Yeah, on second thought, I guess I should have said I'd like to have seen a "football adviser" for lack of a better term, uncover this and kick his dumb arse off the team (and out of school) before the cops got to him. Again, I'd bet the ranch SOMEONE associated with the team in some capacity knew about this before it blew up. Sure seems like most corporate mis-steps are dealt with BEFORE the cops come calling. How is the business of big time college football any different?
And lastly, I'm not saying losing this knucklehead will wreck our defense (and our season), but there sure is proof losing just one player can have that effect. Anyone remember #7 going down last year? If attendance dips to 30,000 average when it could have been 50,000, that's a pretty substantial revenue hit. $6.3M sound about right?
Plus, the NCAA - in its "wisdom" - limits the amount of time a coach can even be in the intentiona; presence of his players. Coaches can't spend that time checking into what his kids are doing "off the field" - they gotta coach.
IF - and its a big IF, because I lay this problem at the feet of the kid and his family, or for folks who believe it, at the feet of his "village" - I worried about how this got past team knowledge before the arrest, I'd ask my team captains and team leaders how and why.
No doubt other players knew. You can't sell drugs in complete anonymity. And its pretty clear that some junkie who bought from him got caught and ratted him out - that how cops get video of a buy. So he wasn't doing it as a "one time thing."
All in all, football and college were not Allen's main focus, and he has problems (some really new and really biig) that make playing football pretty low on his "need to do" list.
If I was King of IU, and his coaches told me there was anything there worth helping to save, I'd put him on the "unable to play" list, let him continue to go to school on scholarship (assuming the courts allow/let him out), and see if he stills likes the thug life.
Half-a-breath of mis-step and I'd cut him off.
But as a society, we gotta start affirmatively trying to help black male kids born into poverty to avoid the cycle of "ignorance and prison" that is the main - the MAIN - likeliehood of that life. And state instituions are part of that.
Kicking a kid to the curb on his first mistake is not the way out.
Set a high bar.
Give them a chance to develop some character.
As a coach, he's out of the program "officially", but I might dangle a retrun in front of him privately, and run him til he pukes often enough to test his sincerity.
As a judge, I'd make the heroin dealer sit in recovery meetings, silent, identified as a dealer, and make them see their damage done. I'd take 'em to cemeteries where their best customers now live.
But all we do now is stick 'em in prison, make em meaner, and let em out.
Rant over.
