Unless you are living under a rock, you have heard about the recent thuggery that has gone down in the Pacific Northwest at the University of Last season, LeGarrette Blount sucker-punched a Boise State player post-game and was suspended for the season, but his suspension was later reduced to only eight games.
Then, starting QB Jeremiah Masoli was named as a robbery suspect in an on-campus frat house burglary situation, but as of yet, has not been suspended or penalized by Kelly. It seems as though he might be getting a pass by the frat, since he is the best player at Oregon.
LaMichael James, the RB who replaced Blount last season and had a huge year was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation against a female student, but has not been suspended "pending further investigation", according to Kelly, who claims to "not have all the facts" yet.
Strangely, Kelly did suspend linebacker Kiko Alonso (yeah, we've never heard of him either) this week after the sophomore was arrested for a DUI early Saturday, just hours after the coach had met with the media about the string of troubles among his players since the Rose Bowl.
In an apparently related situation, Kelly also dismissed wide receiver Jamere Holland (another nobody—coincidence, we think not) from the program on Sunday for "violation of team rules."
Holland had posted an inflammatory Facebook status calling Alonso's potential dismissal from the team as "weak" and racially motivated. He also added that he wished he could "unfriend whites, and only have blacks as friends."
So if you're a star player at UO, you get a pass—If you're a marginal talent, you're get suspended or kicked off the team.
Favoritism much?
Kelly addressed some of these issues on a local radio station, and things between the host and Kelly did get heated.
He also appeared on ESPN's Outside The Lines yesterday (Tuesday Feb. 23, 2010).
In my opinion, Oregon football and Kelly, much like USC, seem to be on the verge of what the NCAA refers to as a "lack of institutional control."
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You know I really don't hold anything against Chip Kelly -- he seems like a perfectly honest guy that tries to run a clean program. The problem is that it seems like the Oregon team is made up mostly of thugs and punks (keyword mostly, not entirely). Hopefully Kelly will recruit better than his predecessors going forward.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree he did not recruit most if any of these problem guys, BUT he does not get a free pass from me just b/c of that alone...
ReplyDeleteHe needs to act more swiftly and consistently -- Suspend these type of guys regardless of their "star status" on the team...
The DUI kid, who happens to not be a star was suspended just that fast, but the star running back LaMichael James, who allegedly assaulted and strangled a coed has not been as of yet?
That's where I have a HUGE problem with Kelly...
Thanks for your comment!
I'd agree he did not recruit most if any of these problem guys, BUT he does not get a free pass from me just b/c of that alone...
ReplyDelete