(11-15-2017 07:11 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 05:10 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 04:22 PM)megadrone Wrote:  What would happen to any other student caught shoplifting? Probably not much. They would continue their enrollment and studies if they could pay tuition.

Right. Non-athlete students busted for shoplifting would not be expelled from the university. And if we are still going to pretend that college athletes are just regular ol' students, then the university has to treat them the same way as non-athlete students.

The team has the right to discipline them or even kick them off of the team for not following team rules or not being a good representative of the program or whatever, but the university administration absolutely should not punish them more harshly than what would happen to a non-athlete student.

What do you think the University would do to a non-athlete on a PAID University trip, representing the University if that non-athlete did the same?

Still wouldn't expel them from school, if we are going to continue to pretend that athletes are regular students and college basketball is just another extracurricular activity.

(11-15-2017 05:10 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 04:22 PM)megadrone Wrote:  What would happen to any other student caught shoplifting? Probably not much. They would continue their enrollment and studies if they could pay tuition.

Right. Non-athlete students busted for shoplifting would not be expelled from the university. And if we are still going to pretend that college athletes are just regular ol' students, then the university has to treat them the same way as non-athlete students.

The team has the right to discipline them or even kick them off of the team for not following team rules or not being a good representative of the program or whatever, but the university administration absolutely should not punish them more harshly than what would happen to a non-athlete student.

That's why I included the second point. While the students are responsible for their own actions, if on scholarship they are answerable to the athletic department or whoever decides to extend their scholarship. But that would be the same for any other scholarship student.

If any of the students were walk-ons, it's a little different.

They are receiving degrees (or moving towards receiving degrees) and are students in that sense of the word.

(11-15-2017 08:05 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 07:11 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 05:10 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 04:22 PM)megadrone Wrote:  What would happen to any other student caught shoplifting? Probably not much. They would continue their enrollment and studies if they could pay tuition.

Right. Non-athlete students busted for shoplifting would not be expelled from the university. And if we are still going to pretend that college athletes are just regular ol' students, then the university has to treat them the same way as non-athlete students.

The team has the right to discipline them or even kick them off of the team for not following team rules or not being a good representative of the program or whatever, but the university administration absolutely should not punish them more harshly than what would happen to a non-athlete student.

What do you think the University would do to a non-athlete on a PAID University trip, representing the University if that non-athlete did the same?

Still wouldn't expel them from school, if we are going to continue to pretend that athletes are regular students and college basketball is just another extracurricular activity.

I don't think anybody has ever viewed D-I basketball as "just another extracurricular activity". I tend to agree these students probably won't (and shouldn't) be expelled. But I do believe they should be kicked off the team (not just suspended), because this isn't merely a misdemeanor shoplifting case. According to the reports I have seen, this is grand larceny that happened to take place in a "shop". This wasn't penny ante stuff.

But beyond that one has to consider the geopolitical implications of this. This happened in a global superpower not exactly an ally of the U.S. It happened under the auspices of their university. It happened while the President of the United States was there in the middle of an international tour, virtually insuring that he would be pulled into the incident. Not only was the University put into the position of pleading for the return of its students, the President was also.

Now how do we suppose, the next time we need to call on China to assist in keeping a nuclear armed North Korea in check, that this president will be able to apply any leverage against the Chinese leader who just did him this big, and very public favor?

If all UCLA does is what they just announced - an "indefinite suspension" from the team, and then allows their return to the floor this season, they will be viewed by the Chinese as "typical, greedy, soft Americans" who have greatly disrespected them before the world, and they (UCLA) will have undercut President Trump even further.

If they kick them off the team, they won't have to worry about the expulsion question. These players will likely leave on their own.

They will miss a game or 2 then welcomed back.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk