Help Brett and the Tribune..

[BULLO12]

**This is not intended as a flame or for arguement.

I am with you guys about the negative reporting of home town papers, we have the same situation many times.  It shouldn't happen as much as it does.

However, this seems to be standard practice in the sports world.  Look at the CBS, ABC, etc sites each day a new FORMER player of some team is in the news for a criminal incident.  If any program had a former player that was arrested (especally if kicked off the team) they will be reported in the news.

UCF had this problem in 2002-2003 when a couple of players got arrested or in trouble.  FSU, UF and Miami all have former players that are reported in the news after they are arrested.

Just ignore the articles if you don't like them.  They will not stop, the topics sell newspapers to both fans and non-fans of the USF program.

I agree with you (**** here I go again agreeing with a knight) somewhat, however these articles can hurt with the recruiting of some fine young players.  Sure a hometown paper should report the warts and all on any college atheletic program...but to have repeated stories after the fact just isn't right.  

[Bullpride08]

I may be hated for saying this... but I think Brett doesn't go far enough when reporting things like this.

We may not like it, but It is news that USF players have trouble with the law.  Stories about current or former Bulls in trouble with the law (see also: Fisher, Brian) SHOULD be widely reported.  The stories should embarass the university and the alumni for letting it happen.

You see, Student Athletes get something very few other people get: FREE EDUCATION - at USF their scholarship is worth something like $25,000 - $30,000.  They should be held to a higher standard than the student body as a whole.

They also represent our institution.  Insults about Florida State and Cincinnati are hurled on this board because former players had some behavioral problems.  Our perception of those schools has been changed by the actions of a relatively few people.

Criminoles... Criminati... Thuggins... We can dish it out when other schools have these problems.  But when it happens to us, we start shouting how its Brett's fault... that he shouldn't report the news.

PUH-LEEZE.

I dream of the day when there are no stories like this... because there are no action like this.  Not because the newspaper chose NOT to report it.

Jim,

You made sense until you said this quote:

The stories should embarass the university and the alumni for letting it happen.

Letting it happen?  You sound as if we all sat around and knew Chance was going to commit crimes (well in Chances case, nevermind) and did nothing about it.

AND, before you act overly righteous by clarifying that "Letting it happen" was intended to be interpreted as allowing our staff's to recruit these such players I would like to remind you that you or anyone in our University is not a "Pre-Cog" from Minority Report, and thereby have no way of knowing, or have premonitions on the subject.  Whereas it would nice if these kids would stay out of trouble, but if Leavitt's discipline, the fact of losing a scholarship, the public embarrassment, and possibly getting kicked off a team isn't enough deterent that I'll be damned if nothing is for that type of kid, and there was probably nothing we could have done to 'prevent' this from happening.  Just like it wasn't the universities job to pay Fisher's child support (the child in question were born AFTER he signed his schollie offer) or to rent him a chauffeur.  

Sorry, but I do resent the insinuation.  Chance had his chance (no pun intended) and lost it.  Case closed.  If the Tribune or McMurphy find it newsworthy then so be it.

[USFMikeB]

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  Brett McMurphy blows chunks as a reporter.

This is a guy that has some sort of vendetta against our program, it doesn't matter what the story is it always has something negative in it.

Brett's focus on PREVIOUS players from our prgram shows how his preference is to report anything negative about our program and avoid any positives.

[USFDan]

This happens with every program in the country.  Do we view ourselves as above the other 119+/- D-IA programs?  

[Velcro]

yes! ;D

[Brad]

This happens with every program in the country.  Do we view ourselves as above the other 119+/- D-IA programs?  

Does it?  I've not checked the other 118 +/- ...I bet if a paper in Alabama does this, there is pushback as well.  So... disagreeing with a media source that appears to repeatedly look for a negative slant probably does happen with other teams, but I am sure there are ardent fans (in even greater numbers) that voice disapproval.

[Jim Johnson]

Jim,

You made sense until you said this quote:

The stories should embarass the university and the alumni for letting it happen.

Letting it happen?  You sound as if we all sat around and knew Chance was going to commit crimes (well in Chances case, nevermind) and did nothing about it.

AND, before you act overly righteous by clarifying that "Letting it happen" was intended to be interpreted as allowing our staff's to recruit these such players I would like to remind you that you or anyone in our University is not a "Pre-Cog" from Minority Report, and thereby have no way of knowing, or have premonitions on the subject.  Whereas it would nice if these kids would stay out of trouble, but if Leavitt's discipline, the fact of losing a scholarship, the public embarrassment, and possibly getting kicked off a team isn't enough deterent that I'll be damned if nothing is for that type of kid, and there was probably nothing we could have done to 'prevent' this from happening.  Just like it wasn't the universities job to pay Fisher's child support (the child in question were born AFTER he signed his schollie offer) or to rent him a chauffeur.  

Sorry, but I do resent the insinuation.  Chance had his chance (no pun intended) and lost it.  Case closed.  If the Tribune or McMurphy find it newsworthy then so be it.

Bien, I'm sorry that you resent the insinuation... I knew my position was somewhat controversial on this board.

But I will explain that I fully believe that the university needs to exert more control over players.  Yes, they "let" it happen.

For example, Chance was busted with possession of marijuana.  If the university was serious about the discipline of student athletes it would offer a drug testing program.  USF scholarship recipients should agree to be drug free - and agree to testing.  If Chance knew he would be tested, it seems likely that he would not have marijuana.

I am not saying that the university needs to be a psychic to predict everything that the athletes can do to get into trouble.  But I am saying that systems can be put into place that can virtually eliminate bad things from happening.

Now, when the professional leagues look at drafting a player, there is a test that all draftees are required to take.  This psychology test can give you an idea of the prediliction an individual could have toward unsavory behavior.  (See Phillips, Lawrence)... When the university recruits student athletes, there needs to be a greater emphasis on the personal side of the equation ... what kind of person is the potential Bull.

So, yes, Bien ... like it or not... the university lets these kinds of things happen.  They don't have the systems in place to try to prevent them... and it doesn't seem to instill the fear of God into student athletes...

Until the university addresses this situation, you can expect newspapers to report things like this when they occur.

------

Oh, and if Marquel Blackwell gets into trouble 30 years from now, you can expect to read ... "Former Bull QB gets into trouble..."  Newspapers use the things that identify a person the most... for MB, the thing he is most known for in Tampa is as a Bulls QB...

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Agree with me or not, these are only my opinions.  I still love the Bulls (and CJL) and I am excited about the coming season.

[Brad]

That's all fine and dandy if I thought TBO was trying to change the face of college athletics, but I do not believe that to be the case.  

[Papa_Bull]

For example, Chance was busted with possession of marijuana.  If the university was serious about the discipline of student athletes it would offer a drug testing program.  USF scholarship recipients should agree to be drug free - and agree to testing.  If Chance knew he would be tested, it seems likely that he would not have marijuana.

I think all of that IS in place.

In fact I think Chance FAILED his drug test and that is one of the reasons he was dismissed.

[Papa_Bull]

Flashback:

Two Dismissed From USF Football Team

By BRETT McMURPHY bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: May 4, 2005

 

TAMPA - South Florida freshman defensive lineman Curtis Chance, who admitted to at least one positive drug test, and junior linebacker Devon Davis were dismissed from USF's program.

Davis started four games last season, finishing fifth on the team in tackles (41). Chance had one start.

Last July, Chance, Davis and former linebacker Dorrean James were arrested in Ybor City. Chance pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana. Davis pleaded no contest to possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A freshman from Dixie Hollins, Chance said his departure from USF was ``sort of academics'' but said he had a positive drug test at USF.

``I really can't say more than that,'' Chance said.

Davis could not be reached for comment.