Miami has it right. Will UT and UF follow?

[hatvol96]

I know Hat will disagree but Miami and Knox are not really similar.

Why would I disagree with that?

 

[UT IE 95]

Take a look at UT IE's posts. He thinks its absurd to ban guns for the players.

I think all the combination of the rules and consequences are absurd. He will not be able to enforce them so they are meaningless. All the issues cited are covered by university, local, or federal laws/rules. Enforce the current laws/rules for gun control, GPA, and cell phone usage.

The coach makes himself sound like a camp counselor saying he'll take away everybody's cell phone in class for 2 weeks if one person is caught. Geeeeze.

 

[TN Vol 0320]

Lawgator...

Not sure that the football team/athletic program has its own rules regarding weapons, but I know the UTK campus has a policy that they are restricted on University property. Any student wishing to have a gun, with a licensed permit of course, can turn it in and have it kept safely at the UT Police headquarters.

 

[lawgator1]

There is a difference in the setting for UM and UT. I know Hat will disagree but Miami and Knox are not really similar. I knew a few people who kept guns on campus for different reasons than the UM fball players.

Why would I disagree with that?

College football players, regardless of whether they are in Knoxville, Gainesville, Miami, or Berkely, have evey opportunity to associate with petty criminals, recreational drugs, drunken parties, and nightclubs. Possessing guns when doing so -- or when socializing with those that would have them simply participate in that scene -- is a formula for disaster.

People do not usually buy guns with the intention of shooting someone. It happens by accident or when people lose control of their tempers, or when the guns are stolen. It just seems to me, knowing the backgrounds of so many of these young men, that if they have guns it is inevitable that the "street violence" will follow them to the university town where they are.

You can't stop them from getting into trouble. You can't stop them from being friends with people who just place them in situations where they are likely to hurt others or be hurt themselves. But if you can do something to keep them from having a gun when that situation develops, you may be saving someone's life and their career.

And that situation can and does happen in Knoxville just as it can and does happen in Miami.

 

[crazyguy]

I think all the combination of the rules and consequences are absurd. He will not be able to enforce them so they are meaningless. All the issues cited are covered by university, local, or federal laws/rules. Enforce the current laws/rules for gun control, GPA, and cell phone usage.

The coach makes himself sound like a camp counselor saying he'll take away everybody's cell phone in class for 2 weeks if one person is caught. Geeeeze.

Why? Because he is laying out a contract for his players. Benjamin Franklin said it best "common sense isn't so common." If the players do not respect the law then why not put something else that is important to them at risk when thinking about doing something stupid? I think it's a great policy.

 

[WA_Vol]

Is there a UT policy on players having guns?

If not, should there be one?

Yes, UT's policy is you must own a gun and know how to use it. State law.

 

[VOLatile]

I'm all for a universal gun ban... get rid of the 2nd Ammendment all together!

(That oughta get some of you gun loving people riled up!)

 

[UT IE 95]

Why? Because he is laying out a contract for his players. Benjamin Franklin said it best "common sense isn't so common." If the players do not respect the law then why not put something else that is important to them at risk when thinking about doing something stupid? I think it's a great policy.

So a player with a licensened gun and a carry permit will be kciked off the team and dismissed from school? That's what his "contract" says.

Even past that - midway through the season his best offensive player and a freshman student are found to have an illegal gun in their possesion at the same time. No shots fired, no one hurt, nothing but a ticket. The player is off the team and dismissed from school while the freshman shows up for class Monday morning?

I'm all for enforcing the rules and holding players accountable - I just doubt his "contract" will carry much weight once the season starts.

 

[VOLracerx]

I for one like the idea...but you also have to consider that UM has an image problem, and it causes parents of potential recruits to scrutinize the university. In principle it is a good idea, how you police it is another issue.

 

[jakez4ut]

the only thing i'd have to say about this, is whatever RS says he's going to do.......he better do it when push comes to shove. otherwise none of it has any meaning and it discounts his credibility.

as for the rules itself, i'm kind of on the side that it's pretty sad that these things for grown men have to be spelled out for them. and that includes players at TN or wherever.

we are already seeing some of this league/team mandated punishment for "behavior" which may or may not have any correlation for current laws.....take the Steroids/HGH in baseball. i've heard a million times that how can anyone be held accountable for taking them when baseball doesn't have a rule against it (when they really didn't have one mind you)....and my question comes right back around to....aren't there lawas against illegal steroid/HGH use? so does MLB really "need" a rule also stating not to use? or what about the Mike Vick deal or the Pac Man Jones deal with the NFL.....one guy gets a year long suspension and wasn't convicted of anything yet, but had a track record of poor behavior....MV gets charged federally with the dog fight stuff and there's debat at the NFL level on what do with him? does the NFL now need to have a rule on the books stiuplating that dog fighting is against their rules also?

when i see stuff like this it tells me that we have removed common sense as a responsibility of the individual to recognize right from wrong.

 

[jakez4ut]

further, this also just goes to show that while the coaches must enforce whatever rules are in place, it is virtually impossible to manage each and every aspect of the players life both on and off the feild.

and aren't we really talking about prevention/deterence here? it's great he's taken this stand, but it's not necessarily going to "prevent" anyone from doing these things and at the end of the day, that responsibility falls on the individual to take ownership of their actions. it is then the responsibility of the governing body, be it the coach in this case, or the government at large, to carry out the consequences for those actions.

but back to common sense for a minute.....it's this same kind of thought process that led to the "rule" that all newspaper plastic bags had to have a warning placed on them stating that you could suffocate if you put said plastic bag over your head.

becaue apparently there are people out there that did not know this, and they were rewarded basically for being stupid. Same thing for that lady that won that lawsuit against McDonalds because her hot coffee burned her....because it was...drum roll........HOT.

this is the kind of stuff i have no patience for.

 

[crazyguy]

So a player with a licensened gun and a carry permit will be kciked off the team and dismissed from school? That's what his "contract" says.

Even past that - midway through the season his best offensive player and a freshman student are found to have an illegal gun in their possesion at the same time. No shots fired, no one hurt, nothing but a ticket. The player is off the team and dismissed from school while the freshman shows up for class Monday morning?

I'm all for enforcing the rules and holding players accountable - I just doubt his "contract" will carry much weight once the season starts.

If the student comes in and agrees to the contract then yes. We all give up certain rights in order to join a larger body...this is just more stringent. I'm not advocating an abolishment of the second amendment (although its purpose is far from what is believed today in my opinion) I am advocating that these kids are held to higher standard and are given every opportunity to succeed, by giving them a guardrail of sorts from their own youthful stupidity.