So What are we going to do about these kids?

[Fadeproof]

Should we expect them to be held to a higher standard and appreciate the fact that they are representing a beloved instituation or know that they are living the same lives as players of another time but in a time where information is immediately available?

Do we educate them or discipline them harshely?

I don't know the answewr but I am sick and tired of hearing about arrest and issues on a consistant basis. No matter the team.

Thoughts?

 

[fbcgovols]

Should we expect them to be held to a higher standard and appreciate the fact that they are representing a beloved instituation or know that they are living the same lives as players of another time but in a time where information is immediately available?

Do we educate them or discipline them harshely?

I don't know the answewr but I am sick and tired of hearing about arrest and issues on a consistant basis. No matter the team.

Thoughts?

Anyone who doesn't behave Rod Wilks gets you!
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[BigT_Chief]

Discipline them harshly. They aren't kids, they are 18+ and are legally adults and should be held accountable for their actions, good or bad. The whole young kid and stupid excuse doesn't fly.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Anyone who doesn't behave Rod Wilks gets you!
Posted via VolNation Mobile

Thats too harsh.

 

[utmba93]

I'm mostly tired of hearing about arrests when it involves the Vols. Just keeping it real.

CMR seems to have most of this under control for you guys. But, the next time a grandma matters, we're going to give you a run for your money.

Still, you raise a good question. This was all over the internet before these guys could get home.

 

[Daddy Gee]

they are living the same lives as players of another time but in a time where information is immediately available

.

 

[crusse10]

Discipline them harshly. They aren't kids, they are 18+ and are legally adults and should be held accountable for their actions, good or bad. The whole young kid and stupid excuse doesn't fly.

I disagree. Just because your heart has been beating for 18 years doesn't mean you're necessarily mature enough to be considered an adult

 

[shades_of_orange]

I'm mostly tired of hearing about arrests when it involves the Vols. Just keeping it real.

CMR seems to have most of this under control for you guys. But, the next time a grandma matters, we're going to give you a run for your money.

Still, you raise a good question. This was all over the internet before these guys could get home.

and of course the media only wants to get out one side of the story and put things out in public that shouldnt be

 

[utmba93]

I disagree. Just because your heart has been beating for 18 years doesn't mean you're necessarily mature enough to be considered an adult

There are kids doing a lot worse things. And somehow these guys need to get at least a strike or two before being sent down river.

Hughes was on the right track. This totally sux for him.

 

[Crew]

Set expectations and hold people accountable for their actions.

You can't stop people from being stupid.

 

[g8terh8ter_eric]

The internet is probably one of the best and worst tools for college football, period. Great stories can be spread, or horrible ones. It's people's discretion that needs to be worked on, IMO.

 

[99gator]

the reality is it won't change.

football has become big business and it's about money.

alumni like to win. they'll pay big money for wins.

in order to win, institutions turn a blind eye to whether or not the athlete really belongs at the school, either academically or socially.

this story is a great example of that. a lot of people are concerned about how this whole situation will effect the team and everything else is secondary. that's not unique to just this situation or tennessee.

when a player gets arrested, the first thought from a fan base (for the most part) is damn, when will he be allowed to play again.

player beat up his girlfriend and threw her down the stairs. i bet she was asking for it. damn, when can he play again.

player arrested for DUI, gets in a car accident. nearly kills someone. great news! the player didn't kill anyone, when can he play again.

etc, etc, etc.

if the player sucks, kick him out of school. if the player starts, well that's a different story.

that's the reality. florida, georgia, tennessee, and other places where somehow their players never get arrested but, i don't believe for one second this stuff doesn't happen.

it's the sad reality. IMO

 

[ZWVol11]

I disagree. Just because your heart has been beating for 18 years doesn't mean you're necessarily mature enough to be considered an adult

This

I mean I'm 21 and I have friends my own age that don't act anywhere near the age they should. I go to the school and there are people who go to UT that are involved in worse activities that getting in fights. I'm not saying they should get off easy or anything. But i do think that 18-22 year old men are going to do stupid things. It's a common assumption. There is a reason car insurance rates go down for males at 25.

 

[Fadeproof]

I know that in my business people would be fired but the fact is that these are actually 18-22 year old young men. You hope that they have been taught right from wrong but you just dont know if their decision making is going to be able to focus long term.

You would think a little common sense would kick in and somebody would say, we have it made let not screw this up. I just don't get it.

 

[g8terh8ter_eric]

I know that in my business people would be fired but the fact is that these are actually 18-22 year old young men. You hope that they have been taught right from wrong but you just dont know if their decision making is going to be able to focus long term.

You would think a little common sense would kick in and somebody would say, we have it made let not screw this up. I just don't get it.

Think about where a lot of these kids come from. It's sometimes tough for them to understand what good decisions are, especially when it's not programmed in them at a young age. It's hard for some of these kids, because sports is the only way out, because our school systems and teachers fail a lot of them.

 

[BigT_Chief]

I guess I'm just a little too old school then. I know that when I was growing up, if we acted out the least bit, we'd get the hell sweet home beat out of us. So, by the time we got to the teens, you knew better than to act like a fool.

 

[utmba93]

I know that in my business people would be fired but the fact is that these are actually 18-22 year old young men. You hope that they have been taught right from wrong but you just dont know if their decision making is going to be able to focus long term.

You would think a little common sense would kick in and somebody would say, we have it made let not screw this up. I just don't get it.

Still, though... can you imagine being Montorri Hughes and never really getting to throw a punch?

Most of us have thrown one... they just didn't have that kind of effect. He's a good kid. If what's been said is true, he just screwed up.

 

[utmba93]

the reality is it won't change.

football has become big business and it's about money.

alumni like to win. they'll pay big money for wins.

in order to win, institutions turn a blind eye to whether or not the athlete really belongs at the school, either academically or socially.

this story is a great example of that. a lot of people are concerned about how this whole situation will effect the team and everything else is secondary. that's not unique to just this situation or tennessee.

when a player gets arrested, the first thought from a fan base (for the most part) is damn, when will he be allowed to play again.

player beat up his girlfriend and threw her down the stairs. i bet she was asking for it. damn, when can he play again.

player arrested for DUI, gets in a car accident. nearly kills someone. great news! the player didn't kill anyone, when can he play again.

etc, etc, etc.

if the player sucks, kick him out of school. if the player starts, well that's a different story.

that's the reality. florida, georgia, tennessee, and other places where somehow their players never get arrested but, i don't believe for one second this stuff doesn't happen.

it's the sad reality. IMO

But, it's just not true that all of these guys are OJ Simpson. Some of them are just big strong, enormous... kids.

 

[ZWVol11]

I guess I'm just a little too old school then. I know that when I was growing up, if we acted out the least bit, we'd get the hell sweet home beat out of us. So, by the time we got to the teens, you knew better than to act like a fool.

Maybe not too old school but raised in a traditional setting. I was raised the same way but many of these players, as sad as it is, weren't raised in the best way and since they were probably handed everything they earned just on natural talent alone.

 

[Fadeproof]

Think about where a lot of these kids come from. It's sometimes tough for them to understand what good decisions are, especially when it's not programmed in them at a young age. It's hard for some of these kids, because sports is the only way out, because our school systems and teachers fail a lot of them.

I agree completely, I would like to think that the majority of them understand the second chance they are getting and it is only a small percentage we are hearing about. It just seems that it is all we have heard for years now and it continues to get worse.

 

[99gator]

But, it's just not true that all of these guys are OJ Simpson. Some of them are just big strong, enormous... kids.

i know what you're trying to say, but i respectfully disagree.

the nukeese richardson situation involved weapons and robbing people.

the jamar hornsby situation was stealing and using a dead girl's credit card.

etc, etc, etc.

most of these cases are not a situation of large athlete not knowing his own strength and doing great physical damage.

the georgia AD proved you don't have to be a player to do something stupid either.

but, bottom line, we don't hold people accountable. and we know it. it doesn't start at the college level either.

 

[utmba93]

Maybe not too old school but raised in a traditional setting. I was raised the same way but many of these players, as sad as it is, weren't raised in the best way and since they were probably handed everything they earned just on natural talent alone.

See, that's what sux. These guys have dreamed about doing what they are doing their entire lives. In some case, it was their only way out.

I don't think you send a kid down the river on a first offense. I'm all for discipline, but I'm all for a little compassion as well.

Myles... he chose his path. He had his chance.

Let's take them one at a time and think hard about what fits that kid.

 

[g8terh8ter_eric]

I agree completely, I would like to think that the majority of them understand the second chance they are getting and it is only a small percentage we are hearing about. It just seems that it is all we have heard for years now and it continues to get worse.

That's because of the way information is released now a days. Back in the day, you wouldn't hear about anything for probably about 3-5 days after it happened. Mainly, because schools tried to create damage control as they released the info. Now, the internet damaging a schools ability to do this on a consistent basis. Also, there are quite a few journalists up there that aren't UT fans, and only care about the release of that information, not necessarily helping the school.

 

[utmba93]

i know what you're trying to say, but i respectfully disagree.

the nukeese richardson situation involved weapons and robbing people.

the jamar hornsby situation was stealing and using a dead girl's credit card.

etc, etc, etc.

most of these cases are not a situation of large athlete not knowing his own strength and doing great physical damage.

the georgia AD proved you don't have to be a player to do something stupid either.

but, bottom line, we don't hold people accountable. and we know it. it doesn't start at the college level either.

OJ Simpson slit throats. He didn't steal hamburgers from rednecks with a pellet gun.

 

[99gator]

there's also the other end of the spectrum.

there are several people who are not upstanding citizens who a coach and program are able to mold into good people.

i would dare say that several kids had their lives saved (in a sense) by making it to college because of football.