Yahoo: What A Shock, Syracuse Ignored Basic Drug Rules

[Ts5034]

What are the odds one of them was Devendorf???

 

[Rico444]

I couldn't care less about the kids smoking pot -- I'd be willing to bet every team has at least one kid who does it at least occasionally. The story here is that the athletic department ignored it and covered it up.

 

[tzznandrew]

The UCLA "story" that broke was hyped up for over a day and everyone has forgot about that already. Yahoo's big story is 10 college kids smoked pot over 10 years? Wake me up when there's a video of Laurie Fine passing a joint with Bobby Davis and Arinze Onuaku... no wait don't do that.

This bit isn't a big deal. There isn't a DI program that hasn't had a player or five who smoked weed in the last 4 years. Sorry, we should just move on.

 

[sammydabiz]

I couldn't care less about the kids smoking pot -- I'd be willing to bet every team has at least one kid who does it at least occasionally. The story here is that the athletic department ignored it and covered it up.

That's totally not the issue here, the issue is whether SU failed to follow their own protocols in regards to playing ineligible players. If I'm not mistaken to play games with players who are ineligible, those games could be vacated, no? If so, it would be a shot in the nuts if that included the 2003 National Championship

 

[NaughtybyNapier]

I couldn't care less about the kids smoking pot -- I'd be willing to bet every team has at least one kid who does it at least occasionally. The potential story here is that the athletic department ignored it and covered it up.

Sorry to be pedantic, but Yahoo drives me over the brink (see my post above).

 

[tzznandrew]

I couldn't care less about the kids smoking pot -- I'd be willing to bet every team has at least one kid who does it at least occasionally. The story here is that the athletic department ignored it and covered it up.

Damn it! You beat me to it!

 

[Walker11]

It takes some sorry a to make me feel for Cuse and Yahoo is that a. I honestly can't believe they spent several months investigating this. I wonder what even led them to this in the first place. Nice follow up to the Miami story for Robinson...

Definitely a fan of Boeheim's response to Yahoo. "Good luck with that story."

 

[TRest]

It's March Madness, time to take someone down. Except for Calipari, of course.

 

[Jax Husky]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basket...asketball_investigation_drug_violation_030512

Not following the University policy is a problem, but 10 kids testing positive over the course of a decade is hardly big news. Seems like most schools don't really do much until a 2nd or 3rd test anyway (depending on the drug I'd assume).

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I feel like Yahoo! Sports is desperate to justify their own existence. I don't know anyone who visits that sight on a regular basis. The only time I actually see something linked is a story like that. Way over-sensationalized internet hit-whoring garbage. They've fallen so far below the big boys that they consistently need to fabricate news. I'm with Syracuse on this one.

 

[Orc]

Lots of pressure on Cuse to make it past the sweet 16 this year. The cuse fans will want to have Boehim's head on a platter if somehow they choke in the tourney this year like usual.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

There are plenty of reasons to hate Syracuse.

This isn't one of them. Non-story here.

 

[Orc]

There are plenty of reasons to hate Syracuse.

This isn't one of them. Non-story here.

I can only think of one. Jealousyyyyyyy
3>1

 

[Fishy]

There are plenty of reasons to hate Syracuse.

This isn't one of them. Non-story here.

There is very definitely a story there.

 

[caw]

That's totally not the issue here, the issue is whether SU failed to follow their own protocols in regards to playing ineligible players. If I'm not mistaken to play games with players who are ineligible, those games could be vacated, no? If so, it would be a shot in the nuts if that included the 2003 National Championship

Stupid rule but...I agree, that is the issue and we all know the NCAA likes to be in charge. If SU violated their own rules and played players that by their rules should have been ineligible, this may be very bad for SU.

This could vacate wins, NC and cause Cuse to owe the NCAA a ton of money.

Side note, JC could catch up to JB very quickly in the wins column...

 

[CL82]

Another Yahoo hatchet job on the program most likely to block Kentucky's shot at a championship.

That said it's 'cuse and, given their fan base, I should join UCHuskies08 with something like:

What the heck is going on at Syracuse? Pedephilia, ugly old lady sex, and now drug use. If god doesn't destroy Syracuse University he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.

 

[upstater]

The article says Baylor got bagged for this, but Baylor had other problems. If you are treating your athletes different from regular students, then you've got problems. Part of me is experiencing schadenfreude for all the times Cuse fans ripped on Calhoun and the players and also all the times they talked about thugs at PSU (half of those players were suspended for open beer can violations).

Quite frankly, there's a pattern at PSU, and if you read Nocera's article on Syracuse which detailed the scandal going on in its disciplinary committee (with special treatment for players) you would know that this issue goes far beyond a few players smoking marijuana. Lots of schools have 3 strikes and you're out policies.

Are we forgetting about the times UConn bball players were suspended for weed? I agree with you all that this was no big deal, as the Cuse story is no big deal, BUT the difference is, UConn suspended those players, as they would regular students caught smoking 3x.

 

[Ricky1Moore]

And then next week the NCAA meets and decides that, regardless of self reporting, any team that had more than 9 students play when they should have been suspended for drugs over the last decade is banned from next years NCAA tournament...

What would that remind you of?

 

[upstater]

And then next week the NCAA meets and decides that, regardless of self reporting, any team that had more than 9 students play when they should have been suspended for drugs over the last decade is banned from next years NCAA tournament...

What would that remind you of?

There's precedent though. Baylor.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I don't think it's appropriate to make light of child molestation, and I think this is a fairly lame attempt by yahoo.

That being said, Bernie's Burnies would be a great mock chant to hear echoing through the garden.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Devendorf and Harris were routinely stoned when they played. I don't know this, but I kinda know it. Anyone who has ever played with guys that were stoned knows what I mean. Sometimes you can just tell when a guy is baked on the court.

I am also convinced that Pope on Seton Hall plays stoned. I am becoming a bit like Mr. Hand in my old age.

 

[Peacefrog]

I really don't know how big a deal this is or should be. However, one thing that cracks me up a bit is Boeheim's response to a question about the report which was: "I don't know anything about it". Really? I have to say that I have always kind of liked Boeheim for some reason but I'm ready to lose all respect for him. Your assistant coach and good friend is serially molesting kids and you know nothing about it. A long line of players are banging an assisstant coach's wife and you know nothing about it. Kids are testing positive for drugs over 10 years and you know nothing about it. WTF? Does Boeheim have an awareness of anything going on around him in regards to his basketball program? It sure smells like a lack of institiutional control.

 

[jleves]

I have no idea how people think this is a non story or a hatchet job. Well, it may well be done out of spite, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't have been written. No matter how you feel about smoking pot (for the record, I think it needs to be legalized, regulated and taxed), if there is a rule (or law) against it, well then breaking that rule should have consequences.

I think it's no big deal to drive 80 on the freeway. I can even rationalize it and say that my car going 80 is safer, more in control and better able to stop quickly than an 85 F250 going 65. None the less, if I get picked up on radar going 80, I get a ticket - my insurance rates go up and there's a point on my license. I don't get to tell my insurance company it's no big deal and they shouldn't raise my rates. I don't get to tell the judge I'm still safer than the aforementioned F250 and I shouldn't be fined.

They had a drug policy, they did tests and they didn't follow up. They played kids who were ineligible according to their policy. It doesn't matter if it's one kid, 10 kids or 100 kids. There needs to be some consequence to that. How bad? I won't bother to try to figure that out. Also, some of those ten failed 3 or even 4 tests - that raises the number of fails to possibly 20 or more instead of 10. None of them acted upon.

If you are a parent sending your kid to a school, one thing you might expect is that your kid doesn't do illegal drugs. Maybe you don't care, but I would guess most parents do, no matter what they did in college. Sending a kid to a college where the athletic program covers up and doesn't address drug use could be an issue. I imagine it will be something that will be brought up by other programs when they recruit a common high school player.

As for throwing the quote back in JBs face, he kind of brought that on himself with 1) part of the policy indicates the head coach is told of failed tests and he denied knowing and 2) he has a pithy comment of 'good luck with your story.' You think he may have learned to STFU after his Fine comments.

As for the Fine comment at the end of the article, part of me thinks it's piling on, another part of me thinks it's worthwhile to add in terms of showing a tradition of non compliance, looking the other way or just having no idea what is going on in your program. I lean toward the latter.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Feels a lot more like an pretty big issue than no story to me.

 

[hoopsknowitall]

I really don't know how big a deal this is or should be. However, one thing that cracks me up a bit is Boeheim's response to a question about the report which was: "I don't know anything about it". Really? I have to say that I have always kind of liked Boeheim for some reason but I'm ready to lose all respect for him. Your assistant coach and good friend is serially molesting kids and you know nothing about it. A long line of players are banging an assisstant coach's wife and you know nothing about it. Kids are testing positive for drugs over 10 years and you know nothing about it. WTF? Does Boeheim have an awareness of anything going on around him in regards to his basketball program? It sure smells like a lack of institiutional control.

In defense of Boeheim last time he answered a question about a CUSE scandal it got him sued for libel so I have a feeling thats what that answer was all about.

Honestly though he does come off as the modern day version of Sgt. Schultz.

 

[Edward Sargent]

You would have to be really high to sleep with Mrs. Fine

Yeah but Bernie's kinda cuddly