University of Maryland Football allegations

[DukeandMdFan]

Maryland's Democratic candidate, Ben Jealous, is hoping to beat popular incumbent governor Larry Hogan. Jealous calls for Coach DJ Durkin to be suspended.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/t...11-story.html#

DJ Durkin placed on administrative leave.
http://www.espn.com/college-football...-toxic-culture

[kmspeaks]

Obviously you can’t just scream negative things all the time and expect positive results. There has to be a balance but to want these kids to be sheltered from derogatory language is wrong, IMO. Along with many other “tough love” talk/actions. Times have for sure changed and I don’t like it. It’s a dog eat dog world and if you live your life like Paris Hilton’s purse dog, you are going to get torn to pieces.

If you can't see a difference between using an f-bomb or other choice word to emphasize a point and repeatedly calling someone a "cat" because they didn't squat as much as you wanted them to then I guess we just agree to disagree and I'll be done here.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

If you can't see a difference between using an f-bomb or other choice word to emphasize a point and repeatedly calling someone a "cat" because they didn't squat as much as you wanted them to then I guess we just agree to disagree and I'll be done here.

I agree with you. Success does not require this kind of dehumanizing behavior. It's not about tough...I'm sure Nick Saban is tough, but I doubt we'll hear this from Bama. Dabo Swinney is doing pretty good, and you know he doesn't treat anyone, let alone his players, like this. And they're the gold standard now.

[sagegrouse]

How's that Big Ten thang working out fer you Terps? Spending all that extra money on lawyers, are you? Doesn't the Big Ten-ESPN-Fox contract end in a few years -- 2023, is it? Doesn't the ACC deal with ESPN go to 2036 (or until Disney sues to terminate)?

[DukeandMdFan]

How's that Big Ten thang working out fer you Terps? Spending all that extra money on lawyers, are you? Doesn't the Big Ten-ESPN-Fox contract end in a few years -- 2023, is it? Doesn't the ACC deal with ESPN go to 2036 (or until Disney sues to terminate)?

Deep down, I think Maryland will be an ACC school for the coming future - with scandals of the ACC variety rather than the B1G Ten decades of molestation variety.

Maryland President, William Loh, responsible for the move to the Big Ten sent the email below. His heartbreak over the death and the events surrounding the death of football player Jordan McNair are noticeably absent.

August 11, 2018

Dear University of Maryland community,

I am profoundly disturbed by the media reports yesterday about verbally abusive and intimidating conduct by Maryland football coaches and staff towards our student athletes on the team.

Such behaviors contravene the educational mission and core values of our University. They are unacceptable. They will not be tolerated.

All of our coaches and staff who work with our student athletes are also teachers. Our responsibility as teachers is to inspire and enable students to perform at their best and expand the boundaries of their potential, in the classroom and/or on the athletic field. Humiliating and demeaning a student is not only bad teaching and coaching, it is an abuse of the authority of a teacher and coach.

I have directed Athletic Director Damon Evans to take actions necessary to ensure the safety and success of our student athletes. In addition, the University will retain an external expert to undertake a comprehensive examination of our coaching practices in the football program, with the goal that these practices reflect—not subvert -- the core values of our University.

Today, Athletic Director Evans has placed Head Football Coach DJ Durkin on administrative leave while this comprehensive examination is conducted. This follows Athletic Director Evans' decision to place other athletics staff members on administrative leave. Matt Canada will serve as Interim Head Football Coach.

The University of Maryland is committed to a football program that is safe and humane, and where our student-athletes are successful in their academic and athletic endeavors. This commitment will be carried out with accountability, fairness, and transparency.

I will follow-up with a progress update on this matter and on the tragic death of Jordan McNair.
Sincerely,
Dr. Wallace Loh
Wallace D. Loh
President, University of Maryland

[DukeandMdFan]

UMDADletter.jpg

[OldPhiKap]

UMDADletter.jpg

Damon Evans was the AD at UGA, and got pulled over in Atlanta for a DUI. He somehow had a pair of panties between his legs from a young lady riding with him. Tried to BS his way out of being arrested. Always wondered where he landed.


https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/7/...rt-red-panties

[sagegrouse]

Deep down, I think Maryland will be an ACC school for the coming future - with scandals of the ACC variety rather than the B1G Ten decades of molestation variety.

[/I]

Trying to be positive, but I have no idea what you mean.

[LasVegas]

I agree with you. Success does not require this kind of dehumanizing behavior. It's not about tough...I'm sure Nick Saban is tough, but I doubt we'll hear this from Bama. Dabo Swinney is doing pretty good, and you know he doesn't treat anyone, let alone his players, like this. And they're the gold standard now.

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14298688

I think you are naive if you believe coaches don’t belittle and yell obscene things at players. That’s probably the one thing that’s consistent in sports.

[DukeandMdFan]

Damon Evans was the AD at UGA, and got pulled over in Atlanta for a DUI. He somehow had a pair of panties between his legs from a young lady riding with him. Tried to BS his way out of being arrested. Always wondered where he landed.


https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/7/...rt-red-panties

That's crazy - I don't think he will be at Maryland much longer..

[HereBeforeCoachK]

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14298688

I think you are naive if you believe coaches don’t belittle and yell obscene things at players. That’s probably the one thing that’s consistent in sports.

Not naive at all....but this one off incident from Dabo, in the heat of battle, in a game, over a particularly brain dead play, is hardly the systemic culture of abuse day to day in practice, in meetings, throughout the whole program. It is beyond absurd to try and say that Dabo (or Nick Saban) operate their program anything like Durkin's program at Maryland.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14298688

I think you are naive if you believe coaches don’t belittle and yell obscene things at players. That’s probably the one thing that’s consistent in sports.

I am not sure how this thread has become a discussion of whether or not yelling at players might hurt their feelings. What was happening at Maryland was above and beyond anything remotely acceptable by any standards of you read the articles. Making players eat candy until thwy vomit? Belittling players for their weight? Literally running a man until his internal body temp is 106?

These aren't motivational tactics. They are torture.

Sorry, you can call me a snowflake all you want, but this far transcends my dislike for Maryland as a (not) rival. This is systematic debauchery without merit.

Gross.

[kshepinthehouse]

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14298688

I think you are naive if you believe coaches don’t belittle and yell obscene things at players. That’s probably the one thing that’s consistent in sports.

Coaching staff at Maryland routinely exhibited abusive behavior that ultimately resulted in the death of someone’s child and you’re defending them? Shaking my head.

[uh_no]

Not naive at all...but this one off incident from Dabo, in the heat of battle, in a game, over a particularly brain dead play, is hardly the systemic culture of abuse day to day in practice, in meetings, throughout the whole program. It is beyond absurd to try and say that Dabo (or Nick Saban) operate their program anything like Durkin's program at Maryland.

yeah seems odd to go after Dabo. everything i've read or seen from him makes me think he's a stand up guy.

[LasVegas]

Coaching staff at Maryland routinely exhibited abusive behavior that ultimately resulted in the death of someone’s child and you’re defending them? Shaking my head.

Only defending some actions. Some are turning this into a straw man. I’d quote my original post but I’m on mobile which makes everything a billion times harder. My specific post talked about yelling at kids and slapping a plate of food out of a hand. I had issues with SPECIFIC examples in the article because I just think the generation of kids we are talking about here are soft in general which is largely due to their parents fault.

And I’m not going after Dabo. Just pointing out that he too yells at players. Does anyone think he was saying nice and encouraging things during that clip. Hey kid! You tried your best! Love you!
Heck no. It was probably more like...what the freak were your doing? Are you a freaking idiot? You just freaked the whole team. Go sit your butt down.

Did horrible things occur at MD? Sure, but I wasn’t defending all the actions or the program/culture as a whole.

[kmspeaks]

Only defending some actions. Some are turning this into a straw man. I’d quote my original post but I’m on mobile which makes everything a billion times harder. My specific post talked about yelling at kids and slapping a plate of food out of a hand. I had issues with SPECIFIC examples in the article because I just think the generation of kids we are talking about here are soft in general which is largely due to their parents fault.

And I’m not going after Dabo. Just pointing out that he too yells at players. Does anyone think he was saying nice and encouraging things during that clip. Hey kid! You tried your best! Love you!
Heck no. It was probably more like...what the freak were your doing? Are you a freaking idiot? You just freaked the whole team. Go sit your butt down.

Did horrible things occur at MD? Sure, but I wasn’t defending all the actions or the program/culture as a whole.

With the caveat that we don't know exactly what Dabo said, yelling at a player who just went against the play call and made a huge mistake is not the equivalent of slapping a plate of food out of someone's hand or belittling a player who passes out before finishing a workout. One is a form of discipline and accountability, the other is demeaning and degrading and has no place in any relationship in life not just a Coach-Player one. Unless Dabo called the kid a worthless little "witch" or something to that effect then I don't have a problem at all with what he did. The examples in the article were not "soft" kids upset because someone yelled at them.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Only defending some actions. Some are turning this into a straw man. I’d quote my original post but I’m on mobile which makes everything a billion times harder. My specific post talked about yelling at kids and slapping a plate of food out of a hand. I had issues with SPECIFIC examples in the article because I just think the generation of kids we are talking about here are soft in general which is largely due to their parents fault.

And I’m not going after Dabo. Just pointing out that he too yells at players. Does anyone think he was saying nice and encouraging things during that clip. Hey kid! You tried your best! Love you!
Heck no. It was probably more like...what the freak were your doing? Are you a freaking idiot? You just freaked the whole team. Go sit your butt down.

Did horrible things occur at MD? Sure, but I wasn’t defending all the actions or the program/culture as a whole.

This is total fail as an analogy...one incident versus an entire culture...one in game time passion versus 7 day a week torment...just not an analog at all.

[DukeandMdFan]

Trying to be positive, but I have no idea what you mean.

I think the biggest scandals in college sports has been what happened at the Big Ten schools of Penn State and Michigan State. The Jim Jordan knew about it scandal happened at Ohio State. All involved Big Ten schools with large football stadiums to be filled by rabid fan bases. IMO, adults who knew better covered it up to save the reputation of coaches or programs, even though it would allow the perpetrator to continue sexually abusing children/young adults.

I don't think that type of abuse is as likely to happen at University of Maryland because there isn't the same mentality of winning at all costs.

I don't think people throughout the DMV are mad that the abuse was exposed and will be lobbying the school to retain the coach anyway.

While it could happen at an ACC school, it hasn't happened yet.

What I referred to as "ACC-type" incidences are more likely to involve cheating in recruitment (money, prostitutes), unallowable gifts, or academic fraud (UNC) to keep players eligible.

I know that the FBI found evidence that Terp one-and-done Diamond Stone received about $14,300 from somebody although MD coaches denied knowing about it. I think the football coaches abusing the players is not as prevalent as it used to be, but still occurs to a lesser degree at a lot of programs. What sets MD apart is that a player died, "drag his a** off the field", and it seems that the trainer/coaching staff did not apply adequate measures in a preventable death.

[kshepinthehouse]

With the caveat that we don't know exactly what Dabo said, yelling at a player who just went against the play call and made a huge mistake is not the equivalent of slapping a plate of food out of someone's hand or belittling a player who passes out before finishing a workout. One is a form of discipline and accountability, the other is demeaning and degrading and has no place in any relationship in life not just a Coach-Player one. Unless Dabo called the kid a worthless little "witch" or something to that effect then I don't have a problem at all with what he did. The examples in the article were not "soft" kids upset because someone yelled at them.

Furthermore, the article mentions former staffers complaining about the treatment as well as players upset about how their teammates are treated. It’s not just “soft” kids complaining. It’s all different types of people associated with the program.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

The Jim Jordan knew about it scandal happened at Ohio State.

Counselor, you are standing on facts not in evidence. In fact, everyone who knew Jordan at the time disagrees with you. Refer to Midterm Election thread...