[NU Sports] McGee Fire or Not?

[Mark Ament]

I'm not getting into what John meant or didn't mean, nor do I 
particularly care how many more people may die in drunk driving 
incidents or from drug related murders in the inner cities of our 
country.  I do however care about the message that our coaching staff is 
delivering to our football players about personal responsibility and 
making the correct choices, something about which they preach time and 
time again.  Is that message not diluted considerably by the retention 
of someone, without at least some serious repercussions beyond those 
applied by the legal system?  I am also concerned about the image 
projected in the living rooms of recruits across the country as our 
coaches sit down and try to sell this program as the peerless academic 
and football  program we know it to be, but which is diminished and 
subjected to negative recruiting due to the actions of a member of the 
coaching staff.  Folks, it's tough enough out there for Fitz due to his 
age and our standards without having to deal with this.

I have seen the impact that a DUI conviction can have on an assistant 
coach's career, and it's not pretty.  It can become a negative factor in 
advancement and it at least one case, cost one basketball assistant I 
know, a head coaching job.  Fair?, probably not, but that is reality in 
college sports and reality is what we should be dealing in.  Should 
McGee be fired?  Probably not, but he should be disciplined in a way 
that is at least public to the football team so they will understand 
that Fitz and the coaches are sincere when they talk about personal 
responsibility and self - discipline.

Mark

SportsBiz <http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com>
Join the conversation about  the business of sports


>