reading Jon Krakauer's Missoula. It highlights a study done at the Univ of Montana involving athletes (and some non-athletes) and the epidemic of date rape on college campuses. The study could have taken place in Bloomington, or West Lafayette, or Chapel Hill, or any university campus, Krakauer points out. No one comes out looking good in this study: not the coaches, not the local police, not the local politicians. The study highlights a very serious problem, certainly a much more serious problem than occasional underage drinking.
When I read the hyper-moralizing about the comparatively minor "offenses" committed by Holt and Bryant on this site, I can only say, get real. These are petty issues compared with what goes on on college campuses everywhere.
Most posters here are too young to remember all the incidents involving players who played for RMK. Two were charged with domestic assault (on their girlfriends). A couple more were charged with DUI and disorderly conduct. All of this became public knowledge bec it appeared in the press, but I don't recall anyone calling for Knight's head because he didn't suspend them. Lord knows what Knight put up with in the case of some of the players who were rumored to have drug issues. Knight did kick one scholarship player and two walk-ons off for smoking pot at the Great Alaska Shootout.
Point being, coaches do what they can to encourage good behavior among their players, whether Knight or Crean, but ultimately they are not responsible for player transgressions. And there are differences between offenses: DUI, for ex, is a serious offense. Having one beer (what Holt had apparently when Davis jumped in front of his car) is not. Sit him out for a couple of games and put him on probation. But kicking him off the team at this point? Good grief!
When I read the hyper-moralizing about the comparatively minor "offenses" committed by Holt and Bryant on this site, I can only say, get real. These are petty issues compared with what goes on on college campuses everywhere.
Most posters here are too young to remember all the incidents involving players who played for RMK. Two were charged with domestic assault (on their girlfriends). A couple more were charged with DUI and disorderly conduct. All of this became public knowledge bec it appeared in the press, but I don't recall anyone calling for Knight's head because he didn't suspend them. Lord knows what Knight put up with in the case of some of the players who were rumored to have drug issues. Knight did kick one scholarship player and two walk-ons off for smoking pot at the Great Alaska Shootout.
Point being, coaches do what they can to encourage good behavior among their players, whether Knight or Crean, but ultimately they are not responsible for player transgressions. And there are differences between offenses: DUI, for ex, is a serious offense. Having one beer (what Holt had apparently when Davis jumped in front of his car) is not. Sit him out for a couple of games and put him on probation. But kicking him off the team at this point? Good grief!
