We Gotta Talk About It....

[ltrain38]

I agree that I hope our university wouldn't reinstate a player after a prostitution arrest. But the Neal/Cleaves case is awful on another level to me, because the violent nature of the crime and the victim shaming that went on in that case is horrific in a way that I want to avoid equating the two.

[durenduren]

My take, and I've been trying to watch from afar since my biggest worry was High School Algebra during the Hanh era:

1) To most of the current La Salle community, the Neal/Cleaves/Hanh Incident is almost unheard of. Of those that know, the story is almost an item of folklore. I got out a few years ago, and you would have been far-stretched to have found someone in my class that had even heard of it.

2) I'm not going to jump into the discussion of guilt or acquittal, because frankly it's irrelevant from my perspective. All I know is that there were gross violations of La Salle Community standards. I think I speak for many when I say I rather be affiliated with an institution that does take pride in its' values. Athletics should be an afterthought, and I'm glad they handled it as such.

3) Comparing this to the Wyatt is a case of apples to oranges, really. But if you're going to go that route, each school is entitled to make their own decisions. Temple dealt with the Wyatt fallout all season, to the extent where the AD's of Temple and St Joes agreed no rollouts would mention Wyatt's prostitution bust. Of course, a St Joe's rollout mentioned it, and it created more crap, eventually leading to a St Joe's apology. But that was a risk they knew they'd take, and they had to be prepared for the storm that could follow.

4) Some schools make decisions based on athletics, some make decisions for the health of the university. These larger schools such as Temple can afford to take a PR hit when taking these risks. Money dictates many of these decisions. La Salle takes a waiver on a player like Wyatt, there's more of risk it'll impact university image and eventually enrollment. If Temple does the same, such as in Jesse Morgan who was dismissed from UMass for discipline issues, they have virtually nothing to lose. Enrollment won't be impacted (state school, cheaper option, state funding). All they have to gain is an immensely talented player as they join a new league that's generating a ton more money. I'd take the chance if I were them too. It'd be stupid not to.

5) Last, people don't go to La Salle because of our basketball greats. Find me one person who thought "I want to go to La Salle because of Lionel Simmons, Tim Legler, Smith, Brooks, Gola, etc." People go to La Salle because of the interactions you get on a daily basis, your peers, professors, the person making your hoagie in the Union... On the other hand, people aren't saying "I'm not going to La Salle because of Gary Neal." Hope he's happy, but he's nothing to me.