Best Form of Punishment

[AUesquire 1]

Our local sports talk guy had a good discussion going a few days ago about whether or not suspensions are the best form of punishment when a player has a brain lapse and breaks the rules. Now, let me preface this by saying I'm fully aware that CTT is the only one who can truly know what's best...yada, yada yada. This is not to question his discipline or decisions.

But, things have definitely changed over the years. I know for a fact that suspensions used to be the exception more than the norm. Suspensions were dolled out more when it was inevitable that the press was going to get hold of a particular transgression and a coach had better take action to save face. Stadium stairs were formerly one of the more prevalent tortures of choice. Handle it "In house" and put the player through physical hell to teach him a lesson.

But, nowadays, players can't fart without ITAT and 16 message boards describing the volume of it and what it registered on the smellometer and how it was fired off in the huddle and 2 wide receivers passed out and were toted off the field. In other words, everything that goes on, could go on, might go on or didn't go on gets dissimenated across the south like wildfire within minutes of it happening. And when something does come out about a player, the first question asked is "How many games"? We've been pretty well conditioned to accept suspensions as the norm.

But is a suspension the best thing? Is it fair to the other players, coaches etc. to hold players out of a game? Should the other players on the team have a say so in deciding what is fair. After all, they will be affected by a player's absense. Should it depend on the severity of the screw up? I said on an earlier thread that if CMS did not suspend J. Simpson, then his true character would be exposed. But, what if Jaywanna is truly being ripped a new one by CMS and fair or not, we'll never know about it?

Again, I know it's ultimately up to our staff and all that. But would you consider any alternative punishments? What did your coaches do when you played?

[wesfau 0]

I like the suspensions for two reasons:

Most of these kids are playing with dreams of the NFL in their heads. No PT = less chance to impress scouts/pad stats.

If the team is negatively affected by a suspension, then the team will begin to self-police itself. I specifically recall CTT saying that one of the two players who got into trouble was getting far worse from his teammates than he would get from the coaching staff.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

We had the Blue Line. All of the players on the team lined up in two rows. The punished had to carry a football through the Blue Line, and get tackled by everyone on it. By the time you got through you pretty much out of it and didn't screw up again. With college ball this may not be acceptable (probably injuries to both sides).

I believe ER duty for the both is acceptable along with interviewing alcoholics down at the Salvation Army. They could also help out with Thanksgiving and Christmas day dinners at the Salvation Army. They'll see what alcohol can really do, then write about it (number of nights at the ER is up to the coaches and the hospital). I'm sure the Salvation Army would be more than willing to help, and it would help the people there, kind of a two-edge sword with a bit of PR to boot.

[sogaaufan 27]

I think that the thing about suspensions that make them effective are the fact that they carry some degree of shame. The fact that everyone knows you are suspended is the thing that makes it work. Also the fact that you have let the team down. Running stairs, "bull in the ring", and other physical "torture" should go along with it. No matter how they handle it at "the school down the road", a little public humiliation for your mistake never hurt anyone.

BTW, how many people have you seen picking up trash on the side of the road as community service for DUI. That works the same way. You don't want to wind up on display again for your misdeeds.

[DKW 86 7,431]

You live, play, win, and lose as a team. Learning that your behavior effects others is part of that experience. Suspensions work two ways AUEsquire. As with the movie "Remember the Titans" sometimes the suspensions are from WITHIN the team. Part of discipline within the team is discipline from the team captains. When Rowell screwed up the second time, the team captains went to CTT's home, right after he recovered from the surgery. They told him that they wanted Rowell gone. CTT just agreed with what they had decided.

[Ranger12 46]

I am a big believer, that when it comes to teamwork, whether on a sports team or a team of co-workers, peer pressure is the best way to accomplish a goal. If your teammates/co-workers hold you accountable for bringing down the team, then you are more likely to straighten out.

So, in a nutshell, suspensions work because if the team fails because of you, then you will feel even more pressure and blame to not mess up again. Like David said, you live or die as a team, and you chew each other's a** as a team when necessary.

[bammanmr 0]

Let me preface this rant. I feel that Tuberville has been an exceptional disciplinarian, and expect what happens to Blackmon and Sears will be very fair.

IMO, not only do I feel like the suspensions are a good thing, I don't believe that kids are shown the door often enough.

After an ‘incident’, no matter who, what school, or how serious, inevitably someone reminds us that these are kids and that they will make mistakes and questions the behavior of all young people and the other posters, lest we be too harsh with the players in question.

Something that people seem to overlook is that these aren’t ‘college kids’ or ‘just teenagers’, they are athletes that get a free ride from the state: free room/board, tuition, books, all the food they can eat, all the clothes they can wear (granted, they all have their school’s logo on them, but its free clothes nonetheless), and a nice per diem when they travel. Their responsibilities are MUCH higher than a regular college student, and the risk/reward in certain situations is sky high as well, and believe me, they are made aware of these risks by the staff from day one. If the young men are talented enough, all they have to do is keep their nose clean for 3-4 years and voila, gravy train, they get to play football for lots and lots of money.

I, for one don’t think it’s too much to ask for the football coach at the school where I donate money, spend 300+ on tickets each year, spend a 1000+ each fall to be a hard-ass and suspend or dismiss players for offenses like guns and drugs. Not only does this improve the image of the program, but dismissing a player that doesn’t think being a good citizen or an actual student-athlete is important, opens up ‘a spot’ for one while often not as talented, can do the right thing during his time at Auburn University, which IMO deserves that free ride infinitely more.