OUCH...ACC Commissioner Swofford Slams FSU Women's Soccer

[Verga3]

http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-socce...110410aaa.html

Disgraceful, FSU....Head Coach, Mark Krikorian and new AD, Randy Spetman should be ashamed of themselves. They have comprimised the integrity of their program.

I don't ever remember a stronger statement from the ACC.

[CameronBornAndBred]

http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-socce...110410aaa.html

Disgraceful, FSU....Head Coach, Mark Krikorian and new AD, Randy Spetman should be ashamed of themselves. They have comprimised the integrity of their program.

I don't ever remember a stronger statement from the ACC.

Wow...what was FSU's reasoning? I'm assuming it was a protest of some sort? Were the players behind the decision, or was this on the coaches and/or administration?

[4decadedukie]

Can someone please explain what is REALLY going on here. Superficially, it appears FSU left several starters home to "protest" two conference road games last weekend. Surely, there must be more to it than that.

[Verga3]

Wow...what was FSU's reasoning? I'm assuming it was a protest of some sort? Were the players behind the decision, or was this on the coaches and/or administration?

My understanding is that they felt they were already in the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid and needed to rest their starters before the big dance. Wonder how their starters/seniors really felt about the decision. And, what kind of message does that send your team at this point in the season....Bizzare.

[JasonEvans]

What the?!?! FSU was 7-2-1 in ACC play, tied for 2nd place in the conference. It is not like 1st place UNC was unbeatable as they went 8-2 in conference play. I would think FSU would have seen this as a great chance to win an ACC title. Have they ever won an ACC title? I would suspect UNC has dominated Women's Soccer in the conference for a loong time.

There simply has to be something more to this. If I was Swofford, I would strongly consider banning them from participating in the NCAA Tourney as penalty for this. How absurd!

-Jason "the NCAA Women's Soccer tournament does not start until Friday Nov 12th... how much rest do the FSU starters need?" Evans

[sandinmyshoes]

What the?!?! FSU was 7-2-1 in ACC play, tied for 2nd place in the conference. It is not like 1st place UNC was unbeatable as they went 8-2 in conference play. I would think FSU would have seen this as a great chance to win an ACC title. Have they ever won an ACC title? I would suspect UNC has dominated Women's Soccer in the conference for a loong time.

There simply has to be something more to this. If I was Swofford, I would strongly consider banning them from participating in the NCAA Tourney as penalty for this. How absurd!

-Jason "the NCAA Women's Soccer tournament does not start until Friday Nov 12th... how much rest do the FSU starters need?" Evans

I wouldn't ban them for the NCAA, if that's even possible, but I would suspend the coach for a game or two.

[whereinthehellami]

I'd like Swofford to save some of that rhetoric for his alma mater, a subject he has been pretty quiet about. How about weighing in on the rampant cheating and multitude of scandals that your boys in sky blue have propagated? Where is the outrage over the embarrassment that UNC has caused all ACC schools?

[sagegrouse]

If I was Swofford, I would strongly consider banning them from participating in the NCAA Tourney as penalty for this. How absurd!

-Jason "the NCAA Women's Soccer tournament does not start until Friday Nov 12th... how much rest do the FSU starters need?" Evans

I expect there will be some new rules and penalties put in place by the ACC to help stamp out this form of -- well -- corruption.

sagegrouse
'Not playing to win is ruinous'

[CameronBornAndBred]

Here is what K thinks about it...

"You can't do that, no. That's disrespectful to the league. I don't think that's the right thing to do," Krzyzewski said.
"By the way, we've never left anybody home for the ACC Tournament and we've won a few national championships."

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/voices/blogpost/8574700/

[JasonEvans]

Here is what K thinks about it...

"You can't do that, no. That's disrespectful to the league. I don't think that's the right thing to do," Krzyzewski said.
"By the way, we've never left anybody home for the ACC Tournament and we've won a few national championships."

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/voices/blogpost/8574700/

Interesting considering there is always a group of Duke fans who opine that losing before the finals of the ACC tournament, and getting a little extra rest, is good for the team as it prepares for the Big Dance.

-Jason "I always disagree with those fans, but we hear it every year" Evans

[Duvall]

I look forward to seeing a similar response from the Commissioner the next time Roy Williams snidely derides the men's basketball ACC Tournament.

Won't hold my breath, though.

[SeattleIrish]

To be fair, Roy's disdain/sour-graping doesn't rise close to this level of offense. To leave your star players home to "rest" and skip the conference tourney cheapens the entire tournament and skews the field for those legitimately trying to win.

I do hope the TEAM is penalized severely for this - perhaps a conference tourney ban for the following two years, along with the loss of revenue sharing.

s.i.

p.s. - don't ever make me defend RW again

[77devil]

If I was Swofford, I would strongly consider banning them from participating in the NCAA Tourney as penalty for this. How absurd!

-Jason "the NCAA Women's Soccer tournament does not start until Friday Nov 12th... how much rest do the FSU starters need?" Evans

Really Jason, on what authority? Although I'm sure there are other sanctions he could try to invoke, I doubt a conference commissioner can ban a team from playing in the NCAA tournament. I certainly hope not. I prefer due process.

I'd like Swofford to save some of that rhetoric for his alma mater, a subject he has been pretty quiet about. How about weighing in on the rampant cheating and multitude of scandals that your boys in sky blue have propagated? Where is the outrage over the embarrassment that UNC has caused all ACC schools?

Amen.

[CEF1959]

Since when is it the Commissioner's business to tell a coach whom he has to play in a given game? Isn't that a coach's core function? I hope FSU tells him where to stick his big baby blue nose.

[rasputin]

Since when is it the Commissioner's business to tell a coach whom he has to play in a given game? Isn't that a coach's core function? I hope FSU tells him where to stick his big baby blue nose.

I remember Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner of baseball, ordering the Atlanta Braves to start/play Hank Aaron in at least 2 of the 3 games scheduled in Cincinnati to begin the 1974 season, when Aaron was holding at 713 career home runs. Aaron did so, and tied the record in Cincinnati, then broke it in Atlanta.

Kuhn was criticized in some circles for doing this. (Yes, I realize that commish of a pro league is somewhat different.)

[sandinmyshoes]

Why does every thread have to become a slam UNC thread? It gets old.

[jimsumner]

Since when is it the Commissioner's business to tell a coach whom he has to play in a given game? Isn't that a coach's core function? I hope FSU tells him where to stick his big baby blue nose.

I strongly disagree here. What FSU did undermined the competitive integrity of the ACC Tournament. We're not talking about resting an injured player, we're not talking about a discipline problem or conceding a game already lost. They made a conscious decision to leave at home all of their star players, knowing that the result of that decision would be a lineup essentially incapable of winning a game. The practical result was that they threw a tournament game. I think that violates a coach's core function.

What FSU did deserves a harsh response, IMO.

And, I'm at a loss to discern the relevance of the commissioner's alma mater. You do know that the result of this is to remove UNC's toughest obstacle to winning the tournament?

[Verga3]

http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-socce...110510aaa.html

This lack of integrity and load of stupidity may follow these two for awhile. I feel sorry for the student-athletes they have pretended to lead...life lessons.

[CameronBornAndBred]

http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-socce...110510aaa.html

This lack of integrity and load of stupidity may follow these two for awhile. I feel sorry for the student-athletes they have pretended to lead...life lessons.

Nice thing about the sanctions is they only affect the coach and the administration that let him do it. You could say the athletes will miss his coaching, but I find it hard to disagree with Swofford's actions.

[Verga3]

Nice thing about the sanctions is they only affect the coach and the administration that let him do it. You could say the athletes will miss his coaching, but I find it hard to disagree with Swofford's actions.

I heartely applaud Swofford's action. This very quick and decisively administered penalty should be noted. The ACC's attention, support and respect of the non-revenue (and women's) sports have been consistently present. I'm happily not surprised to see this. Kudos to Swofford and the ACC. You make us feel proud to be a member of the best conference in the country!