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Post by FIUPride on Jul 6, 2004 14:54:33 GMT -5
Words cannot express the disappointment this brings us. The only saving grace will be how the university handles this. Immediate suspension is a good start, and until the legal system does its job thats all they can do about those 3 players. Just make sure the legal system can do it's job with no interferance. No special treatement. If found guilty there should be no question, expel them and get rid of them. Hands Down! We can either be pathetic and unworthy of respect or show class and integrity by doing what's right. This will be a defining moment in this team history. Where do you want to take the program Mello, Strock and Madique? It's up to you. I can tell you, my future season ticket purchases will be pending on this decision.
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Post by FIUFootballer on Jul 6, 2004 15:09:13 GMT -5
Wow what a shocker (sarcasm)...Willie Williams gets another chance by a Broward Judge. www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-76williewilliams,0,7937301.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines Tell me, if this kid wasn't a stud football player, would he still have gotten probation? I wonder how UM will handle this now? These athletes nowadays think they can do anything from murder to robberies to assault and just get a slap on the wrist because they put on a helmet or hold a bat or dribble a ball?? Man FIU better throw the book at these kids...set an example for UM to follow!
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Post by FIUPride on Jul 6, 2004 15:23:41 GMT -5
Ok, I'm posting again because I'm so ticked off by this. This institution better not allow those 3 individuals to dictate how this team is viewed. We have a lot of good and decent young men on that team, I don't want to see thier reputations get messed up because 3 individuals are complete losers. Not all college football players are criminals.
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Post by Survivor on Jul 6, 2004 18:03:43 GMT -5
I agree a lot of eyes will be on this situation and how it is handeled. It will set a presidence for the team for the future. And as for Willie Williams at UM, they are doing him no favors by getting him off so easy. He is learning nothing from all of this except how to get away with it. And next time, it might be over the top, and won't be able to be ignored. Then he will be out. These boys at FIU, might of had trouble in the past, rough lives, or whatever, but they sure didn't have that here at FIU. They were given a golden oppourtunity to get an education and future merely on their God-given talents to be athletes, and they do this? ? Please, it is not Strock's fault or anyone elses fault but their own. They had it made, and it didn't matter enough to do things right? What a shame, and what a shame they thought so little of their fellow teammates as well as their fellow students, that they had to bring it right here to their doorstep. As I said, a lot of people will be watching how this is handeled and a lot of opinions formed from that. But don't look down on the rest of the team, there are some wonderful, gifted, and smart guys out there, that WANT to be here for all the right reasons!!!
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Post by ARod on Jul 6, 2004 18:39:41 GMT -5
I can't agree with you more Survivor, you said it all. ;D
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Post by ARod on Jul 6, 2004 20:38:39 GMT -5
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Post by FIUFootballer on Jul 6, 2004 22:36:29 GMT -5
Unbelievable that this story made front page on ESPN's NCAA Football section...it also made cnnsi.com and foxsports.com. Melo better not have his head in the ground on this one, I sure hope he's reading this board, the papers and the websites. The FIU fan is not the UM fan, we don't relish in this publicity, we are outraged by it. I hadn't even heard about the pistol-whipping prior to this article...if all this is true, these guys are as low as they come and I can't believe they went to my alma mater.
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FIUJay
Juvenile Panther
Posts: 69
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Post by FIUJay on Jul 7, 2004 0:28:23 GMT -5
This is downright embarrassing for the school, the students, and staff! I say the hell with these guys. Lock'em up!
Man, I hope this doesnt affect FIU football the wrong way.
FIUJay
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Post by Survivor on Jul 7, 2004 2:43:17 GMT -5
It was only a few of the many on FIU's team! I too hope this won't negatively affect the team and I don't think it will IF it is handeled correctly, and so so many people will be watching..........and maybe this could even be turned into a positive tool for the team, again, IF it is handeled correctly by those in authority, I mean all of the ones in authority. Not like UM's Williams situation was (NOT) handeled by anyone. Trying to be positive, I would hate for anything like this, by just a few you don't give a d**n, to affect all the guys that are out there for all the right reasons!! This is a chance of a lifetime for most of the guys and they know it, the ones who don't care and do this and other things that have happened are the losers! FIU needs to get rid of the losers to become the team we all know they can be!!
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Post by Mike on Jul 7, 2004 7:44:42 GMT -5
FIU Student Charged With - sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=18352173 FIU Student-Athletes in jail 1 Person driving the car - FIU Student? Drug dealer? 2 people at large, also students? This is national news and they better clean this up. Their hearing is set for July 26 and it will be national news until it gets settled. The best thing we can actually do is drop the subject, don't give it any more publicity, and talk about the positives so that people who come here can read about the other 90% of the student-athletics and athletic program.
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GPF14
Juvenile Panther
Posts: 27
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Post by GPF14 on Jul 10, 2004 3:54:36 GMT -5
Reading all of these comments, and articles, I'm reminded of that old PR saying: Any publicity is good publicity.
Not that I agree with that statement, mind you. Especially in this case. But the truth is, a lot of people who have never heard of FIU Football before just heard about it. Just the way it goes... and Mike, that's why it can't be dropped. This situation cannot be buried and forgotten, as much as you or others here would like it to be. It's too important to the future of the program... and, let's be honest here, the future of the school. Everyone knows that FIU's put all their chips on Football. How FIU reacts to this will say a LOT about the school itself. What does FIU REALLY care about? Winning? Or having good students, good alumni, a positive image?
I'm not saying you can't have both. But please don't tell me that both are equally important, because that's a load of crap. UM is FAR from having a squeaky-clean image, and they probably don't care all that much about it, because they're winners. That's the choice they've made. Ultimately, every school has to make that decision. Perhaps you won't see it spilling out of a police blotter or a newspaper, but the actions of every institution will speak very clearly on what direction they choose to go in.
What choice will FIU make now? At the end of the day, what's more important? Winning, or having students the school can be proud of? THAT's the question here, more than any other. THAT'S what really needs to be answered here, more than any other. Does FIU sell its soul to win, or not? And folks, that's a question that needs to be asked, especially in D-I Football, which is arguably the most corrupt of all sports in America. The price of success may be to corrupt the integrity of the institution. With all that's invested, is that a price FIU is willing to pay? Perhaps that question hasn't been answered yet... and perhaps it was answered long ago. The truth is, NOW it will be answered, publicly. This situation has forced the school's hand. We're about to find out what, exactly, this school's made out of.
With that said, I have some hope. I like what 's been done so far. Suspending the kids was an obvious move, but considering they are in jail, it's not like they would be coming back to FIU any time soon anyway. Point is, they've NOT totally backed out on them, and that's a good thing to hear. They've not kicked them off the team. They're not standing up for them. More importantly, FIU IS STAYING OUT OF THE WAY. Let the system do its job.
You shouldn't convict people in the court of public opinion, especially when it's a case that's received the kind of media exposure this one has. And especially to kids you've recruited. Kids who've been a part of the program. Kids you've invested in. Give them a chance to come out of this with their reputations intact. They deserve at least that much. Everyone does. If they truly are innocent (and you never know until all the facts are discovered), a lot of injustice has been done to these kids. If they're guilty, throw them out of the school, and make sure they never come near it again. Especially because they are adults, and they are responsible for their own decisions.
Strock can't baby-sit these kids, nor should he have to. He's not responsible for what they do, especially in the off-season. But with that said, it might be time to take a hard look at the kinds of kids he is recruting. Kids with police records aren't always a bad risk, but it does say something. And Arnold, at least, had priors. Baker's dad is in prison, I think; I seem to recall the Herald doing a piece on that. If that's so, that's another factor you cannot avoid when recruiting. Baker may not be his dad, but it has been proven that criminal behavior can be learned at home as well as in society. These are the kinds of things you have to weigh when recruting. I trust that this was done before they came to FIU. Well, they may have gambled wrong on these kids, but there may well be others in the program who have been model citizens so far.
FIU is a young program with ambitions, and sometimes you have to take a chance on a talented athlete with a spotty character to really be at your best. Taurance Johnson is an example that comes to mind. Willie Williams at UM is probably another example, too. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. You have to take each case on an individual basis and make your call there. But I don't fault Strock, or Marsh, for taking the chance if they really believed they can make these kids model citizens as well as good players. I would too, in their position. You have to allow a college coach the chance to help kids; that's part of the job. But if things go bad, they, and FIU, has to pay the piper. That's how it goes.
I just hope the school not only learns from this, but that they do the right things whenever scandals like this occur. And I'll end this absurdly long post with one more old saying: You can look at a problem as a problem, or as an opportunity. Perhaps FIU can really show what a college insitution's supposed to do when faced with situations like that. Unlike some others that I won't mention.
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Post by FIUFan on Jul 10, 2004 12:33:59 GMT -5
Well, I was planning on honoring Mike's request not to respond to this issue any further, however, after GP's rather lengthy soliloquy I have decided to add more to my original (knee-jerk) reaction to this situation.
First of all, I don't understand how this type of thing could have happened at FIU, a place of learning and sober thought. Obviously this has been buidling over time for someone to blantantly go and do what these individuals have been accused of doing. Therefore my first blame goes to the on-campus 'police' force and secondly to those who are responsible for monitoring dorm life/behavior.
Beyond this, some responsiblity must be placed on the Athletic Dept. who brought these individuals to FIU. They must take the opportunity to mold these athletets into the kind of high quality people we expect when we first bring them here. If some of these athletes are going to be at FIU all year round they must be given productive things to do with their time; if not, we are beginning to see the consequences.
Hey, I'm not saying we have to bend-over-backwards for these guys but there must be some structure.[/size]
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Post by paws2 on Jul 10, 2004 14:59:17 GMT -5
I just spent Friday with my son at the FIU Fresmen Honors College oreintation Some of the smartest kids in the US were there for the first oreintation after this incident happened
Was there concern amongst the parents about their child's safety? Yes but the head of the FIU police force handled it very well
The FIU polce department is the 8th largest in Dade County It has all the arrest powers of any other police force
When you apply to FIU there is a question whether you have ever been convicted If you lie the University will never know until something bad happens Also juvenile records are usually sealed so FIU wouldnt know in advance any way
Do you realize if your child is 18 his grades are not available to you the parent. Maybe we need to look closer and re evaluate student rights
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Post by FIUFootballer on Jul 16, 2004 0:49:42 GMT -5
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Post by Devastator on Jul 19, 2004 16:02:26 GMT -5
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