Hmmm, is this a safe place to start a FL ST discussion?

[Bostondevil]

Some of you probably already know that I've been having a love/hate relationship with football as a sport this year. I am very happy that Duke has met with such success and I've been cheering them on at the same that I've been questioning why colleges even field football teams.

And next week we play Florida State. When ESPN, or any other sports broadcast, starts the discussion of whether or not Winston will be able to play, I change channels. The fact that we even have such discussions is one of the many reasons I have come to hate football. If Winston were anything other than a football player, he would have been suspended from university activities already. (OK, maybe basketball too.)

I made the comment last night that even though I don't think Duke has a chance, they are playing the team with an accused rapist at quarterback. And this non-Duke friend said, "Well, c'mon, Duke folks ought to know a think or two about players accused of rape." I looked at him for a second because I hadn't really thought about that, but then I said, "None of the Duke players accused of rape ever played another game for Duke University and the DNA evidence NOT linking them to a crime came back in less than a month."

I'd say the similarities between the two cases begins and ends with "athletes accused of rape" but perhaps I'm missing something.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

There is a difference between talking about our game with FSU and talking about (date) rape. Which do you want to do? I'm for the first and against the second.

[Very Duke Blue]

I love football. Especially Duke and the Panthers. I don't like criminals playing in any sport. I don't know how it would play out if Duke were in this situation. After what transpired with the our lacrosse team and coach, they may have second thoughts before suspending or firing a coach. I am not taking a stand on Winston. Hopefully, the courts will get if right. JMO.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I love football. Especially Duke and the Panthers. I don't like criminals playing in any sport. I don't know how it would play out if Duke were in this situation. After what transpired with the our lacrosse team and coach, they may have second thoughts before suspending or firing a coach. I am not taking a stand on Winston. Hopefully, the courts will get if right. JMO.

Yep. Love ya, VDB. Us old gals need to stick together. The world should stop getting its panties in a wad and start listening to us survivors. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. And all is well.
Love, Ima

[DukePA]

Some of you probably already know that I've been having a love/hate relationship with football as a sport this year. I am very happy that Duke has met with such success and I've been cheering them on at the same that I've been questioning why colleges even field football teams.

And next week we play Florida State. When ESPN, or any other sports broadcast, starts the discussion of whether or not Winston will be able to play, I change channels. The fact that we even have such discussions is one of the many reasons I have come to hate football. If Winston were anything other than a football player, he would have been suspended from university activities already. (OK, maybe basketball too.)

I made the comment last night that even though I don't think Duke has a chance, they are playing the team with an accused rapist at quarterback. And this non-Duke friend said, "Well, c'mon, Duke folks ought to know a think or two about players accused of rape." I looked at him for a second because I hadn't really thought about that, but then I said, "None of the Duke players accused of rape ever played another game for Duke University and the DNA evidence NOT linking them to a crime came back in less than a month."

I'd say the similarities between the two cases begins and ends with "athletes accused of rape" but perhaps I'm missing something.

I don't know any details of the Winston case, but I would hope that all students are treated equally under school rules and regulations. (I know, dream on.) I prefer not to rush to judgement on anyone accused of a crime and hope that the legal system works. I just can't come down on someone who has been accused of a crime, but not convicted. It's not my place and I wasn't there.I believe Winston should be held to the same standards as all University of Miami students.

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

Regardless of the outcome of the Saturday game, Duke Football is playing in the ACC championship. Duke #20 is playing the #1 FSU Noles for the championship!

The BOA stadium in Charlotte should be filled with Duke Blue!

Duke Football is the Feel Good story of NCAA football this season. And being the Underdogs, I would think most everyone (except the Silenced Lambs) and Noles fans would be cheering Duke on for the trophy!!!!

The former Unc professor turned himself in on charges on the UNC football scandal.

www.wral.com


Let's Go Duke!!!!!

[Bostondevil]

Yes, I agree, we should not rush to judgment and for that very reason I do not find the two cases similar. That was my point. A year to get the DNA analysis back? A year? And it's a match and he's still playing football. The two cases are not similar.

I don't want to rush to judgment but I don't support dragging it out either. The evidence gathering and statement taking and DNA analysis shouldn't take this long. Treat all students equally - yeah, right. Would any of this have taken as long if the student in question weren't a Heisman Trophy candidate?

[DukePA]

Yes, I agree, we should not rush to judgment and for that very reason I do not find the two cases similar. That was my point. A year to get the DNA analysis back? A year? And it's a match and he's still playing football. The two cases are not similar.

I don't want to rush to judgment but I don't support dragging it out either. The evidence gathering and statement taking and DNA analysis shouldn't take this long. Treat all students equally - yeah, right. Would any of this have taken as long if the student in question weren't a Heisman Trophy candidate?

Hard to say. Who dragged it out? I may have been the police.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... ishandled/

[TillyGalore]

Yes, I agree, we should not rush to judgment and for that very reason I do not find the two cases similar. That was my point. A year to get the DNA analysis back? A year? And it's a match and he's still playing football. The two cases are not similar.

I don't want to rush to judgment but I don't support dragging it out either. The evidence gathering and statement taking and DNA analysis shouldn't take this long. Treat all students equally - yeah, right. Would any of this have taken as long if the student in question weren't a Heisman Trophy candidate?

Hard to say. Who dragged it out? I may have been the police.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... ishandled/

I like that the author of the article laid out facts and not accusations. Thank you for sharing it, DukePA. In cases like this, which appear to be really muddled, we need to let the law do their job, and (hopefully) do it correctly. This really sounds like a he said/she said case and we have no idea what evidence, if any, exists supporting which side.

Winston has only been a Heisman candidate for the last few months. On December 7, 2012 he was a, as the article points out, star in waiting. During what investigation did take place no one knew what kind of season he would have. If in fact the accuser stopped cooperating then this is not a case where police dropped the ball. Again, we don't know what happened that stalled this investigation while others, again as mentioned the article, proceeded.

[lawgrad91]

The AP posted facts gleaned from a search warrant in the Jameis Winston case. (I'm not sure what the police were actually searching FOR in December/January, since they didn't bother with Winston's DNA until the fall and-according to his attorney-he voluntarily gave a sample. In October or November, 2013.) At any rate, the probable cause affidavit says the young lady and friends were doing shots in a bar, and her memory is fuzzy. She got in a taxi with a man. They went to an apartment. The man took her clothes off and she tried to fight him off. A man with dreadlocks came in the room and told them to stop, but she and the man went into the bathroom where the sexual act took place. The man then dressed her and drove her on a scooter to a campus intersection and dropped her off.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/ ... TE=DEFAULT

In an hour, the Tallahassee prosecutor is going to say that he does not feel there is enough evidence to charge Winston with anything. At least that's my guess. He is going to dance around the cluster-f*** that the police made of this case, and he will say that Winston's status as a Heisman frontrunner and QB of the number 1 college football team had no bearing on his decision. He will dance around a few other questions, and eventually Winston and his defense attorney will get up and crow about how justice was served and how innocent people shouldn't be prosecuted and how he can now focus on the national championship and his career.

Sigh. I am very sad, and conflicted.

[Bostondevil]

I will say that as the story has unfolded, the published accounts don't support bringing charges.

But yes, I'm sad and conflicted. And completely unwilling to put what happened in the Duke Lacrosse case in the same bucket as this one. Perhaps it's like the Shelden Williams case. But Shelden was kicked off his high school team. Right away.

[chipslate]

Damn, LG, you nailed in right on the head. They really made asses of themselves laughing and treating it essentially like a joke. It'd be nice to wipe the smile off his face Saturday night...

[Very Duke Blue]

Yes, it is sad. I do hope justice was done but have doubts.

[IowaDevil]

The good part of this is when we win Saturday they will have no "well if we'd had our quarterback" excuses! LGD!

[DukePA]

Yes, I agree, we should not rush to judgment and for that very reason I do not find the two cases similar. That was my point. A year to get the DNA analysis back? A year? And it's a match and he's still playing football. The two cases are not similar.

I don't want to rush to judgment but I don't support dragging it out either. The evidence gathering and statement taking and DNA analysis shouldn't take this long. Treat all students equally - yeah, right. Would any of this have taken as long if the student in question weren't a Heisman Trophy candidate?

Hard to say. Who dragged it out? I may have been the police.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... ishandled/

I like that the author of the article laid out facts and not accusations. Thank you for sharing it, DukePA. In cases like this, which appear to be really muddled, we need to let the law do their job, and (hopefully) do it correctly. This really sounds like a he said/she said case and we have no idea what evidence, if any, exists supporting which side.

Winston has only been a Heisman candidate for the last few months. On December 7, 2012 he was a, as the article points out, star in waiting. During what investigation did take place no one knew what kind of season he would have. If in fact the accuser stopped cooperating then this is not a case where police dropped the ball. Again, we don't know what happened that stalled this investigation while others, again as mentioned the article, proceeded.

You're welcome, Tilly. The whole thing breaks my heart for everyone. We're talking about young people whose lives will never be the same. I hope that justice has been served. I do believe that we need to better and make every effort to ensure that everyone is equal under the law and that no one receives preferential treatment.

[DukePA]

The good part of this is when we win Saturday they will have no "well if we'd had our quarterback" excuses! LGD!

Amen!!! GO DEVILS!!!

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

Let's Go DUKE!!!!!

Beat FSU!

[DukePA]

Yes, I agree, we should not rush to judgment and for that very reason I do not find the two cases similar. That was my point. A year to get the DNA analysis back? A year? And it's a match and he's still playing football. The two cases are not similar.

I don't want to rush to judgment but I don't support dragging it out either. The evidence gathering and statement taking and DNA analysis shouldn't take this long. Treat all students equally - yeah, right. Would any of this have taken as long if the student in question weren't a Heisman Trophy candidate?

You certainly raised compelling points, BostonDevil. In light of the NY Times article on Winston, I'm feeling like justice was likely not served, and that Duke may have been screwed out of an ACC football championship.

[Bostondevil]

And I'm still not sure that the young man belongs in jail.

But I am sure that the Heisman Trophy, which the Heisman Trust says should be given to "The outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity", should not have been awarded to Winston. Nothing about the investigation of Winston was conducted with integrity. Going to jail is a harsh punishment, not winning the Heisman? If more young men saw their conduct off the field cost them money and/or recognition like winning the Heisman, they actually might start to change their behavior. The public might start to change their expectations of athletes as well.

[Bob Green]

Oops, I forgot to pay...

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/04/30/ ... 100/&ihp=1

So the baseball coach has suspended Winston and Jimbo Fisher says he supports the decision, but what remains to be seen is if Jimbo suspends him.