Lincoln Riley: It's 'Probably a Fantasy' Everyone Will See Eye-to-Eye, but 'We Can All Co-Exist'

As a small portion of OU fans remain dismissive of players' voices, Sooners coach still believes everyone can "get to that place of mutual respect."

When Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley woke up Thursday morning, he probably didn’t anticipate public backlash against the support he showed to his football players during a video teleconference on Wednesday.

To be clear, any backlash was small. But the “shut up and play” crowd made itself heard on social media.

One poster said he wouldn’t support the Sooners any more after 50 years because of Riley’s stance that “all lives can’t matter until black lives matter too.” Another said he longed for the days of real leadership from previous coaches and hoped Bob Stoops would return. Others expressed similar opinions, although the vast majority of feedback said they were proud Riley was the Sooners’ coach.

There is, of course, an overarching absurdity about disliking a football coach for supporting black players during times of racial unrest — especially at a place like Oklahoma, where Bud Wilkinson helped break the color barrier in the 1950s and Barry Switzer showed other powerhouse programs in the 1970s that they actually could win big with black players, despite what many believed at the time.

Longing for Stoops instead of Riley during all this is unfounded, too, as if Stoops wasn’t front and center with his players during the SAE controversy five years ago.

Bob Stoops and the Sooners in 2015 :: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

During Wednesday’s call with local and national media, Riley actually got a question from Norman Transcript sports editor Tyler Palmateer on this very topic: what message would you have for OU fans who enjoy watching the players play but aren’t interested in their politics or opinions on civil rights?

It’s a tough question: How do you reconcile an unflinching support of your players knowing some of your long-time fans — who contribute financially to the very system that puts all that money in your pocket — do not?

Riley’s response was timeless and perfect.

“Yeah, it’s a tricky question,” Riley said. “One, because people’s emotions are so high about this right now, regardless of what side of the argument you’re on. There’s a little bit of an element right now of it’s like throwing a match on gasoline right now.

“I do — well, I don’t know if I would have a message for them. I understand we live in a country where you’re able to believe what you want to believe and able to express that. So, certainly respect everybody’s opinions and understand it’s probably a fantasy to think that we would all think or believe one way, ever.

“But the opportunity that if we do have differing opinions, to at least be able to respect the other person’s opinions. If we do protest or question or anything like that, that we do it peacefully and tastefully. That we try to find a place where we can all co-exist and all have the same opportunities.

“That would be my hope, that we could get there. And I would hope that regardless of what side of the argument that somebody is on that we could get to that place of mutual respect.”

To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.