http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/hsedits/56-769063.html
A pep talk at Duke
The Herald-Sun
Sep 13, 2006
Last year was a rough one for Duke University. Its athletes, in particular, were under intense scrutiny in the wake of allegations that three lacrosse players raped and beat an exotic dancer during a wild party in March.
After the rape charges, Duke athletes were under tremendous pressure to be on their very best behavior. They knew that any misdeed, big or small, would be blown out of proportion by a ravenous local and national media on campus to feed on the juicy tidbits of the lacrosse scandal.
And what was true then is true now. No, the huge television satellite trucks haven't again rolled on to campus. But Duke athletes know, fair or not, that they will be the most closely watched student/athletes in the nation this school year.
So, it was smart Monday for the university's athletic department to call Duke's athletes together to give them a timely pep talk. The session, led by basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, also gave Duke officials an opportunity to remind athletes of their responsibilities to the university, the Durham community and most importantly, themselves.
"What this situation this spring did was that people wanted to put a cloud over all of athletics and specifically lacrosse, and I don't think that's fair, quite frankly, because we have so many great kids," Krzyzewski said.
Duke officials acknowledged that in the spring that morale among athletes was pretty low. But Athletic Director Joe Alleva says he believes it is back to normal and trending to high.
"I thought we had already turned the corner, but this really does help," he said. "It's a fresh start. We're turning the page, and we're moving forward."
It's understandable that Duke officials want to put the whole lacrosse scandal behind them, and the quicker the better. It would be unfair to the hundreds of responsible athletes to have their seasons lessened by dwelling too much on the lacrosse case.
But it is also important for Duke athletes and school officials to be mindful of the rape charge, which is scheduled to go to trial in the spring. The last thing Duke needs is a repeat of that regrettable night, and all of the negative attention that came along with it.
Nancy Grace finally pushed someone too far....
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4184249.html
LEESBURG, Fla. — Two weeks after telling police that her son had been snatched from his crib, Melinda Duckett found herself reeling in an interview with TV's famously prosecutorial Nancy Grace. Before it was over, Grace was pounding her desk and loudly demanding to know: "Where were you? Why aren't you telling us where you were that day?"
A day after the taping, Duckett, 21, shot herself to death, deepening the mystery of what happened to the boy.
"But Athletic Director Joe Alleva says he believes it is back to normal and trending to high.
(snip)
"It would be unfair to the hundreds of responsible athletes to have their seasons lessened by dwelling too much on the lacrosse case."
"responsible athletes"? As if the lacrosse players--who as a team have shown more character than the Duke faculty--were somehow irresponsible?
If Aleva and co. want the athletes to be able to get back to "normal", then help defend their own, and get this turkey of a case dismissed.