In a day when many see the media as a nuisance, it single handedly created an uproar that forced the removal of a cruel, ignorant and abusive head coach at Rutgers University when its athletic director would not act.
Following video footage shown on ESPN's Outside the Lines last week,Rutgers fired head basketball coach Mike Rice. Rice was shown throwing balls at players and physically pushing and pulling them while calling them four-letter words and homophobic slurs we could not possibly print.
What's the worst part of this situation? The school knew over four months ago.
In December, now former Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti suspended Rice three games without pay along with a $50,000 fine for "inappropriate behavior and language." This happened after the video shown to Outside the Lines was presented to the university. Rutgers felt this suspension and fine, along with counseling, was enough punishment for Rice and his disgusting antics.
Thankfully, Eric Murdock, a former Rutgers director of player development, did not feel the same. He turned the video into Outside the Lines, ultimately resulting in Rice's firing a day after its airing.
My question is: How could it have possibly taken that long for his dismissal? And even better, why was it not until public outrage?
As a college basketball head coach, you are a role model to your players.You also represent your university and what it stands for.
Many Division I student-athletes come from bad situations at home, and a coach is supposed to be not only a mentor but a father figure. Parents trust these coaches to keep their sons and daughters safe and put them in position for a better future.
Little did some parents know they were handing their children over to a monster.
Now that the world knows who Rice is, how would anyone allow him to step foot in their home for a recruiting visit and preach about character or 'making a man' out of someone, let alone allow their son or daughter to play and practice for him?
Does the video provide evidence of what a 'man' does? Use violence and profanity to belittle the people over whom you hold power? Is this really the lesson these players should walk out with?
In the past 12 months, five members of the team have transferred from Rutgers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out they were tired of being verbally and physically abused by their coach.
Some question why no player ever spoke out against him. If they did, the whole program would have been put at risk, which for many of these players puts their scholarships and enrollment at the university in jeopardy.
School presidents and athletic directors continuously say they have the best interests of the students at heart, but how can we believe this after such a blatant disregard of safety? It was only due to outside pressure (brought about from the media) that Rice was removed of his duties.
With all this negativity, it is nice to know there are still coaches who believe in what it means to be a role model.
After reading Spectrum Senior Sports Editor Jon Gagnon's feature story on Buffalo women's basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack, (Passion, pride and hoops: The story of Felisha Legette-Jack), I am thankful we don't have a Rutgers-esque problem at Buffalo.
I have covered Legette-Jack's basketball games and attended practices on multiple occasions this winter. I saw her intensity and passion a few feet away from me. There is nothing wrong with an animated coach on the sideline - I've played for my share of them - but in-the-moment emotions can never translate into any form of harm toward players. Clearly, Rice was unable to 'leave it on the floor.'
There is a difference between intensity and bullying. Legette-Jack knows it. Rice doesn't.
The blame, however, goes beyond just the head coach. The priorities at Rutgers University are clearly misguided. Pernetti was viewed as a hero for bringing Rutgers into the Big Ten - one of most prestigious conferences for both football and basketball - following the near-collapse of the Big East. He wanted Rice to be the man at the helm of his basketball program.
After learning all this, it becomes clear how much it costs to ignore student safety - about $25 million a year, the amount Rutgers is expected to make in the Big Ten.
Finally, on Friday, Pernetti used a get-out-of-jail-free card - otherwise known as resigning - though he should have been fired before given the opportunity.
I'm not ignorant. I understand there are shady things going on in college sports virtually everywhere. Paying players, giving benefits and changing grades is one thing, but to allow a head coach to physically abuse his own players?
A line must be drawn and this is it. Rice and Pernetti are finally gone and Rutgers President Robert Barchi deserves to be next.
Email: owenobri@buffalo.edu
Photo: Courtesy of UB Athletics
