UT adopts No-Tolerance policy

[AThornton]

UT adopts zero-tolerance policy for guns and drugs
http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2010/...artner=popular

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said Monday there will be a zero-tolerance level for future gun-and-drug related incidents similar to those committed by players on the Vols' football and basketball teams during the past two months.

Two UT football players were dismissed after an alleged attempted armed robbery involving a pellet gun in November, and four basketball players have been indefinitely suspended after being charged with various misdemeanor drug and weapons offenses after a traffic stop Friday.

"Our tolerance for these type of activities has gone to zero,'' Hamilton said. "I've been very angry over the last few days as we've dealt with this process, and frankly, the anger is still there.

"I want to make the kinds of decisions that are fair to the student athletes and fair to the university, and make those decisions not out of emotion, but out of clear thought.''

Hamilton said he spoke with the four basketball players involved in Friday's incident: Tyler Smith, Cameron Tatum, Brian Williams and Melvin Goins.

The players' mood was "somber, apologetic, embarrassed, matter of fact . . . humbled,'' according to Hamilton, who met with them as a group.

Hamilton said he also will meet with UT coaches to discuss how the athletic department will move forward and address the specifics in its policies and handbook.

"I've had one conversation with Coach (Bruce) Pearl, and I've told Coach (Lane) Kiffin when he gets off the road this week (recruiting) I'm going to visit with him about it,'' Hamilton said. "We have our regularly scheduled coaches' staff meetings on Wednesday morning this week and we'll be talking about it at that point.''

Hamilton said the coaches' input will be taken into consideration.

"In that process we are going to want to gauge our coaches' reactions and our coaches' thoughts,'' he said. "They are the ones recruiting these student-athletes . . . it's important they take part in how we manage this and go forward.''

Hamilton said the four basketball players will remain suspended as the information-gathering process continues.

"We want to talk to all the right people and proceed in the right manner,'' Hamilton said. "I want to reiterate again, these are indefinite suspensions.

"For me, that means we start at dismissal and work our way backwards - it doesn't mean we start at one game and work our way forward.''

 

[elwestb]

... you know why the basketball players had those guns? They were scared of the football players!

 

[AThornton]

I heard on ESPN radio today that the boys were in a rental car......and the Knoxville police will not release the info for who the car was rented by. Maybe a booster?? All speculation at this point. But I wouldn't be surprised with another NCAA investigation

 

[salecreekaviator]

I am stunned tyler smith was arrested for a gun .. everybody knows he can't shoot.

 

[jimwarden]

Good for Mike Hamilton. As much as I like for the Vols to have good football and basketball teams, it isn't worth it if the players embarrass the university. Not to mention that their scholarship is keeping some other worthy athlete with good character from attending the university for free.

 

[elwestb]

Yes, good for Hamilton! But you have to adopt an "no tolerance policy"? Really? That should be in place always! I kind of like 'ol Pearl, but he really got me with his answer of "I'll have to see what the individuals have done over the last two or three years", What's that got to do with it?! It doesn't matter what you did over the past years, what matters is what you did tonight, with a gun!? Are you kidding me? Four idiots with a dream scholarship, in a car with two guns, one with an altered serial number { illegal in itself }, open alcohol containers, and a bag of pot!? All four should be gone, period! Put Pat Summit in charge and see what happens!

 

[blazer]

I agree 100%,anyone caught carrying a gun or drugs should be kicked off the team.There is no reason that any of the players should be carrying a gun.and the university needs to show everyone that it will not be tolerated no matter who you are,or how good you are.

 

[Bprice]

agreed almost blazer... if one of them has a legal permit to possess the gun, then I have no issue with that.

 

[Fishheadspin]

I think it is funny that everyone is acting as if it does not go on at other schools. Every school in america is after these same kids.

It is a shame that in order to win ball games you have to get the thugs to come play for a free education.

Good for Hamilton and UT, should have been that way all along. The bright side is i may be able to get a scholarship in another year or so because there will not be many players left on any of the teams.

 

[beetlespin]

Yea do you guys ever listen to any of these guys get interviewed after a game. No way some of them are actually taking and passing meaningful college classes.

 

[SNUFFY]

correct me if I`m wrong but I believe a concealed carry permit for the person is the only permit related to weapons in TN. If the guns had the slide locked open and laying in open sight with the ammo/clips locked in glovebox, they couldn`t have even been charged a misdemeanor. I also believe they were pulled over for speeding on the Interstate...not UT campus.
Having said that, it was a really stupid thing for them to get caught in that situation. The handgun is the new BLING for many in the black community it seems.
I hate it for Bruce and the program...I think he really tries to do the right thing with his players and program.

 

[SPOON]

All schools have discipline issues to some degree. But most schools do not show a lack of confidence in there head coaches to handle disipline.

I hope this never happens in T-Town. If it did Saban would be gone, and I would not blame him.

 

[xroadsbasser]

If Saban bought em all a gun they wouldn't fire him!!! When he wins Thursday night he could run for Governor and win!

 

[Fishheadspin]

SPOON - 1/6/2010 9:37 AM

All schools have discipline issues to some degree. But most schools do not show a lack of confidence in there head coaches to handle disipline.

I hope this never happens in T-Town. If it did Saban would be gone, and I would not blame him.

EXACTLY WHY DO YOU EVEN POST?

 

[SPOON]

Fishheadspin - 1/6/2010 3:48 PM

SPOON - 1/6/2010 9:37 AM

All schools have discipline issues to some degree. But most schools do not show a lack of confidence in there head coaches to handle disipline.

I hope this never happens in T-Town. If it did Saban would be gone, and I would not blame him.

I AM NOT INTERESTED IN THE TRUTH SO EXACTLY WHY DO YOU EVEN POST?

fixed it for you FHS.

 

[Fishheadspin]

Discipline (or disipline as it is spelled by bama fans, yea i know, your hooked on phonics) how many times has bama been put on probation? forced to forfeit a national championship and how many scholarships were revoked??? yea bama shows no lack of confidence in the way their coaches handle "disipline" because they do not offer up much!

TRUTH???? YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THE TRUTH IF IT FLEW OUT NICK SABANS ASS!

all your talk is moronic! from a guy who is a fan of the university that has been punished the most by the NCAA in the history of college sports and about one step from the death penalty!

 

[SPOON]

Fishheadspin - 1/6/2010 5:11 PM

Discipline (or disipline as it is spelled by bama fans, yea i know, your hooked on phonics)( didn't hav time two lern to spel I'm a Bama fan KEEPING UP WITH CHAMPIONSHIP GAMEZ TOOK UP ALOT OF MY HOMEWORK TIME) how many times has bama been put on probation?(not enough to keep us down) forced to forfeit a national championship(we still have all 12) and how many scholarships were revoked???(not enough) yea bama shows no lack of confidence in the way their coaches handle "disipline" because they do not offer up much!

TRUTH???? YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THE TRUTH IF IT FLEW OUT NICK SABANS ASS!

all your talk is moronic! from a guy who is a fan of the university that has been punished the most by the NCAA in the history of college sports and about one step from the death penalty! (And a half step from NC #13)

Dude calm down we have another NC game tomorrow. emoBigsmile We must be doin sumfin right.

 

[Fishheadspin]

i am sure it will not be long until you have to forfeit this season too.....

 

[SPOON]

Fishheadspin - 1/6/2010 5:39 PM

i am sure it will not be long until you have to forfeit this season too.....

That is the only hope you have.

The best may be yet to come for Alabama
January, 5, 2010 Jan 58:02PM ETEmail Print Share By Chris LowNEWPORT BEACH, Calif. –- While it might surprise some that Nick Saban is on the doorstep of a national championship in only his third year at Alabama, senior offensive guard Mike Johnson looks around on the practice field every day and isn’t the least bit shocked.

Even now, Johnson is floored by all the talent Saban has brought in, and he has a message for anybody thinking the talent level is going to drop off next season.

Think again.

“The talent that we’ve brought in for the last two years is incredible,” Johnson said. “You look around, and it’s at all positions.”

Johnson says many of the guys who didn’t play huge roles this season, or maybe even redshirted, would be starting at a lot of other SEC schools.

“We’re losing three senior defensive linemen, and I really don’t think we’re dropping off too bad,” Johnson said. “We lose (Terrence) Cody, but go straight to Josh Chapman. We lose Lorenzo (Washington), but go to Marcell (Dareus). Then we’ve got guys who were injured like (Dont’a) Hightower and Damion Square who will be back. There’s just incredible depth on this team.”

And that’s not even counting some of the younger players fans haven’t had the chance to see in games yet that Johnson has seen every day in practice.

He thinks the Tide Nation will be pleased with what’s coming down the road.

“There are a lot of guys under the radar who really are going to blossom the next few years in this program,” Johnson said.

One of those guys is freshman quarterback A.J. McCarron, who’s been impressive enough in practice the second half of this season that he could be the one to go in Thursday if something were to happen to Greg McElroy.

Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain wouldn’t directly answer that question this week, but he made it clear how impressed he’s been with McCarron’s development.

And then there’s freshman running back Trent Richardson, who many in, and around, the program think has more pure ability and is more explosive than Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Richardson rushed for 642 yards as Ingram’s backup this season.

“Every year, coach Saban and the staff are bringing in better players,” senior linebacker Cory Reamer said. “I look forward to seeing where it all ends.”

 

[Fishheadspin]

Pulling a SPOOGE........copy cut paste........




Alabama put on probation, vacates wins in wake of NCAA violations

Tuscaloosa, AL (Sports Network) - The NCAA placed the University of Alabama athletic program on three-year probation and forced the football team to vacate a number of wins from 2005-07 as a result of widespread textbook distribution violations.

The NCAA issued its report Thursday, which detailed two main infractions -- student-athletes' impermissible benefits and the school's failure to monitor.

The report said 201 athletes on 16 teams obtained impermissible benefits "through misuse of the institution's textbook distribution program." It found the total retail value of the benefits was about $40,000, more than half of which was accumulated by 22 "intentional wrongdoers."

As a result the school was placed on three years' probation, from June 11, 2009 to June 10, 2012. Additionally, the harshest penalties surrounding individuals centered around those identified as intentional wrongdoers.

Because seven were football players, the football program will have to vacate all wins from the 2005-06 through 2007-08 academic years in which any of the seven were involved. Additionally, 15 others spread out in men's tennis, and men's and women's track will have their individual records vacated. Alabama was also fined $43,900 -- twice the total value of benefits obtained by the 22 intentional wrongdoers ($21,950).

The school was already under probation when the most recent violations occurred and is considered a repeat violator, but avoided a harsher ruling of lack of institutional control because it conducted a prompt internal investigation and imposed penalties on its own.

The widespread violation of textbook policy was discovered on October 17, 2007, when a university bookstore employee found charges for over $1,600 by a women's track and field athlete. Alabama then began an internal investigation.

The NCAA's report indicates that athletes from 16 sports were involved. Of the 201 total athletes, 125 obtained benefits worth under $100. The university later required such athletes with remaining eligibility to repay the value of the texts/materials.

However, the NCAA's report indicated a group of 22 "exploited the institution's textbook distribution system...to acquire textbooks and materials of a value greater than $100 for girlfriends, friends or other student-athletes." In addition to the seven football athletes, 14 members of this group were from the men's and women's track and field programs. Of the $21,950 worth of texts and other class materials obtained by this group, the four highest amounts -- $3,947.19, $3,344.10, $3,061.38 and $2,714.62 -- were obtained by football players.

The abuses occurred because of a general failure to monitor and lack of understanding, the NCAA's report found.

NCAA rules state institutions may give a student-athlete aid to cover the cost of required course texts and materials. However, the financial aid does not cover recommended texts, which accounted for most of the violations in this case.

Additionally, there was no limit on the number of times an athlete could purchase books, or to the amount an athlete could spend, the report said.

Athletes were also not required to show identification, and could bypass a designated, separate counter in order to purchase a multitude of books -- required and non-required.

Away from the bookstore, the NCAA's report said the athletic department showed serious deficiency in reviewing monthly billing reports, which were compiled by the bookstore. The report said the billing reports were reviewed by an administrative assistant only to make sure the correct billing code was used, not for NCAA compliance.

Another check on the billing reports was to be carried out by assistant athletics director for student services -- identified by the Tuscaloosa News as Jon Dever. However, the NCAA's report said the assistant athletics director did not check charges from month-to-month, instead looking for "anything that pops out as unusual."

A final check was to be done by the assistant AD's supervisor, an associate AD -- identified by the Tuscaloosa News as Kevin Almond. But the NCAA's report said he "simply approved the report authorizing payment," and the bills were paid.

Alabama later reprimanded the assistant AD and the director of the bookstore. The school's internal investigation only looked back as far as the 2005 fall semester, as it was not able to obtain records prior to that date.