anitasue

It "only happened because of a fake dog pee celebration?" Uh, that's what was credited with SAVING Moorhead'S job after Ole Miss game, since the ensuing 15-yd. penalty substantially contributed to the missed PAT and the 1-point Bulldog victory as time expired seconds later. But, then Moorhead was fired after all -- leading to Leach -- because his QB got beaten up so badly by a teammate a few weeks later that he couldn't play in the Music City Bowl, yet no player was suspended. In fact, no disciplinary measure was announced. All Moorhead would say was, it was handled "internally," it was a team matter, the two players had "talked." In reality, the crude end zone gesture/celebration was the last straw for Luke, i.e., why Ole Miss replaced him with Kiffin. This writer can't seem to get basic details straight. . . .

The writer's statements are abhorrent and perverse. And, the silver lining is obvious -- that an unfortunate, indeed horrible, incident days before the game precipitated the ultimate dragging of one yankee ass out of Starkville.

When I saw that apparently NOBODY was disciplined -- indeed Moorhead tried a cover-up, even saying he was possibly "doubtful" for the game after team arrived in Nashville w/out him -- after Shrader was seriously injured by his own teammate, I thought OK, maybe Cohen can finally fire him for cause and avoid paying buyout money, or negotiate the buyout down under threat of a for-cause firing. I told my gang that if it happens, Gay vs. Shrader would go down in history as the Immaculate Altercation. Today AD Cohen stated at his press conf., "And we will identify somebody who will hold all of our student-athletes In football accountable." Perfect.

W. Gay should have been awarded the MVP award -- for Louisville; for his performance taking Shrader out. Let's see now whether Shrader finds a portal to enter and exit through. They award hardship status if you're getting physically assaulted and injured by your own teammates, right?

I assume what caused Shrader's orbital fracture wasn't racial, and that there was nothing racial about the basketball teammates' (man and child?) exchange of punches. I don't doubt there are distinctions between the incidents, but action taken by university employees in each, and how the players and university employees interacted with the public, are easily subject to comparison.

In 2010, 2 Bulldog basketball teammates threw fists at each other outside of practice. Then-Bulldog-basketball coach Rick Stansbury, and then-Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, immediately reacted. AD Stricklin stated, "The actions that took place in Hawaii were embarrassing to all of us who love Mississippi State. This behavior will not be tolerated." Coach Stansbury's statement included, "In my 13 years as a head coach, we've never had anything like this happen before, I am very disappointed . . . and in no way does it reflect the overall picture of our program." Both players were promptly suspended indefinitely, and sent back to campus from the location where the team was to play. In the aftermath, one player rejoined the team and finished his career on campus, but the other -- a team captain -- never again took the court for the Bulldogs, Thereafter, Stansbury stated, "Hopefully, by sending [both players] home following the incident, a strong message was sent that this type of behavior is unacceptable." In turn, AD Stricklin stated, "We expect all of our student-athletes to represent themselves, our university, athletic program, fans and alumni in a first-class manner at all times. Hopefully, the disciplinary action that was taken sends a strong message to these young men, and all of our student-athletes, that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated." And, both players issued public apologies. It is simply NOT commonplace and NOT accepted that teammates will settle their differences outside of practice with physical combat, much less that one teammate causes serious bodily injury to another jeopardizing his well-being, and crippling his team's performance. It is shocking as Stricklin and Stansbury's bygone statements imply, and as I feel now. Certainly one, perhaps both, of Shrader and Gay must be immediately disciplined and the basic nature of the discipline made public. What mother and father would permit, and what high school coach would recommend, that their kid join into such bedlam? Here, since AD Cohen apparently won't intervene and ensure transparency and accountability given this head coach's feet of clay, it is up to university Pres. Keenum. And the university's student conduct and discipline process, if not law enforcement, should become engaged.