FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt said Wednesday that cancer-fighting charities were not be blame for his decision to no longer identify practice sluggards with pink jerseys and urged fans who withdrew support for the groups to
change their minds.
Nutt said the team had heard from people offended that the Razorbacks were using pink jerseys to give players "a little extra
motivation." The color pink is often used to highlight support for
anti-breast cancer efforts, such as those run by the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation.
But Nutt said Wednesday that Arkansas fans had called the
foundation and the local Komen Ozark Race for the Cure to say they
could no longer support the charities because they had objected to
the Razorbacks' use of pink jerseys.
And Nutt said the Komen charities weren't among those who
complained.
"The foundation and the Race for the Cure people were not
offended by the jerseys and did not call. The people who were
offended apparently are not associated in an official capacity with
either one of those two great causes and the work they do," Nutt
said.
"Several of our players have worked the race as volunteers the
last few years. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what the
foundation does and for anyone who has to go through that
treatment. I want to encourage everyone who was supporting them to
continue to do so and to not be discouraged by a few individuals
who were acting on their own."