Bad News for Duke

[Tim Whitehead]

Jason Whitlock has a nice column about the situation on ESPN Page 2 today: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ock/060405

It appears the truth, as it pertains to allegations of rape involving the Duke lacrosse team and a single mother/college student/stripper/escort, will get buried in an avalanche of racial politics.

That's too bad. Because whatever did or did not happen inside the house rented by the captains of the Duke lacrosse team, it is my belief race had little to do with the actions of the players.

This is a story driven by gender and privilege, not race. Unfortunately, we'll never get there. Already this story is being examined strictly through the prism of race.

[SLUDoubleDeuce]

Yeah, my bad -- It WAS Sportscenter on ESPN -- they just replayed it this morning. But they WERE indeed discussing the Duke mess as the lead on CNN News last night too, with practice footage. So much (negative) coverage everywhere it's all running together in my mind!

But my point still stands -- can all this lacrosse discussion somehow prove to be a positive in the long run, once this story has it's "fifteen minutes" and dies away?

That SportsCenter Report is the first video clip on the front page (right hand side) of ESPN.com right now if anyone wanted to check it out.

[Brent Burns]

Need to preface this clearly: the Duke lacrosse situation is no joke.

I just hope no late-night shows have done any monologues/jokes on this situation. Yes, this is a weird/strange question, but I wonder if you have heard anyone doing that.

All of the talking heads including major studios have been discussing, dissecting, debating, ad nauseum, but I have not heard nor read any comments made by the late-night show folks.

[Lax_Stats]

Does anyone know if the players are allowed to leave the team and go somewhere else to play?

Who would want any of the players on their team at this point????

[LaxRef]

Does anyone know if the players are allowed to leave the team and go somewhere else to play?

Who would want any of the players on their team at this point????

Yeah, there was this NBA player, Latrell Spreewell, who choked his coach, and then after that he couldn't get a job in the . . . . What? He got a job with the Knicks?

Oh, well, there was another NBA player, Isiah Rider, who smoked pot, and Karate-kicked a pregnant woman in the back, and he never played in the . . . . Oh. He did keep playing.

Okay, then there's Kobe Bryant and, oh, wait, he's still playing. Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? Mike Tyson?

Hhhmmm. Maybe if you have loads of athletic talent you get as many second chances as you want because people care about results in sports. If those Duke players are any good, they'll get to play elsewhere.

[jessexy]

i havent read anything about them cancelling the entire season yet, but im assuming that without a head coach this would signify that Duke will not play lacrosse again this season.

It also sounds, from most reports, that Pressler offered his resignation to the University. In comments from the president, he indicated that Pressler offered his resignation and that the BOD or Regents held an emergency meeting to decide whether to accept or reject it. They decided, of course, to accept it.

one thing, im really glad that the president is stepping up and answering the millions of questions that are flying in. he isnt stepping back and saying "no comment until the investigation is over." this has happened in recent scandals, ie Colorado, Ohio State, Dick Cheney, ......and the Duke president isnt running and hiding behind closed doors. more power to him.

[Lax_Stats]

Does anyone know if the players are allowed to leave the team and go somewhere else to play?

Who would want any of the players on their team at this point????

Yeah, there was this NBA player, Latrell Spreewell, who choked his coach, and then after that he couldn't get a job in the . . . . What? He got a job with the Knicks?

Oh, well, there was another NBA player, Isiah Rider, who smoked pot, and Karate-kicked a pregnant woman in the back, and he never played in the . . . . Oh. He did keep playing.

Okay, then there's Kobe Bryant and, oh, wait, he's still playing. Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? Mike Tyson?

Hhhmmm. Maybe if you have loads of athletic talent you get as many second chances as you want because people care about results in sports. If those Duke players are any good, they'll get to play elsewhere.

You are referring to professionalathletes responsible for generating millions of dollars in revenue for many many years to come. These lacrosse players don't generate much if any revenue depending on the school where they play. With NCAA rules anyway, I believe they would have to sit out 1 full year for changing schools unless there is a provision for a school disbanding an entire program. No way any of these guys are playing on any other teams during the 2006 season. Whether or not any of the players play anywhere else or not will depend on the school administration as well as the head coach. I can tell this is a conversation that could be talked about for hours with possible pro's and con's each way, so I will just end this posting now.

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

Okay, then there's Kobe Bryant and, oh, wait, he's still playing. Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? Mike Tyson?

last time i checked, Kobe wasnt convicted of anything. This is the kind of stuff that we are trying to avoid, mainly cause people will make comments like this about duke lacrosse, or possibly lacrosse in general, even if they are aquitted or charges are never pressed.

[Sonny]

one thing, im really glad that the president is stepping up and answering the millions of questions that are flying in. he isnt stepping back and saying "no comment until the investigation is over." this has happened in recent scandals, ie Colorado, Ohio State, Dick Cheney, ......and the Duke president isnt running and hiding behind closed doors. more power to him.

The Duke president also isn't the one that is legally responsible for the actions (or non-actions) of said players.

[grinderpete]

Does anyone know if the players are allowed to leave the team and go somewhere else to play?

Who would want any of the players on their team at this point????

Yeah, there was this NBA player, Latrell Spreewell, who choked his coach, and then after that he couldn't get a job in the . . . . What? He got a job with the Knicks?

Oh, well, there was another NBA player, Isiah Rider, who smoked pot, and Karate-kicked a pregnant woman in the back, and he never played in the . . . . Oh. He did keep playing.

Okay, then there's Kobe Bryant and, oh, wait, he's still playing. Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? Mike Tyson?

Hhhmmm. Maybe if you have loads of athletic talent you get as many second chances as you want because people care about results in sports. If those Duke players are any good, they'll get to play elsewhere.

You are referring to professionalathletes responsible for generating millions of dollars in revenue for many many years to come. These lacrosse players don't generate much if any revenue depending on the school where they play. With NCAA rules anyway, I believe they would have to sit out 1 full year for changing schools unless there is a provision for a school disbanding an entire program. No way any of these guys are playing on any other teams during the 2006 season. Whether or not any of the players play anywhere else or not will depend on the school administration as well as the head coach. I can tell this is a conversation that could be talked about for hours with possible pro's and con's each way, so I will just end this posting now.

D1 players only have to sit out a year if they do not get clearance from thier coaches. I can't remember a player sitting out a year after transfering schools. I would imagine that if they did transfer the new coach will not stand in thier way.

[Lax_Stats]

one thing, im really glad that the president is stepping up and answering the millions of questions that are flying in. he isnt stepping back and saying "no comment until the investigation is over." this has happened in recent scandals, ie Colorado, Ohio State, Dick Cheney, ......and the Duke president isnt running and hiding behind closed doors. more power to him.

The Duke president also isn't the one that is legally responsible for the actions (or non-actions) of said players.

Neither was Coach Pressler, but you all seem to want to hang him anyway.

[Sonny]

one thing, im really glad that the president is stepping up and answering the millions of questions that are flying in. he isnt stepping back and saying "no comment until the investigation is over." this has happened in recent scandals, ie Colorado, Ohio State, Dick Cheney, ......and the Duke president isnt running and hiding behind closed doors. more power to him.

The Duke president also isn't the one that is legally responsible for the actions (or non-actions) of said players.

Neither was Coach Pressler, but you all seem to want to hang him anyway.

I never judged Coach Pressler or said he should be removed from his position. Please don't swipe me with that broad brush.

[Lax_Stats]

Does anyone know if the players are allowed to leave the team and go somewhere else to play?

Who would want any of the players on their team at this point????

Yeah, there was this NBA player, Latrell Spreewell, who choked his coach, and then after that he couldn't get a job in the . . . . What? He got a job with the Knicks?

Oh, well, there was another NBA player, Isiah Rider, who smoked pot, and Karate-kicked a pregnant woman in the back, and he never played in the . . . . Oh. He did keep playing.

Okay, then there's Kobe Bryant and, oh, wait, he's still playing. Randy Moss? Terrell Owens? Mike Tyson?

Hhhmmm. Maybe if you have loads of athletic talent you get as many second chances as you want because people care about results in sports. If those Duke players are any good, they'll get to play elsewhere.

You are referring to professional athletes responsible for generating millions of dollars in revenue for many many years to come. These lacrosse players don't generate much if any revenue depending on the school where they play. With NCAA rules anyway, I believe they would have to sit out 1 full year for changing schools unless there is a provision for a school disbanding an entire program. No way any of these guys are playing on any other teams during the 2006 season. Whether or not any of the players play anywhere else or not will depend on the school administration as well as the head coach. I can tell this is a conversation that could be talked about for hours with possible pro's and con's each way, so I will just end this posting now.

D1 players only have to sit out a year if they do not get clearance from thier coaches. I can't remember a player sitting out a year after transferring schools. I would imagine that if they did transfer the new coach will not stand in thier way.

Football and basketball players sit out the year all the time. I cant imagine it would be any different for lacrosse players. The difference however would be that they were transferring due to the fact there was no team to play on at their current college and not simply because they wanted to play on a better team.

[KnoxVegas]

A couple of years back, when Baylor had their basketball program dismantled, the non-guilty players were allowed to another DI program without having to sit-out the required one year.

Without this, Mississippi State would not have been able to get Lawrence Roberts.

I can see this happening at Duke. They clean house, let the players out of their scholarships and start over. Duke might be losing money on lacrosse but it is not like they are a state school. The endowment is pretty big.

[Campbell]

one thing, im really glad that the president is stepping up and answering the millions of questions that are flying in. he isnt stepping back and saying "no comment until the investigation is over." this has happened in recent scandals, ie Colorado, Ohio State, Dick Cheney, ......and the Duke president isnt running and hiding behind closed doors. more power to him.

The Duke president also isn't the one that is legally responsible for the actions (or non-actions) of said players.

Neither was Coach Pressler, but you all seem to want to hang him anyway.

The coach obviously made a decision he felt was the right move. If the university encouraged him to resign, then they probably felt it was in the best interest of the school and the athletic program to do so. I think it would be wrong to blame the coach for any of this, unless it was found that he had some direct role in it, which I think is highly unlikely. Pressler may have had one foot out the door already, looking to move on after this season and all of this made his decision easier. Either way, if I were in his shoes I would probably feel some responsibility, but also relief at the opportunity to distance myself from the situation.