This week has been marred by an abhorrent decision by the University of Maryland regarding the state of its football program, a decision which has had a tremendous ripple effect throughout the university, and is not limited to the athletic department. Sadly, the decision disregarded what was right and wrong, and conveyed the message that football and head football coaches are more important than the value of human life.
In the sweltering late May heat of College Park, a young man died from what later would be determined to be heat stroke. Had the proper protocols been in place, that young player, Jordan Mc Nair, would still be alive. Assistant coaches and trainers who abrogated their responsibilities were the ones who caused this tragic death.
The ultimate responsibility for the football team resides with its head coach. Head Coach D.J. Durkin was not in attendance at this practice session. Given the constant oversight and control big time football coaches maintain, the blame goes to only one man—the one who is paid the big bucks to oversee the football landscape.
University officials suspended Durkin while they conducted an investigation. That investigation cited numerous deficiencies in the Maryland football program. But while officials did not exonerate Durkin, they did not hold him accountable for this terrible tragedy.
After a meeting where Durkin reportedly made an impassioned plea to continue as Head Coach, the Board of Regents reinstated Durkin. In the process, the President of the University of Maryland resigned rather than agreeing with this move. Damon Evens—the man who became the permanent AD in June—remained in place.
Durkin went to his first squad meeting and a number of players walked out, believing that Mc Nair’s death bring treated as merely an unfortunate blip on the football program. Campus protests ensued. The Governor and politicians were outraged. Mc Nair’s family was in disbelief.
With egg on its face, Maryland fired Durkin and the 78 year old head of the Board of Regents resigned. There was never going to be a winner here given the tragedy; the University’s insensitive and mind-boggling handling of this matter has led to a school and team in disarray. Maryland lost big on Saturday. Their win over the now-ranked University of Texas team to start the season was more an emotional response by the players to honor their fallen comrade.
Maryland and Rutgers are the newbies in the Big 10, largely brought into the fold to enhance the Big Ten Network with cornerstones in the D.C and New York markets. Instead, controversy has been the staple of these two schools.
While nothing as egregious as a death has occurred at RU, it has had its share of deplorable events since the Kyle Flood era. The latest occurred this week when a young, troubled RU player, evidently distraught over the breakup with his girlfriend, allegedly developed a scheme to kill his girlfriend’s parents.
CBSSports.com has reported that since the Jerry Sandusky scandal in 2011 at Penn State, “…there have been at least16 high-profile instances of alleged wrongdoing in Big Ten athletic departments involving 11 of the 14 schools. Only Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin seem to have escaped unscathed.
Thus, Rutgers and Maryland, who have not closed the gap on the playing field, have certainly done their best to emulate the other members outside of the three more upstanding members of this hallowed academic conference. For a conference based on research universities who purportedly promote academic and athletic virtue, this is so sad. Maryland is the third instance of a university hierarchy being fired or resigning in wake of scandalous activity, following in the footsteps of MIchigan State, with the Larry Nasser affair and Penn State. Scandals at both institutions resulted in criminal charges and convictions of their leaders.
So I ask this—where is the Big Ten Conference and its commissioner, Jim Delany? What about the NCAA—what are they doing in the wake of these kinds of scandals which are not limited to the Big Ten? Rutgers, Louisville, North Carolina, Miami, Syracuse and Mississippi are among the 11 schools currently on probation. The ills in college athletics reaches to the D III level where Centennial Conference member for football, Susquehanna University, is on probation which ends on November 21, and the entire athletics programs at Elmhurst and Kalamazoo Colleges are on probation.
When are the problems going to end? Not as long as there is big money from television and booster who funnel money into the coffers of these programs to have their schools achieve success in athletics. Or an unscrupulous coach who wants to win, the rules be damned.
What happened at Maryland was indeed tragic and preventable. It’s Maryland, Rutgers and all of the other schools who flaunt the system which need restraint. I am not saying that bad things don’t happen at all schools—Franklin and Marshall suffered from a mean-spirited hazing scandal on its very talented women’s lacrosse team. Ivy League schools have made the NCAA’s list—Harvard had a secondary violation in its men’s basketball program and Princeton had an instance of giving improper financial benefits.
I wish these offending schools would have their ability to play revoked for one year for flagrant violations or the ubiquitous “lack of institutional control” sanction. I don’t fault the NCAA, which tries hard to regulate its membership. Instead, I fault the members and their failure to aspire to become models of decency, sportsmanship and academic proficiency.
This is a reflection of America—probity and virtuosity countered by dereliction and greed. Institutions of higher learning—safeguard your students, starting with your athletes.
On the fields, Princeton defeated Dartmouth in the battle of the undefeateds to gain Ivy League supremacy—for now. The Tigers still must beat ancient rivals Yale and Penn to remain undefeated and be the sole champions of the Ivies for 2018.
Franklin and Marshall shot itself in the foot on a last second loss to Ursinus via a 38 yard field goal. The Bears now have the inner track to the second bowl game with the MAC, should they tie with the Diplomats. Susquehanna is also at 5-3; they have beaten Ursinus and lost to F&M. I am now rooting for Dickinson to upset Ursinus while the Diplomats defeat arch rival Gettysburg on the road.
After last night’s beatdown of #3 LSU, is any one going to beat Alabama? The Crimson Tide has four contests left before the playoffs. #18 Mississippi State rolls into Tuscaloosa on Saturday. They aren’t going to beat the Tide. The Citadel follows—the first string may play a half in the matchup. And the Iron Bowl is at home versus Auburn, thereby favoring ‘Bama. The SEC championship is between Alabama and Georgia. Georgia lost to LSU in Baton Rouge for their only demerit on their schedule thus far. If healthy, Alabama wins that contest, too.
It’s too early to predict who will be the four to make the playoffs. Notre Dame had a big win at Northwestern. Clemson demolished Louisville. Michigan looks like it will move up to number 4. There is a lot of time to shake things out before the playoffs are finalized. I think we can reasonably believe that Alabama and Clemson are virtual locks. More to come.
The NFL lost its last unbeaten team when the LA Rams succumbed to Drew Brees and the Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans has only one loss and is a legitimate threat to win the NFC. Pat Mahomes was awesome once more in leading the Chiefs past the Browns in Cleveland.
The Jets looked horrible (again!!) in losing an ugly contest in Miami. Like Rutgers, who finishes up with the likes of Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State after another defeat, this time to Wisconsin, in a half-filled Camp Randall Stadium, the Jets have to face the Patriots twice, and host Houston and Green Bay. There may be opportunities for wins against Buffalo (twice) and Tennessee. Right now, the Jets need a lot of help next season. And Todd Bowles is not likely to be the coach next season to start the changes. Why did I break in my new Jets t shirt versus Miami? It was a stupid thing to do. It wasn’t going to change this team’s luck.
Green Bay visits Foxborough for a matchup between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. No matter the outcome, the debate as to who is the G.O.A.T. will still rage on. With neither side wrong in the declarations.
In trying to rectify the high school playoff system in New Jersey, the NJSIAA enlisted a retired mathematician who had used a formula which included power points for victories and score differentials to accurately predict which teams might make the playoffs. His accuracy was phenomenal.
This mathematician explained his new system to the high school administrators, who were assured that power points would not be involved. Lo and behold, power points were used and the outcry was enormous when 1-7 Middletown North made the playoffs (they were crushed by Long Branch) while 7-1 Delran failed to gain entry. Way to go, NJSIAA. Back to the drawing for next year.
With so much football going on, the Golden State Warriors shooting the lights out again and Luke Walton being admonished by Magic Johnson for the slow start for the Lakers, it is only fair that I cite that the Dodgers paying Clayton Kershaw $93 million on a 3 year extension is ludicrous and obscene. That’s $31 million a year, with a lot of guaranteed money. For a baseball player. For a lottery winner. For anyone. The Yankees re-sigining Brett Gardner for one year was a relative steal.
I’ve typed too much for my shoulder. Time to go ice, or be put on ice.
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