COMMENTARY: Racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of level

 COMMENTARY: Racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of level

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

CANTON--I couldn't resist any further.

As I read the headlines, once again I witnessed that dreaded specter rear it's demonic head once again that left me asking, "why?" Once again, why did that dreaded specter rear it's presence again?

Initially I considered not writing this but what I read, it left me no option but to vociferously express my feelings about a basketball rivalry that is supposed to be built on respect but has turned into something that it should never become.

Two years ago, Iowa's Caitlin Clark took the NCAA women's basketball tournament by storm by delivering riveting performances that earned her the praise of not just her teammates but female basketball fans around the nation as she led the Hawkeyes to the championship game. She was Iowa born, raised and an Iowan all the way to her heart and soul. Unfortunately, a junior at the time, Clark's season ended with a national championship loss to the LSU Tigers and their standout forward, Angel Reese.

Fast forward to 2024. Iowa and LSU met again in the NCAA tournament and this time, it was Clark's Hawkeyes turning away Reese and the Tigers to advance to the Final Four again but Clark's career concluded with a second straight setback in the championship game, this time to South Carolina.

This past week, in a WNBA contest, it was Clark and the Indiana Fever taking on Reese and the Chicago Sky. During a play, Clark had committed a flagrant foul and Reese responded by nearly swinging a punch on Clark before being restrained and voicing her dismay with multiple swear words not for usage. Obviously, the Fever captured a victory, improving Clark's record to 5-1 against Reese in their rivalry.

Enough of that. Now to where I can't restrain myself. This week, there was a report of fans who allegedly hurled racial slurs at Reese. It's bad enough to not like an athlete. But to hurl racially charged insults at Reese is just abhorrent. She has been called a lot of names which are not appreciated. You would think this would be a healthy rivalry like that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Sadly the Clark-Reese rivalry has become something it should not be: racial.

As I think about the angst that engulfed me like a forest fire, it had me thinking about why athletic competition needs to be decided in fair competition and not on skin color. What was said about Reese is why we have the issues that plague competition today. Think about how Reese's parents feel. Think about how her family members feel. Think about those who know her and how they feel that she has become subjected to vitriolic distaste amid racial attacks. Even Clark didn't condone the attacks about her rival.

Simply put, racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of level.

Having grown up in Stark County and cutting my teeth into the profession of my desire, I have seen zealous fanbases show their unwavering support for their school. At times schools will fire taunts back at other schools, such as "why so quiet", "you can't do that", "overrated", and so on. One thing I have not seen and I pray and hope it NEVER happens on my watch is any school firing a racial slur or making a racial chant toward a player, coach, team, etc.

Athletics are supposed to be fun. Athletics are supposed to be competitive. Athletics are supposed to teach life lessons in victory and defeat. How can this be reinforced when the maturity of fans disintegrates and resorting to racial behaviors such as making monkey noises toward Reese? It should never make a difference that Clark is white and Reese is black. It must never be about the color of their skin but their abilities they are blessed with that makes them the standout athletes they are.

Let's keep in mind that when an athlete is in competition, they are someone's child. An athlete may have white parents or black parents. In some cases, a child may have a black father and a white mother or the reverse side of that, a white father and a black mother. The child may also have relatives of both races as well. How do you think their parents will feel forbid an opposing section detonates racially charged dynamite toward them? What will it say about the fans of the other school? It will paint not only a demeaning vista of them but also lead to strained relationships with other schools as well.

Granted I am not aware of protocols and how athletic directors around the county will handle a situation if it were to arise. But I trust that each AD in the county will do their uncontested best to make sure their students respect opposing players and eschew the demon known as racism in the form of racial attacks, slurs, disparaging innuendo, etc. And this doesn't include athletic directors too but also principals, assistant principals, and also referees in charge.

What I saw during the Fever-Sky contest was pungent. The foul Clark committed was bad enough. Reese's response (she obtained a technical foul for threatening retaliation) was equally bad. But when fans harangued Reese with their treacherous remarks, it crossed a line. And if fans cannot keep racial slurs out of their mouths, it is best for them to just stay away from the arena. My mother taught me something growing up when I was a child and it is something that is still abided by me four decades and three years later: "Don't do something or say something to someone that your words can't get you out of."

To the fans that disparaged Reese: show some maturity. Behave as your age states. You don't want your kids descending to a flagrant level, do you? You were a child yourself once. How can you set an example for your child to be respectful when you are not being respectful in the arena?

I encourage Clark and Reese to both continue to play hard for their teams and it is my sincere hope the rivalry becomes one that is built on respect and not race. And I encourage all Stark County high schools, fans, coaches, athletic directors, principals and assistant principals to display exemplary conduct and respect not just for your school but the opposing school in competition too. 

Racial slurs have no place in athletics regardless of athletic level. Here's to a safe summer vacation and one built on love and respect for each other and not on racial inequalities.

Keno Sultan (Stark County Prep Press)

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

COMMENTARY: Massillon's thrill ride 20 years ago led to lifetime respect for their city and program

 COMMENTARY: Massillon's thrill ride 20 years ago led to lifetime respect for their city and program

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--People from Catholic families are taught to love those as they want to be loved.

As I was sitting in the East press box before a Tigers game writing down some final notes, I felt a snapping, wet feeling on the right side of my face. My body got warm rather unseasonably. I thought to myself "what was that."

A Massillon mother, Renee, who is Catholic, had kissed me from behind and told me "Keno, that was a really nice article you wrote on the Tigers." Briefly I was surprised how she knew who I was before we both embraced and had a great talk before the Tigers game. During halftime I went to the men's room and saw she left a shining, wet, pink lip glossed imprint on my face. Wow. I smiled and left it untouched as a badge of respect from her. I felt her love. I felt her faith. I felt the touch of Massillon greatness. That kiss on my cheek was my sacrament to Massillon. That kiss on my cheek was my Communion to Massillon  But where did it all start?

It all started back to the 2004 season when I was an intern for a semi-pro football team with kicking expert and general manager Bill Shafer who hired me on as the team director of media relations. It was after being around former Tigers and the city in general, I figured about the possibility of writing for the Massillon football team. As a student at Mount Union College (now University of Mount Union) and having graduated from McKinley High School, I was always going on MassillonProud to see what was going on with the Tigers. I couldn't believe the support they received year after year after year. As a college sophomore I dabbled with the thought of wanting to cover them locally for The Repository. From talking to a former writer I personally know who is retired, many people didn't want to cover the team because everyone knew Massillon was going to pass the ball a whole lot and the contest would not end until the deadline for publication.

It was then as a college senior I got the break I was looking for. I was going to be an assistant writer for the Tigers football team. Massillon was coming off two straight 4-6 seasons and were desperate to regain relevance. Massillon was kicked into two straight losing seasons with the start of it being an agonizing 21-20 Division I state semifinal loss to undefeated Warren Harding, whose head coach, Thom McDaniels had tormented Massillon for years as McKinley's field commander and now had done it to them again.

Tom Stacy, who was the Ashland offensive coordinator was now tasked to be the one to lead the Tigers. Most people thought Tigers defensive coordinator Tyrone Partridge was going to nail down the post with his Einsteinian knowledge as a defensive genius and ability to subtract teams opposing offenses as evidenced by his work in the 2001 and 2002 season as Massillon defensive coordinator.

As a Mount Union senior, I made my way over to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium after my final class, American Government History ended at 3:50 p.m. I was excited. What I didn't know was this was the beginning of something that would lead to a respect that would become lifetime.

Me and former Massillon head coach Tom Stacy. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Massillon was opening up their regular season against the Dover Tornadoes and their long tenured patriarch Dan Ifft. The game was sold out in front of 18,000 and it was the first non-McKinley regular season sellout since the Tigers 2002 game against St. Ignatius. 

As I got my food in the pressbox, a lady told me "Keno, you better get that Obie cake first." I questioned her with an expression that read "are you kidding me"? Her response? "Does it look like I'm kidding?" I knew that was serious. It's been said dessert is the last thing you eat after the meal but I knew if I wanted to last long in the Tiger City, I had to eat that cake first!

Everything went Massillon's way in a 34-0 victory over the Tornadoes and it jumpstarted an unbelievable path. The 2005 Massillon Tigers were a team that found ways to win games. Along the way they finally recorded wins over St. Ignatius and Warren Harding, two teams that were construction roadblocks in Massillon's previous seasons.

But in the 10th week, everything had gone Massillon's way. Everything also was going the way of the school I graduated from. Both teams were 9-0 heading into the 113th renewal of the rivalry. No tickets were sold at the door. Media coverage was humongous. Massillon's regular season came crashing down in a nasty 38-8 loss to McKinley and now for the first time, we would see how the Tigers were going to respond.

I wrote in a story "the pride of the Massillon Tigers is on life support. Whether they will be able to get back up from this loss will tell a lot about them." I was called out by a fan who at the time said for me to say their pride was on life support was a crime in their city. I understood his anger. But for the first time, I knew just how much pride Massillon had. They not only got back up but left an unspeakable path of immolation, scoring playoff wins over North Canton Hoover, Findlay, Canton McKinley and Lakewood St. Edward going into their showdown against #1 ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Downtown Massillon was on fire after the comeback win over St. Edward. For the first time, I felt chills. I felt the pride of the city. I felt my destiny within me. All week, experts were predicting a blowout for the Bombers, who left teams in tatters and had a national ranking of ninth in the nation. No one gave Massillon a prayer except for their fans. Tigers fans were irate and they showed it before kickoff when 19,000 Massillon fans in Fawcett Stadium took their jackets off in the seven degree cold in unison as a sign of bravery that Massillon Tiger football was not going to be scared of the Bombers.

Massillon played St. Xavier tough unlike no one else had. Sadly it ended with a 24-17 loss to the Bombers. Even in defeat, the fans continued their chants of "T-I-G...E-R-S" and "We Are Massillon". I did enough to fight back tears as even in defeat, I gained an appreciation for their fans. Those same Massillon fans who stood up for me when fans from other schools disrespected me and said things about me at times that hurt and internally angered me. 

What I learned from that 2005 season as it will be 20 years ago they played for that state title was that Massillon will never back down from anyone. Massillon's class that I witnessed still burns radiant whenever I return to the city. The student-community-athletes, coaches, faculty, administrators, alumni are all a part of my heart. The tailgates, the good times, the excitement is still always there.

Although I am not Catholic, that kiss I got from Renee is one I still feel to this day 14 years ago. I still feel the brimming zealousness of Bill Shafer, who I am proud to say is my friend and longtime general in the department of my profession. I still feel the excitement of the 2005 Tigers who left great memories that are still talked about to this day.

There are many people I can thank here but I am just going to say a big thank you to everyone who provided what was a sparkling thrill ride 20 years ago, one that not only led to my eventual graduation from Mount Union but also a lifetime respect for the city of Massillon and their program.

In memory of former Massillon CB Troy Ellis.

Keno Sultan (Stark County Prep Press)

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.

Massillon football hires to prove advantageous to Tigers

 Massillon football hires to prove advantageous to Tigers

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

MASSILLON--Christmas arrives once a year as the month of December is transitioning into January and a new year is on the horizon.

Although it is seven months away, Christmas has come once again, this time for the Massillon Tigers football regime. And this time, it may prove advantageous.

If receiving nine straight home games along with the possibility of not departing Stark County till after the 12th week of the 2025 season was a blessed present, their next present got even greater in the offseason.

The Tigers added to their staff two new coordinators that are grand slam hires. Former Massillon Tiger football standout Evan Berbari and assistant coach Jeff Kent were hired respectively as the Tigers offensive and defensive coordinators for the upcoming season.

11th-year Massillon patriarch Nate Moore, who doubles as the school athletic director was very elated with the background of the new hires, which he figures to be a continuation of what former coordinators Alex Wood and Spencer Leno brought during their times in the Tigers kingdom.

Berbari, a 2014 graduate was a former Massillon two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines who played under Moore's predecessor, Jason Hall was part of the Tigers first Division II competing team. The highlight of that season was an emphatic 34-7 road victory over an undefeated Canton McKinley team that possessed the county's top-ranked offense and dynamic joystick quarterback in Eric Glover-Williams, whose play reminded many of the once-dynamic Michael Vick in his early days with the Atlanta Falcons. That win allowed the Tigers to witness football after the 10th week. 

Since that game, Massillon as a Division II school against McKinley is a wealthy 11-1 against the Bulldogs (Berbari was 3-2 against McKinley in his Tigers career). And Berbari, who worked on the Ashland staff with former Massillon head coach Tom Stacy, who coached the Tigers for three seasons will love nothing more to extend that number in the left hand column and no one is more ecstatic about it than Moore himself.

Last season, the Tigers offense scored 487 points, for an average of 34.7. That number may improve a few notches.

"I was happy with the hires. Evan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from Ashland University and a college background he brings to the Massillon Tigers offense. Being a Washington alum, he brings a deep knowledge to Massillon football," Moore said of Berbari.

Defensively, the Tigers are still going to be an attacking force under Kent, who comes over from the southern part of the U.S. and has amassed productive experience having attained success at various schools.

Last year's Massillon's defense yielded just 171 points, an average of 12.7 Two years ago in their state championship season, the Tigers defense was reminiscent of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens as they allowed 116 points all season for an astonishing average of just seven points and had shades of the 2019 Tigers who were similar to the 2023 team in just surrendering the same average of points.

With the defense expected to be strong again, opposing teams may be experiencing nightmares again venturing into Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

He may not be Clark Kent as Superman but one thing is for sure: Jeff Kent prides himself on steel tough defenses and the Tigers figure to be not just according to Moore, "men of Massillon" but also the men of steel.

What previous defensive coordinators Craig McConnell and Leno (now the head coach at Perry) have accomplished with the Tigers defenses over the years is something Kent will continue with steely focus.

"He has done really well at the high level in the Georgia and Tennessee areas and also at Colquitt County and Valdosta," Moore added. "He now brings that experience to Massillon and our defense with a level of attention to detail with also our inside linebackers, which is very unique."

Moore has infused his staff embedded with Massillon grit and girth. Overall, there are nine Tigers on the staff who all competed in the orange and black, with two of the nine being part of an undefeated regular season, Jason Jarvis and Danny Studer, who both along with an inspirational performance from Ellery Moore helped the Tigers stun #1 state ranked Canton McKinley 35-7 in 1999 on the road to not only annex the Victory Bell but swing the pendulum of the rivalry.

This coming season, the Tigers will be at home for the first nine weeks, starting with an August 22nd contest against Cleveland Glenville. It will be the first meeting for the two schools since the 2009 season, a 31-17 Tarblooders victory in the Division I state semifinals when eventual Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones engineered two scoring drives that stifled Massillon's momentum after they had tied the score at 17-17 going into the fourth quarter.

Overall, Massillon will compete against out-of-state schools in Rabun Gap Nacoochee (GA), Buffalo Bennett (NY), Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, TX), Clarkson North (Canada), and Cardinal Ritter College Prep (St. Louis, MO). GlenOak, Lakewood St. Edward and Warren Harding complete the home slate for the Tigers.

"That is a challenging schedule with a lot of national matchups and we get to play inside Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and there is no place I would rather be," Moore said "We get nine home games and we don't take that for granted or lightly."

Berbari and Kent will also have their presence felt also when the annual Steve Studer Lift-A-Thon arrives this Saturday. According to Moore, he attests that is when the start of football season begins. And it may be a year that just may likely end with a second title in three years for Massillon but for right now, they are concentrating on the now.

"We have the Steve Studer Lift-A-Thon coming up this Saturday and to many in Massillon, that is the beginning of football season and we hope to give everyone in attendance a good showing," Moore said.

Christmas arrives once a year in December. And for Massillon, Christmas came very blessed and early for the Tigers in the form of two new and experienced coordinators along with nine home games inside the football colossus named after Paul Brown.

MOORE AGGRESSION. Massillon head coach Nate Moore aggressively watches the action unfold during the Tigers 135th meeting against Canton McKinley, a 16-7 victory last season. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

RETURN TO MASSILLON

For the first time in 35 years, a former head coach will return to Massillon on the sidelines. Rick Shepas, who coached the Tigers for seven seasons from 1998-2004 will be on the Warren Harding sidelines as their athletic director in the ninth week of the season. Shepas, 60, will be the first former Tigers coach on the opposing sideline since Bob Commings in 1989, when Commings was in his 10th season as GlenOak's football coach. Commings coached Massillon for five seasons spanning the 1969 through 1973 seasons. Shepas was 53-27 as Tigers coach, with an undefeated regular season in 1999 and an undefeated home season in 2001. He coached Waynesburg University for 12 seasons.

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIVISION I STATE FINALIST TEAM

The 2025 season will mark the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Massillon football team that set a record for school wins in a single season as they completed a 13-2 season that ended with a 24-17 loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier in the state final. Massillon defeated St. Ignatius for the first time ever after multiple failures against the Wildcats and also defeated undefeated teams Canton McKinley and Lakewood St. Edward in the playoffs two straight weeks. The Tigers were coached by Tom Stacy, who patrolled the Tigers sideline for three seasons. Stacy, 65, is now the Ashland offensive coordinator. Antonio James, who was a standout defensive stalwart for the Tigers and then for the University of Illinois football team is now an assistant defensive line coach.

CHAMPION COACHES

Massillon's home opener against Glenville will also be a battle of two-time champions in the coaching department. Long tenured Tarblooders elder statesman Ted Ginn Sr., a cancer survivor won his battle and led them to two consecutive Division IV state championships in the 2022 and 2023 seasons where as Moore is a champion maestro himself with two titles but the first to win not only a title at a private school but also a public school. Glenville returns to Massillon for the first time in 21 seasons, an emotional 20-17 Division I state semifinal loss to McKinley as a game-winning pass was intercepted in the end zone, halting their bid for a state title game appearance.

Keno Sultan is a writer with Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.