The Oan T-Shirt: Its Meaning And Significance

In June 2020, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy was photographed wearing a t-shirt with the logo of the right-wing news network OAN, short for One America News Network. This sparked backlash from his players, including star running back Chuba Hubbard, who threatened to boycott team activities until things changed. OAN has been criticised for attacking the Black Lives Matter movement, promoting conspiracy theories, and being heavily pro-Trump. In response to the controversy, Gundy issued an apology, saying he was “disgusted” by OAN's views on Black Lives Matter and that he was “looking forward to making some changes”.

Oklahoma State boycott

In June 2020, Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard, the leading rusher in college football, threatened to boycott the team after a photo emerged of his head coach, Mike Gundy, wearing a t-shirt of the right-wing news network OAN (One America News).

Hubbard, who is from Canada, tweeted: "I will not stand for this. This is completely insensitive to everything going on in society, and it's unacceptable. I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE."

Hubbard's tweet came after a photo of Gundy wearing an OAN t-shirt while fishing was posted on Twitter. OAN is a pro-Trump network that has attacked the Black Lives Matter movement, criticised the mainstream media, and regularly promotes conspiracy theories.

Hubbard's teammates soon supported him. Teven Jenkins said he and the entire offensive line backed his comments, while linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga tweeted: "I stand with him!"

Following Hubbard's tweet, Gundy and Hubbard appeared in a video together. Gundy said he was "looking forward to making some changes" but did not explicitly apologise.

In April 2020, Gundy had praised OAN's coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying: "They just report the news. There's no commentary. There's no left. There's no right. They just reported the news."

Gundy, a political conservative, has never shown signs of being racist and has long been an advocate of his players, no matter their colour, religion, or culture.

In the wake of George Floyd's death, Gundy posted on social media: "I can't stop thinking about the horrible situation that happened in Minneapolis earlier this week. I've been at a loss of words to describe the shocking video of George Floyd. My heart and prayers go out to his family. This disgraceful event means we must work harder together everyday to put an end to the mistreatment of black Americans in our country."

In May 2023, the office of Treasurer Todd Russ released Oklahoma's initial list of financial companies that have been found to be engaging in energy company boycotts. The state enacted the "Energy Discrimination Elimination Act of 2022," which requires companies doing business with the state to affirm that they do not and will not boycott energy companies. Otherwise, the state will place the company on a restricted list.

OAN's views on Black Lives Matter

One America News (OAN) is a right-wing, pro-Trump news network that has attacked the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. OAN has been labelled negatively for its stance on various social and racial injustice issues.

OAN has been critical of BLM and has even accused the movement of duping corporate America. They have also been critical of the Democratic Party, calling them hypocrites for propping up a Kamala Harris-led ticket without any official voting process.

OAN has featured stories that are critical of BLM and its leaders. For example, they published a piece titled "BLM Won't Support Kamala", which criticized the movement for not backing the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. They have also published articles with headlines such as "BLM Leaders: Democrat Party Is A 'Party Of Hypocrites'" and "Did Black Lives Matter Dupe Corporate America?".

OAN has also given a platform to individuals who are critical of BLM, such as Mitt Romney, who marched with BLM but condemned Republicans who attended Trump's impeachment trial.

OAN's views on BLM are in line with its conservative and pro-Trump stance. They have been accused of being insensitive to the issues of social and racial injustice that the BLM movement aims to address.

OAN's political leanings

One America News (OAN) is a conservative, far-right news network that has been described as "more right-wing than Fox". The network has been criticized for its negative views on the Black Lives Matter movement, its pro-Trump stance, and its tendency to promote conspiracy theories.

OAN has attacked the Black Lives Matter movement, calling it a "farce", and has been labeled negatively for its criticism of the mainstream media. The network has also been accused of regularly recycling conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation.

In 2020, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy faced backlash from his players, particularly star running back Chuba Hubbard, after being photographed wearing an OAN T-shirt. Hubbard, who is Black, threatened to boycott team activities until changes were made, stating that Gundy's actions were insensitive to everything going on in society.

Gundy initially defended his choice of clothing, praising OAN for their reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he later apologized, stating that he was disgusted by OAN's views on Black Lives Matter and that he wanted to make changes within the organization to promote diversity and respect.

The incident sparked a broader conversation about the role of political leanings in sports and the impact of coaches' and athletes' public support for certain networks or ideologies. It also highlighted the potential consequences of being associated with controversial organizations, as well as the power of athletes to use their platforms to advocate for social change.

OAN's coverage of COVID-19

One America News (OAN) is a far-right, pro-Trump cable channel founded by Robert Herring Sr. and owned by Herring Networks, Inc. The channel has been described as a political propaganda outlet, promoting conspiracy theories and falsehoods.

OAN's coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by misinformation and conspiracy theories. The channel has promoted hydroxychloroquine as a "miracle cure" for COVID-19, blaming a "massive disinformation campaign" by "Big Tech" and the "Chinese-controlled" World Health Organization for it not being recommended as such. In March 2020, OAN's chief White House correspondent, Chanel Rion, promoted a conspiracy theory that the virus originated in a North Carolina lab, citing information from a Twitter conspiracy theorist. Rion also asserted that Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, had funded the creation of COVID-19.

OAN has also spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. In September 2022, the channel reported on a declaration by a group of scientists and doctors claiming that the COVID-19 vaccines were causing an "international medical crisis". However, fact-checking website Health Feedback noted that OAN did not acknowledge that the claims made in the declaration had previously been fact-checked and found to be inaccurate, unsupported, or misleading.

Additionally, OAN has promoted false claims about COVID-19 cases. In May 2020, OAN host Liz Wheeler alleged without evidence that "mainstream media pretended there was a deadly surge in COVID cases" after the 2020 Wisconsin Spring election. PolitiFact rated this claim as "Pants on Fire", finding no references to a "surge" in state and national articles about the election and accurate reporting of COVID-19 cases.

OAN has faced consequences for its COVID-19 misinformation. In November 2020, YouTube suspended OAN's channel for one week and demonetized it for violating its policy against promoting COVID-19 misinformation after the channel uploaded a video advertising a fake cure for COVID-19.

Mike Gundy's apology

In June 2020, Oklahoma State Cowboys' head football coach Mike Gundy was pictured wearing a t-shirt promoting the right-wing news network, One America News (OAN). The photo, which was posted on Facebook and later circulated on Twitter, sparked backlash and protests from the team's star running back, Chuba Hubbard, who is from Canada. Hubbard, who was college football's leading rusher the previous season, tweeted that he "will not stand for" Gundy's choice of clothing and that he "will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE".

Hubbard's protest was in response to OAN's negative portrayal in the media as a pro-Trump network that champions conspiracy theories and criticizes the Black Lives Matter movement. The incident occurred shortly after the death of George Floyd and the surge of support for social and racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Following the backlash, Gundy and Hubbard appeared in a video together, in which Gundy addressed the issue. Although he did not explicitly apologize, he acknowledged that it was a sensitive issue and expressed his desire to make changes within the organization and its culture. He stated:

> "In light of today’s tweet with the t-shirt that I was wearing, I met with some players and realize it’s a very sensitive issue with what’s going on in today’s society. And so, we had a great meeting. [I was] made aware of some things that players feel like can make our organization, our culture, even better than it is here at Oklahoma State. I’m looking forward to making some changes, and it starts at the top with me. And we’ve got good days ahead."

Hubbard, who initially approached the situation "the wrong way by tweeting", expressed his desire for change, stating, "Change is coming I promise you that."

This incident was not the first time Gundy had faced controversy. In 2020, he agreed to take a $1 million pay cut after receiving criticism from Hubbard for his choice of t-shirt. Additionally, in 2024, Gundy faced criticism for his comments about drinking and driving, as well as for suggesting that fans critical of Oklahoma State "can't pay their own bills."

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