DJ Durkin and Damon Evans will retain jobs at Maryland, source says

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Pompous Elitist said:
It’s far worse in the comments abyss of SBnation, Twitter, 247 but here are some suggestive comments from this thread:


“I assume that when you say "abuses" you arnt including McNair's death as one of the abuses, right?”

“This will get uglier. What parent will agree to have their son go to a school that sends a message that his life isn't valued so much.”

“have fun if you go there. Hope you don't die”

“Money matters more than lives, huh? Seems the regents are taking notes from the guys down the road in DC”

“Jordan McNair paid for this culture with his life.”

“Look man they just want a team of psychopaths that wouldn't really care or respond much to the death of a student ..”
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Sorry, not a hit. Here is what you said in your post:

"the rage seems to be along the line of Durkin ran the kid until he died/murder."

So who said that or something close to that?

I think an perfectly good argument could be made that Durkin's sick culture contributed to an environment where something terribly rare, the death of an athlete, occurred. You might disagree, but distorting that into "the rage seems to be along the line of Durkin ran the kid until he died/murder." is simply exaggeration.
 


MrC said:
Sorry, not a hit. Here is what you said in your post:

"the rage seems to be along the line of Durkin ran the kid until he died/murder."

So who said that or something close to that?

I think an perfectly good argument could be made that Durkin's sick culture contributed to an environment where something terribly rare, the death of an athlete, occurred. You might disagree, but distorting that into "the rage seems to be along the line of Durkin ran the kid until he died/murder." is simply exaggeration.
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Ok, then make that argument. I’ve been waiting for you guys to explain yourselves and you throw personal insults instead. I don’t see how you connect those dots in a straight line. The investigation exonerated DJ and faulted the trainers. The workout was done on a mild day, water was provided, and it wasn’t an extreme workout along the lines of an hour of burpees. Mistakes were made and people have lost their careers, jobs, licenses.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
MrC, we all know you’re the smartest man here. You’re still upset I called you out for the grammar error while mocking another poster’s intelligence. That was pretty funny. I won’t apologize. You’ve been hounding me like a scorned lover ever since.

I’d prefer to stick to arguing the known facts, but you seem determined to default to personal attacks when I don’t see things your way. A few of you are reliable in that respect.
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Thanks. I am glad you speak for everyone here. I was feeling kind of insecure and was going to change my moniker to something like "Imperious Snob," but you have saved me from that by bringing to my attention my universal acclaim on Gopherhole! And by the way, if you spent your time mocking me for my grammatical errors, you would be a very busy man. I wish I could get through at least one post some time without having to edit it for some stupid mistake.

I just have stopped taking you seriously. Sorry that hurt your feelings. You really do seem like a smart person, I just think it would be better if you were even slightly open to information that contradicts your position.

But you do have an awesomely honest moniker. Most folks would find it difficult to post something as pompous as this: "I seem to be the only one here working off of any semblance of fact."

Good luck and goodbye, I hereby give you the last word and wish you well!
 
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Pompous Elitist said:
Ok, then make that argument. I’ve been waiting for you guys to explain yourselves and you throw personal insults instead. I don’t see how you connect those dots in a straight line. The investigation exonerated DJ and faulted the trainers. The workout was done on a mild day, water was provided, and it wasn’t an extreme workout along the lines of an hour of burpees. Mistakes were made and people have lost their careers, jobs, licenses.
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See post No. 32
 
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MrC said:
Thanks. I am glad you speak for everyone here. I was feeling kind of insecure and was going to change my moniker to something like "Imperious Snob," but you have saved me from that by bringing to my attention my universal acclaim on Gopherhole! And by the way, if you spent your time mocking me for my grammatical errors, you would be a very busy man. I wish I could get through at least one post some time without having to edit it for some stupid mistake.

I just have stopped taking you seriously. Sorry that hurt your feelings. You really do seem like a smart person, I just think it would be better if you were even slightly open to information that contradicts your position.

But you do have an awesomely honest moniker. Most folks would find it difficult to post something as pompous as this: "I seem to be the only one here working off of any semblance of fact."

Good luck and goodbye, I hereby give you the last word and wish you well!
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Well...we’re waiting!

Sometimes the truth can be uncomfortable and I don’t have to bend to your opinion. We have people openly admitting they haven’t looked at the investigations making very strident assertions. You don’t see a problem with that? If you have anything that contradicts the two official investigations please post.
 

MrC said:
See post No. 32
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Here it is

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals. Another player says that there were videos of rams and bucks running at each other at full speed. Mr. Durkin maintains that horror movies were sometimes shown at breakfast to motivate and entertain players.”

Really, what else do we need to know about Durkin?


I just saw a video of players visiting a pretty twisted haunted house. OK in your world, or?
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Here it is

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. ...
Really, what else do we need to know about Durkin?


...
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Well, let's see... Jeffrey Dahmer started his serial career by killing and torturing little animals. Then, he graduated from there. I guess that Durkin wants his players to have a "killer mentality".
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Here it is

Multiple players anonymously complain that the coaching staff would subject teams during meal time to disturbing videos. According to Gus Little, this included videos of serial killers, drills entering eyeballs, and bloody scenes with animals eating animals. Another player says that there were videos of rams and bucks running at each other at full speed. Mr. Durkin maintains that horror movies were sometimes shown at breakfast to motivate and entertain players.”

Really, what else do we need to know about Durkin?


I just saw a video of players visiting a pretty twisted haunted house. OK in your world, or?
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Is...
(A) Going to a haunted house of your own volition...
the same as...
(B) Being forced to watch Cannibal Holocaust
?
 
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[video]https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/maryland-board-of-regents-chairman-james-t-brady-steps-down/ar-BBPetyl?ocid=spartandhp[/video]
 


hungan1 said:
Well, let's see... Jeffrey Dahmer started his serial career by killing and torturing little animals. Then, he graduated from there. I guess that Durkin wants his players to have a "killer mentality".
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I hope Boe doesn’t develop a sudden interest in chainsaws or meat cleavers.

How do you feel about Dungeons and Dragons?
 





This is getting pretty spicy. Altercation narrative pushed by McNair family lawyer appears to be false per another player


 

hungan1 said:
I am partial to Hannibal Letter(so?).
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It was a joke. Back in the day there was genuine concern that was a gateway to witchcraft, Ozzy was making kids commit suicide, rock and roll to promiscuity etc etc. OK maybe the last one was partially true.
 

kisarazu said:
Dancing around the question, eh? :cool:
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Being that “multiple players” is code for three, it probably wasn’t as bad as described which was confirmed by other players statements IIRC. Again, it’s a bit bizarre and not something I would watch particularly at a meal (and they didn’t have to) but a lot of people are bizarre. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are irresponsible psychopaths. A surprising number of guys (and gals) are horror aficionados. I know a lot of them and they are very normal people.
 

Who needs soap operas when we have Maryland football?
 

hungan1 said:
[video]https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaafb/maryland-board-of-regents-chairman-james-t-brady-steps-down/ar-BBPetyl?ocid=spartandhp[/video]
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http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...-t-brady-chair-maryland-board-regents-resigns

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called on the board to reconsider the decision, saying, "I am deeply troubled by the lack of transparency from the board of regents, and deeply concerned about how they could have possibly arrived at the decisions announced yesterday."

Hogan appointed Brady, 78, and the majority of the 17 board members, and had a close relationship with him.

On Wednesday, acting without the board's approval, Loh fired Durkin.

In his statement, Brady said he respected the many people who disagreed with the board's recommendations.

"They were difficult decisions, based on information included in reports stemming from two investigations and a great deal of thought and deliberation. I understand that reasonable people could come to other conclusions," he said. "And even among our board, some did.

"Going forward ... I believe the board needs to be able to return to the important business of supporting and advancing Maryland's public university system, for the benefit of its students and families, and of people across the state.

"In recent days, I have become the public face of both the board and its decisions related to these matters. In my estimation, my continued presence on the board will inhibit its ability to move Maryland's higher education agenda forward. And I have no interest in serving as a distraction from that important work."

"Accordingly, I will step down from the Board of Regents immediately."

After Brady's announcement, Hogan's office issued a statement that read: "Governor Hogan thanks Mr. Brady for his service on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, as well as his many years of distinguished public service under three governors of both parties. The governor believes that the university system must move forward in an open and transparent manner to restore public trust in Maryland's flagship university."
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Much deserved.

Pretty much guessing that behind closed doors Hogan was like "Brady, WTF??!?! What the hell were you thinking???? I have to fire you for this ... you realize this, right??"
 

Wonder with the Regents getting eviscerated for such a stupid decision, and governor, public, school, team, etc. being behind the correct decision to fire Durkin ... if Loh will announce later that he is staying? Although I could easily see this as him saying "I had to leave at some point, being president of a huge U is not a picnic job, and this is as good a time as any time step off the train",
 


The fight was real, and it happened. There was a police officer there, and the event will have a police record. And now, it will be investigated by campus police.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...in-probe-fight-involving-two-football-players

The University of Maryland's police department has opened an investigation into an altercation between two football players that occurred at the end of Tuesday's practice.

Police said in a statement Thursday that an athletics department employee alerted an officer, who was at Maryland's practice at the time, to the fight.

"The officer talked to both parties involved and a witness," the university police's statement read. "It was determined that both parties got into a verbal argument that turned physical. One of the students was treated by on-site athletics staff for his injuries. The other student sustained minor injuries, but did not seek medical attention."

Police said they reviewed camera footage and discovered video of the altercation.

Matt Barber, a senior kicker from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, told ESPN that he needed stitches above his right eye and dislocated his right shoulder after punter Wade Lees of Melbourne, Australia, assaulted him.
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Really hope the punter is dismissed from the team and the school and we send his a__ packing back down under.
 

Gophers_4life said:
Wonder with the Regents getting eviscerated for such a stupid decision, and governor, public, school, team, etc. being behind the correct decision to fire Durkin ... if Loh will announce later that he is staying? Although I could easily see this as him saying "I had to leave at some point, being president of a huge U is not a picnic job, and this is as good a time as any time step off the train",
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Maryland fans feel he’s the #1 problem. He declined proposal of having physician management/oversight of the training staff (may have had better training), and he’s the actual captain of the ship. Per the official report the team physician was not involved in training the staff (for these exact scenarios). It’s really pretty staggering.

It’s become a finger pointing exercise. Apparently the training staff has not been fired yet...total dysfunction. Everyone needs to go.
 
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Pompous Elitist said:
Maryland fans feel he’s the #1 problem. He declined proposal of having physician management/oversight of the training staff (may have had better training), and he’s the actual captain of the ship. Per the official report the team physician was not involved in training the staff (for these exact scenarios). It’s really pretty staggering.

It’s become a finger pointing exercise. Apparently the training staff has not been fired yet...total dysfunction. Everyone needs to go.
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OK, I'm good with that then. Yes, total house cleaning seems appropriate. The AD was just fired last summer, so I think the new guy is fine to stay. Would be fine with Canada staying too. But if those both leave too, fine.

Training staff won't get to stay .... that was just the latest foul up by the regents, which are now getting fired.
 


Pompous Elitist said:
Being that “multiple players” is code for three, it probably wasn’t as bad as described which was confirmed by other players statements IIRC. Again, it’s a bit bizarre and not something I would watch particularly at a meal (and they didn’t have to) but a lot of people are bizarre. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are irresponsible psychopaths. A surprising number of guys (and gals) are horror aficionados. I know a lot of them and they are very normal people.
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I'm a big fan of the Alien franchise (not the newer ones, but not going to go into that). The biggest thing in a situation like this is context.

Me enjoying a watch of Alien is one thing.
Me enjoying a watch of Alien with my young nieces during breakfast is another.
Me enjoying a watch of Alien in the lunchroom of my workplace forcing everyone to endure it is also another.

Context can suddenly make things more complicated. Were the students forced to watch them? Guessing, no? I suppose they could choose to show how weak they are and leave if they felt uncomfortable. Point being, I don't care about personal movie tastes or whether you like to cast magic missle. I do, however, care about what methods are being used to "toughen up" humans.
 

For the record, regardless of what you thought of the U's investigation, they look like the most well functioning university ever compared to the Sh!t show at Maryland!
 

I think this Washington Post commenter summed it up better than I could:

"Sadly, Maryland is not the first college football program to have a player die during practice. This also happens at the high school level. In most of those cases, the coach is not fired. The thing that makes the Maryland case different is that the environment created by Durkin and the strength trainer was allegedly hostile and cruel — a climate of fear and intimidation. So, Durkin may not have been personally responsible for what happened, but the climate that his leadership style created was destructive. For that, he should have been fired."

— wjbeckham
 

MrC said:
I think this Washington Post commenter summed it up better than I could:

"Sadly, Maryland is not the first college football program to have a player die during practice. This also happens at the high school level. In most of those cases, the coach is not fired. The thing that makes the Maryland case different is that the environment created by Durkin and the strength trainer was allegedly hostile and cruel — a climate of fear and intimidation. So, Durkin may not have been personally responsible for what happened, but the climate that his leadership style created was destructive. For that, he should have been fired."

— wjbeckham
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Conflating two totally separate issues (in this case). If the workout were abusive or kept the training staff from attending to the player that would be one thing. It wasn’t, they didn’t, training staff ****ed up, and the kid is dead.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
training staff ****ed up
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And while investigating that, they discovered an awful, abusive environment throughout the program (both S&C and in general).


If your neighborhood has a gas leak, and upon investigating the gas leak, they stumble upon dead bodies in someone basement ... they're supposed to throw up their hands and say "we never had cause to look for dead bodies, oh well!" ?? Fat chance.

You can argue that until you're blue in the face. If enough people disagree with you ... then what they believe becomes what is true. You can stomp your feet at that all you want, you won't win.
 

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