January 21, 2004 12:00 AM
Guest View: Thanks Bill Snyder
To the Editor:
I would like to thank KSU football Coach Bill Snyder for doing exactly what we all have come to expect from him: the right thing.
While we all waited and wondered whether Coach Snyder would allow Ell Roberson to play in the Fiesta Bowl, two important things seemed to have escaped our attention:
1. Roberson was accused of a very serious crime.
2. Roberson was innocent.
Instead, we debated endlessly whether Roberson should play. Would we win if he didn't play? Could we still feel good about a win if he did? While I love KSU football as much as anyone, I am so disappointed that KSU fans missed what was truly important. While the play/not play debate raged, my heart was breaking for the people involved. At the time I did not know for whom, the woman who said she was assaulted or for Roberson, accused and publicly embarrassed. I wondered what it must be like for a 22-year-old to go from being the most beloved KSU player to the most hated (or it must have seemed so to him).
Such pride I felt for a program with such integrity and passion, and here we were, our only complaint was that Ell Roberson was out after curfew. Where was the anger for those who released Ell's name to the press before charges had been filed? Where was the rallying around one of our own who had been falsely accused? And what about his accuser? Are there no women out there who feel violated by her actions? It is never all right for a woman to cry rape when she does not want to take responsibility for her indiscretions.
When I learned of the repercussions for the young men involved, I took comfort in the fact that Snyder runs a tight ship. I can't imagine curfew violations occur often when the consequences are so severe.
Don't get me wrong. I, too, wanted to smack Ell on the back of the head and cry, "What were you thinking?" Obviously, he wasn't thinking.
Ell, thanks for a great season. The sweetest win in the history of the program was the Big 12 championship; no one can take that away.
Coach, thank you for your leadership. You're such an important part of our community; we have come to depend on you for so much more than coaching football. Time and again you've proven that you're not only in the business of winning football games, but also of molding young men and providing comfort to the community in difficult times. I am proud to know that every young man who leaves your program is a better person.
