And so it begins
This article by Gary Parrish is only the tip of the public relations nightmare Notre Dame has unleashed upon itself, yet again.
This is the kind of publicity that is going to give recruiting a kick in the fruitstand, no matter who is coaching here. And for my gridiron-focused readers, rest assured it won't stop with basketball.
For all of the people trumpeting how "he broke the law" and all that, recognize the reality that a blunt in a car is not considered to be a big deal by most people. How players and coaches will interpret this is Notre Dame let a kid who had never been in any kind of trouble dangle in the wind for almost a month and then suspended him for a semester for something that, in the grand scheme of things, is not a big deal.
Players may not envision themselves as using marijuana, but I'm quite sure they can envision themselves doing relatively harmless things that aren't any big deal. Now Notre Dame has shown they react to those things with very harsh suspensions, no matter how good a person you've been otherwise. Not exactly the most positive environment, especially for 17-year-old kids who are thinking about both their academic and playing futures.
And what do you think if you're Mike Brey? Based on what ND has told you, you've given this kid hope he'd remain in school for the semester. Now not only did ND yank the rug out from under you, they did it an hour before you were supposed to leave for a road trip, leaving you no time to be with a player in your program desperately in need of counsel and advice. Between the renovation delays and now this, I'm amazed he hasn't resigned.
(and for those of you who clap at that possibility, remember other coaching candidates are watching this stuff very carefully, and if you think they'll want to cast their lot with an administration that does this kind of crap for any amount of money, you're crazy)
This has nothing to do with coddling athletes and everything to do with having, as Parrish put it, common sense. This has nothing to do with teaching, which is what Notre Dame is supposed to be about, and everything to do with image, which is what Notre Dame obviously remains obsessed with.
And it needs to be fixed, quickly and publicly, before it does real and permanent damage.
This is the kind of publicity that is going to give recruiting a kick in the fruitstand, no matter who is coaching here. And for my gridiron-focused readers, rest assured it won't stop with basketball.
For all of the people trumpeting how "he broke the law" and all that, recognize the reality that a blunt in a car is not considered to be a big deal by most people. How players and coaches will interpret this is Notre Dame let a kid who had never been in any kind of trouble dangle in the wind for almost a month and then suspended him for a semester for something that, in the grand scheme of things, is not a big deal.
Players may not envision themselves as using marijuana, but I'm quite sure they can envision themselves doing relatively harmless things that aren't any big deal. Now Notre Dame has shown they react to those things with very harsh suspensions, no matter how good a person you've been otherwise. Not exactly the most positive environment, especially for 17-year-old kids who are thinking about both their academic and playing futures.
And what do you think if you're Mike Brey? Based on what ND has told you, you've given this kid hope he'd remain in school for the semester. Now not only did ND yank the rug out from under you, they did it an hour before you were supposed to leave for a road trip, leaving you no time to be with a player in your program desperately in need of counsel and advice. Between the renovation delays and now this, I'm amazed he hasn't resigned.
(and for those of you who clap at that possibility, remember other coaching candidates are watching this stuff very carefully, and if you think they'll want to cast their lot with an administration that does this kind of crap for any amount of money, you're crazy)
This has nothing to do with coddling athletes and everything to do with having, as Parrish put it, common sense. This has nothing to do with teaching, which is what Notre Dame is supposed to be about, and everything to do with image, which is what Notre Dame obviously remains obsessed with.
And it needs to be fixed, quickly and publicly, before it does real and permanent damage.
Labels: mike brey, nd admin, nd athletics, nd basketball
posted by Mike Coffey at 7:38 AM
28 Comments:
I am so tired of ND students, alums, and fans complaining about how ND did this kid a disservice. [Trust me, I am an ND alum, and want nothing more than ND to be successful in sports.] But I think everyone keeps forgetting that he did something wrong. He was the one smoking a joint. Notre Dame was just following rules that they have always had in place. Whether or not the punishment fits the crime is not the issue. Bear in mind, it was a crime. And remember, ND informs you of the rules, and you sign a paper stating you read and agree to them. I like him and think he is a great addition to the team. And in the next few months he will show us if he is a great addition to the ND community. And I hope he is.
K-MAC's mother said that she was embarrassed by the University. How about the University was embarrassed by K-MAC?
Resolution should have happened a lot quicker than it did (I guess a decision couldn't be made as Fr. Jenkins was parading around Uganda), but I think ND made the right choice.
You must not be aware of the zero tolerance policy that Notre Dame has on illegal substances, i.e. marijuana . If ANY student is found to be in possession of such drugs, they're AUTOMATICALLY suspended and/or expelled. The University has to adhere to its policies regardless of whether or not you're on scholarship to play for a basketball team that hasn't done squat in the last four years.
On a local sports radio call in show 2 former ND students reported that fellow students during their years at ND faced the exact same punishment for the nearly exact same set of circumstances. In each case, the suspended students were readmitted, if they reapplied, after their suspensions. From past experience I know KM is going through a rough patch now. However, he new the potential consequnces of his actions and now must take the punishment like an adult. Whether it causes trouble for future recruiting efforts is the least of ND's concerns. They are "walking the walk" and I, as an ardent fan, support their methods. KM will still have a good basketball career at ND if he choses to reapply. Every action has a reaction and part of the college experience is learning how to make sound judgements. KM has no one to blame but himself.
You can't have it both ways pal. STep down off the soap box.
If ND does nothing then we all get labeled as all talk no action. When ND does something (he did break the law for DRUG possession) then you spin tales of how it's going to get used against ND.
I can see an opposing coach in a recruits living room now.."Did you know that ND expelled a player for being in possession of an illegal subtance? Do you really want you son to go to a school that holds them accountable for their actions?"
I can't imagine places like FSU....oh wait...they threw Randy Moss out for pot too...Hmmmmmm
I just wanted to say that if this were Joe Who at ND, the same decision would have been made (in fact it has been). This is not the University making a statement and we should not feel bad for someone who can't take responsibility for doing something illegal in-season. Kyle McAlarney can come back to the University next semester if he wants. He should own up to his mistake.
As noted above, per du lac the suspension is automatic, and Brey and K-Mac should have known it. The real question is why were Brey and K-Mac caught off guard? Either they were being overly naive or someone in the administration led them to believe there would be a different outcome. That is the real problem here. Neither of which should have occured.
I applaud your post. For those who disagree, you need to wake up. Here is a kid that made a mistake. It was a first time offense, and he was going through a diversionary program that would eventually expunge the charge if he complies with the conditions of good behavior. I understand marijuana is illegal and should not be promoted, but Notre Dame has to face the reality that it is a part of every college campus across America-ND is no different. You have freshman and young men and women come to college who are on their own for the first time. They may not always make the best decisions. Instead of expulsion, which will no-doubtedly leave the young person with bitter feelings, ND should use the episode as a learning experience.
I might have even supported sitting him out for the rest of the season. But kicking this kid or any kid out of school for a first-time venial sin is ridiculous.
Stop with the holier than though...everyone one of us has done something wrong like this somewhere along the line. I'm sure all those posting here (if they were students at ND) probably did something that would have been against du lac. I sure did...geez give the kid a break. He should have been suspended for the basketball season but allowed to remain in school. He also should have been required to attend practice and sit on the bench in games to show his commitment to his team.
I am truly baffled by all the angst towards the University. Did you really want them to compromise their position? Did you really want them to change the rules to accomodate an athlete? Whatever happened to taking your lumps like a man? Kyle has every opportunity to reapply to Notre Dame. Although the circumstances were different, Julius Jones set a fine example. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Julius for taking his lumps and bouncing back. Julius could very easily have gone elsewhere, but he came back and finished what he started and redeemed himself. I would also gain a lot of respect for Kyle if he did something similar.
I am surprised by the comments to Mike's article. I take it those making them didn't have friends at ND whose parents were large contributors. I watched them get away with very similar violations of du lac repeatedly without getting suspended from school. I also disagree that punishment shouldn't fit the crime. In fact, as a lawyer I can attest that our entire legal system is based on that principle. I seriously question the good this does for the student and the entire community. Suspending him from the team for the rest of the year was the common sense thing to do, and surely no one would have said that wasn't sufficient punishment.
Why was K-Mac so surprised? Didn't he remember what happened to Rashon Powers-Neal in 2005 when he was arrested for DUI? He was suspended for the rest of the semester. ND is being consistent.
Per duLac the suspension is not automatic. Possession/use is subject to suspension. That means they can suspend him but they don't have to.
You are right. I did things that were against du Lac, and even got caught. However, I knew before I did them, that if I were caught, that I would have to deal with the consequences. And I did deal with them. Yes, I had a run in with cops. And yes, I had the charges dropped, and I was still dealt with by Res Life.
I understand he is young, and this is the FIRST time he was CAUGHT. However, he is no kid, and he was well aware of his consequences.
At Notre Dame, all students, regardless of whether or not they play a sport, are in the band, or something else, are STUDENTS in the eyes of the University. This is something that ND has always done their best to maintain. That being said, if ND had chosen to suspend KMac solely from basketball for the season, how could that be applied to non-student atheletes. He gets caught with a joint and only has to sit out of his extracurriculars (namely basketball). Now, if someone, a student (non-athlete) were found in the exact same situation, what would be his punishment? Is he suspended from all extracurriculars? That would be unfair to the student athlete, or band member, etc. However, if the student were then suspended from classes, then it would favor the student-athlete. So, what would be the fair answer?
I graduated in 97' and knew kids who avoided expulsion for a similiar offense.
They need to fire their PR Dept. with how the news was broken to McAlarney. They seem to be taking notes from the Duke administration on how to throw your athletes under the bus.
ND screwed this one up badly.
As another ND alum, I, too, wish it could have transpired differently. But as a former athlete, recognize the following:
1. McAlarney broke team rules; and
2. McAlarney broke University rules; and
3. McAlarney broke US law.
Yeah, it wsn't rape, murder or the like. But it also wasn't excessive overdue library books.
Do the crime, do the time.
First, the obvious. It's an awful situation for all concerned and far better had it never happened.
Nonetheless, I do want to give both sides the benefit of the doubt. First, I haven't practiced in Indiana for a long time and neither the commentary nor the newspaper story give the dates of the court appearance so I offer my conjecture as to the timing issue. Following the arrest, there's the presumption of innocence -- hence suspension from the team but not the school. The newspaper story said he entered a pre-trial diversion program last week. Generally, that means some type of conditional plea of guilty was first entered (also probably last week) followed immediately by some version of suspended imposition of sentence while the defendant is placed on probation subject to satisfactory completion of a drug diversion program. Usually reporting to probation and program enrollment is ordered relatively "forthwith" so I'm guessing the plea was entered last week as well. The plea and acceptance of terms of probation can be done by counsel without the defendant present with proper waivers. So if the decision to suspend the student was made on Monday, as the newspaper reported, that was probably the first opportunity to take action following the resolution of the pending charge. After the entry of the conditional plea, the presumption of innocence no longer applies. The school's timing, then, would be entirely appropriate. It is the process of the criminal justice system which leaves everybody hanging in suspense following an arrest and prior to a conviction which dictates the sequence and timing of appropriate action. Now as to the suspension from school, I offer this to consider. A violation of team rules or athletic department rules warrants a punishment affecting participation in the sport. A violation of school rules warrants a punishment affecting participation at the school. I have no knowledge of recent precedents at ND for violations of school drug policies but the policies themselves are appropriate and possibly mandatory if the school receives any Title IX funds or other federal funds. I know for a fact that any federally funded housing developments require zero-tolerance to be eligible to receive and maintain the federal support. From all reports, this is a good kid who found himself, for whatever reason, in a bad situation. He can, and hopefully will, recover from it with the support of his family, friends, and the Notre Dame community. I, for one, will be pulling for him and will hope he knows this is not the end of his world. Notre Dame holds itself out as an adherent to a higher standard than the lowest common denominator. That's one of the things that makes it special to me. With that higher standard, there comes a price -- one not necessarily paid elsewhere. But if we were just "St. Elsewhere", we wouldn't be Notre Dame. I hope and pray he makes it back, and when he does, we welcome him with open arms.
The headline on NDNation.com is misleading. KMac was NOT EXPELLED!!!! Under university policy, those who are expelled are not allowed to reapply. The 4 football players accused of rape a few years ago (Crawford, Dykes, Elam, and one other...) were EXPELLED. McAlarney was NOT. He was SUSPENDED 2 semesters, and he will be able to reapply in the fall. According to KMac's mother in a direct quote from The Observer, KMac still wears the ND shirt proudly, and his family WILL NOT advise hime to consider looking at other schools. A lot can happen between now and then, but it looks like he will stick with ND.
They preach it until you are blue in the face about what a family ND is. If this is how you family treats you during times of adversity then I would want no part of it.
I have two big problems here:
-inconsistent application of DuLac. I can name two students from my class(97) who were caught with marijuana and who were not suspended from classes.
-the cruel way the news was relayed to McAlarney. It is a slap in the face that ND treats its athletes this way. The miscommunication with Brey & the timing of the announcement were quite dubious.
As an '06 alum, I just want to confirm that there is no "zero tolerance" drug policy. I knew a student caught with marijuana who was merely kicked off campus.
There are some factors people are ignoring. He was caught WHILE DRIVING; this had to be an aggravating factor in the University's decision
However, my personal opinion is that the punishment was this severe precisely because KMac was an athlete. If it had happened less publicly (in a dorm or if KMac was an average student) I'm sure it would have been handled in house and kept much quieter. KMac would have been suspended from the team for some unspecified violation, but not suspended from ND.
There were a lot of rumors while I was on campus last year that many of the basketball players smoked a lot of pot (in season no less). Although these were just rumors, it appears this was the case with KMac. He wasn't casually cruising and smoking a blunt by himself for the first time. I think ND needs to do a better job of drug screening and making sure stuff like this doesn't keep happening. Hopefully KMac will learn his lesson, reapply, and be back with the team next year.
I am ashamed to be a Notre Dame alumnus and I never thought i would say that. I know people who were caught with worse and received less punishment, he did not get a fair deal.
The treatment of KMac disgusts me and so do most of you and your "holier than thou" attitude.
What good was done here? A kid made a mistake (who hasn't).
What bothers me the most about this situation is that Kyle claims he received a stiffer penalty than any other student would have under similar circumstances. He couldn't be more incorrect. I've known half a dozen students in the last few years who have received the same penalty for marijuana related offenses. Some were more serious and others less serious, but at the end of the day the same result. If we are going to engage this conversation regarding ND's outdated Du Lac policy then we need to lose the athlete-centered focus, stop making KMac a martyr, and consider that the student is the one before the Student Affairs committe and not the athlete. Imagine if he was indeed let off with a slap on the wrist. We would be having the reverse conversation that he got off easy and someone else's mother would be in the national media yelling about how disappointed she is in the way the ND administration handled the situation and how her son got screwed too.
Hey here's an idea. Why don't all you people posting as anonymous use an identity, so someone can address your comments. 50 posts by anonymous is a little ridiculous. That is unless your post is ridiculous and just want to see it up there, rather be accountable.
just curious, but how does the university make the distinction between this and a 19yr old getting cited for underage drinking? Aren't the two both just as illegal in the eyes of the law, and the ND handbook?
IRISH WERTZY:
Please, feel free to repond to my posts. I would love to hear your opinion. I posted:
I am so tired of ND students, alums, and fans complaining about how ND did this kid a disservice. [Trust me, I am an ND alum, and want nothing more than ND to be successful in sports.] But I think everyone keeps forgetting that he did something wrong. He was the one smoking a joint. Notre Dame was just following rules that they have always had in place. Whether or not the punishment fits the crime is not the issue. Bear in mind, it was a crime. And remember, ND informs you of the rules, and you sign a paper stating you read and agree to them. I like him and think he is a great addition to the team. And in the next few months he will show us if he is a great addition to the ND community. And I hope he is.
AND:
You are right. I did things that were against du Lac, and even got caught. However, I knew before I did them, that if I were caught, that I would have to deal with the consequences. And I did deal with them. Yes, I had a run in with cops. And yes, I had the charges dropped, and I was still dealt with by Res Life.
I understand he is young, and this is the FIRST time he was CAUGHT. However, he is no kid, and he was well aware of his consequences.
AND:
At Notre Dame, all students, regardless of whether or not they play a sport, are in the band, or something else, are STUDENTS in the eyes of the University. This is something that ND has always done their best to maintain. That being said, if ND had chosen to suspend KMac solely from basketball for the season, how could that be applied to non-student atheletes. He gets caught with a joint and only has to sit out of his extracurriculars (namely basketball). Now, if someone, a student (non-athlete) were found in the exact same situation, what would be his punishment? Is he suspended from all extracurriculars? That would be unfair to the student athlete, or band member, etc. However, if the student were then suspended from classes, then it would favor the student-athlete. So, what would be the fair answer?
As a current student at Notre Dame, I would like to address a few issues. First underage drinking is a fine and community service. Multiple offenses result in alcohol counceling. If they find beer in your room it is usually a slap on the wrist to a fine of 25 to 50 dollars. If they find hard alcohol 200 dollars plus 50 for every bottle they find. The drug policy has been described as zero-tolerance. But there are always circumstances that cause them to reconsider. I think K-Mac probably fell on the harsher side of what is allowed because of his stature as a prominent student athlete. I don't think he should be allowed to play, but to suspend a kid for a semester is fairly extreme for a first time offense. If he had been caught multiple times it would be different. If you get caught drinking multiple times it is still not nearly suspension. I think he got the mistreated, and I hope he comes back.
if notre dame did make an "example" of this kid, as many say, i am glad the example was break the rules and you pay the consequences, and not break the rules and will coddle your ass.
was a higher standard set for him because he was an nd athelete, and therefore more in the public. im sure. but isnt that to be expected, and isnt that fair? every nd athelete is told, (i know i was one) that you will be held to a higher standard. that wearing the blue and gold comes with some responsibilty. not smoking weed in your car is one of them.
the scholarship, and the relative fame that comes with being an nd athelete, do come with some strings attached. deal with it.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home