Re: "Class Act": Notre Dame Coach Swats Away ESPN Reporter's Race Question After Orange Bowl Win

Ubiquitous wrote:
After winning the Orange Bowl on Thursday, Notre Dame head coach Marcus
Freeman swatted down a question from an ESPN reporter about how Freeman's
race factored into the achievement.
 The Fighting Irish edged out Penn State in a 27-24 nail-biter of a victory.
The team now advances to the College Football Playoff national championship
game, which is scheduled for January 20.
 "You are the first black head coach to go to a national championship game in
college football," ESPN reporter Molly McGrath said to Freeman following the
win. "How much does this mean to you?"
 "You know, I've said this before, I don't ever want to take attention away
from the team," Freeman responded. "It is an honor, and I hope all coaches minorities, black, Asian, white, it doesn't matter  great people continue

get opportunities to lead young men like this."
 "This ain't about me, this is about us," the coach, who is half black and
half Korean, added. "And we're going to celebrate what we've done because
it's something special."
 ESPN reporter tries to play the race card with ND Head Coach Marcus
Freeman - Freeman turns it down. pic.twitter.com/oHfxoxRb3F
  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 10, 2025
 Folks online were quick to react to Freeman's response, and McGrath's racial
question.
 "Notre Dame just won its biggest game since 1988. How does ESPN react? By
focusing on one half of Marcus Freeman's race," Clay Travis posted on X.
"Freeman absolutely crushes his answer and says he hopes all coaches
regardless of race get great opportunities like he did."
 Notre Dame just won its biggest game since 1988. How does @espn
react? By focusing on one half of Marcus Freeman's race. Freeman
absolutely crushes his answer and says he hopes all coaches
regardless of race get great opportunities like he did.
pic.twitter.com/GL3DL6lzB6
  Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 10, 2025
 NFL legend Brett Favre said McGrath's question was "terrible," but Freeman
had a "great response."
 "Sports should bring people together not separate," Favre added.
 Terrible question but great response by Notre Dame head coach.
 Sports should bring people together not separate.
pic.twitter.com/odzoVsmK7w
  Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) January 10, 2025
 Earlier in the month, Freeman was asked a similar racial question from the
press. He responded by saying he was "grateful" to be one of two black
coaches in the playoffs.
 "It's a reminder that you are a representation for many others  and many of
our players that look the same way I do. Your color shouldn't matter, and

evidence of your work should, but it takes everybody."
 This is extremely bad journalism by Ross, completely taking out of
content of what Marcus Freeman actually said, where he did in fact
acknowledge the significance:
 Here was the actual quote: https://t.co/gMP4egPT9M
pic.twitter.com/K8Nh6DWpm8
  Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) January 3, 2025
 Freeman has also won over support for his decision to refocus the Notre Dame
football program on God. A Christian his whole life, Freeman converted to
Catholicism back in 2022 and he notably reinstated mandatory mass attendance
for his players before games, a tradition that was dropped by the previous
Fighting Irish coach.
 "That's important for me," Freeman told the National Catholic Register in
2022 about the school's Christian context. "I want our guys to wonder about
what it means to embrace Jesus Christ."
 Marcus Freeman is a class act. A convert to Catholicism in 2022,
he quickly reinstated the traditional ND practice of the team
attending a pre-game Masssomething which had been abandoned by
his predecessor. https://t.co/thTcDMoK7Z
  Father V (@father_rmv) January 10, 2025
--
Don't jump!