Moral dilemma for some. When the UF LB went after the eyes of an opposing player during a pile up and he received a 2 quarter suspension with the conference blessing there was a big stir around the country that the punishment did not equal the crime.
The questions are......
Was it a deserving penalty considering that an Oregon player received what was initially a 1 year suspension for a post game sucker punch? (Personally I'd rather be punched than blind)
What about a pitcher who throws at a batter? (college or pro)
What about the runner who slides in high with metal cleats or through a base with the intent of physical contact? (college or pro)
What about the flagrant intentional basketball foul? (college or pro)
Is there a mentality within athletics that cheap shots with "intent to injure" are part of the game and the athlete is either hit with only a fine or short suspension to apease the pc public?
Is it a "sliding scale" depending on who you are and/or who you play for?
PED's are a kiss of death because of public/government pressure but intent to maim is dealt with a proverbial slap on the wrist in comparision.
Why, when the whistle blows we throw away fundemental rules?
A societal flaw? Is it the "cave man" mentality to prove who the king of the hill is?
Do we still have gladiator mentality only with fitted clothes, broader media, and skyboxes?
Any thoughts?
Posts: 4968 | Location: Madison Wi | Registered: January 06, 2003
Urban Meyer is following in the footsteps of the legendary coach in Florida, Bobby Bowden. Bowden didn't suspend Deion Sanders after he physically assaulted a store clerk just before a bowl game to determine if FSU would be national champion (before BCS). Being sat down for a half is not a suspension. It's a benching. At least it's better than the last time when Meyer made a punished player sit out the first series of a game.
The player should have been suspended and not allowed to dress for a determined period of time. The problem is if this player is missed and Florida loses a shot at the national championship powerful alumnus could get Meyer fired. If the Florida president demanded Meyer suspend the player, the president could get fired if they lose.
It's all a case of misplaced priorities. Then again, with BCS bowl money versus other bowls it's also about the buck, or millions of them. Always follow the money trail .... Meyer keeping his job and salary, the president keeping his job and salary and BCS bowl money.
* Impossible is just a high degree of difficulty *
Posts: 4537 | Location: Mid-Atlantic | Registered: October 29, 2007
This is a case where someone above the coach should hand out the punishment if the coach will not.
Its an interesting set of questions rz. Some of the things you listed would result in an ejection which may carry a fine (professional) or further suspension (college conference rules for example...in the Pac-10, if you are ejected for intentionally throwing at a batter, you serve a 3-game league suspension).
This one seems a little different...definitely not accepted as "part of the game" like some of the others you listed...this appears willful and outside the lines if there is such a thing.
I'd like to see at least a 1-game suspension in this case, but then again I don't know everything the coach or AD knows. Seems to me the SEC could do something about it too...similar to the Pac-10's ejection rule.
Posts: 4285 | Location: California | Registered: June 22, 2003
Half-game suspension for what I view as a criminal act has turned Urban Myer into a national laughingstock and the butt of many jokes on ESPN the last 24 hours. It's also the second time in the last month he's been exposed as a win-at-all-costs coach unconcerned with consequences. The first was when he chose to play Tim Tebow with a concussion, risking the kids health and professional future. JMO.
Posts: 237 | Location: Alabama | Registered: November 24, 2008
The question I always have is, where are the local prosecutors?
The fact that this happened on a football field does not make it any less of a crime. Why not bring criminal charges?
This is an assault and battery. A football player impliedly consents to physical contact within the rules. He doesn't in any way consent to this kind of thing.
I think there was actually a prosecutor who went after a baseball player who charged the mound with a bat in hand. And the player was convicted of at least some charge.
The coach can do as he pleases I suppose, but whether he does or doesn't, it's still something for the police and the prosecutors to handle as well.
Posts: 3407 | Location: Virginia | Registered: February 01, 2006
I was under the impression that the AD, Jeremy Foley, is pretty tough. He was the one who let the baseball player go who got arrested for drunk driving last year (though he was reinstated). I guess that possibility of not winning a national cahmpionship for football is most important. This one really shocked me.
Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead...anonymous
Posts: 13494 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
Originally posted by TPM: I was under the impression that the AD, Jeremy Foley, is pretty tough. He was the one who let the baseball player go who got arrested for drunk driving last year (though he was reinstated). I guess that possibility of not winning a national cahmpionship for football is most important. This one really shocked me.
The baseball program doesn't pack a 88,000 seat stadium and bring in BCS bowl money.
* Impossible is just a high degree of difficulty *
Posts: 4537 | Location: Mid-Atlantic | Registered: October 29, 2007
Coach Meyer had a chance to use this as an example of how to coach the right way. He blew it big time.
I would have suspended him for the remainder of the year. I would have made him pay his own way to Athens and personally apologize to not only the player but their team. If he was willing to meet with the conditioning coach at 4am the rest of the year for some training and did some community service work I would have allowed him to return for the bowl game. If he were my son Coach Meyer wouldnt have a say in this if this was his response.
Now after seeing how this was handled doesnt it make you wonder how infractions we never hear about are handled within this program?
I believe the message Coach Meyer sent is loud and clear. And it stinks.
Posts: 880 | Location: NC | Registered: July 26, 2008
...and we wonder why stars believe that there are no consequences for their actions?
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The sane part of rz1 agrees, but the devils advocate sees this behavior in the dorms, intermeral sports, bars, and campus parties with college age kids and other environments for that age that does not attend school. While the high profile athlete is filmed in "combat" the aggressive "Joes" of the world runs rampant with total disregard for common sense and remains more times than not anonymous.
While the pampered athlete is rightfully highlighted, IMHO, we seem to put those neighborhood thugs within our society on a back burner. Maybe we should spend more time singling out those in our own back yard as the trend setters for our youth and let the jocks destruct on their own.
Posts: 4968 | Location: Madison Wi | Registered: January 06, 2003
Deldad, as it was explained to me today, the NCAA has little to do with it in football, unlike other college sports. They mainly handle admissions and off-season rules stuff. The conferences carry the big weight. The SEC, and namely Commisioner Slive who rubber-stamped this "suspension" is the second party bearing blame here. And here in the SE Slive, the SEC, Florida, and Myers are catching hell. Good luck to them with this public relations nightmare. I suspect it ain't over.
Posts: 237 | Location: Alabama | Registered: November 24, 2008
Actually, Meyer is the darling of Florida, so it's been pretty quiet here about what happened. Of course there are some saying that teh player wasn't hurt and there was no real intent to injure the player, but can one just assume that? Don't actions show intent.
Wayne is right, the NCAA has no control over issues such as this, only the individual schools and their conferences.
Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead...anonymous
Posts: 13494 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
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