Terry Mosher
I get tired of political correctness, and that coupled with our affection for star athletes despite the obvious character flaws, continues to really bother me.
When I was growing up 100 years ago, you could say things without worrying you would be criticized unmercifully in national media. Now you can’t. Well, you can, but the blowback may cause you more than a headache.
All this came to a head for me a long time ago, and I have tired to mute my feelings on various subjects for fear of being burned alive at the stake or having my home firebombed.
But the Sports Illustrated story on Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston (December 16 issue) drove me over the edge. I can’t hold back anymore. I need to talk.
Winston, you will recall was accused by an unnamed female of rape and just recently a state attorney for Florida refused to charge him with rape. And that seems to be the case in many cases involving athletes. And I will grant it is sometimes hard to prove because it many times comes down to she said against he said.
But I also feel that athletes, especially the better ones, get a lot of free passes – pass Go but don’t collect $200 sort of thing. They often get second and third chances before officials wake up and realize there may be something there that needs their attention.
Winston, a freshman quarterback, led Florida State to an unbeaten (13-0) season, the No. 1 ranking in college football, and a berth in the BCS championship game against Auburn. I’ve seen him play several times and he is incredibly gifted for someone who is just 19 years old.
The SI story’s central theme was whether Winston deserved the Heisman (this story came out before the Heisman voted was announced) based on the qualifications the Heisman voters are to consider.
Basically, those qualifications are two-fold: What the candidate does on the field (Winston makes this criteria) and two, whether the candidate “pursues excellence with integrity.”
On integrity, Winston can be questioned.
According to the SI story, Winston’s roommate, Florida State defensive end Chris Casher, “… went into the room to see if the female would engage in sexual activity with him as well”
The SI story added in parentheses (as has happened with other females he and Winston have brought back to their apartment).
So can we not assume that this has been a on-going practice with Winston?
And then add in that, according to the SI story, “a toxicology report from a sample taken about three hours after the incident showed her (the female) blood-alcohol level to be a .048 ‑ .08 is the driving limit in Florida – and showed that she had no drugs in her system.”
Ok, so the female victim was six times over what is considered the outer limits of driving under the influence in Florida. In other words, she was likely drunk beyond the ability to make decisions we would think would be reasonable.
Look, I’ve been there and done that. As a young college man – years before I met and married my wife – I’ve been in situations where the drinking got out of hand and fellow friends (not me) tried to take advantage of a drunk female that couldn’t walk straight and certainly could not think straight. I can remember intervening in such cases and not let the situation go down the sexual road.
Full disclosure – I remember one night back in the early 1960s in New York State when a female attacked me. She was looking for something I was not prepared for, and did not want. And when I untangled myself from her, she was beyond upset. She was ready to kill me, and called me names I will not repeat here.
All I can say of that incident is I’m glad I shortly afterwards removed myself from her presence. But, as you can see, I have not forgotten it. It was not a good situation for me. And if the situation was reversed, I can understand why women who have been attacked, whether successful or not, are haunted by it years later.
If you believe the SI story in entirely, then you have to conclude that Winston’s integrity is questionable. You have him and his roommate attracting women to their apartment, you have drinking, and you have a see said-he said problem.
But whether it was rape or not – and I certainly hope it was not – to take advantage of a female who was that drunk is unconscionable. It is morally reprehensible. And that begs the question: What kind of person is Winston?
And a further question: Is he, thusly, qualified to be a Heisman Trophy winner?
I think not.
Then there is Barry Hinson, basketball coach at Southern Illinois, who went off on his players in a post-game interview after his team lost to Murray State. He called his players, “Mama’s boys” among other things, while completely losing it.
Hinson is being criticized for his outburst, which including targeting by name one of his players, and in our PC world he is going to suffer for that. Some people believe you don’t do that. It is wrong, they say, to take on your team for its mistakes.. We just don’t do it, and the guy should be fired.
I say good for him. It’s about time somebody has the courage to stand up and tell the truth. These are college players, some of whom are 21 or older. If they can’t take it, maybe they should take up Ping Pong.
This was also a 100 years ago, but back when I was a young kid my coach was god. Whatever he said was taken as the final word. And parents did not intercede. They let you know the coach was the authority figure and you better listen and do as he (or she) said. And I was fine with that. I wanted that.
Now, if a coach says something, parents rush in to talk to him (or her) and the school administrator. Coaching these days is not easy. You have to be careful what you say and you can not be too tough on your players.
So it goes.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great week, and a wonderful Christmas.
You are loved.