C.L. Editorial 4/21/05 - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Apr 21, 2005

C.L. Editorial 4/21/05

Date: Apr 21, 2005

and i thought rick cleveland's article was neutral at best...certainly not an endorsement of the signing

bower had better have a crystal ball and know that this felon is going to work out and he better be a model citizen for the REST of his life not just at USM. this story will be attched to USM athletics for many years, especially if (heaven forbid) Raines should be accused of another crime

Date: Apr 21, 2005

This whole affair makes me sick. Add it to the pile of reasons why I am ashamed to be associated with USM.

Date: Apr 21, 2005

Today's Clarion Ledger had three pieces about the felon football story-- a front page story, a front sports page column, and the editorial. There is no way this kind of publicity is good for USM. A parent of a prospective student is going to have second thoughts about USM, and the parents of future athletes are going to be wary.

A perceptive athletic director and president would have realized the PR ramifications of this decision. It's no accident that the young man from California had to come all the way to Southern Mississippi to find a taker. There are lots of major university football programs between here and there, but most of them have presidents who are sensitive to the perceptions of others.

Date: Apr 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Ostrich
" A perceptive athletic director and president would have realized the PR ramifications of this decision. "

Or you'd think the resident PR director, if that person had a brain at all, would have warned them. Oh . . . wait a minute . . .

Date: Apr 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Ostrich
"
Today's Clarion Ledger had three pieces about the felon football story-- a front page story, a front sports page column, and the editorial. There is no way this kind of publicity is good for USM. A parent of a prospective student is going to have second thoughts about USM, and the parents of future athletes are going to be wary.

A perceptive athletic director and president would have realized the PR ramifications of this decision. It's no accident that the young man from California had to come all the way to Southern Mississippi to find a taker. There are lots of major university football programs between here and there, but most of them have presidents who are sensitive to the perceptions of others.
"

Another wonderful example of Gnome-think - No consideration whatsoever given to how this might be percieved by prospective student-athletes, prospective students in general, or the parents of both. No thought at all about how this might be percieved publically - That's what Mader is for!

Does Marcus Raines deserve a second chance? Has he "done the time for the crime" and is now ready to attempt to pick up his life and move on? Common decency says "Yes." However, we all know that the Court Of Public Opinion is a very fickle animal at best, twisting the most well-intentioned words or actions into the worst possible perceptions and outcomes. Other universities gave thought to this, and avoided Raines like the plague.

Perhaps we should put this into the form of a question, one that the Gnome should have asked himself before signing off on Raines:

How many parents out there would be willing to send their children to a school with a known, convicted felon; convicted of manslaughter on a plea deal, but someone who may very well have committed murder in reality? How many parents would like to have their children sitting in class beside such a person? Walking through the campus beside him? Living in a dorm with him? Having him as a roommate?

Not this parent.

Gnome Watcher

Date: Apr 21, 2005

this is not new. years ago there was a very good wide receiver who raped everybody in town, practically, and he was carefully protected for the duration.

Date: Apr 21, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: history lesson
"this is not new. years ago there was a very good wide receiver who raped everybody in town, practically, and he was carefully protected for the duration."

Yes, I remember that.

I also remember the football player who, after getting tanked at one of the local bars, ran down two students (a boy and his girlfriend) who were crossing 4th Street, knocking one of them over 150 ft. down the road. The boy survived, but was never able to walk again. The girl died instantly. If memory serves, this happened either in the late '70's or early '80's.

After one WDAM report and one HA article, the story "disappeared." I never did hear what (if anything) happened to the kid who was driving. As far as I know, no charges were filed or, if they were, they were civil charges and were settled out of court. Perhaps the Athletic or Alumni Associations (or both) are still making payments to the plaintiffs.

The difference between these stories and the Marcus Raines decision is that, as far as I am aware, neither the rapist or the drunk driver was a known criminal, nor were they admitted to USM after having been convicted of such a crime. As I remember it, their crimes were committed after being admitted, while they were students. To my knowledge, no such student athlete has ever been admitted to USM under similar circumstances, much less given an athletic scholarship. However, I will add that I am NOT a USM athletic historian, so I could be very wrong!

Gnome Watcher