I have no sympathy for a player getting caught with an illegal weapon. Nor do I have sympathy for a player driving around high on weed. Time to pack your bags Cam. Don't let the door hit your big as* on the way out.
NO player is worth keeping if it destroys your credibility, team discipline, and sends a message to your players that the stars don't have to follow the rules. It may win you some games this season, but will cost you a lot more in the long run. I don't know all the circumstances here nor what Saban will do, but my gut instinct is to want him to make an example of Robinson and dismiss him from the team. At the very least, suspend him from playing for the entire season. Let him continue to practice and stay in school, but miss an entire year of seeing the field. He can't transfer & play somewhere else until 2017, and missing a year wouldn't make him attractive to the NFL next April. Sit a year, come back & play in 2017, and show he's matured and learned a lesson. If he's not willing to do that, pack his bags and show him the door.
Keep telling yourself that. It doesn't hurt one bit.
I disagree. I've seen lots of teams look the other way when a star player did something that merited dismissal or at least tough punishment. They get short-term results (wins or a championship season), but usually end up with a program that falls apart shortly afterward due to morale & discipline problems. Short term solutions to long term problems rarely work out.
Example?
Example?
Hell, Alabama has had this happen in the past. They let the program become a proverbial Wild West with dysfunction and lack of accountability and the hammer eventually falls down. Saban has done well in the past when it comes to disciplining at the right time to save face. He took a HUGE gamble with Pettway though. Thought that was backfire on him, but he managed to keep his nose clean, presumably at least.
Others have given several examples. I'll add Auburn to the list. During their NC run in 2010, they let Michael Dyer continue to play despite multiple failed drug tests and knew they had a major discipline & drug problem with several players, but looked the other way all for the sake of immediate winning. The breakdown in discipline and morale over the next two seasons was disastrous for that program and cost Chizik his job as well as derailed or even ended the careers of several of his assistant coaches. They still haven't recovered and the image they developed as a Wild West program with no discipline and serious drug issues has likely cost them several top recruits. Not worth it for one great season.
Oh, and let's not forget the most obvious recent example: Texas A&M and JFF. That program's become a dumpster fire and I'd lay almost all the blame on Sumlin's handling of Johnny Jackwad.
Florida's a great example and give the team 100 miles northwest of them a year or two and see what happens. I think Mike from Breaking Bad, best summed up what Jimbo's situation is right now:
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As for Robinson, I'm with 3T, anything short of his immediate dismissal should and most likely would be met with SEVERE scrutiny for Saban and Alabama. Even a year long suspension would be lenient for this kid. There's absolutely no justifying his actions. It was stupid, reckless and shows intent to get involved in further illegal activity.
Example?
hadn't seen this before posting but agree 100%Others have given several examples. I'll add Auburn to the list. During their NC run in 2010, they let Michael Dyer continue to play despite multiple failed drug tests and knew they had a major discipline & drug problem with several players, but looked the other way all for the sake of immediate winning. The breakdown in discipline and morale over the next two seasons was disastrous for that program and cost Chizik his job as well as derailed or even ended the careers of several of his assistant coaches. They still haven't recovered and the image they developed as a Wild West program with no discipline and serious drug issues has likely cost them several top recruits. Not worth it for one great season.
Oh, and let's not forget the most obvious recent example: Texas A&M and JFF. That program's become a dumpster fire and I'd lay almost all the blame on Sumlin's handling of Johnny Jackwad.
I never thought Pettway was much of a gamble. He was a mild-mannered, good kid who'd never been in any trouble before. His big mistake was hanging out with the wrong guys on the wrong night. By all accounts, he didn't participate in any of the crap that went down (though not doing anything to stop it wasn't his finest moment either). Saban told him when he dismissed him that if he kept his nose clean for a year and did all the right things, he'd give him a chance to come back. It worked out for all concerned as Pettway earned his way back, became a starter, earned his degree and got accepted into grad school, and never got in any sort of trouble after returning.
NO player is worth keeping if it destroys your credibility, team discipline, and sends a message to your players that the stars don't have to follow the rules. It may win you some games this season, but will cost you a lot more in the long run. I don't know all the circumstances here nor what Saban will do, but my gut instinct is to want him to make an example of Robinson and dismiss him from the team. At the very least, suspend him from playing for the entire season. Let him continue to practice and stay in school, but miss an entire year of seeing the field. He can't transfer & play somewhere else until 2017, and missing a year wouldn't make him attractive to the NFL next April. Sit a year, come back & play in 2017, and show he's matured and learned a lesson. If he's not willing to do that, pack his bags and show him the door.
It's always a challenge for a coach who thinks the best thing for the kid (and the coach's program in most instances) is to keep them on the team so they can have organized structure in their lives. The issue I have with Cam R. is the fact that what he did crossed a line I don't think one can cross and be welcomed back. It's like assaulting a woman. Some things you just can't do... and Cam crossed that line IMO.
I don't think giving up on all young men is the answer - Pettway is a good example - but there has to be clear lines on what can be overcome and what can be a detriment to your program. I don't think Saban's line is clear enough at this point.
“UA’s judicial review has been completed. The four students involved in the robberies on campus are no longer enrolled in UA," the statement noted.
Saban said the players' actions did not "reflect the spirit and character that we want our organization reflect."
"Based on all the information we've received and gone through and tried to determine the future of the four guys that got in trouble, those guys are no longer associated with the football program," Saban said. "Their actions do not reflect the spirit and character that we want our organization to reflect. It's obviously very disappointing and unacceptable what happened.
"I also think that I've been really proud of over the last five years that our team has done a very good job and shown personal responsibility and how they represent the university, what they've done in the community, in the classroom, off the field. And they're going to continue to do as much as we can in personal development, character development in our program with education to try to help guys have a chance to be more successful in life.
"Some people learn by words, some people learn by consequences, some people can't learn."
“We all have a responsibility and obligation to represent the university, ourselves and our family in a first-class way. Obviously, we’re a little disappointed that better choices and decisions weren’t made here, but until we get the facts, we don’t really have much else to say about it.”
“One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you’re around guns unless you’re going hunting, and you don’t want to mess around with women that you don’t know because a lot of times bad things happen,” Saban said during an interview on the Paul Finebaum Show. “And in this case, a couple of those things were violated. I think it’s going to be a learning experience for everybody on our team.”
Those of us on faculty and staff are not even allowed to store weapons in our vehicles.
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Would this type of offense by a student off-campus be something that the University would/could discipline?
Does this fall exclusively in Saban's lap?
I don't know what UA's stance is on guns, but even if they are totally banned on campus, Robinson's possession of one off campus wouldn't violate university rules. However, a drug arrest and felony possession of a stolen gun probably does violate student conduct rules. I assume that the university will still allow Saban to handle this one though, since the crimes were committed off campus and didn't directly involve the university.
Those arrested Tuesday face a total of 183 charges, many of them related to the sale and possession of marijuana, which Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson defended in a press conference.
“I know a lot of people consider [marijuana] to be a harmless drug,” Anderson said. “It’s still illegal to possess it, distribute and traffic it in the state of Alabama. Therefore, it’s against the law and we’re going to enforce the law no matter how harmless people think it is.”
About two dozen students were picked up on campus and in residence halls, the Associated Press reports, and many others lived adjacent to campus.
UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen told the Tuscaloosa News that after judicial reviews are completed, “students will receive sanctions up to and including expulsion.”
“UA has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the sale or distribution of drugs, on or off campus, and we will continue to vigorously enforce that policy,” UA president Judy Bonner said in a campus-wide email. “These students represent a small group of UA students. UA will review our current policies and practices to ensure that we are doing all we can to educate students to make the best decisions they can and that we are providing an environment that is conducive to learning.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: UGA DB Chad Clay has been kicked off the team after his 2nd arrest in 4 months. This time theft by taking. <a href="https://t.co/UIZrVvMP8g">pic.twitter.com/UIZrVvMP8g</a></p>— Jimmy Beck (@theJBECK) <a href="https://twitter.com/theJBECK/status/745779484624719872">June 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
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loy this kid was meant to be a piece of work. Seemingly all the other incoming recruits hated him
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: UGA DB Chad Clay has been kicked off the team after his 2nd arrest in 4 months. This time theft by taking. <a href="https://t.co/UIZrVvMP8g">pic.twitter.com/UIZrVvMP8g</a></p>— Jimmy Beck (@theJBECK) <a href="https://twitter.com/theJBECK/status/745779484624719872">June 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
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He saw some head-phones and wanted to have them...what's the crime in that?