Evans says he’s sorry, but UGA should say, ‘See you later’
Damon Evans says he's sorry. Mrs. Evans (center) looks on. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Athens — Damon Evans is a lucky man. At least for the moment, he still has his job. Were I the president of the University of Georgia, Evans would be out of work.
The Bulldogs’ athletics director met the press here 12 1/2 hours after he left an Atlanta jail. He spoke without notes and with great conviction. “I’m very ashamed and embarrassed by my actions,” Evans said. “I let this university down; I let my family down, and I let so many people down who have supported me along the way.”
Not to be a raging skeptic, but contrition costs nothing. At such a time, contrition is the kneejerk response. What was noteworthy about Evans’ mea culpa was what he didn’t offer.
He didn’t offer to resign.
That gesture would have carried more weight than all his stated remorse. That gesture would have been the right one to make. And it would have been only right for president Michael Adams, who risked what political capital he had left when he anointed Evans to replace Vince Dooley in 2004, to accept the offer.
There’s a difference between losing a ballgame and forfeiting credibility. The images that will chase Evans forever are the video spot he did advising Sanford Stadium patrons not to drink and drive — if you do, Evans said, “”you lose” — and the regrettable mug shot that has already become all the Internet rage. How, if you’re an institution of higher learning, can you square the two?
And how, if you’re the flagship university in a state where an intern in the governor’s office was killed last month by an allegedly drunk driver, can you fail to send the message that there are more important things than ballgames? Evans has done a fine job as AD, but that’s no longer the issue. At issue is that a man heading a department that is charged with educating young men and women has become an issue unto himself.
Said Evans: “My actions have put a black cloud over our storied program,” and there is, sorry to say, only one way to change that. Georgia needs to fire Evans because he has breached the first commandment of leadership. He has failed to practice what he preached.
Evans again: “I think, ‘You’ve got to be the leader you talk about being; you’ve got to be the role model’ … It’s going to take a while to earn trust back, and it should.”
The sad truth is that we can never look on Damon Evans the same again. His teams could win every national championship known to man and woman, and we’d still think of him as the guy with his eyes closed in his booking photo. This isn’t to suggest he’s guilty of a crime — he’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, same as everyone — but clearly he was deficient in judgment.
He was stopped by police driving a car in erratic fashion late at night an hour and a half from home with a woman (who was herself arrested) who wasn’t his wife. “Just a friend,” Evans said of Courtney Fuhrmann. Seated to his right as he spoke was Kerri Evans, his wife and the mother of his two children.
“I have some shortcomings,” Evans said. “That’s part of life.” And it is. None among us is perfect. But not everyone is hired to lead young men and women and paid a half-million dollars to do it.
Loading ...Evans made it clear he wants to stay as AD but conceded: “I don’t know what is coming my way.” And Adams, who was out of town Thursday, released a statement after Evans spoke. Two lines resonated.
The first: “Certainly this is not an example of the kind of leadership I expect our senior administrators to set.”
The second: “[I] will resolve further action pending a full review by staff and legal counsel.”
The most difficult day of Damon Evans’ life ended with him still employed. That might not be the case much longer. And it shouldn’t be.
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1,034 comments Add your comment
GIVE ME A BREAK
July 1st, 2010
10:15 pm
Not the AD an alcoholic sports program needs. Good Bye.
nice one
July 1st, 2010
10:16 pm
Enter your comments here
John J
July 1st, 2010
10:16 pm
If he was white he would already be fired
Jeff Monkey
July 1st, 2010
10:16 pm
Georgia Southern-1 UGA-0
Dr. J
July 1st, 2010
10:17 pm
I have a very responsible job. All day long I tell myself: “Do a good job, dont screw up, do a good job, dont screw up, do a good job dont screw up.” Obviously Evans doesnt respect his important job enough to do the same thing.
nice one
July 1st, 2010
10:17 pm
enjoyed that one willie, er todd, er damon.
Erin Andrews' Landing Strip
July 1st, 2010
10:17 pm
I guarantee that all of you sanctimonious tough guys calling for Evans’ head (I’m looking at you, Mark) would be singing a different tune if it was you or a member of your family who got the DUI. Ans spare me the argument that he’s a leader of men and therefore held to a higher standard. How many of you would resign if you got a DUI? That’s right; none of you.
Bling and blang
July 1st, 2010
10:18 pm
Da ‘Damon is Da ‘playa !!!!
Damon Evans
July 1st, 2010
10:18 pm
I must say sorry to the wife
for all this angst and strife
but i make 500 grand
that ain’t just shovelin’ sand
so baby, just get a life
KimZ'sPackage
July 1st, 2010
10:18 pm
Is this a case of DWB in the WHITEBREAD SANDY SPRINGS AREA? HAHAHHA. I never saw Dave Justice arrested for DWB in SANDY SPRINGS when he Lived there and had HOES that were not Halie Berry in his Porsche 944 Turbo Convertable. Again for you rednecks DWB is Driving While Black.
Show me the money
July 1st, 2010
10:19 pm
Several people have tried to imply race may be at work here if Evans is fired. As Montell J stated “If he was white, these members of the media wouldn’t be calling for his firing.” I say BULL CRAP – I am a young white male in lower 30s and was fired 3 years ago from my job because I got a DUI – and I was only making 24,000 a year cutting lawns. So PLEASE Don’t use RACE as a reason here.
janet
July 1st, 2010
10:19 pm
I have never followed UGA sports so I have no idea who this man is except that he works for the University. But why does he earn 500k per year? We have a budget crisis in our state and he earns that for directing athletics? Sports fans have short term memory loss so this will all be forgotten by football season in August. As for his wife and 2 children, what was he doing with this woman who basically resisted an officer? Lots of questions he will be asked by his wife I am sure.
Dostoyevskiy
July 1st, 2010
10:19 pm
Man, it ain’t like college sports don’t already stink to high heaven. Why make like this is such a big deal!
Damon Evans
July 1st, 2010
10:20 pm
nice one, thanks from all of the above.
Tucker
July 1st, 2010
10:20 pm
Alimony and child support will knock down his take home to about $200,000. That seems about right for AD at a school with no football national championships in the modern era. Let him keep the job.
Pete
July 1st, 2010
10:20 pm
KIM, you need to learn what the percentages are of blacks in the US before running your mouth. You also need to learn what percentage of blacks go to college as compared to other races. Blacks are lagging way way behind. But it is everyone else’s fault. Bill Cosby and others speak out about it and you call him an Uncle Tom. You hold people such as Michael Vick, TI, Snoop Dog and others in high regard because they have spent time in prison and are “keeping it real” Black men having kids out of wedlock and not staying in the household is considered respectable because rappers say it is cool. You have black athletes have 6,7, 8,9 and even 10 kids with different women out of wedlock. I am not against black people, I am against the thuggish culture that some of them perpetuate
Delbert D.
July 1st, 2010
10:21 pm
Good thing is, they caught him in time. How many traffic lights was he away from a possible vehicular homicide?
The Cynical White Boy
July 1st, 2010
10:21 pm
It ain’t the UGA Athletic Department….it’s the LEEBURN Athletic Department…
…and Mr. Leeburn apparently don’t want the head of the employee who was drunk off of…well…some good old Crown Distributing products.
UGAVIII
July 1st, 2010
10:21 pm
I wonder if there is video of this incident from the police car or from a camera on the officer? Maybe the AJC should check into that and inquire about its availability.
I bet the video, if it exists, will be a major factor in whether he is fired.
Show me the money
July 1st, 2010
10:22 pm
And who ever calls Sandy Springs “Whitebread Society” must not have been to Sandy Springs lately – 2x more minorities (Black, Asian, Hispanic) than white. And yes – it was near Sandy Springs where I was arrested for DUI – and BTW – it was a black officer who arrested me – can I claim DWW?? You people crack me up
t_height
July 1st, 2010
10:22 pm
seriously why? why should he be fired over 1 incident. I know its bad to drive under intoxication but how many of us hasn’t done it or even got in the car with someone who was. Come on now Mr. Bradley, would you seriously resign if you were arrested for DUI with your current job. He should be suspended and fined like any or person in the sports industry would be if they were arrested for DUI
Damon Evans
July 1st, 2010
10:22 pm
Dr Adams says now Damon run laps
and just forget all these saps
i covered you before
but with never a whore
for your career i’ll just play “taps”
Pi$$onaDawg
July 1st, 2010
10:22 pm
I hear UGA VII’s dawg House is not in use and it has A/C. You are better there than closing both eyes in the bed next to you wife.
Get Real
July 1st, 2010
10:23 pm
Sad. Should’ve let his girlfriend drive.
outsider
July 1st, 2010
10:23 pm
Keep him, he is a perfect fit and a role model for UGA. Be proud bulldogs. How can Mark Richt, look to him as a leader and boss?
Give the job to Richt.
RB
July 1st, 2010
10:24 pm
It’s only a DUI–no big deal. Well, tell that to Jordan Griner’s parents.
Bud Flu
July 1st, 2010
10:24 pm
If they let go, Mettenberger, for “frisky hands”; they ought to let Evans go for cheating on his wife & driving while drunk.
Crimedog
July 1st, 2010
10:24 pm
Evans has never been anything but a mouthpiece and puppet for Adams. If it is expedient for Adams to dump him, he will do it in the blink of an eye. The next Governor needs to conduct a housecleaning at UGA, starting with Adams. In the meantime, Damon should hire Richt’s attorney who makes DUI’s disappear.
dawgfantx
July 1st, 2010
10:25 pm
Completely agree. I’m a Bulldawg and I love UGA, but he needs to go. He can no longer represent the university without being a joke. I can already imagine that mug shot on 10,000 Ga Tech t-shirts.
And how many athletes will say, “why do I get kicked off when Damon stays?”
Russ the Dog
July 1st, 2010
10:25 pm
Damon has let me down
and now i’ve just got a frown
they painted my tail
but he went to jail
and now he’s laughed right out of town
TampaGator
July 1st, 2010
10:27 pm
FAN….I am not sure where you deducted that “illogical conclusion” from any of my posts.
Elin Nordegren
July 1st, 2010
10:28 pm
Hi Kerri, I saw where that low life husband of yours made you attend his presser. Stand by him until your lawyers can determine his net worth. Today, I got $750 mill. from that cheater I married. I’m sure you can get a couple of million from that Turnip you married. You go Girl!
Your Mortgage Specialist
July 1st, 2010
10:28 pm
Will it make a difference to anyone when it comes out that Evans was lying this evening about the young lady being “just a friend”? Confirmation will be coming out soon that Evans and the lady have been having an affair for sometime. Just remember that your mortgage specialist told you here first!
NRBQ
July 1st, 2010
10:28 pm
Mark:
Congrats on giving all the Troglodites this opportunity to parade their wit.
I can’t stomach these pearls of wisdom, but I hope someone already pointed out to you that it is NOT the Athletic Department’s to educate young men (or girls).
It’s pretty obvious to discerning readers those times you choose to ride your white charger up to your ivory tower and proclaim your moral outrage.
Weak, I say.
Stephen
July 1st, 2010
10:28 pm
I f you keep him then all faculty, staff, students and players also should get a free pass on their first DUI. There is no room for error here. He made the decision to Drink and Drive. No one held a gun to his head. He should bear the consequences. He isn’t a very good A.D. anyways.
Fred G. Sanford
July 1st, 2010
10:28 pm
Damon you big Dummy ! The G is for Georgia not Girlfriend.
Damon Evans
July 1st, 2010
10:29 pm
Leeburn please come to my rescue
i admit i made a bad miscue
but your liquor is fine
just not after nine
I’ll never ask you to mow my fescue
Elmo
July 1st, 2010
10:29 pm
MY HERO JAY HILLSMAN KNOWS THAT CHEATIN’ AND SWINGIN’ IS JUST THE THANG !
EVERYBODY DRINKS AND GETS POPPED BY THE MAN EVER NOW AND THEN – JUST KEEP ON SOILDERING. BROTHER AND MAKE THAT 5OO SMACKERS.
( hope Shane has got a multi-carat rock to make the old lady happy! )
JayJay
July 1st, 2010
10:29 pm
Wow! I thought he was just arrested not tried and convicted already. Many of you on here speak of getting rid of the man for one mistake not considering he has never been in this type of trouble before. Quit being so judgemental of others when you only know or assume a portion of the whole situation.
Dona
July 1st, 2010
10:29 pm
This thread is ridiculous. When will we learn that talent, celebrity and money does not render a man superhuman and beyond the ability to make mistakes? When will people accept that racial bias and double standards do exist, and are being meted out right here? The Bobby Cox reference is a valid one.
You want Mr. Evans to be an example to students? Then afford him the opportunity to show them how real men/women overcome mistakes –> be genuinely sorry, accept responsibility, and use the error as a learned lesson not to repeat.
Geez, we should all be a fly on the wall watching your behavior. Salaries aside, I bet your actions aren’t far too different.
The hypocrisy is maddening. Go clean-up your own closets and allow Mr. Evans to do the same.
D.
Josh
July 1st, 2010
10:30 pm
Hey Montell J, why are idiots like you allowed to roam free in the streets. He’s a black man that makes over $500,000 a year! He should be held to a higher standard, especially since he has been the one advocating one. Let’s ask Mettenberger what should happen to Evans. Besides if we use your reasoning to determine Evans’ fate, let’s carry it a step further. End a man’s career over one DUI? How about the life or lives he could have ended with ONE DUI? Suppose he had hit one of your loved ones and killed them (Evans would have walked away from the crash virtually unhurt–that’s the way it is when an idiot drunk hits and kills someone). Would you then be defending your black brutha? Use some good sound logic and reasoning if that is possible for you.
Bud Flu
July 1st, 2010
10:30 pm
@ Mark Bradley: “We won the war with Al Cada, but still aint won the war with AL Sharpton!”
will
July 1st, 2010
10:30 pm
some would say MONTELL that if he was white that he would have already been fired! good job of bringing the race card topic up! i am sure no one saw that becomeing an issue…… lol
ho smacker
July 1st, 2010
10:32 pm
@ techplayers beat their hos
Maybe if he had smacked his ho she wouldn’t have been arrested for running her mouth at the cop who was doing his job to keep us safe from idiots like Damon Evans.
Fire his a$$.
Damon Evans
July 1st, 2010
10:32 pm
To you naysayers my girl has class
and to stand up to the cop was brass
i said shut yer trap
you slut with the clap
but she’s still a fine piece of ….
Mr Charlie
July 1st, 2010
10:32 pm
MS, I congratulate you on your accomplishments. I hope you know that you understand the ones who makie being a “black man” a stigma is created by the black man.
LHardingDawg
July 1st, 2010
10:32 pm
While most of us have made mistakes,hopefully we did not get fired. If I was the university I would demote him to assistant AD and pay him what the job pays. I would then hire a new AD. As far as his wife is concerned, that is between the two of them and is not anyone’s business.
Pete
July 1st, 2010
10:32 pm
People, people, people. We all see how blacks think about criminals. They worship them. How else can you explain Marion Berry getting re-elected, Kwame Kilpatrick getting elected, Bill Campbell getting elected. They love and worship OJ and Vick. Could a black person please explain
daltongaboy
July 1st, 2010
10:33 pm
It aint the athletic directors job to be a moral leader. he runs a business and Evans runs it well. do we really want to fire the guy who is doing so much good for the DAWGS? DUIS happen a lot more than you realize and aint that big a deal. move along.
L. Jones
July 1st, 2010
10:33 pm
Damon has to go, and would have to go even if he were lilly white, or purple, or whatever. Opposing schools’ recruiters will beat a recruit’s parents over the head with this for years. “You want this guy in charge of your son’s well-being as a student-athlete?” Damon won’t last thru July.