More bad news for Auburn

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
There was one major difference between the two incidents. The football players didn't do it during the middle of the season. There were other ways to punish them before the season ever rolled around. Missing games is the only option for the girls at this point. A few years ago Nick Marshall was caught with pot and suspended for the opener because it happened close to the first game.

The punishments are uneven, IMO. What kind of off-season consequence is equal to being suspended from real games? What is happening to the softball players is more harsh, I think. UGA, to name one, is an SEC school that will suspend players from games based on off-season events - even just a positive test for pot - several months before the opener.

That said, I can't conclude that the difference in punishments are because it's football vs. softball. I don't have all the facts. The softball players might've had previous trouble for which this constituted a final straw.
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
**Sure, everyone makes mistakes, give them another chance, they're too young to be held accountable, let them move on, rules are made to be broken.** #Sarcasm off....
At what age should we enforce the rules (rules which are very well known)? Would you feel differently about this if it was a group of 14/16U athletes? Maybe more acceptable if they were arrested for public intoxication or DUI (I'm not up on the drinking age in Alabama)? Or how about inappropriate use of social media or cyber-bullying? As parents and as coaches all of these things (and many more) are hopefully being discussed with our kids and they are being warned that the consequences are very real. Yes, it's sad that these girls are suffering and feeling humiliated because of their poor choices (doesn't matter how you feel about the use of weed, they weren't exactly smoking pot in a public protest of the law). Each of these athletes has been given a tremendous opportunity to play this sport at a very "high" (ok, elite) level that most players will only dream of. They were up celebrating a big win from the day before and I certainly get that but our kids have been making sacrifices to play ball for years in hopes of getting a chance to play at a school like Auburn...once they get there should that self-discipline not continue?
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Whatever side of the pot debate you stand on is really irrelevant. In Alabama it's illegal (not to mention prohibited by NCAA, SEC, and Auburn), end of story. Light up at your own risk.

The players knew it was illegal and against team and school policy for athletes to smoke pot, but they put their own selfish needs above their responsibilities to their teammates and coaches. Now they are plastered all over social media and discussion boards as an example of what can happen when you make bad choices. I hope my DD learns a lesson from this, so she does not make the same mistakes.

Sidebar: My DD grew up an Auburn fan, and I am a 3rd generation Auburn grad. Our recruiting process with Auburn did not go as we dreamed it would, so all of the controversy that surrounds the program now may be a blessing in disguise that my DD did not sign with them. "Thank God for unanswered prayers" ~ Garth Brooks
 
Last edited:
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
I knew in 1972, that if I was smoking pot, with my friends,and got arrested, I would not get to teach. So, at age 18, I simply passed. I surmise, what this will come down to, is just how fed up coach is, by now.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
The punishments are uneven, IMO. What kind of off-season consequence is equal to being suspended from real games? What is happening to the softball players is more harsh, I think. UGA, to name one, is an SEC school that will suspend players from games based on off-season events - even just a positive test for pot - several months before the opener.

That said, I can't conclude that the difference in punishments are because it's football vs. softball. I don't have all the facts. The softball players might've had previous trouble for which this constituted a final straw.

Coach Steve Spurrier on playing the Dawgs early: "I don't know. I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended."
 
Jul 12, 2010
47
8
The Dawgs, under Richt anyway, were known as a team that had consequences for bad off the field behavior. Auburn, not so much.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top