The Florida A&M football team may now return to its activities after a brief suspension following Boston Richey’s music video being filmed in the team’s locker room.
On Tuesday, Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, FAMU’s director of collegiate athletics, announced that all football-related events could resume immediately. However, she did confirm that an investigation remained ongoing into the controversial video and whoever approved it. School officials were seemingly not aware that it had taken place until the footage hit the internet, according to ESPN.
“An investigation into the unauthorized video that was partially filmed in the football locker room is being led by the University’s Office of Compliance and Ethics,” she wrote before adding that she wouldn’t be addressing the issue again until after the probe was complete.
The reinstatement of the football team comes just days after coach Willie Simmons’ took swift action following the video’s release. In the visual for “Send a Blitz,” Richey is seen rocking a FAMU athletic shirt as several players surround him in various scenes holding up FAMU helmets. Given some of the lyrics, which refer to guns, “opps lacking,” and sexual acts with women, Simmons’ felt that the song was not in line with the school’s values.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcOx7DZanNw
His decision sparked a fierce debate online amongst current and former students. Some believed that the video was harmless, especially given the fact that Richey previously led the football team out of the tunnel during the 2022 Homecoming game. Others felt that shooting such a video without proper authorization was reckless and painted the university in a bad light.
Why FAMU football team ain’t make an unauthorized video in FAMU football uniforms and the locker room addressing how their school is underfunded and how their governor is banning Black history?
Why the shit we claim is “for the culture” never actually address shit that matters?
— Booker G. Washington (@TendentiousG) July 22, 2023
Facts! Boston Richey needs FAMU more then they need him. FAMU is literally the #1 Public HBCU, go viral ALL THE TIME for positivity lol have so many prominent alumni, amazing students and a great football team!
Boston Richey is benefiting from this attention lol https://t.co/zhBFOiadVN
— Randall Barnes (@AuthorRandallB) July 22, 2023
The FAMU Football story isn’t a great look but I don’t think it’s a huge deal. It’s summer and ain’t much going on. The players MIGHT get a one game suspension or the punishment is handled in house. The staffers who let them in the locker room are probably gonna be fired
— The Anonymous Nobody (@el_budget) July 23, 2023
Nevertheless, the controversy is over, at least for now. The Rattlers will return to practice on August 4th as they gear up for their season-opening game against Jackson State University on September 3rd.
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