Effects of Duke

[OAKS]

I was walking to practice today when two girls I've never met stopped beside me in their car and said some snide remark about me and lacrosse, then of course cowardly drove away before I had a chance to react. Although I suppose I still look like a student, has anyone had any similar incidents occur?

[Lax_Stats]

Not so far, and I was even wearing a lacrosse shirt in a strip club yesterday! LOL Just kidding of course.

[KnoxVegas]

I have already had to speak to our administration regarding this issue. It went well, but I am glad that I have a good relationship with them.

Anyone else have to meeting with higher ups?

[Lax_Stats]

I have already had to speak to our administration regarding this issue. It went well, but I am glad that I have a good relationship with them.

Anyone else have to meeting with higher ups?

Why did you feel a need to speak with your administration about an issue that had nothing to do with you or your team??

[John Paul]

I have already had to speak to our administration regarding this issue. It went well, but I am glad that I have a good relationship with them.

I don't get that one either.

I've had a couple of people, including a former Associate AD here who is a friend of mine and a couple of varsity coaches, say things like "Duke is really giving your sport a bad name right now." My reaction is always the same:
1. Nothing has been proven, and anyone in athletics who is used to dealing with the media should know there is always the story in the press - and the real story.
2. This is not a lacrosse issue. It's much bigger. It just happened, this time, with a lacrosse team.

You would hope that people, especially administrators, are experienced and mature enough to understand both of those things.

I have some very strong feelings about this whole issue that I think are important at our level. There is much to be learned by our players, coaches and administrators.

[packlax]

I was actually called today by our student news paper and asked questions for an upcoming article about our students' feelings towards the incident.

Also, because of the proximity of NC State to Duke, myself and other guys on the team are always getting snide questions about being at the party or knowing the guys at Duke, or even asking if we have parties like them.

Like Coach Paul said, this is a bigger issue, and it happened to deal with lacrosse; it's just too bad that the first major national news dealing with Lacrosse (that I can remember) had to be this one.

[sohotrightnow]

JP, I wish I could agree with you. I have received strange looks and stares from people these days, and while I am extremely sexy, I doubt that is the reason.

Answer me this: If a basketball team at a major university threw a party with strippers and this incident occurred, do you think that people would gawk at people who are dribbling a basketball on campus? Would the basketball season be suspended? Would the coach step down? The answer is unequivocally no.

Nobody thought that the Colorado football incident would ruin football and people were right to assume this. The incident was covered up, people were protected, the coach stayed, and while a few people were forced to resign, life went on without a hitch. Can you imagine if the football season was cancelled??? Do you realize the revenue implications, as well as the dwindling fan and alumni support that would result because of such a measure? I have to commend the president of Duke for taking this step, but I just do not see this happening for any major sport.

People have yet to mention that Chico State's softball team's season has been cancelled because a recruit had to be rushed to the hospital from alcohol poisoning. Do people think this would happen if a basketball recruit drank too much and had to be rushed to the hospital?

We need to stop kidding ourselves. This is bad for lacrosse, whether or not they are exonerated. This is one of the few sports where you can become friends with somebody on the sole basis that you have a common interest of playing the game. It is a very tight-knit community, and this incident, whether it happened or not, is not good for all lacrosse players, because they are going to have to bear the burden.

[Brent Burns]

Reflecting on what JP said, it is easy for anyone to have hard time keeping the current allegations separated from lacrosse. JP is correct that lacrosse at hand is not really the issue as we all already know that.

The good news... the sport of lacrosse will still go on though it may take some beating temporarily. Like someone said, lacrosse is a tight-knit community, and we are quite resilient.

We would be embarrassed by the situation like this, yet life goes on.

[laxfan25]

Answer me this: If a basketball team at a major university threw a party with strippers and this incident occurred, Would the basketball season be suspended? Would the coach step down? The answer is unequivocally no.

Sorry, can't agree with you there. I think we've seen a couple basketball coaches get let go, as well as a new Alabama football coach for doing things that don't approach what is alleged to have happened here. While they may have assistants take over, I think if there was an incident that put a cloud over an entire squad, I would hope that the schools would have the guts to cancle the season. It's only games - real life has to take precedence some time.

[KnoxVegas]

Our administration is new to the game and since I am not staff, they wanted to reiterate their policies towards drinking ,drugs, etc... The meeting was of their calling, not mine. Augustana College has a pretty stellar reputation and they are not looking for it to be tarnished.