Georgia’s problems reaffirm NCAA needs uniform drug policy
Bobby Bowden supports Georgia's drug policy but says it might leave the team at a competitive disadvantage.
ATHENS – It’s fair to start with this: There is no excuse for doing something wrong.
There is no excuse for stealing money from a teammate’s dorm room, just because you’re short of cash. No excuse for getting into a physical altercation with a girlfriend, just because there was an argument. No excuse for getting high, just because … well, just because. No excuse for exploring the cannabis culinary arts and eating Alice B. Toklas brownies, just because you were on spring break and you were hungry and, really, honest, pinky-swear, you didn’t even know that there was marijuana in them (uh, right.)
These are some of the reasons why Georgia coach Mark Richt has been suspending or dismissing players at an alarming rate lately – eight since January. This is when nobody seems to remember how many stars were by a recruit’s name on national signing day. Funny how that works.
Richt has a problem. But only part of it has to do with the fact that too many of his players are doing really dumb things. The other has to do with a somewhat unlevel playing field.
Georgia has a fairly strict drug-and-alcohol policy for its student-athletes, relative to most other universities, particularly those in the SEC. UGA suspends players for at least one game (10 percent of schedule) after the first positive test. A second positive test mandates a suspension of at least 30 percent of the schedule (or four games) for a non-controlled substance or 50 percent (six games) for a controlled substance or DUI. A third positive results in dismissal.
An examination of schools in BCS conferences by AOL/Fanhouse in 2010 revealed Georgia and Kentucky were the only two SEC members that suspended players following the first positive drug test. Only six of 68 programs overall do so (Baylor, Cincinnati, Miami and Virginia Tech are the others).
Every time Mark Richt looks up, another player is getting into trouble. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
As a comparison, Florida has among the most lenient policies, with no suspension until the second positive test and no dismissal until the fifth positive.
How often and when, if at all, an athlete is tested also is up to each university. The NCAA, in fact, allows every school to set its own policy.
This is a problem. There needs to be uniformity among athletic programs’ drug-testing policy, not just within conferences but across the country. Anything short of that creates a competitive disadvantage for some.
Among those supporting the idea for uniformity is former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, Richt’s coaching mentor, who was in Athens on Friday for a high school coaches clinic.
Bowden had a reputation for being soft in the area of player discipline when he coached. But he acknowledges he would have to be tougher if he coached now, saying, “I would have to do a better job of educating the young men, trying to expose them to things where they would learn some moral issues that maybe they missed in their home.”
He supports Georgia’s policy, but doesn’t seem surprised Richt is having problems.
“One reason at Georgia [that] you hear so many boys getting out of line is because they’re so dog-gone restrictive,” he said. “I know a lot of schools — I don’t want to say something I shouldn’t say – but [they] don’t have to drug test. If you don’t want your boys to be caught with drugs, don’t drug-test them. And some schools do that. If you have a strict program, the way our society is, you’re going to have kids [test positive].”
Asked if he supported a universal policy, Bowden said: “Yes. That would be fair. There’s no doubt about it. … Georgia needs to do what’s best for Georgia. And you’ve got to soothe your conscience that you’re not letting bad things happen just because you don’t think somebody’s going to find out. But there’s an advantage if you’re a school that doesn’t test.”
In retirement, Bowden is able to laugh about some things he couldn’t before, such as when Florida State players were found to be receiving free athletic gear from a local sporting-goods store. Borrowing the line from his former thorn, Steve Spurrier, Bowden cracked, “You’ve all heard of Free Shoes University, haven’t you? I had a slogan on my desk: ‘This too shall pass.’”
That is all Richt can bank on right now. And maybe hope for a quieter summer.
By Jeff Schultz
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280 comments Add your comment
George Stein
March 30th, 2012
5:11 pm
Agreed, Dawglasville.
Boise Dawg
March 30th, 2012
5:19 pm
Wet Willie.. I think Richt sent the appropriate message Crowell needed based on the extra running backs he recruited this offseason.
dean
March 30th, 2012
5:24 pm
On his way out of the coaching profession, Coach Bowden gave us this: “Anybody else got a question? (pause) Except her. Just like a woman.” We love ya Bobby! (It’s too bad he was in this column and not the annual Women Want In at Augusta one.)
C'mon man!
March 30th, 2012
5:24 pm
Dawglasville – You can say that you are not getting “racial” but you should have used a better choice of words. Your comments show that you know nothing about how Saban runs his program or his character. I know that UGA fans like to disparage him but I think you attacking a man’s character that you obviously know little about is very sad. He and has wife has given back so much to the Tuscaloosa community before the tornado and an incredible amount after. If you ever hear his players speak about him, you know that they look up to him. Maybe that (instead of hiding and covering up the rule breaking) is why these men are not getting into as much trouble as some other programs. He emphasizes academics. For example, the 2009 team which was undefeated and won a National Championship had 13 players who had graduated during the season and 22 had graduated by the bown game. Alabama placed 38 players on the SEC Honor Roll in 2011, the highest in the SEC. I know that Richt is a good person. I am not saying anything bad about his character. That is the difference I see between the UGA fans and other fans. You cannot attack his coaching ability because the results are there. However, you should get informed before you attack a man’s character. Would you say these thing to his face or tell his players they are on a plantation?
Jeff Schultz
March 30th, 2012
5:25 pm
Thanks all for the comments (so far).
Jeff Schultz
March 30th, 2012
5:26 pm
Herschel Talker — “Schultzie: Nice piece, but the title should have been “Georgia’s problems reaffirm Mark Richt should be fired.”
HT”
<< HT. You are, if nothing else, consistent.
Zolpidem Drug | Zolpidem Drug
March 30th, 2012
5:27 pm
[...] Georgia’s problems reaffirm NCAA needs uniform drug policy – Atlanta Journal Constitutio… [...]
Jeff Schultz
March 30th, 2012
5:29 pm
Academic Man — “If every school adopts the same drug policy (say the highest one) then shouldn’t every school adopt the same admission standards as Vanderbilt so no competitive disadvantage is created?”
<<< No. That’s completely different. Schools at different levels academically, both in admission standards and mandates. Some are heavy science, some liberal arts. But it doesn’t matter what somebody’s academic level is — whether they drink or take drugs is the same for everybody.
Jeff Schultz
March 30th, 2012
5:32 pm
Wezzie — “Why drug test the week after spring break” is one of several questions that hasn’t been answered yet. But personally, I don’t think kids should get a pass just because it’s spring break. You either do or you don’t.
Jeff Schultz
March 30th, 2012
5:33 pm
Weezie — “LWK weed is not pyhsically addictive substance. It is mentally addictive-anybody can beat it if they want to bad enough.”
You know absolutely nothing about addiction.
Big Crimson 75
March 30th, 2012
5:38 pm
Dawglasville — No need to state your age or ethnicity — it showed.
The Players @ UGA don’t care about winning. They could care less. Every year — breaking rules & breaking laws. What if the Policies weren’t so stringent, like most pup fans are wanting — there’d be absolute chaos – anarchy!!
Paul in NH
March 30th, 2012
5:41 pm
Jeff,
The “don’t test after spring break” comments from some posters are bizarre – it’s like saying the police should only have sobriety check points on weekday mornings instead of on Friday and Saturday nights.
Ole Yeller Dawg
March 30th, 2012
5:44 pm
On the lighter side: Do coaches get drug tested? 3rd & long – Coach Bobo calls a draw play, up the middle, with the smallest player on the team! (Carlton Thomas) Not once but many times! That should be grounds enough to pass the pee cup to C/Bobo… cause he’s high on something?
Does anybody remember that play ever working? But Bobo keeps calling it… cause he”s high on something?
bamaguy
March 30th, 2012
5:50 pm
The penalties seem a bit harsh to me. Why should the penalties for a “student athlete” be any stricter than for any student? And we shouldn’t treat all instances the same. For me, testing positive for a little marijuana the week after spring break is not the same thing as taking a swing at your girlfriend or stealing.
I, as you can assume, don’t follow UGA football all that closely but this Rambo kind seems like a good enough sort. He shouldn’t have his future in the NFL damaged because of this.
kybodawg
March 30th, 2012
5:56 pm
these kids need to realize like it or not pot is illeagle. in the real world you stub youre toe at work you get tested. there are no susspensions you get fired. thats the way it is stay away from youre pot smoking buddies till u are home away from school.
Delbert D.
March 30th, 2012
6:03 pm
Drug testing should be mandatory, frequent and carry the same penalties at every institution. I don’t see how anyone can rationalize the use of illegal drugs. Furthermore, think about the supply chain: organized crime.
Nub
March 30th, 2012
6:06 pm
$$$$$$Atention$$$$$$ all Bama and gator fans …please share your schools drug testing policy..
evil empire
March 30th, 2012
6:13 pm
no need for uniform standards…make sure your standards are understood, and the consequences of deviation from the standards…if, say ole miss or auburn want less stringent testing, thats on them…enough of the nanny-state bs…the georgia athletes are well informed of the schools policies and procedures…the policy didn’t fail, the athletes did…stop signing kids who cannot follow the rules you set forth…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
March 30th, 2012
6:17 pm
Same ol same ol
More player discipline issues
10 win seasons
Sitting at home watching other teams contend for championships
Contract extensions to nowhere
Boise Dawg
March 30th, 2012
6:17 pm
Bama guy. Regular students aren’t subject to random drug testing… at least I wasn’t when I was in school. Your question should be.. why does Georgia or any team test for pot? I guess I understand why they do..IMO, division 1 atheletes should be living a pretty clean lifestyle to maximize their athletic potential. I did play sports in high school and there was a no drinking/drug policy for every team I was on. even though we weren’t ever tested we did lose a teammate for getting caught with drugs.. kicked off the team, first offense. I didn’t play sports in college.. wasn’t nearly talented enough.. maybe could have tried to walk on, but I knew I wanted to go to parties and drink and have some fun while in school and I didn’t think that would mix with trying to be a Divison 1 athlete…
TossSweep
March 30th, 2012
6:19 pm
@C’mon Man
“First, if the UGA athletic department makes its standards, then they have no right to try and impose their standards on anyone else. There are NCAA and SEC standards. If the school does more, fine. If it “harms” the school then that is for the school to deal with but UGA has no authority or right to impose its testing standards on any other institution.”
First, YOU’RE AN IDIOT. Who said anything about UGA should impose their rules on other schools??? NCAA and SEC impose their rules on college sports…period!!! If they impose rules, then they need to make it standard across the board how each school needs punish their athletes for doing dumb crap like this. If not the NCAA or SEC, then all coaches should vote on the standards and agree to it. Just like voting on the number of scholarships each school should offer and not oversign. Problem with your picture is it allows other schools to be more lenient so they have the best athletes to win.
Ellasdawg
March 30th, 2012
6:22 pm
Get rid of the thugs and recruit talent with brains. Richt has limited coaching skills and now this stuff every year. No wonder we cannot play for the big game?
Gtjohn
March 30th, 2012
6:25 pm
Let’s see – what would the penalty be if they tested positive for drugs when applying for or working at a company? Maybe coach Mark is too lack.
Boise Dawg
March 30th, 2012
6:30 pm
Guys with NFL potential like Baccari Rambo are really stupid given that NFL teams also test for pot and you face fines/suspensions for failed tests, so no team wants a player with a pot smoking reputation. Not only is he facing a 4 game suspension at Georgia, but he his hurting his draft stock and will have to answer questions to NFL scouts and coaches about why he isn’t disciplined enough to lay off the brownies.
Boise Dawg
March 30th, 2012
6:32 pm
Gtjohn… not to mention the NFL tests for drugs, including pot. Guys with NFL potential like Rambo our doubly stupid to even mess with pot when you know you could be tested. Not only is he facing a 4 game suspension, but I guarantee his draft stock is taking a hit. Every NFL coach/scout will want to know why he wasn’t disciplined enough to lay off the brownies.
230gr Full Metal Jacket
March 30th, 2012
6:34 pm
Typical, VERY predictable response by the pups here — also the same logic/excuse used by every 5th grader on the planet. “Well everybody else is just as bad” Really? Are you actually suffering from such a rectal-cranial inversion that you believe that? It’s truly sad what is going on with the UGA football program right now. The focus should be on winning a National title, which ya’ll definitely have the talent for. However, as long as you continue to use “special admissions” for over 70% of the football players this is the sort of mess you are going to have to deal with. Trying to point out what other programs do or don’t do is truly pathetic. How does what UF, UA, USC, UT, GT, VT, Clem, etc, etc do somehow justify your own teams failures??? How about being adults and saying “We have a problem with the discipline in our program and we are going to fix it. Others can do/don’t do as they wish — it’s irrelevant to us and our situation” instead of acting like little boys and saying “well Johnny did worse than I did!” as if that somehow makes your own problems/acts acceptable. Most college kids (and MANY adults) smoke pot from time to time and I too feel it isn’t particularly a big deal. However, when you have been given the honor of a full athletic scholarship to a Division-1 school, you must hold yourself (and be held by others) to a higher standard, no pun intended. Pointing your fingers at other programs in a pathetic attempt to justify or diminish the problems within your own is just laughable. Man up and clean your own house instead of whining about others!!
Larry
March 30th, 2012
6:36 pm
So, in short, if a kid likes to smoke dope he’s be better off attending Florida, right?
Makes perfect since…
Cdpridg
March 30th, 2012
6:37 pm
Sometimes in order to appear one is running a tight ship…is to turn a blind eye.
Big Crimson 75
March 30th, 2012
6:37 pm
More bad news for pup-nation
-Rueben Foster will be transferring to a High School in Alabama to finish out his SR year b/c Troup fired his Coach/Mentor.
I assure you, He’s not transferring to a HS in Alabama to sign with UGA.
pttc
March 30th, 2012
6:43 pm
Didn’t take 5150 UOAD to jump on this clearly UGA blog, despite all the lip service he and all his George Stein and Supersize type Techies give to UGA fans “trolling” the Tech blogs. Sometimes people even get bored enough to read an article about tech, and then it is so easy and so much fun to gig them into a little pi$$ing match on the blog. Like being a puppetmaster.
steve
March 30th, 2012
6:45 pm
What an idiot you are? Did you even read the article? The other schools do hide it fool — they don’t test for it. If you don’t test for it, then you will never have a problem. Oh, that’s right..you graduated from Alabama.
George Stein
March 30th, 2012
6:51 pm
That’s precious, pttc.
First, show me one time where I’ve said anything about UGA fans on a Tech blog. Second, this isn’t a UGA blog; it’s a column. Third, you freely admit to trolling, so they’re correct about you and your type.
evil empire
March 30th, 2012
6:52 pm
the policy didn’t fail, the athletes did…
get that thru your thick skulls dawgfans…these kids know/knew thr rules, and chose to ignore them…thats it, end of discussion…doesn’t matter what they do at hawaii, pittsburgh, utah, etc…do you think if everyone had the same rules, these kids would not fail drug tests…they don’t care what your rules say, cause if they did they wouldn’t be suspended now…
Beast from the East
March 30th, 2012
6:58 pm
I’m a Gator, and I agree that there should be a uniform polciy for drug testing/guidelines. But I also believe that admission standards should be uniform. UGA has far more “special admits” than most schools. Think that might have something to do with the character issues? Nah, that would make too much sense.
I also find it hilarious that you would get quotes from one of the weakest disciplinarians to ever roam the sidelines. Bobby Bowden was a great coach but he was as weak as water when it came to discipline and standards.
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2012
7:11 pm
I have no doubt Mary Jane has uses. @ years ago when my mom started Chemo for cancer I went to a young guy that works for me and asked if I could get 2 joints. He went NUTZ saying He didn’t know where to get it. I looked him in the eye and told him about my mothers cancer and said I just want her to get HUNGRY cause she was losing weight like a 25 year old girl would die for. He got me 2 Js. i went to mom and dads. I gave then to mom. Dad tried to get in a physical fight with me over me bringing DOPE in the house. He thinks it should be a legal prescribed drug but since it is illegal he went NUTZ. I think Mary J has uses and needs to be prescribed too. The Issue here is it is illegal. RAMBO knew it but didn’t care enough for the possible great season UGa could have and still smoke it. FOOL.
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2012
7:14 pm
ALL of you crying for a UNIFORM DRUG POLICY need to agree that NO player that can’t get in school with his/her ACT or SAT and High School transcripts should be admitted. At UGa the regular student body only has 6% Special Admits. Make that Apply to the Athletes too. Don’t cry UNIFORM POLICY if that doesn’t apply ACROSS the BOARD to ALL STUDENTS.
2,000 lbs of grade a bu££hurt
March 30th, 2012
7:24 pm
Spin, spin, spin. Richt is a good man and fine coach, but his players have NO respect for him or his rules.
2,000 lbs of grade a bu££hurt
March 30th, 2012
7:27 pm
As far as other schools hiding it, that is the opinion of the writer. What Proof do you have that CNS or any other SEC coach has drug problems as rampant as UGA?
Josh
March 30th, 2012
7:30 pm
Ok of the BCS schools only 57% test for banned substances. Of those less than 1% have strict punishmennts. So less than 1% of BCS schools really care if their players follow the rules. I’m glad UGA holds their players to a higher standard. And drug enforcement isn’t the same as academic admissions. Marijuana is banned, the unintelligent aren’t. Illegal drugs and admissions have nothing in common. They can only set minimum standards because you can’t hold valdosta state to the same standards as harvard. Schools like the ivy league would not like having to lower their requirments for admissions, this is why there are minimums. Now banned substances should be treated equally. Banned substances shouldn’t create a competitive disadvantage. If everyone has to follow the same rulebook, then they should have the same penalties.
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2012
7:35 pm
JOSH and 80% of college students don’t have jobs. So WHO IS ENABLING THIS DRUG & ALCOHOL ABUSE? I hear all you SEC fans wanting to PAY the players and do you think these abuse will decline? HAHAHAH.
kingdaddy
March 30th, 2012
7:35 pm
It’s not all the players. Most do care,and they are hurt by the ones who think the rules of life don’t apply to them. When I was young we had a thing called in-house justice to help the numb-nuts think about their actions. In the military, idiots get you killed. At work,they get you fired,in football,your team loses a game they should have won! Time for old-school in-house justice…
kingdaddy
March 30th, 2012
7:40 pm
5150
You’re a Sadist…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
March 30th, 2012
7:45 pm
Frankly Im sick of the excuse of “people make mistakes”
They all know doing drugs is against the law
When you know something is wrong and do it; its not a mistake
kingdaddy
March 30th, 2012
7:45 pm
5150
HaHaHaHa, Really? Laughing at our pain is a mental disorder. Take two assburns and call me in the morning…
Just looking.
March 30th, 2012
7:45 pm
C’mon man! – Best post ever!
kingdaddy
March 30th, 2012
7:47 pm
None of you arr perfect. Me either…
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2012
7:48 pm
Kingdaddy It is FISH Friday do want me to cook you some Salmon? I can Grill it and add some Chili on the side to give you the VARSITY flavor. LOL
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2012
7:50 pm
a SADIST? maybe a Masochists I am a TECH fan after all LOL.
5150 UOAD
March 30th, 2012
7:50 pm
Kingdaddy the GT v UGa baseball game is in rain delay right now.
Cdpridg
March 30th, 2012
7:58 pm
UGA is one of the few schools left with any integrity. Simply put they hold their players accountable for their actions…some of the most strict policies in the NCAA. I could name many schools nearby that do not hold their players and administrators to high ethical standards but choose not to.