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Friday was a cool moment, as Kentucky Football coach Mark Stoops, assistant coach/lead recruiter Vince Marrow, Courtney Love, and many players walked in downtown Lexington with Mayor Linda Gorton to show solidarity with protesters voicing frustration about racial injustice.
Stoops said the march was a simple decision to speak up and show up to support his players and bring awareness to the issue.
“We’re here to fight racism, to bring awareness, and to do our part,” Stoops told the media shortly after the march. “I think most of you know me, I keep things pretty tight to the vest with the media, but there’s no more of that on this issue. Everybody needs to get off the bench and make a difference, stand for something. We’re not going to tolerate any more racism and social problems. We want to make a difference and be a part of the solution. That’s why we’re here.”
And Stoops took to social media to release a statement later in the day.
— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) June 6, 2020
It’s also clear that the players really appreciated what Stoops did.
A real head coach! ✊ https://t.co/p5klZDpmgD
— Joshua Paschal (@JPaschalx) June 6, 2020
My head coach stands with his players ✊ ✊ I’m not sure most people can say the same ✊ ✊ #BBN https://t.co/A1tkIjhdKW
— DeAndre Square (@d_square10) June 6, 2020
As the leader of a group of young men that is primarily African-American, Stoops felt the need to lead by example and show that he cares about an issue that is of obvious importance to many of the players.
It’s really cool to see this happen, and props to Stoops on making it so.
Tweet of the Day
We marched as a team today. To demand justice and equality. To reject racism. To tell everyone that #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/yVoiCV0ZQL
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) June 6, 2020
Really cool.
Quickies
Kentucky Football marches - Herald Leader
Cool moment for the players and coaches.
Nine Wildcats named preseason All-SEC by Athlon - Cats Pause
Several Cats getting some recognition.
Oklahoma State could be the first domino - SI
Some other schools might be on alert.
What could Oklahoma State ruling mean for Louisville? - Courier Journal
On the surface, it doesn’t seem like good news for the Cards.
Mikey Williams is considering a HBCU - Yahoo
Could be an interesting shake up for recruiting.
Durant rules out possible 19-20 return - ESPN
KD let everyone know he is planning on getting healthy and coming back next season.
Could the NBA use video game crowd noise? - KSR
Would you prefer this or not?