“Because of what Baylor has meant to you in the past, because of what
she will mean to you in the future, oh, my students, have a care for her. Build
upon the foundations here the great school of which I have dreamed, so that she
may touch and mold the lives of future generations and help to fit them for life
here and hereafter. To you seniors of the past, of the present, of the future I
entrust the care of Baylor University. To you I hand the torch. My love be unto
you and my blessing be upon you.”
The words above are the final paragraph of Baylor University President,
Dr. Samuel Palmer Brooks, written as part of the Class of 1931 Commencement
speech. Dr. Brooks was dying of cancer
as he wrote these words, and he ultimately passed away before the Commencement ceremony
that spring. Dr. Brooks wrote this
speech not just for the Class of 1931, but for all classes that passed through
Baylor. The speech is now known as the “ImmortalMessage” at Baylor.
I thought about these words and what they truly mean today as Baylor is
engulfed in an embarrassing scandal, with the Board of Regents firing Head
Coach Art Briles, placing Athletic Director Ian McCaw on probation, and
demoting President Ken Starr. Those
entrusted with the care of Baylor did not have a care for her, nor did they
build upon the foundation of a great university. Now, Baylor’s reputation lies in tatters, the
school and the alumni are embarrassed and it will get worse before it gets
better. Much worse.
I will say a few
words in this article about Baylor, about Art Briles, and about the Board of
Regents.
“Truths do not change. The truths of life which I learned as a student
at Baylor have not varied, nor will they vary.”
These words are also from the Immortal Message, and Baylor learned its
own truth the hard way. Baylor is an unapologetic
Christian university. I am proud to call
Baylor my alma mater in part because of this.
Because of Baylor’s Christian stance, the University’s conduct is held
to a higher standard. That is as it
should be. And Baylor should strive
every day to live up to that higher standard.
In that regard, Baylor has failed over the past 5 years.
To allow a Baylor student athlete to sexually assault a woman is
entirely unacceptable. For the
University to turn its back on the victims of these crimes is
unconscionable. To place the winning of
football games on Saturdays ahead of the University’s call and mission is
deplorable.
Baylor is truly a special and unique place in this world. The University imparts a first class academic
education, but also imparts a sense of spiritual truth to go with it. This is what makes the University special,
and the alumni people who strive to make the world a better place. I truly believe that expanding both the mind and the soul makes for the ultimate richness in life. Part of that call is to bring justice to the victim
as well as love and hope to the oppressed.
When the University is operating in harmony with God’s will, Baylor is
as good as it gets. When the University
strays off the tried and true path of God, it all goes horribly wrong. Today it has gone wrong. Tomorrow we go about the task of setting the
University right again.
This scandal will get worse before it gets better. The victims of the crimes will no doubt bring
a slew of lawsuits against Baylor. But
the first step the University must take is to make things as right as possible
with the victims of these crimes. The
second step is to ensure there will not be a repeat of this scandal, now or
forever. These women have been
traumatized, and a part of their soul was robbed by the guilty players and the
coaching staff and administration that turned a blind eye to it. Next, I anticipate the NCAA will come calling
with a “lack of institutional control” charge.
I fully expect that Baylor will receive a minimum 2 year post-season ban. These actions will likely cost Baylor over
$100 million. The cost to its reputation
cannot be measured. The cost of ruined
lives cannot be replaced.
A few words about Art Briles. Briles certainly took Baylor to the
mountaintop of college football. Maybe
not all the way there, but he sure got us close. He is unquestionably a terrific football
coach. We must not forget that Briles is
a good man, but he made a colossal – and firable – mistake in judgment. We must pray that the man finds his
redemption, and that he can do well as he goes forth with his life.
I applaud the actions of the Baylor Board of Regents throughout the
entire ordeal. When news first broke
last August about Baylor football players committing sexual assaults and the
subsequent cover-ups by the coaching staff and administration, the Board kept a
level head. Instead of being caught up
in the hype and frenzy, they took the measured step of hiring an outside firm
to investigate the charges. The Board
knew they had to get it right. They gave
the outside firm the time and room they needed to conduct the
investigation. And when the results of
the investigation came in, the Board took swift and decisive action.
Now we look to the future. We
know what the immediate future likely holds.
But as Christians, we will always look to a future filled with
hope. The words of my Pastor, Adam
Hamilton, ring true as he so often says, “(F)or those whose hope is in Jesus
Christ, the worst thing is never the last thing.” Jesus forgives and He heals. We must pray for healing for the victims of
the sexual assaults. We must pray that
they find their own hope in a healing Savior, that life will go on, and it will
be filled with love, joy, health and happiness.
We must pray for Baylor, as it seeks to right many wrongs.
Longer term, I have faith in the University that it will know the right
steps to take. Perhaps the University
has extended its reach too far athletically and needs to pull back a bit. Believe me, I love to win. I have mellowed in many ways as I have aged,
but my desire to win has never wavered, nor ever dimmed. Do I like beating Oklahoma and Texas on the
football field? I love it! Do I like doing it by selling out, by cutting
corners to ensure that all my players are eligible to play on Saturday,
regardless of their conduct off the field?
No. Baylor must remember its
calling, and live up to that calling.
Winning football games at the expense of the University’s mission should
never be a part of that calling. Let us
all live to the words of the Immortal Message as we light the ways of time!
Sic ‘em Bears!
