So what do we do about athletes behaving badly?
If I’m a Georgia fan, here is what would drive me absolutely nuts:
We just watched our 40-year-old athletics director commit career suicide for making foolish decisions about alcohol and his personal life. It cost him a salary of $550,000 per year and untold other benefits in the future. It also embarrassed the hell out of him and his family. There are no adjectives to fully describe how bad it was and there is no way to truly quantify how much it will ultimately cost Damon Evans both professionally and financially.
In short, it was really, really bad. It was kind of thing you probably wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
So if you’re an athlete at the University of Georgia and you’ve seen one of the most high-profile employees of the school lose almost everything in the space of a few days, wouldn’t it occur to you to be a LITTLE more careful in your behavior–at least for a couple of weeks?
Wouldn’t you say to yourself: “Self, if that can happen to Damon Evans, it sure could happen to me! One day he was running the whole athletic department, making good money, living in a great house, and driving a BMW. Man, he had it all and now he’s GONE! Guess I’d better watch it for a while until things calm down.”
If you were an athlete at the University of Georgia, wouldn’t you at least THINK about that?
Apparently not. Two players were arrested Sunday on alcohol-related charges. They have been suspended from the team. As Mark Bradley points out, that makes seven arrests this year for Georgia football players.
Here is what would drive me crazy if I was a Tennessee football fan: In 2007 we were two bad passes away from winning the SEC championship. Now we’re working under our third head coach in three years. The whole world is telling us that we’ll be lucky to win five games in 2010 but we do have some hope.
Derek Dooley is now our head coach which means that an adult is back in charge. Dooley has made it clear that a change in culture is coming. If you are a Tennessee player and you liked the culture of the previous guy, you’ll find him out on the West Coast serving two years of NCAA probation. Feel free to join him. But if you stay here you better understand that there is a new sheriff in town.
If you’re a Tennessee player wouldn’t you think that maybe–just maybe–it would be a good idea to be careful because a lot of people are watching and this Dooley guy is not kidding around?
Apparently not. The other day Tennessee fans had to look at the searing images of two players covering their faces from photographers as they left a detention facility in Knoxville. An off duty police officer was sent to the hospital while trying to break up a fight in a bar. Media reports say Tennessee players were involved. To what extent will be determined in the future by local law enforcement. One guy has already been kicked off the team.
Needless to say it was a setback for Dooley’s attempt to change the culture of Tennessee football.
Here is where I think we are on this issue.
The vast, vast majority of college student athletes behave themselves and accomplish great things on the field and in the classroom. There are some amazing kids who participate in college sports. We should never forget that.
But within this large universe of good kids, there is a subset of people who participate in college athletics who cannot or will not draw a straight line between actions and consequences. They believe, for whatever reason, that their talent makes them bullet proof and unaccountable. And in some cases they are right. And when they are right, that’s when the adults have to take an integrity check.
It’s easy for me to write this. My professional future is not resting on the behavior of an 18-year-old kid whose ego was so pumped up during the recruiting process that he thinks the rules don’t apply to him. It’s easy for me to say that you send the kid packing and let him figure out his future far, far away from your campus.
But I don’t think you ever get a handle on that subset of problem children unless you have a conversation with them that goes something like this:
Young man, you are blessed with enormous talent. But you have a decision to make. Which do you want to do more: Play football and go to school OR engage in anti-social and potentially criminal activity? You can’t do both. If you want to play football we have a great opportunity here and we would love to have you with us because, as I said, you are very talented and we believe you could be very successful as an athlete and as a student.
But if you embarrass our football program and our university, your athletic career can be ended right here and right now. You know that NFL dream you’ve had since you were little? It won’t happen because the pros have decided they are fed up with the Michael Vicks and the Ben Roethlisbergers, and the Pac-Man Joneses of the world. These guys do more background research on a potential NFL Draft pick than the U.S. Senate does on a future Supreme Court justice. They will come to us and ask us what we think of you. And we will tell them the truth.
So on draft day, when you go in the fifth round after your agent said you were a lock to go in the first, you’ll know why.
Now is this kind of harsh? Yeah, I guess it is. Would this potentially hurt a school in recruiting? With a certain kind of kid, probably so.
But Mark Bradley also pointed out in a recent column that one of the reasons Evans had to go was because he was in a leadership position and had seriously damaged the “brand” of the University of Georgia. And that is a really big deal. Do we not hold high-profile student athletes to the same standard? And if we don’t, is it because we think it’s easier to replace an athletics director than a great wide receiver? Again, it’s the adults who are paid to make the tough decisions.
And don’t tell me that this happens everywhere. I know it does. And don’t tell me that some schools are better at covering it up than others. That may be true. Is that the rationale you want to hang your hat on: That everybody does it and some are just better at getting away with it?
But on this issue, fans and media are often guilty of wanting to have their cake and eat it too. When the left tackle gets into trouble and embarrasses your university, you want him gone–right now. But when the backup left tackle gives up four sacks in the next game and your team loses, the coaches suddenly become stupid people and should be replaced.
We can’t have it both ways. Like we just told the athlete who behaves badly, we have a choice. We either want discipline or we don’t. If we do, then we have to be adults and live with the consequences. And if we don’t, we also have to be prepared to live with the consequences as well.
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206 comments Add your comment
GStateBen
July 13th, 2010
3:48 pm
From Georgia State Coach Bill Curry’s Twitter Page: “Team Discipline is the main job of the head coach. Some decisions are painful when players cannot or will not, do the essential things!”
Georgia State has had players on campus in the city of Atlanta for 5 consecutive semesters and not one player has been arrested. It says something when your HC is a man of integrity and let’s them know foolishness will not be tolerated.
SiCkOfThIs
July 13th, 2010
4:05 pm
Starts at home ladies and gentlemen. The school doesn’t have to babysit your kid if he’s brought up correctly. “You can take the rat out of the hood but you cant take the hood out of the rat”
gdawginkalamazoo
July 13th, 2010
4:05 pm
GATORZONE, good point. If the NCAA would consider these kids banned from all further athletic participation at any level when they are booted from one program I think that would be a big step to alter these kids behavior.
Ron Mexico
July 13th, 2010
4:13 pm
1 – most of the “student athletes” at UGA have probably never heard of Damon Evans, let alone know about his indiscretions.
2 – It’s easy to talk about taking the high road with “student athletes”, but when you’re behind the desk and *it is* your paycheck depending on the star running back vs the 2nd stringer, it’s a lot harder to take the hard line. Credit to those who do…
gdawginkalamazoo
July 13th, 2010
4:15 pm
How about docking Coach Richt’s paycheck 5 grand a pop for arrest? I would think he would figure out some way to put the fear of God into these kids about doing something stupid. I have long been an advocate that the whole team needs to run their arses off when a team mat breaks the rules. Peer pressure would solve a lot problems and make these kids think.
Ted Striker
July 13th, 2010
4:21 pm
Well said. However, here’s why athletes mess up. They’re just like anyone else. People — as a rule — don’t learn from the mistakes of others. They learn from their own mistakes. Damon Evans’ situation taught Damon Evans something. It didn’t teach anyone else in the world anything.
Paddy
July 13th, 2010
4:25 pm
Joel…..I don’t believe Evans will be welcome at any institution of higher learning, big or small. Presidents can’t risk the flow of dollars into their system. Evans would be a hugh risk and he will not be in college sports IMHO. HE IS TOAST AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
Tom
July 13th, 2010
4:33 pm
Anyone want to put some recent links to ALL the negative recent articles where Paul Finebaum rips Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide–I must have missed all of em’.
dagnabit
July 13th, 2010
4:33 pm
I honestly turned my computer this morning expecting to see a headline about Jawja football players being pulled over for a DUI. Course, the day isn’t over yet.
jj
July 13th, 2010
4:39 pm
I for once mostly agree with you Tony. Now, everybody stop bashing when other teams make mistakes. Be it, USC, Bama, UF, UGA or whomever, stop pointing fingers. I dont care if its taking money from boosters, agents, dui, fights or whatever…no team is free from any of that stuff!
Tom
July 13th, 2010
4:43 pm
Paul Finebaum is in love with all things Alabama. He’s a flat out biased journalist. He’s known for taking shots at everybody (except Nick Saban–odd?)
Of course he despises Richt, who’s like 8-0 against Alabama & Auburn. He’s not worried about Meyer beating the state teams, Meyer can’t beat Auburn, and raraly beats Alabama.
Wonder how long Paul Finebaum would last in the state of Alabama if he fired off 5 negative articles in a row ripping Nick Saban?
Why should Saban be “off limits” for Paul Finebaum–doesn’t really fit his guns barred style to avoid taking shots at a coach.
http://www.sbnation.com/2010/4/12/1418029/alabama-spring-game-paul-finebaum
DP
July 13th, 2010
5:03 pm
Tom, that’s a nice straw man you’ve created. What does Paul Finebaum have to do with UGA athletes being arrested? His columns about Richt being on the hot seat are nonsense, intended to stir the pot.
Tom
July 13th, 2010
5:16 pm
Where did I say Paul Finebaum has something to do with Georgia’s player’s getting arrested? I must have missed that one. Please point that out, I don’t know what specifically you’re referring to.
GatorInGa
July 13th, 2010
5:16 pm
The fact is we (SEC) all recruit the same players. Coaches can do things to help prevent issues but kids still do stupid things.
I hope my coach does what’s appropriate for the situation. Unfortunately we don’t know all the situations so some reactions seem very questionable. A mandetory suspension polcy instituted by the SEC for common bad behavior may be a good thing to have.
However, being a “gayturd” I do find it ironic that 2 of the schools most likely to point fingers at my school and claim “we’re better people” are having issues now.
The most funny statement on this discussion though was the Bama fan defending the book sellers; They were doing it to help disadvantaged friends.
Come on buddy, take off the crimson glasses. I reluctantly took my orange ones off a while ago and while it hurt at the time it’s actually kind of freeing to not have to defend your own stupid statements.
Tom
July 13th, 2010
5:21 pm
As Tony said:
“media are often guilty of wanting to have their cake and eat it too. When the left tackle gets into trouble and embarrasses your university, you want him gone–right now.”
Paul Finebaum is one of those media, that the first time something goes wrong at Georgia, he jumps all over it, and watns Richt gone–right now, as if nothing bad EVER happens to Nick Saban, at least I havn’t seem many of his articles detailing that lately.
You must have not read Tony’s article closely about the media.
Tom
July 13th, 2010
5:27 pm
My point is Nick Saban has been called one of the 10 most hated people in Sports by Forbes. You don’t get that impression reading Paul Finebaum’s puff articles about Saban.
Forbes said Saban was #9 on most hated people in Sports. I’d say it’s likely due to the short tenures and the “unclassy” way Saban has left so many teams in the past.
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/Forbes-Calls-Traitor-Saban-No-9-Most-Hated-52122707.html
DP
July 13th, 2010
5:33 pm
Tom, I can’t figure out what you’re talking about. Paul Finebaum is a loudmouthed, no integrity rabble rouser. Take a look at the comments from Alabama and Auburn fans ripping him under his columns at al.com.
Tony Barnhart got quite a few negative comments here a while back when he referenced Finebaum’s Richt obsession by referring to “my good friend Paul Finebaum”. The Damon Evans incident gave Finebaum a new opportunity to push his nonsensical “Mark Richt is on the hot seat” nonsense.
WashingtonDCduck
July 13th, 2010
5:45 pm
Hell, in OREGON we’ve had some serious offenses this offseason and it’s really been a black eye on the program. Most casual fans don’t realize just how many kids are getting good grades, doing great things on and off the field but yet the actions of a few bring everyone down. It’s unfortunate.
I appreciate Oregon’s Chip Kelly dropping the hammer though and ridding the cancers in the locker room. Yes, some kids will make mistakes. Ok, I get that. Some though can’t draw the line in the sand and are just bad apples and don’t deserve the privilege of playing football at the University of Oregon. Don’t kick them to the street, and Chip hasn’t, but get them out of the program.
I wish more programs set the example and stopped slapping guys on the wrist (**Cough, raise your hand Florida and ‘Tide**). Coaches need to lay down the law and set examples. Some programs seem to let guys run wild, and sadly if the wins pile up and rings keep coming in than nobody says a word.
What do we do about atheletes behaving badly?
July 13th, 2010
6:05 pm
I JUST DON’T KNOW.
*
Moderation, Wisdom, and Justice
or lock em’ up without a key ?
jasont13
July 13th, 2010
6:14 pm
I believe incidents like what is going on in Athens (underage possesion, public intox, fighting etc.) happens more than people want to think at other schools. The only thing is and I truly believe this the Athens-Clarke County and UGA PD have it in for football players. I’ll give you an example. As a freshman at UGA in 2003 I was in a car that was driven by another under 21 kid and we were pulled over by Athens-Clark County PD. I had a open beer in my lap and my friend driving had been drinking. I was asked to get out of the car and pour the beer out and was given a TICKET for minor in posession of alcohol. Not arrested but given a citation. I went to court and paid a $75 fine and it was never on my record. So why didn’t this happen to Tavarres King? Oh and the driver of the car was told to pull over into the Waffle House parking lot off Lexington and he left his car there and we had to walk back to a friends apartment and none of us spent anytime in jail.
Richard Boone
July 13th, 2010
6:21 pm
There is not a better LEADER in college football
than Head Coach Mark Richt.
Tom
July 13th, 2010
6:26 pm
These kids need to realize we live in a new age—internet, talk radio. Bad news has a MUCH bigger impact now than it used to. And realize that it’s not just a 1 game suspension, the consequences are WAY bigger than that, it’s BIG TME damage to your school, coaches, university, and future career earnings.
Jim
July 13th, 2010
6:30 pm
Future Kings in waiting rarely make super bad choices, because they live with the future in mind, at all times. The risk is too great to blow their entire career, embarras their nation, and disgrace their family. Players should live like they are Princes who will be future Kings, or like they are in line to inherit a fortune contingent on their conduct.
NCAA Football Rules!
July 13th, 2010
6:51 pm
You simply leave out that UGA and UT as well both have alcohol cultures to the extreme. Do most campuses have students that drink (especially on Thursday nights) – Sure! But at some schools (noted party schools) the partying takes precedence over academics and yes…even over football. The trashing of the campus, the 10% of the football team arrested for the past 5 consecutive years, the numerous arrests on gameday to include fans urinating off the upper deck, and the AD arrested for DUI are simply what gets reported. Imagine if you will all the other incidents that do not get reported! The problem is immense at UGA but nobody really wants to deal with the problem. And Mark Richt has not suspended anyone for a game of significance. No way King sits for the SC game unless he commits some crime above the misdemeanor level..just not in his character to truly lead by setting examples out of the misbehavior of others.
POAD
July 13th, 2010
7:06 pm
Remember the Oregon kid Blont that missed most of the season? He punched a player in live TV. The kid did miss most of the season, but I never heard if he was arrested or assult or did jail time. That kid shoulf have been Arrested that night and taken to jail. These players know they can get away with almost anything. Why not kick more kids off the team? There will be a player to fill their shoes soon enough.
N Saban
July 13th, 2010
7:08 pm
Tide Rising, pleaeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………..
North Ave
July 13th, 2010
7:19 pm
FOR TECH FANS TO GLOAT HERE IS ABSURD. APD DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO FOLLOW YOUR PLAYERS AND AREN’T YOU GLAD. MY SON OR DAUGHTER WILL NEVER GO TO TECH, A GOOD SCHOOL, WITH THE CHANCE OF BEING ASSAULTED BY THE LEECHES OD DOWNTOWN ATLANTA ON THE WAY TO CLASS. APD HAS BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE RIDING A SCOOTER W/O A LICENSE.THIS IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN SMILE ABOUT. HAVING TROUBLE FILLING YOUR STADIUM, I WONDER WHY?
Finebaum
July 13th, 2010
8:14 pm
Finebaum: Richt-er scale weak as trouble looms for Georgia head coach
Finebaum
July 13th, 2010
8:16 pm
http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2010/07/finebaum_richt-er_scale_weak_a.html
Beast from the East
July 13th, 2010
8:47 pm
After reading the posts about my comments this morning, you guys continue to confirm my opinion. Deflect blame, minimize the severity and say that the Athens PD is acting differently than other college town PD’s. I never said that UF does not have a problem with players getting into trouble. They do. The difference is I do not see UF fans trying to say it’s no big deal. It is a big deal and Meyer is addressing it. Hopefully, he will get the players attention and drastically reduce the offenses…..like Saban has over at Bama. If he was in denial like about half of you are, then it would continue to get worse.
The mindset that I see from many UGA supporters just perpetuates the problem. Sorry if it seems like I am lecturing, because that is not my intent. Just stating my opinion.
BWay
July 13th, 2010
8:54 pm
The 2 players from Tennessee are from Ga. Most of Richt’s recruits are from Ga. so I’m guessing the majority of the ones at UGA cited and/or arrested are from Ga. 3 players from Duke were kicked off the team last year for discharging an illegal firearm were from Ga. I grew up in the metropolitan Atl area some time ago and I remember it being a tough place to grow up because you could have so much fun and there wasn’t so much discipline. I wonder if this is a byproduct of kids from Ga. not being prepared for the challenges that present themselves when attending college. I could be wrong.
Also, it looks like the solution based on some previous posts is to deal with the kids effectively by kicking them off the team during the freshman year before you really know what they can do on the field anyway.
Mike T.
July 13th, 2010
9:13 pm
I know Ga. fans don’t want to hear this but their problems started when the players charged the field against the Gators. It is called discipline folks and Georgia doesn’t have any.
What a load of crap. Something that happened three years ago doesn’t have any bearing on
present events. I guess that Gator that stole the credit cards a few years ago is be blamed
on the Florida flop against Miami?
LOVEFALL&FOOTBALL
July 13th, 2010
9:19 pm
Thats a good article. As someone said before all this comes from “WIN AT ANY COST” attitude. These are knuckleheads not student athletes. And this notion that its done on every campus is stupid. It most likely does. BUT STEALING, RAPE, CHEATING and DRUNK DRIVING should not be permitted on ANY CAMPUS.
Beast from the East
July 13th, 2010
9:31 pm
Mike T.,
What flop against Miami would you be referring to?
I agree that the storming off the field has no impact on todays players….especially the ones that weren’t there. But I have to admit, it is ironic that UGA has been struggling every since. Could it be Karma or just bad timing?
UGAGUY
July 13th, 2010
9:41 pm
I’ve been affiliated with multiple ACC/SEC schools, and one of my degrees is from UGA. We at UGA have created a culture where partying is more important than anything. We have a four year graduation rate of UNDER 40%. Our endowment is 10% of UVA’s. Our law school is the only major graduate program ranked in the top 30 nationally (and don’t try to tell me journalism or veterinary services are legit programs). Our fans trash our the center of our own campus after tailgating. AND YOU THINK STUDENT ATHLETES GETTING DRUNK IS OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM? BE ASHAMED.
Rod
July 13th, 2010
9:43 pm
Very well said, Tony. At UGA, there is more than enough reason to run Mark Richt out of Athens on a rail.
Delbert D.
July 13th, 2010
9:46 pm
“Remember the Oregon kid Blont that missed most of the season?”
He was reinstated for the Rose Bowl game. However, the Ducks did kick Jeremiah Masoli, the QB off the team this spring.
DILLIGAF
July 13th, 2010
9:57 pm
Mr. Barnhart,
I always enjoy reading your journalism but please do not ever reference Mark Bradley again.
That’s like Michael Jordan quoting Joe Johnson.
Krogunner
July 13th, 2010
9:57 pm
Time for a new head football coach in Athens! This old school Bobby Bowden, aw shucks attitude is played out. we need a coach that will teach discipline.
#2 BAMA FAN
July 13th, 2010
10:02 pm
Paul Finebaum has good guests during football season after that watching paint dry would be better than to listen to the trouble maker. BTW Tony great read and hope both UT and the dawgs get their
programs turned around. RTR
Andrew
July 13th, 2010
10:06 pm
The problem, Tony, is that for every coach that would actually cut a kid loose, there are dozens waiting to pick those kids up and make them “bullet proof” again and the kids know it. Some coaches egos are bigger than the players. Some coaches think they can “reach” the kids, that they “understand” the kids. Playing time is the only thing they really understand, but we are talking about 18-21 year olds so do you really think they “think” before they drink?
Delbert D.
July 13th, 2010
10:06 pm
When you’re thinking about coaches and leadership, think about who you would be willing to go to war with. Someone who will build the team to perform the mission. Someone who’s going to have to make quick decisions when everything is pure chaos. Football is war, metaphorically.
POAD
July 13th, 2010
10:15 pm
How does Joe Pa keep doing it right after all these years?
Bama fan
July 13th, 2010
10:30 pm
Tom
July 13th, 2010
4:43 pm
“Paul Finebaum is in love with all things Alabama. He’s a flat out biased journalist. He’s known for taking shots at everybody (except Nick Saban–odd?)”
“Of course he despises Richt, who’s like 8-0 against Alabama & Auburn.
So what is this guy Tom’s obsession with Nick Saban and Alabama or Paul Slimebaum? Who cares bout Slimebaum?”
Looks like Tom is obsessed with Alabama and Nick Saban. Wonder how it is that Richt is 8-0 against Alabama and AU. Tom must have forgotten about the blackout game. Guess he also forgot that Bama has won 4 out of the last 7 against UGA. He must be getting a lot of mileage out of those wins over Mike Shula in the early 2000s.
Can’t speak for AU but I thought AU beat UGA 3 out of 4 in the early 2000s and that Richt is something like 5-4 against AU. I reckon Tom only likes those stats that makes the dawgs look good and not overall stats.
Dawg Whisperer
July 13th, 2010
11:04 pm
Ok. I give up. Everything has been tried and applied. Every idea has been considered and debated. As Solomon said, “there is nothing new under the sun” (my paraphrase). Good luck coach Richt. I feel your pain. I had only two teenagers to raise. You get to shepherd about 40 times that many all at the same time. Is it any wonder coaches don’t have any hair (other than Joe Pa) left when they retire?
Mr. Georgia Football Returns
July 14th, 2010
12:25 am
Student behaving badly?
1. They should be confined to the campus. If living off campus, they should be required to move on campus and into the dorm. They may not leave campus without notification and approval.
2.They must pick up trash around campus in an orange jump suit.
3.Coach Richt must become the players personal life coach.
SC Boy
July 14th, 2010
6:27 am
Some of these kids should not even be playing in HS but the desire to win is great there too. Let’s face it. The real problem is the colleges have to recruit some of these thugs less another SEC school takes them. That’s the pressure. Just got to have high standards and take the wins with kids of high character or lose with them. Student/athletes is such a joke.
Tom
July 14th, 2010
7:15 am
In the last 4 games against Alabama & Auburn, Richt’s record is:
3-1 against Alabama
4-0 against Auburn
Richt’s 7-1.
A few player arrests, and we’re all psychology experts. « Get The Picture
July 14th, 2010
7:28 am
[...] and we’re all psychology experts. Jump to Comments Tony Barnhart chimes in with a suggestion on how to rein in player misbehavior. … But I don’t think you ever get a handle on that [...]
Navigator
July 14th, 2010
7:52 am
TB: You don’t do anything, after all, ESPN is married to these folks and their bad behavior. They control sports in the USA, and they need these folks to be successful. They take jock sniffing to a much higher level than anyone thought possible, so get rid of that atmosphere and you get rid of the problem.