In something of a surprise the Trav’on Chapman case has resulted in some real jail time stemming from a guilty plea.
Former Kent Roosevelt star quarterback and University of Pittsburgh freshman Tra’Von Chapman pled guilty to a charge of attempted assault on Monday afternoon in Portage County Municipal Court.
Judge Barbara Oswick accepted the plea and ordered Chapman to spend three days in jail, pay a $200 fine, 40 hours of community service and must report to adult probation Aug. 2. Judge also issued a no-contact order, which prohibits Chapman from speaking to the victim or her family.
“Attempted assault” is a class 4 misdemeanor — the lowest classification for misdemeanors in Ohio. That’s why I was surprised a first-time offender would get any jail time. Technically the the judge can order jail time but it is also for no more than 30 days under the Ohio Revised Code (Sec. 2929.24(A)(4)). But, according to the stories, Chapman was sentenced to 90 days with 87 suspended.
Of course, Chapman was also ordered to fulfill 40 hours of community service and it seems the court suspended 20 of that by his working 20 hours with his old high school football team this summer. So, yeah. I really shouldn’t think too much about the details of the sentencing.
The question for Pitt fans is that there becomes the question of what happens to Chapman at Pitt.Will he be allowed to return? Is he dismissed from the team and school?
The facts remain that even the “attempted assault” happened. That it was committed towards a woman.
A “suspension” of a full year would seem like a possibility. The issue would be whether that would really be a true consequence. Chapman was already headed for a redshirt season. If he was completely barred from practicing and working with the team that would give it some teeth. He would be another year behind at that point with a more likely chance that Voytik would have the starting job in hand — possibly for three years. But it still is a question of whether that is sufficient.
Is it simply black-and-white that he must be dismissed? It would be easier for Pitt and Paul Chryst to do that. It sets a clear line. There wouldn’t be a lot of debate. Not much of a public explanation would be needed on that path.
But eventually letting him return? That would be hard. That would be something requiring a public explanation. There can’t be hiding behind vague statements and pretending to hide behind privacy laws.
It’s one thing to completely ignore/avoid/refuse to answer questions about Rushel Shell and his desire to transfer then trying to come back. That is annoying and frustrating from the sense that we are curious and would like to know.
This is something else. This absolutely would need an explanation. Words with real thoughts behind them rather than platitudes and spin. And it would have to come from Chryst. Not from the AD. Not from anyone in the administration. This is Chryst’s football team. It would be his decision to bring him back. He would have to stand in front of people and actually explain the decision and reasons behind it.
Is he willing to do that? I don’t know. He’s not comfortable in front of a crowd. He certainly likes to guard his words carefully. Chryst was able to avoid even bothering with a “no comment” last night because he was in transit from his trip to Bristol, Connecticut for ESPN media appearances.
He can’t avoid it too much longer, and it is assured that he will want/have to make a decision and public comment this week. No way he wants this to be hanging over everyone’s head when training camp begins next week.
it’s good ol’ Pitt and definitely stodgy and traditional in the whole band/cheerleader area…
… yeah, definitely think SP sorry a$$ taste is ruining that aspect of the game day as well.
In other news I used to hang out with the Duke Cheerleading coach when she was at Pitt. Small World I tell you!! She was on dance team.
Looks like mine has graduated and moved on!!
@PittStadiumShuffle, we’re going to the game, don’t have tickets yet. Got my season tickets, but did not get Navy, because we weren’t sure we could make that weekend.
It usually is pretty well attended by Pitt fans when we play there.
Maybe we could have Pitt make a bowl and play it in Annapolis???
We’re just gonna do Stub-Hub, which will be more money, but we won’t get that gouged for Pitt-Navy.
So, my poor answer is, I don’t know about the 2 ticket limit. LOL Helps a lot eh??
Had RB Hyde been charged, Meyer stated he would have been dismissed from the team. Instead, the victim didn’t want to pursue so case was dropped. Hyde got a 3game suspension instead.
Betcha OSU booster took care of the victim.
Where were the Pitt booster for Chapman case?
ACC is also a big talent upgrade in the Cheerleader, Dance Squad area.
Although ESPN cameraman always seems to have the habit of finding the chubster on the Pitt squad.
I knew them all when I was at Pitt and that was one thing they were back then, thin, thin, thin.
And the squad won the Cheerleading championship one or two years.
The UNC cartoon one is a hoot.
mostly glad that the conversation has changed.
think during the glory years pitt had terrific cheerleaders. think they were in the limited finals most years. even think they may have won 1 year.
we have lots to recoup.
need a big time band too
pitt script– bring it on
let’s make heinz field the place to be.
and please bring it on hcpc. i want to enjoy my kool-ade.
and let’s go pirates. 3-1, top of 3rd. can’t do more popular spellings. sorry. i’m old and don’t care much about technology. i’m often at trusted other’s tech persuasion.
and i liked the discussion on alternative cable/dish/hulu/netficks.
keep calm.
h2p.
What if Clint Hurdle leaves a tied game after Sweet Caroline?
Larry Foote was on the Fan today, and said he left after the 1st game yesterday because of curfew.
The guys on the Fan, asked if he was joking, he said, “oh no, no joke, curfew is for real”.
Just a thought on why they left possibly??
Plaxico was on too, talking up the Buccos.
And……….Raise it!!! Just beat the Cards for the 4th straight time. Go for the 5 game sweep tomorrow!!!
Pitt football, Steelers, Pens starting up……
and throw baseball playoffs possibly into the mix after all these years??? I wouldn’t know what to do!!
… found this link talking about the same thing!
link to collegecheerheaven.blogspot.com
but still going to need more “4 stars”…
Comment by wbb 07.31.13 @ 9:02 pm
Yea but half the student body does.
They really need to put a stop to that. No campus bus leaves until the game is over !
By Order of Smiley
Me Buccos won again……arghhhhh…!
“Even though he will not play in any games, Juantez will remain an active and valuable member of our program and be accountable every day in practice and in the classroom,” Chryst said.
Read more: link to post-gazette.com
He didn’t go to jail.
Chapman is a much different situation.
Media nightmare to keep Chapman on scholarship.
What is the punishment if the kid is sitting out the year on scholarship???
We will know later today as Chapman gets out of jail and Chryst will have a talk with him. That is why the delay in the announcement.
I hope Hollins has made the best of his second chance.
Great to discuss anything else but Travon
From that high, Clemente died a few months later. He had put the team on his back as Stargell would in ’79.
This year will have to be a team effort like 1960.
Wait………..
“The Summer of the Tra(‘)(y)vons”
Oy Vey !
What do they know they we don’t ???
“2013 Weaknesses: Pitt is bringing in a new quarterback and running back since Rushel Shell is transferring to West Virginia. The offensive line does return key players so maybe the Panthers can offset the loss of its starting quarterback and running back. Chryst has also not named a starting quarterback just yet but it is likely to be Chad Voytik, and the sooner the better would be the mantra for Pitt to help the offense get going early on. Also, the move to the ACC from the Big East will be a fairly sizable adjustment. ”
Polls are for media to talk about.
I think I read somewhere that Pitt camp opens up next Monday !!!
Hey Justin, what’s our RB situation going to look like beyond Sir Isaac and Malcolm on the Move ??
It had details about every player on every team .. amazing the amount of research this guy did.
Then, he became a part-time contributor on ESPN, and they bought him ou and started to publish it, but it was never close to being the same .. and believe they quit publishing it just a few years later.
Nice to see Coach Cal in town.
Pitt’s defense got decidedly better after the 2nd game last year (although they struggled vs speed — Lousiville and Miss St)
This is why that if we have a chance of playing FSU close, it would be the opener since they have to replace so many.
Information overload though.
Heard him on College Sports Network on Sirius radio. He was on for an hour.
They would say a team, say, Colorado State, he would know who their linebackers were, who the back ups were.
Must have taked about 20 or 30 teams. The guys were absolutely amazed, he had no briefcase with him, not even his own magazine.
Like I said though, more like hardcore info.
Not something you really sit and peruse with a beer in the lazy boy.
At least for me. I like the other ones with just some general information.
Just saying, I was taken aback when I listened to him. I thought, “this guys a college football junkie, he’s not distributing the work, he’s definitely hands on”.
I mean, someone would mention Georgia Tech’s running game, and he would say, “well, they averaged about 195 yds per game last year, they did lose a tackle and guard, but they have two soph’s coming right in”.
And about my Georgia Tech comment above, he knew all of their friggin’ names, including the back ups.
He’s got to be college football 24/7, eat, drink and sleep it.
Conner only really played running back just last year and totally blew the lid off! His stats for the season were 1,680yds on just 115 carries. If you’re not good with numbers that is 14.5yds/carry and that produced 21 rushing TDs. He added another 4 TDs through the air.
This kid was a sleeper, since he changed positions his senior year to the RB position. Watch his game video against State College HS on a slick field and tell me that he doesn’t look like a man amoungst boys in that game!
I expect to see him on the field this season.
Hail to Pitt!
I will take the opposite approach on Chapman, well because the blog allows it. Look, every kid, 17, 18, 19 and 20, makes mistakes. Mistakes come in all shapes and sizes. Having had clients who were abusive towards each other physically, and yes, physical abuse comes from both the male and female, this incident could be as simple as a young man and young girl, trying to learn how to have a relationship. Chapman has learned a most serious lesson here.
As a coach, Paul Chryst has a teaching opportunity to one kid and a whole team. PC should allow Chapman to stay, suspend him for the entire season (redshirt year) and his first two games of his RS Freshman year. We have to look at the totality of the circumstances when making judgments. Although I abhor the event as reported and would be livid if it was my daughter, there are always two sides to each story. As a father of a daughter I would have handled this with Chapman, one on one…in private. There was no report that said he just came up and pulled her hair for no reason. For all we know, this was the first time that each of them were in a hostile situation and just didn’t know how to handle or diffuse it properly. Look how many adults still can’t!!
Take it outside of football. Would a college student be dismissed from college for this type of offense? NO! They would be on probation from the student disciplinary committee. Why? Because everyone gets a second chance, regardless of status at a university. This isn’t being soft and for all those believing this would be a PR nightmare, you have no idea about how this works at major universities, let alone at Pitt. That is a hogwash statement. Pitt generates very little national PR as it is. We are not on that level so don’t go confusing us with the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, etc. Sorry for the rant, but the decision is easy in my mind.
No PR nightmare at PSU if you want a case study. Applications are not down. Enrollment is not down. Endowment is not down. Quite the contrary. Have they lost a couple hundred million in the process, yes, but it is just money and they may only end up paying about 100M from their own pockets.
PSU will be hit with the largest Cleary Act violation fine in the history of DOJ penalties. I expect that to be around $6M at a max of $27.5k per violation.
