(See update at end of post.)
The quick thing to snag attention these days is proclaim your outrage over some variable, or report on it as an outrageous matter, and wait for the always-ravenous rage mob to heed your call. Here’s tonight’s rage mob target:
Mike Gundy went fishing on Lake Texoma donning an OAN t-shirt pic.twitter.com/gq9c2I6HGl
— Kyle Boone @ ???? (@Kyle__Boone) June 15, 2020
Some added context to this: Gundy in the past has praised OAN for its reporting. He said this of the network in April via @jacobunruh https://t.co/8mVXiXDYQH pic.twitter.com/4FtJK94CWN
— Kyle Boone @ ???? (@Kyle__Boone) June 15, 2020
After this journo decided to create a controversy over a logo on someone’s t-shirt was a story, he fueled it further and created an echo chamber:
Oklahoma State's best player, Chuba Hubbard, says he will "not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE" in response to a photo of Mike Gundy wearing an OAN t-shirt. https://t.co/FJqPYnhHcA
— Kyle Boone @ ???? (@Kyle__Boone) June 15, 2020
Oklahoma State's president issues a statement:
"We will not tolerate insensitive behavior by anyone at Oklahoma State." https://t.co/RGHKmQnsTK
— Kyle Boone @ ???? (@Kyle__Boone) June 15, 2020
Oklahoma State's president issues a statement:
"We will not tolerate insensitive behavior by anyone at Oklahoma State." https://t.co/RGHKmQnsTK
— Kyle Boone @ ???? (@Kyle__Boone) June 15, 2020
Over a t-shirt with a network logo.
Yes, it’s silly to get upset over this. It isn’t a demonstration of strength to get mad over a t-shirt.
Colin Kapernick wore a shirt with Che Guevara on it and there was less criticism. Virginia’s Democrat Governor literally wore blackface for apparently all throughout his twenties and there was hardly an outcry on the left. A funny thing happened though, on our collective way to curbside pickup at the Torches and Pitchforks Store to out-rage the left: Gundy and Hubbard met and made up. They released a little 50-second video:
Change is coming I promise you that. pic.twitter.com/wTGHtByh3N
— Chuba Hubbard (@Hubbard_RMN) June 15, 2020
This is a cool video, smartly done fast. I give credit to Hubbard for coming to a full stop, and changing to do it the right way and not the rage mob’s way. People needed to see that example and honestly, we so rarely see any reconciliation anymore, we’re starving for it. The video is significant. Why? Well, because the journos are still trying to get Gundy fired:
Whoa. Berry Tramel on Gundy: https://t.co/FLkG7n5Wk1
— Kyle Boone @ ???? (@Kyle__Boone) June 15, 2020
But Hubbard and Gundy made up. They robbed the rage mob, busy screaming over being offended at a t-shirt, of using their relationship as a pawn. Gundy didn’t apologize for wearing his shirt — and his acknowledgement that some lost their minds over it shouldn’t be misconstrued as an apology for the shirt, either. I said on Twitter that Gundy is a coach who cares about his athletes and sees mentorship as the number one thing we need more of in America. A few folks reminded me just how fiercely Gundy has always defended his guys:
I may have written a book about grace, but I’m just as imperfect as anyone else and sometimes frustration gets the better of me. It really frustrated me that some on the right couldn’t see this as the victory it was — not for a side but for decency and goodness.
People can get mad at me all they want to for this line of thinking, ya’ll aren’t going to come close to an arena full of people screaming “Shame!” “Bitch!” and “Burn her,” so maybe stop and think that I kinda know what I’m talking about here on GRACE.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 16, 2020
I’m so used to being on offense that I forget you are, too. We’ve been inundated with blows in this ideological battle for so long that we’ve almost allowed the left to rob us of recognizing reconciliation. Some can barely recognize it anymore. Never give anyone that victory.
Some pointed out that Hubbard Tweeted this after the video:
No don’t get it twisted. Foots still on the gas. Results are coming. It’s not over.
— Chuba Hubbard (@Hubbard_RMN) June 16, 2020
Look, this is a young man who did the correct and good thing and he also probably wants to save a little face. Keep that in mind. Let’s see what the future holds and enjoy the rage mob’s dejected journo leaders fumble around for the Next Thing after this failed.
Also .. somebody should make and sell a t-shirt of Mike Gundy wearing that t-shirt.
UPDATE: I spoke one day too soon:
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy apologizes for wearing an @OANN shirt:
“Once I learned how that network felt about Black Lives Matter, I was disgusted and knew it was completely unacceptable to me."pic.twitter.com/0aGjqBmaEE
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) June 16, 2020
It was a t-shirt. It’s also completely acceptable to question political groups that work with other Democrat organizations on fundraising, especially after headlines like this.