Texas athletes petitioning University to replace "The Eyes of Texas" and to no longer require athletes to sing it

[Mitch Cumsteen 18549]

1 hour ago, TornACL said:

Ha ha I admire your dedication to your mission. 

Based on my experiences at Texas football games, Willie already wrote the school song when he wrote Whiskey River. 

I have some terrible news for you. Johnny Bush wrote Whiskey River, not Willie. 

[Sgt Hulk 13716]

49 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Their OC seems to have their backs.

 

Do you expect them or any coach to not?  Not saying it isn’t genuine but the cancel culture being in full swing right now and the pendulum violently swinging no coach on earth right now would be against

[stone oak 639]

College football as we know it is pretty much finished. It’s already become a pretty boring product anyway honestly...
 

Texas hasn’t won anything in 11 years and its highly doubtful that’s changing anytime soon, so there’s not a true reason to care anymore. Just shut it down, CTE was going to phase it all out anyway. Also, I’m tired of these coaches obviously faking this bullshit while they exploit these kids for hundreds of millions.

Edited June 13, 2020 by stone oak

[Mitch Cumsteen 18549]

22 minutes ago, maninblack said:

Building statues of people is always a bad idea. We're fallible. Men and women that have done amazing shit have also done some horrible shit to. 

 

Counterpoint:

[UTEX_ME 4762]

I don't see Sam Ehlinger in his heart wanting to get rid of the Eyes

[David Dennison 18856]

1 minute ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Counterpoint:

I saw that man do some horrible shit to defenseless linebackers.

[ChiTownDoc 21152]

13 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

You'll be jerking off either way. 

If you take jerking off away from me you will burn in the hottest of all hells.  

Edited June 13, 2020 by ChiTownDoc

[stone oak 639]

28 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

His name should be removed from the stadium because it's a war memorial.

 

Remove the war memorial too, please. Not at all representative of the current “woke” cultural vibe. We need to be progressive here.
 

Maybe we should change our mascot to the Humans as well, like in Community.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21905]

1 hour ago, David Dennison said:

Which is why the school should pay them a wage based on their market value.

Or maybe just cease exploiting them

[Cairn Horn88 8262]

So, I guess changing Fort Hood to “The Fort in the Hood” wouldn’t appease some folks?

[Irieguy 1059]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

How many of these players could qualify for admission at Texas on their own?

This is definitely a question. I can tell by the question mark at the end. @Johnny Sack

[David Dennison 18856]

3 minutes ago, stone oak said:

Remove the war memorial too, please. Not at all representative of the current “woke” cultural vibe. We need to be progressive here.
 

Maybe we should change our mascot to the Humans as well, like in Community.

Whatever happens, you're gonna be just fine, little buddy.

[UTEX_ME 4762]

6 hours ago, stone oak said:

I'll get negged for this, but next up are they going to demand to ban white people from attending the games? What about the white players? White coaches?

Where does it stop? Everything can be racist if you try hard enough.

Already looking to be a detriment in the No Fun League.. no diversity draft bump

[FizzleFish 137]

1234

Edited June 13, 2020 by FizzleFish
Didn’t mean to reply

[CTC2 2797]

The statues should come down and new names be put on the buildings.  No problem.

But, they are overreaching with the demands about the "Eyes".  Overreaching is the kind of shit that will get Trump re-elected.

[David Dennison 18856]

3 minutes ago, CTC2 said:

The statues should come down and new names be put on the buildings.  No problem.

But, they are overreaching with the demands about the "Eyes".  Overreaching is the kind of shit that will get Trump re-elected.

So be it.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

1 hour ago, Michael Knight said:

He was gifted a slave by his father in law and he freed him.

After he used him as a slave laborer.  He did free him. 

[Not a cat 5655]

34 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I have some terrible news for you. Johnny Bush wrote Whiskey River, not Willie. 

But he did write Crazy, which would be a perfect tribute to our abusive relationship with Texas football over the last decade.

[GHOSTUSER 361]

3 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

It really doesn’t matter at this point. Anyone who disagrees with the players stance will be branded a racist. It’s a done deal at this point

How about the adults in the room educate the kids in the room and use it as an opportunity for growth and understanding. Nah we can’t do that. We have to follow whatever the mob tells us to. What I would like to know is who on the team is the mastermind behind this, what if, any, connection they have to outside agitators at OU, LSU, aggy, etc that would like to do us harm. This fucking shit isn’t spontaneous. Time to do figure out who is behind this fiendishly ingenious plot.

[Hank_Hill 18804]

For the record Icono was surprised actual African Americans were in a restaurant reading a financial magazine a couple years back. If the above statement wasn’t enough evidence not to take his opinion anywhere near seriously. 

[Cairn Horn88 8262]

I’m ok with a little lyric modification:

The Eyes of Texas were upon you,

All the livelong day.

The Eyes of Texas were upon you,

Sometimes they will stray.

Do not think we can keep them

At night or early in the morn

The Eyes of Texas were upon us

As Gabriel blows his horn.
 

Now, I’m sure some of the smart folks on here and around The University can do much better than I just did here.  I’m tired.  Been working on the railroad....

[staboner 4969]

this is really great. I think instead of trying to decide on anything, maybe CDC and Herman can create an open forum for the leadership across the school to be heard. Reward the players for their heart and effort there. That is the real success and something we should celebrate as longhorns.

Where it goes is one thing, but some open debate and listening by all sides on these matters would be so damn healthy. Real opportunity to unite here and push forward to something new.

[Helobious 9449]

6 minutes ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

How about the adults in the room educate the kids in the room and use it as an opportunity for growth and understanding. Nah we can’t do that. We have to follow whatever the mob tells us to. What I would like to know is who on the team is the mastermind behind this, what if, any, connection they have to outside agitators at OU, LSU, aggy, etc that would like to do us harm. This fucking shit isn’t spontaneous. Time to do figure out who is behind this fiendishly ingenious plot.

It’s several players on the football team just trying to make changes. The idea that it’s some planted idea from a rival school is laughable. 
 

[maninblack 7974]

4 minutes ago, Cairn Horn88 said:

I’m ok with a little lyric modification:

The Eyes of Texas were upon you,

All the livelong day.

The Eyes of Texas were upon you,

Sometimes they will stray.

Do not think we can keep them

At night or early in the morn

The Eyes of Texas were upon us

As Gabriel blows his horn.
 

Now, I’m sure some of the smart folks on here and around The University can do much better than I just did here.  I’m tired.  Been working on the railroad....

You don't have to do better. The lyrics aren't racist. 

[ChiTownDoc 21152]

7 hours ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

The truth is that majority of the fans would most likely agree with your take. Unfortunately for you, you have gotten a rise out of the cabal thought police for voicing what most of the donors are actually thinking. What I care about is our program first and foremost and having a war between the fans, players and administration is the last thing we need after a decade of suck. Again, look at what’s happened to Mizzou to peak into our future.

Lol.  Dude you’re agreeing with someone that openly says they don’t give a fuck about any of the UT athletes as people?  I’ve tried my best to stop my childish insults interacting with you.  But you make it hard.  Be a better person.  

[Cairn Horn88 8262]

I found this origin somewhat interesting:

”The lyrics are said to be intended to poke fun at University President Colonel Prather. Prather had attended Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, whose president, Robert E. Lee, would frequently tell his students, "the eyes of the South are upon you." Prather was known for including in his speeches a similar admonition, "The eyes of Texas are upon you," meaning that the state of Texas was watching and expecting the students to go out and do great things. Prather enjoyed the song and promoted its usage. He died not long thereafter, and the song was played at his funeral.”. fwiw.

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

45 minutes ago, Iconoclast Texan said:

How about the adults in the room educate the kids in the room and use it as an opportunity for growth and understanding. Nah we can’t do that. We have to follow whatever the mob tells us to. What I would like to know is who on the team is the mastermind behind this, what if, any, connection they have to outside agitators at OU, LSU, aggy, etc that would like to do us harm. This fucking shit isn’t spontaneous. Time to do figure out who is behind this fiendishly ingenious plot.

"Outside agitators"?

My god.

[justhookit 4191]

In Spring of this year we were all talking about a disease killing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Early summer we pretty much stopped that to discuss the murder of a black man and what to do about police. Now we’ve quit talking about both of those to argue over a fucking song. 2020 don’t fuck around.

[VRHorn 718]

6 hours ago, Macanudo said:

I'm on board with so many things that need to change in this country but cutting The Eyes of Texas as our school song is something I'm willing to fight against.

Way behind on the thread, but it’s a myopic take and you should watch the video.

[Texas Jeff 1945]

Longhorn Band has a history of the Eyes of Texas posted here:

https://longhornband.org/school-and-fight-songs/

The short version is that in 1902, Lewis Johnson, a UT tuba player, wanted to have an original song for the students of Texas.  He asked John Lang Sinclair, another band member, to write a song just for Texas.  Sinclair's first attempt was called “Jolly Students of the ‘Varsity'” and he ripped off music from "Jolly Students of America" for the song.

Oh, the day was made for study, but the night for mirth and song;
Let us all go down together, all you fellows come along.
What’s the use to grind and cram for ev’ry little term exam?
If the Prof intends to bust me, let him bust me as I am!

For we are jolly students of the ‘Varsity, the ‘Varsity!
We are a merry, merry crew.
We’ll show the chief of all policemen who we are
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Down on the Avenue.

And ev’ry day you find us in the classroom or the hall.
You’ll find us on the campus and we’ll hear you when you call.
We’ll hear you when you call, but when night begins to fall,
You’ll seek in vain because we’re not anywhere at all!

For we are jolly students of the ‘Varsity, the ‘Varsity!
We are a merry, merry crew.
And almost everyone who sees us says we are
Rah! Rah! Rah!
The best they ever knew.

It premiered in May of 1902 and it probably sucked, because Johnson asked Sinclair to try again in March of 1903.  And this time Sinclair wrote this poem:

They watch above you all the day,
The bright blue eyes of Texas.
At midnight they’re with you all the way,
The sleepless eyes of Texas.The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
They’re with you all the way.
They watch you through the peaceful night,
They watch you in the early dawn,
When from the eastern skies the high light
Tells that the night is gone.Sing me a song of Texas,
And Texas’ myriad eyes
Countless as the bright stars
That fill the midnight skies.Vandyke brown, vermillion,
Sepia, Prussian blue,
Ivory black and crimson lac,
And eyes of every hue.

This poem was then changed into the song we know as the Eyes of Texas and made into a joke about Prather's use of the phrase "The Eyes of Texas are upon you" when talking to the students.  It debuted at the minstrel show in May with these lyrics:

I once did know a President
A way down South, in Texas.
And, always, everywhere he went,
He saw the Eyes of Texas.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn –
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
Til Gabriel blows his horn.Sing me a song of Prexy,
Of days long since gone by.
Again I seek to greet him,
And hear his kind reply.
Smiles of gracious welcome
Before my memory rise,
Again I hear him say to me,
“Remember Texas’ Eyes.”

The article has a bit more history, but that's some additional background on the origin.

[justhookit 4191]

After we tear down all these statues, if we just replace them with these can we keep our song?

 

[ousux 5597]

No, you're missing the obvious point. Maybe take a look at this.
 

After seeing that..i cant see any possibl way the Eyes survives. Its sad, but is what it is..

[ousux 5597]

Something tells me we won't be seeing the team sing the Eyes after games anymore. 

Which is really sad for players like Sam who have been singing the eyes their entire lives and didnt realize the Alamo bowl would be the last time ever..

[Dusty 15]

So it took nearly 1K posts to get at the origin of “the eyes of... are upon you”- Robert E. Lee. How anyone can make a credible argument about the song without citing this is crap. Our “Eyes” was a parody of Prather, and by association, Lee. A sideways take is that not signing the “Eyes” and owning it would be deferring to both Prather and Lee.

 

Win a conference championship, then stir it up. So far we’ve had a decade of placeholders.

 

Singing the “Eyes” Is one of the few things this fan base does that’s intimidating.

 

As said earlier, whether the the LHB plays it or not (and we’re allowed in the stands) it will be sung.

 

The LHB will play the “Eyes” once this year (if they are allowed to perform). September 19th when UTEP comes to DKR/Texas Memorial Stadium. The “Eyes” is UTEP’s Alma mater too.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[JFKFC 4878]

I support the players. I hope everything on the list is accomplished. 

 

And nuke the song.

 

I read only the first 5 pages of this thread. All I could stomach. Every argument for keeping the song was stupid. Just bonkers. 

 

You guys should be embarrassed. 

[ChiTownDoc 21152]

1 hour ago, Dusty said:

So it took nearly 1K posts to get at the origin of “the eyes of... are upon you”- Robert E. Lee. How anyone can make a credible argument about the song without citing this is crap. Our “Eyes” was a parody of Prather, and by association, Lee. A sideways take is that not signing the “Eyes” and owning it would be deferring to both Prather and Lee.

 

Win a conference championship, then stir it up. So far we’ve had a decade of placeholders.

 

Singing the “Eyes” Is one of the few things this fan base does that’s intimidating.

 

As said earlier, whether the the LHB plays it or not (and we’re allowed in the stands) it will be sung.

 

The LHB will play the “Eyes” once this year (if they are allowed to perform). September 19th when UTEP comes to DKR/Texas Memorial Stadium. The “Eyes” is UTEP’s Alma mater too.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

It’s getting Dusty up in here.  Keep the song.  But intimidating?  😂

[taybo20 2825]

So since 2009 Professor Gordon was at his position of Associate Professor, African and African Diaspora Studies Department, University of Texas at Austin. I’m just gonna go ahead and blame him and the Eyes now for our football ineptitude since then.

[Dbeasy 15048]

I’ll say it. The Eyes of Texas, sung to I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, isn’t the greatest song. Make a new one and make it better. Bring it on.

[Randolph Duke 4034]

1 hour ago, JFKFC said:

I support the players. I hope everything on the list is accomplished. 

 

And nuke the song.

 

I read only the first 5 pages of this thread. All I could stomach. Every argument for keeping the song was stupid. Just bonkers. 

 

You guys should be embarrassed. 

The students should do as they please and change the song, mascot, uniforms, colors, or even to eliminate sports. It’s their school now and they can drive the culture of the school in a different direction if they choose. 

Eliminating their former mascot didn’t seem to reduce Stanford to utter disgrace as an institution.

Have fun, kids. If the kids want it eliminated, and the alumni want to still sing the school song, the alumni can gather in front of the alumni center after the home games. 

Problem solved. 

The cultural elements of their time on campus belongs to the students at UT, not the alumni and not the t-shirt fans.

[stork642 4498]

7 hours ago, Spankytoes said:

You live in The Village, right?

Here’s one for ya. Maybe we should remove DKR from the stadium and the Texas record books. Last all-white National Championship coach and had a real issue integrating Texas’ football program. Seems like a bad dude.

Add that one to the list of demands and see how it plays out. It’s just a stadium name.

The mob will get there eventually.  This is a step process.  

[Randolph Duke 4034]

14 minutes ago, stork642 said:

The mob will get there eventually.  This is a step process.  

Who really cares? If the university, for whatever reason, decided to completely eliminate intercollegiate sports and do away with all the game day stuff, great. 

Heaven forbid our highest priority for the university becomes education. 

And yes, it would change lives and eliminate educational opportunities for athletes, including those of color, but who really cares? 

Nothing about the school song materially influences the quality of education on campus. Let it go if the kids want it gone. And if others in years to come want to again change the status quo, go for it. 

As alumni, it is our responsibility to give the students opportunities, including opportunities to do things we may not deem as necessary or important. We have no business dictating the culture of their campus to them and then enforcing compliance. There are enough options for students who want that horseshit. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Randolph Duke

[NoctambulantBrobdingnagian 530]

16 hours ago, Luka Skywalker said:

If they’re seriously discussing getting rid of “Eyes” then I’m in support of just shutting the entire program down. 
 

This fake activist bs is getting tired.

everything they want to get rid of is a symbol

do you value symbols over people?

[Armybrat 40839]

11 hours ago, Harrison Stafford said:

Way different world, bro.  As a child, I remember white and colored drinking fountains, white and colored restrooms, and white and colored waiting rooms when you went to see the doctor.  When I was in In jr. high in 1966 near the end of the spring semester, the school’s administration held an assembly to announce we would have a (one) black student as a 7th grader in the fall  That young man broke the color barrier at an all-white school with 3000+ students. Different world, indeed.

I saw all that as a high school freshman when moving to Austin in January, 1959. The Capitol building had etched glass transome windows above the restroom doors for “Colored” & “White”. Dunno when those were finally removed- sometime in the early 1960s maybe. Harry Akins’ Nighthawk Restaurants were the first in town to serve blacks. The downtown lunch counters at pharmacies & some stores were segregated, but then experienced a lot of sit-in demonstration by black & white students around 1962-63. No Bull Conner police water hosing of Austin demonstrators then like we saw in Alabama & Mississippi on TV.

Never had experienced segregation before while a military brat. At least St. Edward’s HS and St. Edward’s University had been already integrated. My sophomore year at the HS we elected a black kid as student body president. It even made the newspapers. UT’s Herman Sweatt was before we got here, and when I started as a freshman in 1962 there were already a hundred or two AA students enrolled. 

 

[GHOSTUSER 361]

1 hour ago, taybo20 said:

So since 2009 Professor Gordon was at his position of Associate Professor, African and African Diaspora Studies Department, University of Texas at Austin. I’m just gonna go ahead and blame him and the Eyes now for our football ineptitude since then.

What is the quality of Professor Gordon’s research and sourcing backing his claims that the Eyes are racist? Can someone cite his work beyond the video. Campus agitators always demand more or these grievance studies departments and professorships not because of the academic value they bring but rather as a vehicle used to keep hammering away at our bedrock foundations. Universities are due for a major course correction. Hope the cash and student crunch from COVID puts a dent in fluff departments like these. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Iconoclast Texan

[Randolph Duke 4034]

4 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

I saw all that as a high school freshman when moving to Austin in January, 1959. The Capitol building had etched glass transome windows above the restroom doors for “Colored” & “White”. Dunno when those were finally removed- sometime in the early 1960s maybe. Harry Akins’ Nighthawk Restaurants were the first in town to serve blacks. The downtown lunch counters at pharmacies & some stores were segregated, but then experienced a lot of sit-in demonstration by black & white students around 1962-63. No Bull Conner police water hosing of Austin demonstrators then like we saw in Alabama & Mississippi on TV.

Never had experienced segregation before while a military brat. At least St. Edward’s HS and St. Edward’s University had been already integrated. My sophomore year at the HS we elected a black kid as student body president. It even made the newspapers. UT’s Herman Sweatt was before we got here, and when I started as a freshman in 1962 there were already a hundred or two AA students enrolled. 

 

I happen to know Heman Sweatt’s nephew, Heman Sweatt, II. He was on campus from 1968-1972. Fewer than 300 AA students on campus. I will see if I can get his opinion on the record of all this. 

Ive had some very interesting conversations with him about race relations on the UT campus. A great guy. 

[TornACL 7698]

7 hours ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I have some terrible news for you. Johnny Bush wrote Whiskey River, not Willie. 

Damnit, that's what I get for not fact checking. 

[Armybrat 40839]

44 minutes ago, Randolph Duke said:

Who really cares? If the university, for whatever reason, decided to completely eliminate intercollegiate sports and do away with all the game day stuff, great. 

Heaven forbid our highest priority for the university becomes education. 

And yes, it would change lives and eliminate educational opportunities for athletes, including those of color, but who really cares? 

Nothing about the school song materially influences the quality of education on campus. Let it go if the kids want it gone. And if others in years to come want to again change the status quo, go for it. 

As alumni, it is our responsibility to give the students opportunities, including opportunities to do things we may not deem as necessary or important. We have no business dictating the culture of their campus to them and then enforcing compliance. There are enough options for students who want that horseshit. 

It is all about the students, not the alumni.

Let them vote on it as a student body and let the chips fall as they may with the blue hairs on the west side of Memorial Stadium.

I’ll still be there (mask on) supporting the team.

[Horn80 6119]

For a progressive university, I think UT has been way too slow on this issue.  Shit, when I was student there (senior year 1980), I cringed at the lack of sensitivity from the all the confederate statues and references on campus.  If blacks find the Eyes of Texas offensive, then I say replace it with another tradition to celebrate the school.  From my perspective, UT has always been a very gay friendly school and admired it for being ahead of the times and think UT now needs to make the same environment for blacks.  

[Reynolds Woodcock 4740]

8 hours ago, Spankytoes said:

You live in The Village, right?

Here’s one for ya. Maybe we should remove DKR from the stadium and the Texas record books. Last all-white National Championship coach and had a real issue integrating Texas’ football program. Seems like a bad dude.

Add that one to the list of demands and see how it plays out. It’s just a stadium name.

Yes. 
Like the song, I wouldn’t really get it, but I guess I would hear them out.

[Underdog 28623]

8 hours ago, Cairn Horn88 said:

So, I guess changing Fort Hood to “The Fort in the Hood” wouldn’t appease some folks?

Kamp Killeen.