Greek News
Dez Bryant Says “No” to Hazing
Cowboy Wide Receiver Dez Bryant took steps to end a tradition of hazing within his team by standing up a veteran player and refusing to condone personal servitude, one of the most common forms of hazing. The NIC supports Bryant and all those who continue to fight against hazing in fraternities, on teams, and within organizations.
From ESPN.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5409306
SAN ANTONIO -- Receiver Dez Bryant has done everything right on the field during the first two days of Dallas Cowboys training camp, but he refuses to participate in an NFL rite of passage.
According to the rookie first-round pick, ayers/profile?playerId=5532">Roy Williams and the other veteran receivers can carry their own shoulder pads after practice.
Williams gave his pads to Bryant after Sunday's morning practice, but Bryant declined to carry them. Williams threatened to go to "step two" when talking to reporters.
"I'm not doing it," Bryant said. "I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player's pads."
"If I was a free agent, it would still be the same thing. I just feel like I'm here to play football. I'm here to try to help win a championship, not carry someone's pads. I'm saying that out of no disrespect to [anyone]."
It's a common duty for rookies, who typically get some sort of hazing. Bill Parcells used to make first-round picks bring him water during breaks in practice. The Cowboys' rookie offensive linemen are given awful haircuts by the veterans at some point during each training camp.
"Everybody has to go through it," Williams said. "I had to go through it. No matter if you're a No. 1 pick or the 7,000th pick, you've still got to do something when you're a rookie.
"I carried pads. I paid for dinners. I paid for lunches. I did everything I was supposed to do, because I didn't want to be that guy."
What would "step two" be?
"We'll find out. Definitely going to find out," Williams said. "I don't know. I've seen guys take people's credit cards and go fill up their cards and wife's cards and everything. There's a lot of dirt that goes on in that locker room."
Bryant, a Lufkin, Texas, native who went to Oklahoma State, has become an immediate fan favorite. He made several spectacular catches during each practice in the Alamodome -- where the crowd roars even when he makes routine plays -- and runs a lap around the field high-fiving fans before going into the locker room.
Williams, an Odessa, Texas, native and University of Texas product, is a frequent target of fan criticism due to his poor production since being traded from the Detroit Lions during the 2008 season. He was booed during Sunday morning's practice when he dropped a pass, although Pro Bowler Miles Austin didn't get similar treatment when he had a drop in the afternoon session.
"I bought a Ford F-250 2011. Everybody loves a new car but I also have a 2004 Navigator that's still running," Williams said about the perception that Bryant will soon be the starter. "So that's the way I feel."
There has been no previous friction between Williams and Bryant, whose arrival puts Williams' status as a starter in jeopardy. Williams has consistently praised Bryant publicly and made it clear that the rookie could come to him with any questions that he had.
Williams believes it's a veteran's duty to serve as a mentor to rookies. And he believes it's a rookie's duty to carry the veterans' shoulder pads to the locker room after practice.
"I don't believe in that at all," Bryant said. "We have a goal here. It's not about playing games. It's all about just trying to do the right thing and achieve our goal."
Sigma Nu Pop Singer Posner Hits the Charts
Recent Duke University graduate Mike Posner, a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, has received great reviews from both Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly recently for his Top 10 hit "Cooler Than Me". A story in the August 5th Rolling Stone mentions both Sigma Nu and his 3.59 GPA as a 2010 Duke grad who put out two mixtapes online to earn an eye-popping offer from rapper Jay-Z. Posner's first LP, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, on J Records hits music stores on August 10th and is predicted to debut near the top of the charts.
Three Greeks Enshrined in College Football Hall of Fame
During the 16th annual enshrinement festival in South Bend, Indiana on July 16-17, three men from NIC member fraternities were enshrined in the National Football Foundation's HOF. Inductees from the football bowl subdivision class were wide receiver Ken Margerum, a Delta Upsilon from Stanford University and former Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta, a Pi Kappa Alpha from the University of Miami. Inducted for his head coaching exploits at Southern California and Nevada-Las Vegas was John Robinson, a Sigma Chi from the University of Oregon.
Honors Continue for KA-Dominated NCAA Volleyball Champs
Stanford University men's volleyball team won its first-ever NCAA title, aided by 15 players in Kappa Alpha Order. Kawika Shoji was named National Player of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, won a $7,500 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and was on the USA 2 national team which recently played in the Pan American Cup. Also named as All-Americans were Brad Lawson (co-MVP in the NCAA tournament), Erik Shoji and Evan Romero. Garrett Werner also won an NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship
Greeks Win Honors at the 2010 ESPY Awards Show
ESPN held its annual ESPY Awards show, which was hosted by Seth Meyers, Phi Gamma Delta from Northwestern. Taking top honors in three categories (Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance, Best NFL Player) was New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Sigma Chi at Purdue. Named as the ESPY Award winner as Best Coach/Manager was Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson, Sigma Alpha Epsilon at North Dakota. Finalists in the Best Coach/Manager category were New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Alpha Tau Omega at Northwestern, and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, Sigma Chi at Eastern Illinois
Five Greeks Among Major Emmy Award Nominees
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards and five alumni from NIC member fraternities are among the the nominees. In the Best Actor, Drama category is Matthew Fox (Phi Gamma Delta at Columbia) for "Lost". Nominated for Best Actor, Comedy is Larry David, former Tau Epsilon Phi chapter president at Maryland, for "Curb Your Enthusiasm". John Goodman (Sigma Phi Epsilon at Missouri State) is nominated as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie ("You Don't Know Jack") and Beau Bridges (Sigma Alpha Epsilon at UCLA) has a nomination as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for "The Closer". Bob Balaban (Phi Kappa Tau at Colgate) is nominated as Outstanding Director for a Miniseries or Movie ("Georgia O'Keefe").
Two Significant Sig Books Now in Stores
New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees, a member of Sigma Chi at Purdue University, promoted his new memoir, Coming Back Stronger, on Monday's "Good Morning America" and the book (published by Tyndale House Publishers) was on major bookstore shelves the next day. The Saints head coach Sean Payton, a Sig from Eastern Illinois, had his new book, Home Team, about the teams' success also in the stores the same day.
