Throughout the 2009 season, we have seen examples of extreme intentional violence on and off the field across many college sports. These incidents have become more common and are developing into a disturbing trend. Players represent their schools and don’t understand it is a privilege and not a right to play college sports at the highest level. This year, it started early in football, with Oregon’s RB LeGarrette Blount punch after the Duck’s first game of the season. The next day, Blount was suspended for the season by coach Chip Kelly, but he was reinstated Blount on November 9th. Can someone explain to me why he was suspended for the season, only to be reinstated after Blount met some academic and community service requirements. So you are telling me that by Blount showing up for class and picking up trash shows he has paid the price for punching a Boise St. player in the mouth?
More recently, we have all heard about the New Mexico Lobo’s soccer player, Elizabeth Lambert, who punched, tripped, and kicked players on the soccer field against BYU. The most egregious offense being when Lambert pulled another player to the ground by her ponytail. She was suspended indefinitely and has gotten loads of national attention and criticism. After watching her highlights from that game (below), it is hard to believe that many of those acts were not intentional, even though she claimed she didn’t know what came over her.
Then we have a story from off the field that broke yesterday. Two Michigan State football players were suspended indefinitely because, according to witnesses, they ”stormed into the dormitory and hit and injured about seven students, some of them women”. One of the two players who has been suspended indefinitely from the football team is RB Glenn Winston. This is not Winston’s first brush with the law this year. He was suspended indefinitely in March after pleading guilty to charges that he assaulted and permanently injured an MSU hockey player. Coach Mark Dantonio reinstated Winston after he served his 4 month jail sentence.
I am a support of giving someone a second chance, because players are human and they make mistakes, but the punishment needs to be severe if the player intentionally physically harms another player. The NCAA needs to step in and enforce punishments that are handed down by the team AD and coach and hold the university responsible for the actions of their players. As the number of incidents increase, the attention around college sports is moving away from the high-level of play on the field and turning into a bad reality TV show.
If you would like to read more from B-Dogg, visit his blog at www.sportsaholicbrian.blogspot.com.
Need More? Michigan State, NCAA, NCAA FB, New Mexico, Oregon Ducks
.jpg){kind=small}
