This week BYU decided to suspend, wait a minute that isn't correct. Kick off a player, Brandon Davies, for violating the Universities honor code. Davies a decent player, very young and I think could develop into a great NBA post man, was kicked off the team for engaging in a sexual relationship with his girlfriend. Yes it was his girlfriend ,whom he has know since high school. . Now his girlfriend doesn't even attend the school as a matter of fact she goes to a school in a different state. So normally when people are in a relationship for a long time and long distance for that matter they usually show it by having sex when they see each other. Plain and Simple!
I understand the schools honor code. That is fine but when you have young men and women in there late teens and early twenties and you tell them they can't hangout in each others rooms, they can't sleep with each other, what do you think they are going to do? They are going to find anyway possible to get around it. They are young kids finding themselves and when you put these kinds of restrictions on them its going to make it worse. These are young people exploring their freedom for the first time in most cases. I'm sure there are a good percentage who abide by the code but I would be willing to bet (whoops honor code violation) that the majority of a four year students have violated the honor code in some way. We all know that this religion holds themselves to a higher power than all others. That's fine believe what you want but don't punish a kid for doing what he should be doing which is making mistakes that he can learn from and that will develop him into a normal adult. Or they needs to talk to their parents and have them guide them in the right direction. This school is not the parent. Regardless of what they believe they are the educational institution and have no right in parenting anyone. We all have made mistake at this age. Shoot I made plenty but it is what made me the person I am. As I'm sure it has done for most of us.
Now if this was Jimmer do you think this would have happen? I would be willing to bet (whoops betting and honor code violation again) Jimmer has broken the honor code. He was at the Utah Jazz game with his girl a few weeks back. Don't those games end after 10pm? Also, Davies was told on by someone else. Someone who either doesn't like him or wanted him off the team. It wasn't him ratting himself out. He just admitted it when he was asked, thinking the punishment would be less severe. What if he didn't report it? Would BYU forfeit all those games he played in after they found out? I highly doubt it.
To make this situation worse. They tell him he might be eligible to play next year and bring him out yesterday to cut down the nets after BYU finished as the Co-MWC champs. So he can stay in school and play next year? Why? I thought the honor code was this sacred thing and must be upheld no matter what. The school has taken their basketball team out of position to make a great run in the NCAA tournament. They have cost maybe one of the best college basketball players a chance to help make that run. Davies was a huge part of there offense, whether you think so or not. He was a big piece of the team and this hurt them a lot. Sure they beat Wyoming but they aren't anyone contending for anything. They did get exposed by New Mexico who finished 6th in the MWC and beat BYU with Davies earlier this year. Suspending him for the season for this kind of act is unfair. And why isn't the NCAA stepping in?
Now you have two players at Washington State University who were both caught with marijuana this year and were suspended for one game. Yes, one game. How the hell does that keep kids from doing this again. "Ah its no biggie if you get caught its only one game suspension." Drugs are illegal in this country, sex is not. UNLV kicked off one of their players for his entire senior year for failing a drug test for marijuana in the off season. Wazzu's Klay Thompson was suspended one game. He is the Pac-10's leading scorer and all he got was a game suspension. Sure Wazzu isn't the powerhouse of the conference nor are they getting into the NCAA tournament but what does this say about the NCAA or the school? And this is the second time its happened on this team. In December point guard Reggie Moore was suspended for the same thing. This taught no one a lesson on this team if it has happened twice.
Where is the NCAA on all of this? They must be too busy suspending coaches for future season for violations they have been committing for years. NCAA is what I like to call the Godfather. If you do something that causes them to look bad they will punish you. But only if it doesn't cost them money. The suspensions of the Ohio State football players for next season is stupid. Why weren't they suspended for the bowl game? Ill tell you why because it would have cost the NCAA money. Why wasn't Bruce Pearl or Jim Calhoun suspended for there actions in recruiting players? Because their teams were having great seasons at the time and it would cost the NCAA money. Why wasn't John Calipari ever suspended from coaching when both of his teams in the past were caught violating rules. Its doesn't make a lot of sense but it does make money.
The NCAA needs to take a long look in the mirror and ask itself who is causing these problems and it starts with them. Don't put it on the school to punish these players and coaches you should do it yourself. If the school wants to add something after that is fine. Just because your making money of these guys and not giving them a dime doesn't mean the punishments are fair. You guys need to step in on things like Davies and issue harsher punishments for players like Thompson and coaches like Calipari.
In the early 90's if a player took a bag of peanuts out of a hotel room vending machine and the school didn't pay the bill right away they were suspended. If they bought a pay-per view movie and it wasn't listed on the bill they were suspended. If they were given a free meal at a food chain for a promotion they were suspended. Looks like things haven gotten out of hand since the NCAA stopped doing the punishing and are just taking the money. Isn't there a labor law to make money off of kids and not compensate them for it. You think most of these athletes you make this kind of money off of are all going to be pros? And even then you don't property educate them to spend there money accordingly. Its almost like working for a bank where its what have you done for me lately!
NCAA is the bully in all this and schools are afraid to make the right decisions in fear of pissing the BULLY off and getting cut out of the family.
This is what's on my mind!
SIMSZEE
