A viral video of members of the Oklahoma University SAE fraternity singing a racist chant has garnered significant controversy and attention. In response to the video, 4-star football recruit Jean Delance de-committed from Oklahoma, citing being "disgusted" by the video. Other current and future student athletes have also expressed concern about the video and the climate it suggests at Oklahoma. The mega fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, which fans have anticipated for years, was officially announced for May 2, 2015, with debates beginning over who will win the long-awaited match-up.

1. Social Media has been buzzing
in recent weeks with numerous
cases of racial and social contro-
versy. One of the more recent and
disturbing instances have been
the viral video of members of
the Oklahoma University chapter
of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE)
Fraternity singing a racist chant on
a bus repeating “There will never
be a n****r SAE.” The video had
flooded people’s social media time
lines and was soon picked up by
news and media outlets nationwide.
Since then the issue has garnered
significant attention over the social
and racial controversy, but it has
also affected more than just the
current student body, detouring
future students from the Sooners.
After the SAE video had begun
to circulate on the internet and on
the news, 4-star football prospect
Jean Delance de-committed from
his the Sooners football team. The
junior offensive tackle had com-
mitted to OU last November and is
“one of the top offensive tackles in
Texas” according to Sports Blogs
Nation. Delance had not specifi-
cally named the video as the main
reason for his change of heart, but
questions arose after he had an-
nounced his decision to rescind his
commitment over Twitter, sighting
“personal reasons,” as the cause.
Following his de-commitment,
Delance had expressed his feelings
towards the SAE video to Bleacher
Report stating, “I was disgusted.
That’s not anything I want to be a
part of. I know it just a few select
people, and it’s not everybody [at
Oklahoma]. It’s not like cancer
where it’s going to spread all over.
But specifically the chant…they
couldn’t get a couple [of] guys
to say ‘We can’t do that’? I was
disgusted.”
According to Hampton Pirates
sophomore defensive back Bren-
dan Cole one could not blame
Delance for his decision.
“I would definitely change my
opinion on where I was going to
school, especially as an African
American,” stated the sophomore
back. “That’s what’s going on
campus. That’s how the campus is,
so like the coaches may try to make
you believe something else, they’ll
take you on tours [and] show you
things, but when a video like that
comes out you see exactly how the
campus really is and what’s really
going on [on] the campus, and
that’s dangerous.”
Clyde Etter, Director of Intra-
mural Sports, also weighed in on
how a racial travesty like the SAE
video could cause players, current
and future, to shy away from Okla-
homa and how such an issue can
affect the entire schools reputation.
“If we go back and look at his-
tory [and] how some athletes have
had some hiccups in their career
and how the big sponsors back
away from them, like the Tiger
Woods and the Michael Vicks and
so forth, So it doesn’t just affect
the student population,” stated
Etter. “People typically don’t sign
their name to any type [of] negativ-
ity.”
There has been a growth of
racial injustice and controversy
being reported on social media and
news outlets. From the killing of
Mike Brown and Eric Gardner to
the police beating of UVA student
Martese Johnson, and the SAE
video social media has served as a
medium for people and specifically
athletes to voice their opinions.
Delance withdrawing his com-
mitment to Oklahoma’s football
program was not the only athlete
demonstration of disapproval.
Sooner’s linebacker Eric Striker
had also voiced his outrage in a
snap chat video, calling out SAE
as being phony, stating the same
peopling singing the racist chant
also act friendly and smile to the
players’ faces.
“There’s no good time, but it
[the video] didn’t come at a good
time, because of course we still
haven’t gotten over Ferguson, Mis-
souri, and then you have the UVA
beating, and the list goes on and
on,” stated Mr. Etter. “Everything
is still somewhat [sore], the fire
isn’t all the way out it’s still smol-
dering.”
“Will they or won’t they?”
This has been the question that
fight fans have asked for years
when it came to the mega-fight
that is Floyd “Money” Mayweather
(47-0) vs. Manny “Pac-Man”
Pacquiao (57-5-2). The fight was
announced on February 20th by
the undefeated Mayweather on the
social media platform Shots, with
the caption under the picture of
the signed contract reading: “What
the world has been waiting for has
arrived. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
on May 2, 2015, is a done deal. I
promised the fans we would get
this done, and we did…Don’t miss
it!”
The announcement of the fight
has already lead to some members
of Hampton Nation voicing their
opinion on who will win. Sopho-
more David Smalls, a psychology
major from Philadelphia, is picking
Floyd because he believes “Pacqui-
ao is washed up” and compared his
fighting style to Marcos Maidana,
who Floyd has beaten twice. Jour-
nalism majors Kyle Avery, a junior
from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and
Donald Parker, a sophomore from
Pacoima, California, both believe
Mayweather will wear Pacquiao
down, with Parker saying, “he takes
every fight round by round and
that mentality keeps him focused
throughout the fight, regardless of
the opponent.” Avery added that
Mayweather’s “defensive prowess
is the best offense out [there]” and
he’ll earn a decision victory.
Like all fights, a series of star-
aligning moments had to occur to
bring Mayweather Promotions and
Top Rank (Pacquiao’s promotion)
to agreeable terms. The wheels
towards this deal being struck
were set in motion in late January
when Mayweather and Pacquiao
were both sitting courtside at a
Miami Heat game. The fighters
met during halftime and exchanged
numbers. They also met after the
game to discuss the potential mega
bout and talks ensued.
The establishment of a mutual
understanding between the fighters
is key when constructing deals;
however, sports isn’t just about the
spectacle of the matchup; it’s about
the revenue stream. A possible
roadblock that could’ve kept this
fight from coming to fruition was
the fact that Mayweather is signed
to Showtime Sports whereas
Pacquiao is with HBO Sports. It’s
obvious to even the most casual
fans that two of the best fighters in
the world can’t fight if the money
doesn’t match for the fighters
and the separate companies they
have TV deals with. According to
ESPN, the networks came together
to “produce and distribute a joint
pay-per-view telecast, which is
expected to cost a record-high
$89.95 (and probably $10 more
for high definition).” The site also
mentioned that Mayweather will
“receive the lion’s share of a 60-40
money split in a fight that could
gross around $400 million.”
For those who may think Pac-
quiao is being cheated, it’s impor-
tant to note that, because of the
society we now live in, Mayweath-
er’s social media following gives
him an edge. According to boxing
promoter and CEO of Team
Sauerland, Nisse Sauerland, in a
March 12th CNN article, “if you
have five million Twitter followers,
it does give you power in negotia-
tion, because it reflects popularity.”
It’s reasonable to believe that the
brash Mayweather and his “nearly
five million Instagram followers,
5.65 million followers on Twitter
and 9.2 million Facebook likes”
resulted in him receiving more pay
due to his opponent’s considerably
less numbers (1.7 million on Twit-
ter, 647,000 on Instagram and 6.3
million on Facebook).
Recent losses by the 36-year-old
Pacquiao (as of 2011, he’s 4-2 in
his last six fights) and a number
of failed attempts, going back to
2009, to set the bout up with the
now 38-year-old Mayweather had
many believing this dream fight
wouldn’t happen. And, now that it
finally is, some are starting to voice
their displeasure over social media.
Freshman David Schiele, a journal-
ism major from Atlanta, believes
that the fight would have been
bigger a couple years ago before
both men exited their primes but
the same people that complained
about it not happening should “still
be grateful that this fight is hap-
pening at all”.
Mayweather’s “bad boy” persona
has cast him in a negative shadow
amongst most of the public while
Pacquiao is viewed as a “good guy”
and a hero in his nation of the
Philippines. The level of number
crunching and speculating will
surely be unlike anything ever seen
until fight night, but the only thing
that really matters is who wins.
This fight will be six years in the
making and, while it remains to be
seen if it can be the modern-day
“Ali-Frazier”, all eyes will be on
Las Vegas when the bell rings on
May 2nd.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
THE HAMPTON SCRIPT 7
SPORTS
SBNATION | The Hampton Script
Controversy over the SAE viral video has impacted not just the student body but also Sooner Athletics.
SHOMANART | The Hampton Script
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao has finally been set and the world will finally get to see the fight it’s been waiting for
SAE Video Detours Oklahoma Prospect
The Mega Fight: Who Will Win
NFL teams
make big
moves
for big
players
The free agency period for the
upcoming NFL season has begun,
and has quite a few big-name play-
ers on the move. Franchises, along
with their fan bases, can be excited
about the transactions that have
been taking place in recent weeks.
Here are some of the latest transac-
tions that have occurred this spring:
DeMarco Murray signed a
five-year; $40 million deal with
Philadelphia Eagles. Murray started
all sixteen games for the Cowboys
last season, and rushed for 1,845
yards on 392 attempts scoring 13
rushing touchdowns in the process.
According to ESPN’s Numbers
Never Lie, the Cowboys held the
ball for 34 minutes and 42 seconds
on average last season, utilizing
Murray to get those much needed
yards on the ground.
Nick Fairley signed a one-year;
$5 million deal with St. Louis Rams.
The former Detroit Lion had 14
combined tackles, 8 total, and 6 as-
sisted, and a sack last season. This
year he will be replacing Kendall
Langford on the Rams defensive
line. Within a defensive line group
that features Chris Long, Robert
Quinn, Michael Brockers, and
defensive rookie of the year Aaron
Donald, Fairley will be a welcomed
addition to the Rams defensive
front and provide further depth.
Vince Wilfork signed a two-
year; $9 million deal with Houston
Texans. A previous member of the
defending champions, the New
England Patriots, Wilfork had 47
combined tackles, 24 tackles, and
23 assisted tackles last season. The
five-time pro bowler served on the
Patriots defensive for 11 straight
seasons and won three Super
Bowls while on the team. With
more experience than any player
on the Texans defense the 5-time
pro bowler could serve as a strong
addition. Wilfork will be joining
defensive end, all-pro J.J. Watt, and
former number one overall pick in
last years draft Jadeveon Clowney
forming what could be a devastat-
ing defensive powerhouse.
Darrelle Revis signed a five-year;
$70 million deal with New York
Jets. Revis was a previous member
of the defending champion New
England Patriots, and had 16 pass
deflections, 2 interceptions, and 47
combined tackles last season. Revis
is arguably one of corner back of
all time. His awareness and ability
to completely nullify one side of
the gridiron has becoming a trendy
topic on social media outlets with
posts of “Revis Island.” The veter-
an cornerback has returned to New
York where he previously played
for five seasons before being traded
to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Current commentator for
ESPN’s SEC Network, former
Heisman Trophy winner, and 1st
round pick of the 2010 NFL Draft,
Tim Tebow worked out with the
Philadelphia Eagles. While no deals
have been made, the idea of the
former Bronco QB making a return
since leaving the NFL in 2012
had garnered some attention on
ESPN. According to ESPN Eagles
reporter Phil Sheridan “Consider-
ing [Chip] Kelly’s approach to this
offseason it would be foolish to
rule anything out.
Former Rams QB Sam Bradford
was traded to the Philadelphia
Eagles in exchange for pro-bowl
quarterback Nick Foles. Although
Bradford has a label of being injury
prone, if he can remain healthy, the
Eagles can benefit immensely from
this transaction. Prior to his col-
larbone injury in the 2014 season
Bradford had a passer rating of
81.4 and a13-10 touchdown ratio.
The pieces are in place as far as a
receiving core for Nick Foles to be
productive with the likes of former
number 8th-overall pick in the 2013
NFL draft Tavon Austin, veteran
tight end Jared Cook, and a myriad
of other weapons Foles will have at
his disposal on the team.
JORDAN GRICE
SPORTS EDITOR
WESLEY EGGLESTON
STAFF WRITER
JELANI SCOTT
STAFF WRITER
“Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
on May 2, 2015, is a done
deal. I promised the fans
we would get this done,
and we did…Don’t miss
it!”
- Floyd Mayweather