Could Arrests Of Atofau, Barrington Spell Deeper Trouble For WSU?
by Jeff Nusser on Oct 11, 2010 6:43 PM PDT
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PrintWell, I think it's safe to say that we all thought these sorts of things off the field were as behind us as the 50-point blowouts on it. Yet, here we are, talking about the impact of yet another really stupid off-the-field decision by WSU football players.
First things first: This should immediately spell the end of the careers of Jamal Atofau and Andre Barrington -- no questions asked. This isn't the sort of thing where you need some sort of deep investigation to find out what really happened. They were living in a rental home where 38 -- THIRTY-EIGHT! -- marijuana plants were being grown. That can't be explained away.
I don't care whose plants they were. Atofau and Barrington lived in the house, and they had to know they were there. They're culpable. And whether it's through incredible audacity or sheer stupidity (or both), these two guys have brought tremendous embarrassment on a program that is headed in the right direction -- including a head coach who went to bat for both of these guys -- and that, to me, is unforgivable. Both should not only be kicked off the football team; they should be expelled from WSU.
On the field, this doesn't have an enormous impact -- at least in terms of personnel. Atofau was potentially the heir apparent to Myron Beck at strong-side linebacker, but that was far from a sure thing. He had exhibited potential, no doubt. But I wouldn't classify this as a major loss.
As for Barrington? The dude had never seen the field, was suspended from football activities because of his academic ineligibility, and I think there had to be serious doubt as to whether he was ever really going to get his crap together, anyway. Looks like the classic case of a million-dollar body with a five-cent brain.
However, this doesn't mean I think the team is completely out of the woods on this one. There exists the considerable potential that this becomes a major-league firestorm surrounding this team.
Consider: Is it really plausible that no one else on the team knew about this?
Imagine how many players had to have come through that house this year. Granted, it sounds like the grow was happening in a room in the basement, so it's not like it was in a high-traffic area. Maybe it is plausible to believe nobody knew anything. However, those of us who have known pot dealers know it's not exactly a secret what they're doing. If someone on the team knew what was going on and didn't do anything about it, that's bad news.
But what if it's even worse than that? What if it turns out these guys were actually supplying guys on the team? Is that so far out of the realm of possibility? We want to believe this group is made up of high-character guys who would never do something so stupid ... but here we are. And we've seen a heck of a lot of stupidity over the last three years.
We just don't know how deep this thing goes yet. And even if it ends with Atofau and Barrington, it will, at the very least, become a distraction for a team that has so much going for it right now.
Instead of talking about what this team was able to do against Oregon -- I've got a whole bunch of ideas of posts to write -- I'm spending my time writing about this crap. Instead of focusing 100 percent on Arizona, Paul Wulff is now dealing with a completely unnecessary headache. Instead of answering questions about how to slow down Nick Foles, defensive players are going to be talking about their idiot teammate.
And so on.
All we can hope is that this has a galvanizing effect on the team, one that really seems to believe it's on the verge of coming together.
But as a fan who has seen a lot in the last few years ... I can't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.
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A few thoughts as long as we're speculating
1- at that volume isn’t it more likely they’re wholesaling that dealing out the apartment?
2- that place is like half a block from where my grandparents used to live. Always stuck me as a pretty sedate residential neighborhood given how close to campus it was. I’m not sure you can assume it was party central, especially if there was a grow operation to be hidden.
Mostly just speculating and looking for a glass half full interpretation. At this point though my impulse is to say “kids are dumb” more than “football problem”.
twitter.com/b_dids Here, I am batman.
Are you seriously drawing a difference between wholesaling and dealing?
I can’t tell if there is sarcasm there. Either way – I’m feeling for you guys. Unbelievable downer just when you don’t need it
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 11, 2010 11:31 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
The difference is that
it’s less likely that they’re selling to individuals on the the team if they’re strictly wholesaling.
twitter.com/b_dids Here, I am batman.
I blame Showtime.
These guys were probably tired for working out all the time and just wanted to watch some TV. They turn on Showtime and what do they see? Weeds. Hell, after watching season one of that show I wanted to start a grow house.
We should all be happy they didn’t watch Dexter instead and when the cops walked into the basement it was covered with plastic sheeting.
by Mark Sandritter on Oct 11, 2010 7:14 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Supplying the team is possible, but far-fetched at the same time
In my opinion it seems just as likely that the roommates were the dealers, Atofau and Barrington knew of it but kept it quiet, and no one else on the team knew about it.
An honest question, what would the course of action be if you were just an innocent roommate in all of this? The obvious answer is move out, and there are likely dozens of places these guys could have crashed, but then you’re talking about having to break a lease and potentially lose hundreds of dollars in the process. That kind of money isn’t always easy to give up on.
With that being said, losing the money is a heck of a lot better than what has actually transpired.
Of course, hindsight is 20/20
But would you rather lose a few hundred dollars if you thought no one was going to get caught?
Not to mention you have to tell your parents why you’re moving out and who knows what kind of chain reaction that could cause as it relates to your relationships at school and back home.
Again, none of these are valid reasons after the fact, but I personally feel it’s not always as black and white as some people make it out to be.
by Nicky Glasses on Oct 11, 2010 7:32 PM PDT up reply actions
There were 38 plants in that house
It’s not like it was one, two or a handful.
With 38 plants and how active the Quad Cities Task Force is, the odds of being caught are pretty high. Not to mention there was likely a lot of foot traffic rolling through that place.
Thank you Mr. Black and White
Apparently my points are horrible as you can’t even give one inch to the notion that the decision could have been difficult for them. Good thing I’m not a lawyer!
by Nicky Glasses on Oct 11, 2010 7:37 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not saying that
I’m saying it was the wrong decision. What would you do as a player on a division one scholarship? Risk your career and education because you don’t want to step on toes or leave and keep your nose clean?
Dropping a few hundred dollars in penalties or losing a friend running a grow op is a small price to pay. Now, they’re looking at a lot more in legal fews and the likelihood that they’re days at WSU are done.
I'm going to speculate here
It seems possible that someone that is growing 38 marijuana plants is a big-timer. Maybe someone that has some ties to some dangerous people. Maybe someone that is dangerous themselves.
Or, it could just be some idiot who got away with growing one plant so he thought, “why not 38?” Does anyone know which one is the truth right now?
by Nicky Glasses on Oct 11, 2010 7:48 PM PDT up reply actions
And either way you still have a problem
You can infer these four knew each other before they moved in. So in the former case, this would be something the knew about, allowing them to avoid the situation.
In the latter, where they decided on some kind of whim to grow 38 plants, is it really that dangerous to get the heck out of the place?
In any way, shape or form there was a way to avoid the situation. They didn’t and now they’re paying the price.
Ignoring all the in between
where someone could go from the casual pot user to personal grower to full-on operation over a summer. Were these guys in Pullman over the summer? Probably, and I’m sure that can be verified very easily.
Look, you’re probably right. I’ve said as much a few times, but until we know the full situation (and we might never) I still don’t think it’s a ridiculous notion to give them at least a tiny sliver of benefit of the doubt.
Either way, I still say thank goodness I’m not their lawyer :-)
by Nicky Glasses on Oct 11, 2010 7:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, they were in Pullman this summer working out with the team.
It’s not that they don’t get a benefit of the doubt, but I simply do not buy them not knowing about it or not being able to do anything about it. There were outs in this situation. I’m not speculating on whether or not they were apart of it, but living in that house put them in the place they’re at now and it isn’t a good place.
I could understand if they didn’t know/didn’t care about one or two plants, but we’re talking about a decent sized operation.
I'm pretty sure
the infrastructure required to move from growing a few plants for home usage to 38 plants is not insignificant. That’s not something that just happens. There’s all kinds of lighting, electronics, etc that would have to be purchased/installed.
I like weed a lot. I just smoked some. The nice thing about Washington State laws is that you can do that without ever risking a felony.
So when you start hanging around such weight that a felony is a lock- you’re being unquestionably dumb, especially when a free education/football career is at risk.
twitter.com/b_dids Here, I am batman.
That is the bottom line
I know enough about grow operations to know that there is no way the players roommates woke up one morning after moving in and thought, hey, let’s grow 38 plants. If it was one or two, there is a plausible scenerio where the players had bad roommates and didn’t bail soon enough.
But there is almost no way that they found themselves living on top of that type of thing without knowing about it going in.
This guy is smart
Being a student, obviously these guys knew what was going on. It wasn’t just the plants that police found. They knew exactly what was going on and did nothing to stop it. That’s looking at them as innocently as possible. What did happen, was that these guys were planning on distributing marijuana to Pullman. Dealing to the team? The plants weren’t mature enough yet, but if they were, I bet they would have. It would be very interesting to see how many guys on WSU football have failed a drug test for weed. Our team has a performance problem. Maybe marijuana might have something to do with it? Ask around, both these guys were good friends with many on the football team. You think they are the only pot smokers on the team? It’s pretty naive to think that this is isolated and just involved these two guys. It’s a black smudge on our football program. There is absolutely no way that no one else on the football team knew. There is just no way. Our team knew what was happening and let it be. Until WSU football can find leadership and character, I expect a lot of the same.
im pretty sure the landlord would be grateful if you were to help him get drug dealers out of his house
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 11, 2010 11:33 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Regarding whether or not to kick them off the team
I think since this is Atofau’s third strike is reason enough to kick him off. Barrington’s no saint either, at least as grades are involved. However, can’t we just let this play out a few more days at least before we speculate on whether to kick these guys off the team or not?
Literally for all we know maybe these guys had lived there for a few days and were warned never to go in the creepy room downstairs. That’s probably not the case but to me it just seems early to speculate on punishment.
Getting kicked off the team should be the least of these guys worries
They better hope they can find a lawyer who can plea this thing down to a misdemeanor, or at least figure a way for them to avoid prison time.
Good point
What would the crime be if they were just living in the house and had nothing to do with the growing? I know it’s probably something obvious but I don’t watch enough crime dramas on TV to know which one it is.
by Nicky Glasses on Oct 11, 2010 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions
If they were just living in the house and knew nothing about it
then they would be guilty of nothing.
One thing you learn in criminal law pretty early is mere presence, without more, is never enough to convict.
i think everyone knew someone who was growing or selling and didn't feel compelled to rat them out
that doesn’t mean you were buying from him.
I’m fully convinced that at least half the team regularly smokes pot. Same with every other school in the country.
Generally, a dealer isn’t going to get a break by naming buyers. It’s the other way around. Even if players were buying weed from them, it probably won’t ever come out.
Fine.
Smoke pot in your living room, just like all of us who drank while underage didn’t run around Greek Row with open containers. Don’t be an idiot and live in a grow house.
hey, i agree with you
i just don’t think anything more will come of this.
I'm with Wood
There’s gotta be a better way to say that.
Anyway, I really think this is two players either making a stupid decision (growing/selling pot) or putting themselves in a really stupid situation (living with people who do).
Marijuana use is widespread in college sports, at least in my opinion, even among “clean” programs (e.g. Mike Harthun). I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just a reality.
This will be a wake up call to any other players on the team who are, or might be interested in smoking weed… Unless there’s some deep marijuana conspiracy in WSU football, I think (and hope) this is where it stops.
Writer: CougCenter Twitterer: @GradyClapp
by Grady Clapp on Oct 11, 2010 11:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Let things play out
It’s out there so I understand the rush to judgment but there really is not enough information to know with any confidence what was going on in that house. It could very well end up as bad as it looks or one or both kids could have known nothing. If that turns out to be the case then maybe one or both deserves the chance to work they way back on the team.
Unless you know Atafou, Barrington, or one of the two other kids then how can you reall know anything at this point?
Atafou and Barrington are what, 19 or maybe 20? A lot of young adults that age will just let it go and not go to the trouble of doing something about it or walking away. It’s an easy decision as you get older and one you probably don’t get into in the first place. At that age though decision making and logic absolutely do not always go hand-in-hand.
Neither player will get kicked off the team immediately. Wulff owes them more than a swift kick out the door unless it is the worst possible case and they are supplying it, dealing it to the team, etc. If you don’t understand that the right way for Wulff to handle this is to show some patience instead of just react then I think emotion factors into your thought process.
Let things play out before making big assumptions.
Wulff owes them nothing.
They have embarrassed the school, their coach, and their teammate to an amazingly high degree because of — at the VERY LEAST — an insanely poor decision to live in a house with a major growing operation. No way they didn’t know what was in that room.
Let’s assume they had nothing to do with it. And let’s assume their roommates are wholesaling rather than dealing, so there aren’t people coming in and out of the house all day and night. You think there was never anyone coming in the house to talk business? You’d have to be guilty of extreme ignorance to not know what was going on. And I just don’t buy that.
Listen, if you’ve been around here for a while, you know I’m the one usually preaching patience. I’m not doing so here because this is so cut and dried. They lived there. There were 38 plants in the apartment. THIRTY EIGHT. This is not someone growing a little bud to save a little money.
That's fair and I believe you are right
I believe they knew what was going on and most likely they had a part in what was going on. Atafou and Barrington have a lot more troubles than whether they are going to ever play again or even get an education. I understand the severity.
I am not saying do nothing but you I think you are letting the fact that your feel embarrassed over this to shoot first and ask questions later.
A coach owes their players that committed to their program to be in their corner. You don’t just cut a kid lose unless it is a Teo Salausa-type of deal and even then I think Price didn’t just throw the kid away.
This has already blown up in Wulff and WSUs face and Atafou and Barrington are pretty much gone. That doesn’t mean you throw the kid away.
I understand Wulff needs to do a bit of due diligence to give the appearance he's being fair
But I don’t, because these kids don’t know me from Adam, and I’m positive Wulff will reach the same conclusion I did within a couple of days.
I think it needs to be pointed out that you can give a kid consequences for his actions without “throwing him away.” Kicking him off the team is one thing; pretending he never existed is another. If I’m Wulff, I do what I can to help my former players through this, because I care about them as human beings. But that has absolutely no bearing on what I do with them in relation to their status as a player on my team, which they have absolutely blown the right to be a part of.
by Jeff Nusser on Oct 11, 2010 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Suspended
I agree with you for the most part but I believe the appropriate action is to suspend him (Barrington was already suspended) until the facts are in and that is exactly what Wulff is doing. That is what he has done the last 3 years. That includes Hicks and the contacts, Mattinging and the frying pan, and probably other incredibly stupid things we haven’t heard about.
Nuss, I understand where you are coming from but you seem about to blow a gasket. I get it because you care about the image of WSU but isn’t it possible that your reaction is a bit overboard?
As bad as this appears these are still kids and kids can do some incredibly stupid things. This is proof. Yes, most 20 year olds are still just kids that can make very bad decisions not just in the moment but with a lot of time to make informed decisions. It can stare them in the face for months with absolutely no action. Do those things deserve punishment? YES!!! Quick decisions even by the adults though are rarely the best decisions they can be.
I just watched “Clear & Present Danger” again last week and saw the scene where Harrison Ford advises the President on what to say about the friend that was killed for taking $650M from drug dealers. Ford says to the President and I think the National Security Advisor (Cutter?), “There’s no use diffusing a bomb when it already has gone off.” Seems to fit here to me but a good line none the less.
It's not really a snap decision
Look at the history, look at the present and take that into account.
You have Atofau who’s been arrested three times now, though one charge was dropped. You have Barrington who was academically ineligible and not even on the team at the time. Now both get caught living in a house with 38 plants. There’s really nothing overboard about the reaction.
Both these kids have made enough mistakes that the privilege of playing football should be taken away. It’s at the point where they’ve now caused a major distraction and have now done more than one thing detrimental to the team. It’s an incredibly simple decision to make.
by Brian Floyd on Oct 11, 2010 11:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Simple doesn't mean it will happen quickly
In the past there has been a general process in place for these types of situations and I’ll give an actual example that is on the same level of what we are seeing with Atafou/Barrington.
It is in the hands of the police as this is a criminal act and doesn’t have anything to do with their status as a student. If they go to jail it never becomes a matter for the school until they try to come back into the system. When the police are done they will hand over their findings to the University. Then the Student Conduct councel would have their say at that point.
If you remember the “Riot” at WSU there was a student that they had photos of during the incident where there was damage and people getting hurt. He went through the legal system and the University held up his graduation and he wasn’t able to get into the Gonzaga Law School. This had to all happen over a few month time frame if not more like 6 months.
Then there is Hicks who was given multiple opportunities to stay in the program although I think “only” the contact and a traffic violation was under Wulff’s watch.
It will be interesting to see if Wulff comments on the situation or if there are any actions beyond the suspension. I can see where Wulff could make a quick decision and let the players go but that hasn’t been the case the last 3 years. Maybe that will change this time around.
I am sure given the things Atafou has already been involved in that there was something already in place for him. Maybe Barrington as well.
He commented
You can read his comments here. You can also read what Grippi expects at that link.
by Brian Floyd on Oct 11, 2010 11:33 PM PDT up reply actions
...
I kind of see both sides here… I think it is reasonable to really question both Atofau and Barrington… but to immediately post a very very speculative take on the possible involvement of more or less a substantial portion of the team is unwarranted given the situation.
In the post above: “Imagine… What if (x2)… we just don’t know how deep this thing goes yet… major league firestorm…” etc etc. This is an awesome website, authors, and community, but this kind of stuff is unwarranted and doesn’t really do anyone any good, no matter how you look at it. I’ve always really had a lot of respect for the authors’ stance on speculation and responsibility, and this is not the time to compromise on it by throwing out suggestions or situations that have absolutely no basis in any facts.
I’m upset too, but let’s stay rational about this and limit it to what we do know before we start rolling boulders down hills and wish we could stop them after the fact.
I know this is different
but there were people flipping out about Montgomery being arrested and it ended up being an unpaid ticket. I know the situations are basically an apple and a couple of oranges but the “what if” games can lead to poor assumptions.
I guess I'll expand a little bit
To me, this is different than Mattingly and Hicks (or others like them) for a couple of reasons.
1. Those were spur-of-the-moment stupid decisions. That’s not living in a grow house for at least a month. The premeditated nature of this whole thing is the biggest factor for me. Let’s say they only lived there for a month. That’s 30 days of waking up everyday and consciously deciding to be a part of it. This isn’t one bad decision; this is dozens of bad decisions wrapped up in one situation.
2. Context is important. Those guys did it at a time when the program was at its bottom. Yes, it was bad then, but lots of bad stuff was going on. Now, this program is on the way back up, seemingly on the verge of getting over some sort of metaphorical hump … and NOW they make this really terrible decision. It threatens to throw this whole thing off the rails. I think swift action is the best course to make sure the whole thing doesn’t fly off the tracks.
No, patience is not right in this situation
There is a time and place for wait and see and let it play out. 38 plants is a felony. 38 plants is a serious distribution ring. 38 plants, in a conservative estimate, has a street value of about 200,000 dollars.
A player on a full ride scholarship is agreeing to certain standards of conduct. A student at WSU also agrees to certain conduct. And whether you are just a student or a student athlete you should be expelled from the university immediately if associated with this type of situation.
yeah, any actions by wulff are going to be symbolic
they’re both getting kicked out of school.
That's a little dramatic
so I’ll be a little dramatic. There’s this thing call “due process” in this country and “innocent until proven guilty”.
All I am saying is allow things to play out. If this is what it is then we have seen the last of Atafou and Barrington.
I’m not saying it wasn’t about as stupid and without thought as you can get. So was Roof breaking peoples faces and apparently being a drunk fighting fool during his time at WSU. So was Turpin apparently breaking the honor code last year. You tell me how this is really any different of a sitution? You just know about this incident sooner and want it dealt with swiftly.
If you were the head coach and a kid came to you after this and told you “Coach, I knew nothing about what was going on”. Even if you know that is not true you are saying you just cut the kid lose? That doesn’t make sense for Atafou, the team, Wulff, or even WSU. It just makes sense for WSU fans to feel it was handled “the right way”.
Due process only applies to the legal system
And their status as students in the university. A football scholarship is at will and in no way subject to due process.
Like I said, give Wulff a couple of days, and I’m very confident you’ll see both of them dismissed.
by Jeff Nusser on Oct 11, 2010 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe you are right Nuss
Especially if this qualifies as a felony and the players were involved. However, Universities treat these situations very much in keeping with due process. Again, a felony charge is most likely another story but that’s pure conjecture at this point.
We shall see.
this is the key point. the state is funding their education...
… The favor of not having to combat drugs being put into circulation by said beneficiaries would be appreciated
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 11, 2010 11:41 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Scholarships
There are separate processes for removal from a sports team, and the actual suspension of an athletic scholarship, with the former being significantly more discretionary than the latter. I’m not familiar on the exact process, but the suspension of a scholarship falls under academic guidelines, which have some rudimentary due process in which the individual retains the scholarship until proven guilty, whereas a sport suspension can happen the snap of a coach’s fingers.
Either can happen at the snap of a coach's finger
Scholarships aren’t guaranteed by any means. They’re year-to-year and can be revoked for academic reasons or violating team rules, which can be incredibly broad.
Violate the code, get booted from the team and the scholarship money goes with it.
by Brian Floyd on Oct 11, 2010 11:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I have never heard
of a scholarship getting pulled until the year is over unless a player was immediately kicked out of school.
I talked to someone last night who has a lot of practical knowledge on how these things work.
First the police do their investigation and then it goes to the school where the student conduct councel takes over. There is a process in place. You act like these kind of things don’t happen very often.
Athletic scholarships are at will and can be pulled at any time
My guess would be while they have a right to due process in terms of enrollment, they don’t have a right to continue to be enrolled on the athletics department’s dime past this semester. Those are two different conversations, two different issues.
by Jeff Nusser on Oct 12, 2010 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions
I am saying it's a rare case
that a scholarship is immediately pulled. Don’t you see the difference in those 2 points of view?
Teo Salausa? Gone for good and no chance of coming back to the state. I don’t remember anyone losing their scholarship immediately although I am sure it is within the rules.
There probably are a few cases but I can’t think of one off the top of my head.
I have quite a bit of knowledge about the conduct board process
Scholarships are a different situation. If the coach decides they’ve violated the rules and kicks them off the team, why would they continue to be on scholarship? They have fulfilled their end of the agreement and, thus, lose the privilege of being scholarship.
Do minor infractions happen that warrant suspension often? Sure. Does players getting popped in a grow operation happen often? No, not at all.
by Brian Floyd on Oct 12, 2010 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Let us hope
I hope that what you said about players not often being popped for major grow operations is true.
“Do minor infractions happen that warrant suspension often? Sure. Does players getting popped in a grow operation happen often? No, not at all.
I gotcha'
They probably keep them on scholarship because there really is little downside and probably protects the school and program in a number of ways. The player is off the team and can continue school pending decision from the University. I think that’s really how it should work but I will admit this situation could warrant different treatment.
That's true
And they surely wouldn’t get booted from school today, tomorrow, or anytime soon. They get plenty of due process in that situation and the conduct board and appeals that follow take a bit of time.
But if they are kicked off the team, the scholarship can be taken away with the snap of a finger. Doesn’t mean it’ll immediately be given to someone else, because that usually happens during the summer, but they’ll have to find a different way to pay.
by Brian Floyd on Oct 12, 2010 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions
How many players have you seen
kicked out for “violation of team rules”?
Very discretionary.
by TiltingRight on Oct 12, 2010 1:54 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree about Due Process and Innocent until Proven Guilty
Both are fundamental parts of our country that I fully support. And both are a part of our legal system, which these two student athletes are about to be fully immersed in.
But those concepts do not always apply to school settings. In school settings, terms like probably cause are replaced by reasonable suspicion. And the school/coaches can use reasonable suspicion to assume that these players made choices very detrimental to our team and our university and their privilege of being student athletes, and being students, should be revoked.
I am not advocating for jailing them without trail and throwing away the key, as they deserve the full process and hopefully it shows that they are not guilty of felonies. But that is for the legal system, and the university and the coaches are seperate from that.
As far as treating this differently than previous situations, honestly I would have supported the coaches removing Roof from the team for fighting and smashing someone’s face with a frying pan. I think there is a difference between being a kid making a stupid mistake and being truly reckless and lacking an understanding of right and wrong. And while second chances are a part of maturation, so is the loss of privileges when the offenses committed warant them.
you and Chip would get along famously
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Oct 11, 2010 11:38 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I actually know Jamal and the two roommates
I know the three from HS and honestly I think Jamal probably knew what they were doing and was just staying quiet. I don’t doubt that Jamal smokes, I would bet that he does, but I would also bet that he’s not the type to be doing the growing. At the same time though, Jamal seems like he’s the type that is a little too loyal to his friends and wouldn’t say anything about it. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think that Zach Uttech and Baily Woods are mostly to blame. Not saying that Jamal didn’t do anything wrong, but he’s a good kid at heart (as hard as that is to believe) he’s just not the smartest guy IMO.
My guess, and hope, is that Jamal will get something between a half season and a season long suspension unless he is found guilty of a felony. I think you automatically lose your scholarship if convicted of a felony.
What may happen is that he may plead guilty no matter what if he can get it down to a misdemeanor, just to avoid risking anything.
Friends, no worries!
Did Jeff Tuel steal electronics from a Frat house?
Did someone assault somebody in the semi-annual city riot?
Did someone punch a mouthy Bronco in the face after an incredibly embarrassing loss on national TV?
I know you want your players to be better than this, and I know you don’t want them to be like the Ducks, but no worries – college kids do dumb things and this doesn’t reflect badly on the program IMHO. I don’t mean to diminish it, but it really seems to me everything is on the upswing for you and Wulff is on the right track. Small rocks.
ATQ's #1 Matt Daddy fan
It's spelled "S-H-U-F-E-L-T-I-S-N-I-C-E"
CaDuck: The hand of Juju
If I am Wulff
I would start things the exact same way he has. Indefinitely suspending both of them immediately was the good, and obvious choice. Immediately dismissing them would have been wrong for the sole reason that all the facts are not out yet. Over the summer I hung out with both of these guys a bit, I liked them both and they are GOOD guys who made a terrible life choice. Until everything is known, making conclusions and final decisions is a fools move. From here out, I would like to see Wulff move forward like so:
These two should remain suspended from all team on a strict probationary measure, and I mean strict. Went to a party? Off the team. Missed a class? See ya later. You embarrassed Cougar football, prove that you can be the shining example of what a Cougar CAN BE, and we will let you stay, at least until the courts rule.
If he is charged with ANY crime related to this arrest, Jamal unfortunately needs to be dismissed. I like the guy but frankly I am not totally shocked he is in this situation. He is a loud cocky dude who is constantly trying to be the coolest guy in the room, and snitching, while the right move for him if he wasn’t involved, and I’m very much unconvinced of that, is not something he was going to do. This guy just brushes with the law too much, and if he knew about this he has to go.
Andre is a bit different. His only prior sin was his grades, and I bet that 90% of the people on here who went to college had their worst grades as a freshman, it happens a lot and should not really be considered too heavily in this matter. If he is only charged with some petty crime out of all this, I think he should be allowed to stay. It is his first conflict with the law, and frankly I am surprised that he is in this situation. I don’t know him that well, but he seemed like a humble, honest dude that worked really hard. Despite his grades, he was constantly in class or working out. However, being a nice hard working guy does not a felony excuse, and if he was at all a participant in this he needs to go as well, as much as losing his sizable talent will hurt.
by Fightfightfight on Oct 12, 2010 1:27 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Don't worry guys!
Probably the players were just officially living there but never were home, instead chilling at the summer mansion of a major booster drinking 40’s and throwing parties.
Wulff is a decisive guy
History has shown that he will not tolerate this and will issue two scholarships to better deserving high school recruits. I am not glad that it happened, but I will take it now over getting caught in March. Those scholarships can be put to use. It was only a matter of time for Barrington anyway, he was going to end up off the team.
38 freakin plants??!!!
I attended a few different colleges during my college career. I also played sports in college and there was always a few shady guys on each team, but living in a house with 38 pot plants is a different story. There was no accident there. I don’t care that these plants were not fully mature. How do you keep 38 plants quiet in Pullman? You are bound to get caught. Who do they think they were living with, Manuel Noriega? They were not going to out smart anyone on this. That is one plant for every resident in Pullman. The shady guys on my teams were also smart enough to keep trouble at a arms distance—they didn’t sleep with trouble in their basement—so they couldn’t be attached to it. I am sure there were a few other football players around these two, but I don’t think anything will come of it. Chima and Tuel are to busy studying and watching game film to be involved with these two yahoos. Not only were these two guys not making a good decisions they are taking money from the university with their free schooling, food and facilitates that they get to use. I hate it when people take things for granted and don’t realize it until it is taken away.
Side Note: I feel bad for Wulff because he has been trying to recruit high character guys. I am sure these two are nice guys not making smart decisions, but this has to be a slap in Wulff’s face. If they are dismissed I wonder how this will affect our APR score (I think that is what it is called, I always forget). Wulff has worked so hard to get it up. We need these scholarships. I am kind of embarrassed to be a Coug today.
"I've choked bigger men than you! Goulet!" Robert Goulet aka Will Ferrell
by SoCalCoug on Oct 12, 2010 9:33 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Barrington would hurt
As I assume he would not be considered “on track to graduate” upon leaving the program. Maybe he is; but when you’re academically ineligible right before the season, I think that’s a reasonable assumption. Atofau — again assuming here — probably doesn’t hurt much if that’s what they decide.
I thought dismissing someone
because of conduct can also hurt scholarships or the program in some way.
"I've choked bigger men than you! Goulet!" Robert Goulet aka Will Ferrell
Only if they're not on track academically.
I don’t believe APR makes any distinction between why a player leaves.
Everone, remember what's important here.
And that is, that none of our players were caught naked, in a three-point stance.
The K is special
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