Imagine beating up a fellow student in class, and the university only giving you a one-day suspension, hoping that you will be the top student when you graduate. Having trouble? Maybe you should become a football player.
The most recent example of special treatment for athletes occurred this past Saturday in the Miami v. Florida International football game when the brawl of all brawls broke out. I’m talking about an Indiana-Pacers-against-The-Palace type of brawl. That’s how absurd this melee was.
After a third quarter Miami touchdown, Florida International’s Chris Smith and Marshall McDuffie Jr. attacked Miami holder Matt Perrelli. Seconds later both benches cleared, and one hell of a brouhaha broke loose. Many players engaged in the normal pushing and shoving, and some took a page out of Tennessee Titan Albert Haynesworth’s book of football fighting maneuvers with some cleat stomping. Others abandoned conventional tactics for guerrilla warfare with helmet smashing and crutch swinging.
The most egregious problem with this incident, however, occurred days later when the punishments were doled out. The ACC and Sun Belt Conference handed out one-game suspensions to 13 Hurricanes and 18 FIU players. Miami added to the penalties for its players with community service for all involved and an indefinite suspension for Anthony Reddick, the safety who turned his protective helmet into a weapon. FIU dropped the hammer much more strongly on its players. Smith and McDuffie were kicked off the team while the other 16 players received indefinite suspensions, 10 hours of anger management and athletic probation. Community service was issued to all players and coaches, not just those involved.
What’s wrong with this picture? It’s the difference between a 4-2 ACC squad and a 0-7 one in the Sun Belt. Miami needs to keep its players and win out to have a legitimate chance of winning the ACC. The Hurricanes have a bowl game to look forward to while the Golden Panthers have no bowl hopes whatsoever. Obviously Miami can’t afford to come down as hard as FIU on its team, making it play without some of these players and putting the season at risk. Right?
Well, I say that is wrong. This is about setting standards. Sure, the University of Miami said any player who fights in the future will be kicked off the team, but that’s not a standard. Until you prove that you will actually do something like that, your threat doesn’t scare anyone. FIU set an actual standard while Miami’s standard consists of words. Universities would never let their better students off for cheating, so why should we accept lesser punishments for better football teams? These athletes must be taught a lesson before they are drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.
