Uh oh! Trouble in Wofford-burg

[SoCon48]

Two Terriers charged with assault, suspended from football team
Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 | Updated: 6:20 pm

Two Wofford College football players have been charged with assault and suspended from the team until the legal matter can be resolved. Jeremy Marshall, 19, faces two assault charges and Lewis Charles “Buck” Brown, 20, is charged with one count of assault of a high and aggravated nature, according to Spartanburg County jail records.

more.... http://goupstate.com/article/20080416/NEWS/741717797/1051

[gophoenix]

Two Terriers charged with assault, suspended from football team
Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 | Updated: 6:20 pm

Two Wofford College football players have been charged with assault and suspended from the team until the legal matter can be resolved. Jeremy Marshall, 19, faces two assault charges and Lewis Charles “Buck” Brown, 20, is charged with one count of assault of a high and aggravated nature, according to Spartanburg County jail records.

more.... http://goupstate.com/article/20080416/NEWS/741717797/1051

This is one of those iffy areas in college sports. On one hand I commend teams, coaches and admins for taking action against trouble immediately like this.

On the other hand, if you suspend people who have been charged and not convicted.... how hard would it be for someone to come up with false claims against players before a big game to influence outcome? or to ruin teams for a season?

[Touchdown Yosef]

This is one of those iffy areas in college sports. On one hand I commend teams, coaches and admins for taking action against trouble immediately like this.

On the other hand, if you suspend people who have been charged and not convicted.... how hard would it be for someone to come up with false claims against players before a big game to influence outcome? or to ruin teams for a season?

Yea, the Duke Lacrosse dilema. Those kids all lost a season, the Coach is job, and three players much more over trumped up claims that were laughable at best looking back.

[gophoenix]

Yea, the Duke Lacrosse dilema. Those kids all lost a season, the Coach is job, and three players much more over trumped up claims that were laughable at best looking back.

I mean, it's not the whole guilt until proven innocent thing in the media.

It's the fact that, well, schools punish before conviction. So, kids could very well be innocent or not.

I also think of those 6 UTC players that were suspended for multiple games for "gang raping" a girl. Which turned out to be false. And I think a few of them were starters and the loss of those players could have affected games.

Punishment without conviction seems..... wrong to me.

[SoCon48]

This is one of those iffy areas in college sports. On one hand I commend teams, coaches and admins for taking action against trouble immediately like this.

On the other hand, if you suspend people who have been charged and not convicted.... how hard would it be for someone to come up with false claims against players before a big game to influence outcome? or to ruin teams for a season?

Risk being sued for filing false charges is about all they would encounter. In this case, the season is far enough away that it shouldn't affect anything if innocent. They should push for a speedy trial if innocent.

[SoCon48]

Here is how it came down:
Wofford student Brent Johnson, 20, of Inman told police that at about 10:45, some football players were denied access to a party at his fraternity house. According to Wofford's Web site, Johnson is a member of Phi Kappa Phi fraternity.
Johnson said that a student, later identified as Marshall, got angry and body slammed another fraternity member, William Richard Davis, 20, of Simpsonville, to the ground. Johnson said he went to help break up the fight and was slammed on the ground by a student later identified as Brown. He said Brown then began to hit him in the face with his fists, causing a cut below his lip where his teeth went through his face.

Johnson was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center where he received several stitches.

Laura Corbin, director of news services at Wofford, said both Marshall, a sophomore running back, and Brown, a sophomore defensive back, have been suspended from the football team until the outcome of the criminal case has been decided. She said based on a decision by the college's internal judicial system, neither Brown nor Marshall are facing other disciplinary action by the college.

This is the second legal incident involving Wofford athletes this year. Baseball players Charles Eller and Nick Yeaw were arrested in January after Eller allegedly intentionally rammed the vehicle of a woman driving downtown after the pair had been out drinking.

[gophoenix]

Here is how it came down:
Wofford student Brent Johnson, 20, of Inman told police that at about 10:45, some football players were denied access to a party at his fraternity house. According to Wofford's Web site, Johnson is a member of Phi Kappa Phi fraternity.
Johnson said that a student, later identified as Marshall, got angry and body slammed another fraternity member, William Richard Davis, 20, of Simpsonville, to the ground. Johnson said he went to help break up the fight and was slammed on the ground by a student later identified as Brown. He said Brown then began to hit him in the face with his fists, causing a cut below his lip where his teeth went through his face.

Johnson was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center where he received several stitches.

Laura Corbin, director of news services at Wofford, said both Marshall, a sophomore running back, and Brown, a sophomore defensive back, have been suspended from the football team until the outcome of the criminal case has been decided. She said based on a decision by the college's internal judicial system, neither Brown nor Marshall are facing other disciplinary action by the college.

This is the second legal incident involving Wofford athletes this year. Baseball players Charles Eller and Nick Yeaw were arrested in January after Eller allegedly intentionally rammed the vehicle of a woman driving downtown after the pair had been out drinking.

Maybe a case by case basis for my complaint then ;)

[DetroitFlyer]

Higher Standards....

Athletes have to know from day one that they will be held to a higher standard than say a "regular" student. Football players have to make better decisions. Not an easy thing to do.... But, if Joe Frat gets in a fight and breaks some kids arm, it is not going to make it all over the Internet. MAYBE it gets a mention in the crime section of the local paper. But, let a football player do that, and in a matter of hours the whole world will know about it.... Once the world knows, it is very hard for a program to not take some action. Is it unfair? Absolutely! But that is the reality in which we live today....

Cases like this are rarely just a football player going off unprovoked. Still, too many players have too much pride to walk away from these types of situations. Throw in some adult beverages, and it gets even worse.

I'm not convinced that all of our programs do enough to drive home this message to the players. It is hard to get 18 to 22 year olds to listen to much of anything anyway, so I think an extreme amount of effort needs to be expended in this area. When something does go bad, I do not think a program has much choice but to make an example out of the kids in an effort to try and keep the rest of the team out of trouble.

[Touchdown Yosef]

Higher Standards....

Athletes have to know from day one that they will be held to a higher standard than say a "regular" student. Football players have to make better decisions. Not an easy thing to do.... But, if Joe Frat gets in a fight and breaks some kids arm, it is not going to make it all over the Internet. MAYBE it gets a mention in the crime section of the local paper. But, let a football player do that, and in a matter of hours the whole world will know about it.... Once the world knows, it is very hard for a program to not take some action. Is it unfair? Absolutely! But that is the reality in which we live today....

Cases like this are rarely just a football player going off unprovoked. Still, too many players have too much pride to walk away from these types of situations. Throw in some adult beverages, and it gets even worse.

I'm not convinced that all of our programs do enough to drive home this message to the players. It is hard to get 18 to 22 year olds to listen to much of anything anyway, so I think an extreme amount of effort needs to be expended in this area. When something does go bad, I do not think a program has much choice but to make an example out of the kids in an effort to try and keep the rest of the team out of trouble.

Or at least have all parties involved show some self control and if it comes to a fight then fight, stop when the other kid goes down, don't have all your buddies jump in, and don't call the police.

[SoCon48]

Maybe a case by case basis for my complaint then ;)

I don't have any opinion one way or the other except to say in college athletics across the US, we have tons of convictions each year.

I just posted the articles ver batim.

[SoCon48]

Higher Standards....

Athletes have to know from day one that they will be held to a higher standard than say a "regular" student. Football players have to make better decisions. Not an easy thing to do.... But, if Joe Frat gets in a fight and breaks some kids arm, it is not going to make it all over the Internet. MAYBE it gets a mention in the crime section of the local paper. But, let a football player do that, and in a matter of hours the whole world will know about it.... Once the world knows, it is very hard for a program to not take some action. Is it unfair? Absolutely! But that is the reality in which we live today....

Cases like this are rarely just a football player going off unprovoked. Still, too many players have too much pride to walk away from these types of situations. Throw in some adult beverages, and it gets even worse.

I'm not convinced that all of our programs do enough to drive home this message to the players. It is hard to get 18 to 22 year olds to listen to much of anything anyway, so I think an extreme amount of effort needs to be expended in this area. When something does go bad, I do not think a program has much choice but to make an example out of the kids in an effort to try and keep the rest of the team out of trouble.

They prove it every week on the football field when they punch back and get called for a personal foul since the one who makes the second hit is the one seen by the refs. It's pretty easy to cause another team to get a PF called on them.

[Rekdiver]

Phi Kappa Phi The oldest and largest collegiate honor society dedicated to the recognition and promotion of academic excellence in all disciplines. Founded in 1897.

I do believe they had every right to exlude football players.....Beating up on Geeks is not a nice thing....

Actually I believe the Frat would be Pi Kappa Phi......

[gophoenix]

I know what you are saying. But what I am saying is that it is way too easy for athletes to get suspended based solely on allegations. And in the corrupt society we live in, I am just waiting for someone to do this to influence a game.

[OL FU]

Damn Methodistsxrolleyesx











:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[DRocksDad]

This is one of those iffy areas in college sports. On one hand I commend teams, coaches and admins for taking action against trouble immediately like this.

On the other hand, if you suspend people who have been charged and not convicted.... how hard would it be for someone to come up with false claims against players before a big game to influence outcome? or to ruin teams for a season?

That's if you focus on the "innocent until proven guilty" legal aspect. More importantly when it comes to our kid (or young adults) the message it sends is "don't even get in a situation that can remotely lead to a criminal charge and you will be OK". I think thats the only way to handle college or any athlete for that matter. Otherwise, even the guilty can drag out the process just to finish the season. In addition, it emphasizes what being a part of a team and being responsible is all about.

[SoCon48]

Otherwise, even the guilty can drag out the process just to finish the season.

True. It happens quite often that athletes are granted continuances until the season is over before they face the music.

[gophoenix]

Otherwise, even the guilty can drag out the process just to finish the season.

True. It happens quite often that athletes are granted continuances until the season is over before they face the music.

I know what you guys are saying on the one hand. And I can agree with that. But, I don't know. Something rubs me the wrong way of something without some sort of due process where the innocent could be punished for the sake of the greater good.

[walliver]

The incident apparently happened in February and was addressed internally by the college. The players participated in Spring Practice, but then the legal charges were filed recently (no one is sure of the reason for the delay). There should be more than enough time to address the legal problems before the season begins. Cases like this usually are settled well before going to trial.

I agree that players charged with crimes should be suspended,but, I also fear that it is only a matter of time before an Oklahoma coed accuses a Texas star of rape the week before the Oklahoma-Texas game (fill in any rivalry here).

[WCU LawCat]

If I am not mistaken Marshall is probably the fastest player Wofford has and I know for sure that Brown started against WCU.

Would be a big blow if the charges stick and the players end up missing some football

[dungeonjoe]

Damn Methodistsxrolleyesx











:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I believe if you read the whole article, the incident happened following a prayer meeting... It was a carry over of a debate about which was the greater influence Charles or John Wesley... apparently they were disposing of the leftover communion wine thus adding fuel to a hot debate;)

[Eyes of Old Main]

I believe if you read the whole article, the incident happened following a prayer meeting... It was a carry over of a debate about which was the greater influence Charles or John Wesley... apparently they were disposing of the leftover communion wine thus adding fuel to a hot debate;)

As a Methodist myself, I would be surprised if another point of contention was the handling of altar paraments.

[Eyes of Old Main]

Realistically, the fact that the two have already had this case heard in by Wofford's judicial system is key. Since they were cleared there, it either says that nothing is there, or that a bigger problem exists on campus. Since it's taken a few months to file charges, my guess is that the alleged victim had some medical bills come due.