Virginia's Lacrosse Scandal

[TillyGalore]

Wonder if this guy is going to be treated the same way as our guys were.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5158985

[CathyCA]

That poor girl. My condolences to Yeardley Love's family and friends on their loss.

[lawgrad91]

What a tragedy for all involved. There is some of the same attitude in Charlottesville/Albemarle County of "us v. them" (rich white kids from the North v. the locals) that Mike Nifong exhibited, but I suspect a more fair treatment of the situation than the Duke guys got.

[cl15876]

Tragic indeed! They just ran a news report on some more details up here and apparently the young man has an arrest history of violent episodes. Such a shame! Vibes and prayers for the young lady, her family and her loved ones!

[devildeac]

Yea, let's see what the gang of 88, nancy grace and barry saunders write about this one.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

What blows my mind is that he's charged with FIRST degree. Hard to imagine he planned it and intended it.....IF he did it. Another sad note is that every article seems to end with the fact that he attended Landon School.....same as our guys. Will it never end for our LAX players?
Love, Ima

[YmoBeThere]

. Another sad note is that every article seems to end with the fact that he attended Landon School.....same as our guys. Will it never end for our LAX players?Love, Ima

My thoughts exactly, just because some people went to the same school and played lacrosse doesn't really imply anything other than they went to the same school and played lacrossed. Particularly when the charges in one situation were based on fictitious information.

[lawgrad91]

What blows my mind is that he's charged with FIRST degree. Hard to imagine he planned it and intended it.....IF he did it. Another sad note is that every article seems to end with the fact that he attended Landon School.....same as our guys. Will it never end for our LAX players?
Love, Ima

First degree murder involves a specific intent to kill and premeditation, but there's no specified time period needed for premeditation. It can be an instant thought that's acted upon.

In Virginia, first degree murder doesn't involve the possibility of the death penalty. He would have to be charged with capital murder, and there would have to be some other situation that would cause the Commonwealth's Attorney to charge capital murder (murder after a rape, for example).

Just like you, Ima, I am sick of hearing that this guy attended the Landon School, same as the Duke lacrosse players. There's no reason to keep dragging the lacrosse case into this.

[wilson]

Just like you, Ima, I am sick of hearing that this guy attended the Landon School, same as the Duke lacrosse players. There's no reason to keep dragging the lacrosse case into this.

Like it or not, this is what's coming. And there definitely is a piece forthcoming from someone asking, "What is it about lacrosse?" It's a sport that's widely associated with (north)eastern privilege, with too strong a "boys will be boys" mentality in many circles. The parallels absolutely exist, and in the right hands, exploration of such questions could yield some interesting and valuable answers.

[Johnboy]

[T]here definitely is a piece forthcoming from someone asking, "What is it about lacrosse?" It's a sport that's widely associated with (north)eastern privilege, with too strong a "boys will be boys" mentality in many circles. The parallels absolutely exist, and in the right hands, exploration of such questions could yield some interesting and valuable answers.

Wow, that's a horrible stereotype. It's probably true, though, since stereotypes are generally so reliable.

I don't think there are many interesting or valuable answers specific to lacrosse. The Duke lacrosse case and this case are totally discrete and random incidents that are totally unrelated. The question "what is it about lacrosse" is simply an attempt to impose an order on random events. How about "what is it about ACC lacrosse?" or "what is it about Landon alumni?" I hate the attempts to link this with Duke and in doing so to further damage the sport. An inquiry into off-the field violence/crime among college athletes generally may yield some interesting answers (e.g., do athletes behave more violently than non-athlete students?). Perhaps a comparison that includes lacrosse would be interesting (I daresay that every sport contains troubled students and I'd wager the "interesting result" would be a high level of achievement/low level of crime among lacrosse players as compared to both revenue sports).

Unfortunately, if there's anything out there to reinforce this stereotype, or dredge up the Duke case, we can count on our press to do it. So I agree with you that the question is coming - It's still not a fair question.

All that said, this murder is a horrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the victim and the families affected.

[lawgrad91]

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/ ... 04/341933/

[CameronBornAndBred]

So the guy has admitted to his crime, except he didn't mean to kill her. He only meant to beat the shit out of her. Enjoy prison, asshole.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36918788/ns ... ?GT1=43001

[cl15876]

He deserves a lot more than prison, to coin Tilly's word, what a Bastard! People get upset and mad, but violence NEVER solves anything and for a man (old or young) to lay a hand, other than in a loving and caring way, on a woman deserves everything he's got coming to him, the big sissy! It makes me mad just thinking about it!

[Very Duke Blue]

He deserves a lot more than prison, to coin Tilly's word, what a Bastard! People get upset and mad, but violence NEVER solves anything and for a man (old or young) to lay a hand, other than in a loving and caring way, on a woman deserves everything he's got coming to him, the big sissy! It makes me mad just thinking about it!

So true. Violence is horrible, no matter where it comes from or who it's directed too.

[TillyGalore]

This is so sad. I really feel for her parents and the UVa community. Such a senseless death.

I also feel for his parents. No doubt they are hurting over their son's actions.

[wilson]

[T]here definitely is a piece forthcoming from someone asking, "What is it about lacrosse?" It's a sport that's widely associated with (north)eastern privilege, with too strong a "boys will be boys" mentality in many circles. The parallels absolutely exist, and in the right hands, exploration of such questions could yield some interesting and valuable answers.

Wow, that's a horrible stereotype. It's probably true, though, since stereotypes are generally so reliable.

Is it really that horrible? Whether or not you want to admit it, stereotypes become such because they contain kernels of truth (however small a proportion of the overall image those truths might constitute).
High school lacrosse teams are overwhelmingly fielded by private schools, and the sport's heartland is most assuredly the VA/MD/PA/NY corridor. Even college lacrosse is decidedly the province of well-endowed universities, and college rosters are littered with the very same prep school products that played at a high level in high school. This case is very different from the Duke case with regard to all the particulars of the case (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that in this instance, there actually is a case). I supported the Duke lacrosse players during that scandal, but I will tell you unequivocally that while I was at Duke, they were, plain and simple, entitled boors. There was a lot of boorish behavior on campus, as on every campus...hell, I was in a fraternity, so I would know. But I just about guarantee you that the majority of Duke students from, say, '95 to '05 (and perhaps beyond) would tell you that the lacrosse team was at the head of the pack. Moreover, I'm of the opinion that those who participate in violent sports could well be disproportionately given to violent behavior. Couple that with the fact that Americans of all stripes today afford athletes an imbalanced sense of their importance (and immunity), and I don't think my suggestions are at all unreasonable. This is indeed a very fertile test case for questions surrounding the intersection of money, privilege, and sports, just as the Duke case was.

[Lavabe]

[T]here definitely is a piece forthcoming from someone asking, "What is it about lacrosse?" It's a sport that's widely associated with (north)eastern privilege, with too strong a "boys will be boys" mentality in many circles. The parallels absolutely exist, and in the right hands, exploration of such questions could yield some interesting and valuable answers.

Wow, that's a horrible stereotype. It's probably true, though, since stereotypes are generally so reliable.

Is it really that horrible? Whether or not you want to admit it, stereotypes become such because they contain kernels of truth (however small a proportion of the overall image those truths might constitute).
High school lacrosse teams are overwhelmingly fielded by private schools, and the sport's heartland is most assuredly the VA/MD/PA/NY corridor. Even college lacrosse is decidedly the province of well-endowed universities, and college rosters are littered with the very same prep school products that played at a high level in high school. This case is very different from the Duke case with regard to all the particulars of the case (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that in this instance, there actually is a case). I supported the Duke lacrosse players during that scandal, but I will tell you unequivocally that while I was at Duke, they were, plain and simple, entitled boors. There was a lot of boorish behavior on campus, as on every campus...hell, I was in a fraternity, so I would know. But I just about guarantee you that the majority of Duke students from, say, '95 to '05 (and perhaps beyond) would tell you that the lacrosse team was at the head of the pack. Moreover, I'm of the opinion that those who participate in violent sports could well be disproportionately given to violent behavior. Couple that with the fact that Americans of all stripes today afford athletes an imbalanced sense of their importance (and immunity), and I don't think my suggestions are at all unreasonable. This is indeed a very fertile test case for questions surrounding the intersection of money, privilege, and sports, just as the Duke case was.

As a parent of a lacrosse player, offense taken.

[Lavabe]

High school lacrosse teams are overwhelmingly fielded by private schools, and the sport's heartland is most assuredly the VA/MD/PA/NY corridor.

As a native of New Jersey, offense taken. ;)

[Lavabe]

Is it really that horrible?

Yes it is.

Please revise and reconsider when first looking at facts and figures about the growth and diversity in the sport. For example, please see the latest growth trends in:
http://www.uslacrosse.org/LinkClick.asp ... tabid=2821

FWIW, Georgia is probably THE up-and-coming hotbed of lacrosse, although the survey points to Mass, Minnesota, Florida, California, and others as well. The development program there is AMAZING.

It wouldn't hurt to see a high school game in Georgia. I know that Legacy Lady wishes she was playing there.

[Lavabe]

This is so sad. I really feel for her parents and the UVa community. Such a senseless death.

I also feel for his parents. No doubt they are hurting over their son's actions.

This month's edition of Lacrosse Magazine has a photo of her in action against William&Mary.

I really can't imagine what her family must be going through.

ESPN is reporting that both the men's and women's teams will proceed with their season, which means they will play in the NCAA tourney, most likely playing their opening round games in Charlottesville. ESPN reported that both coaches and Ms. Love's parents gave the AD the okay for both teams to play.