » December 13th, 2020, 2:25 pm

Naked Bull Rider wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:21 pm
The Polynesian pipeline isn’t going anywhere. Stop overreacting.

None of the alleged comments have even been confirmed. Morgan Scalley admitted to using the N word and the Utes are still bringing in talented black athletes.

At the end of the day, memories are short and 18 year old kids just want to play football. If you think a kid with one FBS offer is going to turn down Utah State, you’re up in the night.
Most likely you are right as long as we put together the right staff. I do worry this story gets even bigger with lawsuits coming. This could look really bad for the school if it extends outside of sports media.



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Re: Frank's Statement

Post by hickaggie » December 13th, 2020, 2:25 pm

Intermeddler wrote:
December 13th, 2020, 2:20 pm
If the person who actually drafted the players statement didn’t also draft this I’ll wear BYU gear to work for a month
I'm thinking legal counsel also advised the game cancellation. What better way to show just how outrageous the alleged statement must have been in litigation that the player's took such drastic action.
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