Ursa Major said:
I can't understand how anyone wouldn't agree with this unless they have a systemic and long-term agenda to mitigate the criminal behavior of student athletes for no other reason than because they are members of a football team.
Character matters.
Worst thread of the year/POTY
The question in the thread is WHY? Not WHETHER? What is the reason and rationale? I don't think anyone would disagree that college athletes, especially football players and to a lesser extent basketball players (and I would say anyone who represents the university), should be subject to a code that promotes and requires good behavior, at least in this day and age.
I find it hypocritical and unfair that college football players are actually held to an even higher standards, get their mistakes publicized and often put on the front page, and get crucified by some on the internet.
I'm sorry but I just don't think a normal dui, by a player who has not been a problem or gotten into a lot of trouble, should disqualify the player from playing for the program or result in a huge suspension. A normal dui is a misdemeanor. Some citations end up getting pled down or being dropped. Some don't. There are many worse things that could happen. Murder, sexual assault, robbery, burglary, felony assault, and most anything that is a felony (except maybe have one illegal pill at a party).
I find it incredibly hypocritical that texting/driving and extreme speeding don't get the same attention or result as a dui, even though, depending on the study, it is at least as dangerous and probably more dangerous. This is not just in college athletics, but everywhere. My impression is that many on this forum would not look upon a texting/driving, or big speeding ticket, as as harshly as they do with dui.
I'm fine with following the athletic code of conduct, and of allowing the coach to take separate action. People put considerable work into putting the code together.
No one is trying to promote or support criminal behavior in college athletics. What a BS comment, by a poster who recently makes BS comments and doesn't know what he is talking about. However, some people do believe in fundamental fairness and general consistency.
Of course, character matters. However, it is not possible to judge or know the character of someone like Strahm by reading that he was cited for a dui. Character is much much more than making a single mistake. The coaches know whether a senior, and senior starter, has character. While I don't know, I would guess that the coaches would rate Strahm fairly high on the character scale.
My view is that a lot of people, including some of you, take pleasure in seeing certain people or higher profile people, get into trouble. To me, that shows lack of character, and as you said, character matters.
I had to laugh at some of the rationales and comments. A dui hurts the "brand". Sure, a dui results in some bad press, but really, the brand doesn't suffer anymore than perhaps a tiny tiny bit. And then 75 points out how Engstrom has almost killed the brand (and ruined the school). And the Dean. And people like Everett give them a pass, and even used to cheer lead for them, but want to clobber a kid who goofs up and get cited for a dui. Where's the prospective?
And on privilege, I just don't agree that it is some huge "privilege" to play college sports. To me, that is just some cliche. Sure, it is a small privilege or honor, and people will say that, but at least some people like me, who did play college sports, didn't see it as some big privilege. But in this day and age of all the neutral stuff that athletes say to the press, they often just spew player-speak, just like coaches learned coach-speak.
And I stand by my observations that posters like Ursa never played the game, at least at any higher level. I can see it in their posts.