On Monday, Florida fans and students were told that true freshman quarterback Treon Harris would be suspended indefinitely.
And with that announcement came the scrutiny of press and anyone who values morals more than football.
But in the midst of scandal, one athlete spoke out.
And yes, that’s very cliché sounding, but it’s true, and I commend Mackenzie Dagostino on making her voice heard.
The junior volleyball setter tweeted at 5:10 p.m. on Monday a link to her blog, Whistles and School Bells. In her first post, she addressed the question of why some student athletes feel they can get away with certain behaviors – and later specifically cited the accusations against Harris.
While I worry the blog will not be allowed to stay up long (the UAA often influences and restricts what players may say to the public — which isn’t done to punish players, but to protect them most of the time), I think it is necessary for students and fans of Florida to see that many athletes, like Dagostino, don’t agree with preferential treatment.
The decision to write the article was probably one that took a lot of courage. Going against the UAA’s rules is a pretty big deal.
But she still wrote it.
And what’s even better about the article is she’s not just taking this and making it about her opinion. She plans (and I hope she’ll be able to) interview more athletes on their opinions and perspectives of situations like Harris’.
"I know how we (athletes) can be portrayed as individuals who have certain things handed to us on a silver platter, while that would be nice, it is not the case," Dagostino said on her blog. "... This will not be a one-way blog, but instead one that can be commented on and responded to. Along with that, I want this to be a free zone to talk about athlete’s behavior on and off the fields/courts but outside the classrooms."
Her hope to make it a two-way forum of dialogue on athlete’s behavior is interesting.
She’s not looking to criticize, but to understand, which right now in the midst of all the sexual assault and domestic violence allegations in sports (specifically football), is extremely important.
I have yet to hear any athlete’s opinion on the matter, which is fine, but when they do speak out, it’s like a breath of fresh air. For once, journalists and just people in general aren’t getting a watered-down bullshit answer saying, "I’m just doing it for my team."
So here’s the deal, Mackenzie Dagostino, props to you for doing what no other athlete has done. Speaking out (maybe not by outright condemning the action), but saying that you’re just like other students — other average Joes — is something that fans and critics need to start understanding.
A sexual assault doesn’t exempt you from consequences.
Dagostino asks a good question in her post: Why? Why do some athletes feel they are exempt from inappropriate behavior?
I’ll leave you with my answer: because until recently, football and the wins associated with a team have trumped the violation of basic human rights, and until something is done and a statement more than suspending a player for a game is made, it will never change.
Follow Eden Otero on Twitter @edenotero_l
Mackenzie Dagostino (6) sets the ball during Florida's 3-0 win against Ole Miss on Sept. 28.
