Will NCAA's Actions Against Penn State Affect Florida A&M?

[superman7515]

PSU Not The Only Problem For NCAA (http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2012/jul/26/psu-not-the-only-problem-for-ncaa/)


And though NCAA president Mark Emmert says the powers he flexed against Penn State football "weren't on his tool belt," another situation in Florida is calling out for his special attention.

A hazing scandal at Florida A&M University in regard to its band, the "Marching 100" has resulted in the death of one band member, the firing of the band director, the resignation of the university president and felony charges against 11 students.

Robert Champion died on Nov. 19, 2011 after a hazing ritual and was apparently just the latest of several band members, including Bria Hunter, also severely beaten by band mates just three weeks before Champion died.

Although the circumstances are vastly different, the results are equally tragic and make it obvious that a "lack of institutional control" was a key element in both cases. Penn State's alleged "football first" culture and code of silence walk hand-in-hand with Florida A&M's alleged "culture of hazing" and its striking similar code of silence....

[The Eagle's Cliff]

The answer to the thread question is NO. ESPN hasn't demanded action and there aren't Millions of dollars available for the NCAA to confiscate.

[dgtw]

While band isn't a sport, it does have a strong connection to the football program, especially at many HBCUs and in particularly Florida A&M. Not sure if this is an area the NCAA would involve themselves in.

[eaglewraith]

The bigger question is should Montana be scared?

Penn State's situation and Montana's are eerily similar, just not involving children.

[superman7515]

While band isn't a sport, it does have a strong connection to the football program, especially at many HBCUs and in particularly Florida A&M. Not sure if this is an area the NCAA would involve themselves in.

In the writer's defense, they beat a human being to death (supposedly because he was gay) at a football game as part of a hazing ritual in a school that has a long history of hazing that was swept under the rug but well known. In a lot of instances, it's more connected to the football team than things that went on at Penn State.

[Big Dawg]

In the writer's defense, they beat a human being to death (supposedly because he was gay) at a football game as part of a hazing ritual in a school that has a long history of hazing that was swept under the rug but well known. In a lot of instances, it's more connected to the football team than things that went on at Penn State.

He wasn't beaten because he was gay...he volunteered to do something stupid such as try to "cross a bus" that other students who rode Bus C in the past had done.

And hazing hasn't been swept under the rug at FAMU. Fraternities have been suspended and kicked off the years(The Kappas have been off since about 2006) Authorities had been contacted before, students had been suspended(just before the Florida Classic, Dr. White had kicked some band members out of the band). You can't control what students do off campus.

The problem was the breakdown in communication between band staff and administration.

It would be absolutely STUPID for the NCAA to get involved in affairs that have NOTHING to do with the football team or athletic program and shouldn't even be brought up for consideration.

[TheRevSFA]

The NCAA won't do anything as they have to keep a double standard

It's okay to kill a guy, but if you are a big university and you sexually assault a child, well you're ****ed

[lionsrking2]

As it is, I thought the NCAA way overstepped their bounds in the Penn State case, but having said that, the comparison to Florida A&M is in no way similar. While band is indirectly related to football, the incident in question - as I understand it - is a campus, Tallahassee and state of Florida issue, and maybe federal if civil rights were deemed to have been violated ... but in no way should the NCAA be involved unless NCAA rules were broken.

[crossfire07]

Just like the Penn State mess, it is a matter for the legal authorities to deal with and punish, not the NCAA.

[GAD]

Just like the Penn State mess, it is a matter for the legal authorities to deal with and punish, not the NCAA.
I agree 100% its a legal matter, the NCAA should not be involed.

[dgtw]

He wasn't beaten because he was gay...he volunteered to do something stupid such as try to "cross a bus" that other students who rode Bus C in the past had done.

And hazing hasn't been swept under the rug at FAMU. Fraternities have been suspended and kicked off the years(The Kappas have been off since about 2006) Authorities had been contacted before, students had been suspended(just before the Florida Classic, Dr. White had kicked some band members out of the band). You can't control what students do off campus.

The problem was the breakdown in communication between band staff and administration.

It would be absolutely STUPID for the NCAA to get involved in affairs that have NOTHING to do with the football team or athletic program and shouldn't even be brought up for consideration.

Suppose he hadn't volunteered. Would he have been viewed as a wimp and lost respect of those under him in the band? This is a tradition that should have been banned years ago. Everyone involved should have been kicked out of school.

[Hellgate60]

The bigger question is should Montana be scared?

Penn State's situation and Montana's are eerily similar, just not involving children.

How are they eerily similar? The one kid that has been charged with rape has been kicked off the team. In the "gang rape" incident, there is a video where the girl consented to giving oral sex to four players and was laughing. Her friend said she also consented. And then there is the jj case where no one seems to know what is going on. A lot of rumors going on from jj raped her to the victim changing her story multiple times and being an angry ex.

[kdinva]

The answer to the thread question is NO. ESPN hasn't demanded action and there aren't Millions of dollars available for the NCAA to confiscate.

+1

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Why would the NCAA ban a football team from NCAA competition for something the band did?

There was no effort of the FAMU athletic department to cover up any crime. It has nothing to do with eligibility for football, or the postseason. No football coach had anything to do with what happened. No money from football boosters went into covering up any crime. So it is abjectly ridiculous for the NCAA to get involved. Even FAMU leadership brought down the hammer of Thor on the band, which was the right thing to do.

[superman7515]

He wasn't beaten because he was gay...he volunteered to do something stupid such as try to "cross a bus" that other students who rode Bus C in the past had done.

I'm not saying he was gay, I didn't know the guy from Adam, I said supposedly he was beaten that badly because he was gay.

http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2012/05/thirteen-charged-in-famu-drum-major%E2%80%99s-death-were-the-charges-too-lax/


In November 2011, the 26-year-old Champion died after enduring a severe beating during a hazing ritual while aboard a FAMU charter bus. Many believe that Champion was beaten so severely because he was anti-hazing and gay. Since it could not be determined which blow(s) killed Champion, prosecutors decided to charge thirteen people.


http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/10/famu-drum-major-might-have-been-gay/


Orlando (CNN) – The attorney for the family of Robert Champion, who died in November after he was beaten on a bus, allegedly as part of a Florida A&M University band hazing ritual, says Champion's friends have told him the 26-year-old drum major was gay.

Relatives believe that may have been one of many factors that contributed to Champion being treated more severely than other band members, attorney Chris Chestnut said.


http://news.yahoo.com/13-charged-hazing-death-famu-band-member-182053041.html


Witnesses in the Champion case have told his parents he might have been targeted because he opposed the hazing, the parents' attorney has said. It has also been suggested to them that Champion was targeted because he was gay and a candidate for chief drum major.