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August 5, 2013

And Now Suspensions

Filed under: Football,Players,Scandal,Suspension — Chas @ 10:40 am

Fire up the outrage. Suspensions are announced and unresolved.

Ronald Jones:Suspended for entire season for “violation of team rules.”

K.K. Mosley-Smith:Suspended for entire season following the happenings at his shared apartment.

Tra’von Chapman:Still indefinitely suspended as no decision has been made.

I expect Chapman will also be suspended for the full season. Perhaps without being allowed to practice with the team.





Pittpete..
“Coach Chryst said he wants me back on the team and wants me around the guys as soon as possible,” he said. “I have faith that (athletic director) Mr. (Steve) Pederson has faith in me, and I feel like they will make a fair decision on the guidelines of my return.

That means it is a Steve Pederson decision. It’s out of Chryst hands so to say.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 08.05.13 @ 8:30 pm

Pittscript,
Yep, that is what the HS coach said.
Told you.
That is not on any court transcript. Just a HS coach sugarcoating it.
Trust me no Judge worth their robes would say that on the record. Easy appeal on the sentencing.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 08.05.13 @ 8:32 pm

Frankcan, that’s why they have training camp to figure these things out. I think Chryst is letting his players know that they will have to win their positions in camp, no one is anointed.

I also don’t think we can sugar coat, this year is going to be a challenge. The only thing I am sure of is we won’t win them all nor will we lose them all. Reminds me of what Bobby Lewis, former Pitt baseball coach said when asked about the upcoming season ” You win some, you lose some and some get rained out” He probably stole it from somebody else.

I do think we have some good players and we’ll have our moments good and bad.

Comment by gc 08.05.13 @ 8:48 pm

Chas/Reed

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE for the love of God DO NOT let Pitt.Dan83 turn the blather into his own personal blog. He ruined one blog- please don’t let him ruin another.

To you Pitt.Dan83 (aka Joe D), seriously, you have so much time on your hands- go write your own blog. Maybe even do some live reporting from Greentree while watching summer basketball. Just don’t forget to tell people you’re there. I swear, with as much dismay as you show towards the Pitt athletic department, you might as well start rooting for WVCC or Pedo St. We, the Pitt fan base, would be MUCH better off without having to listen to how YOU, the great Joe D, would run the program. By the way, still fantasizing to that fathead of Dan Marino on your wall every night before bed?

Comment by hacky3 08.05.13 @ 8:58 pm

@hacky3, so what are the guidelines? Give us something definitive so we know if someone crosses the line. Btw, I haven’t seen a comment from you on this blog before. New?

Comment by panther94 08.05.13 @ 9:13 pm

Wow – nothing has changed with Chapman really – as of now he won’t be in training camp tomorrow, so why all the angst? What is interesting is that this is the first time it has been publicly acknowledged that the AD has as much or more say on dismissals than the HC does if you believe Chapman’s quote of:

“Coach Chryst said he wants me back on the team and wants me around the guys as soon as possible,” he said. “I have faith that (athletic director) Mr. (Steve) Pederson has faith in me, and I feel like they will make a fair decision on the guidelines of my return.”

Which is pretty much what I had been led to understand three years ago. If the administration wants the player gone then either it happens or there are ramifications to the HCs refusal. STEVE!!!!!

Jones and Smith Smith might have stepped outside the rules while already on indef suspension and thus drawn the heavy one year suspension. Jones was suspended before the YSU game and it looks like Chryst draws the line at second chances.

Chryst is drawing a bright line not to be stepped over.

But to get back to football there seems to be much ado about two guys who in Jones case wasn’t in the two deep and in KK Smith’s case was probably going to be passed, IMO, by Tyrique Jarrett anyway. With Jarrett going to prep school for a year there was no real need to redshirt him anyway – he’s bigger and stronger than he was and he already was a beast. Render has to be liking this also.

This is an interesting time to be a PITT fan and there can be no doubt any longer what the agenda for the 2013 season and beyond is – get rid of anyone who isn’t straight up willing to toe the line. Again, it’s a time and effort situation where Chryst doesn’t want players he has to continually watch and worry about. Chryst is molding this roster exactly the way he wants it and personal feelings be damned.

Comment by Reed 08.05.13 @ 9:20 pm

This is an email from Dipaola regarding Chapman which I find interesting. Meaning, I didn’t know.

Thank you.

All discipline, especially when it involves an indiscretion of this magnitude, is run through top university officials. I can guarantee Pederson and Nordenberg are monitoring this one — and signing off on whatever punishment is set forth. It will be a collective decision, I assure you.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 08.05.13 @ 9:20 pm

You say it’s Chapman’s first offense and he’s a 4 star quarterback, so “don’t tell me that isn’t going into his thinking”.

Now, it will be a collective decision.

Come on man, which one is it????

Comment by Dan 08.05.13 @ 10:13 pm

Gotta say, I see someone on here that is much more consistenly, inconsistent, that Paul Chryst could ever be!!!

Comment by Dan 08.05.13 @ 10:16 pm

Dan,
If you read, I said that is what DiPaola of Trib said to me in an email.
Pederson and Nordenburg will be signing off on Chapman.
Seems Chryst is fighting to keep Chapman.
In my opinion, Chapman should be kicked off the team.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 08.05.13 @ 10:23 pm

The administration is in a tough spot…What we know is that the police and the DA felt there was enough evidence to bring charges against Chapman for a crime that involved violence against a woman. His lawyer did not seek a trial to prove those charges to be false; or at least get a “not guilty” verdict from a jury. Instead a plea agreement was reached, with a guilty plea and a jail sentence, leaving as many questions as answers. “Attempted” assault – what the hell is that?

We have a high profile game soon that will be on national TV. I can imagine that if Chapman is in uniform for that game, we can expect some sort of protest at the stadium that day from a group or groups that support victims of domestic violence. I don’t think the administration will take that risk. They don’t want this situation to be a part of the game day dialog on national TV. I believe the decision they are now considering is either a one year suspension or expulsion from the University.

None of us will ever know the full details of what happened that day between Chapman and his girlfriend. That is part of the problem that a public trial could have solved. As it is now, the Administration must not only deal with the fallout from this case, but must also consider the public perception of Chapmans actions. I believe this is the “higher” standard that many have discussed on this blog. I have a job that requires me to avoid even the appearance of an impropriety. This is the same message that HCPC must deliver to the players.

Comment by HbgFrank 08.05.13 @ 10:50 pm

Chapman and Smith should be shown the door. Now in terms of the schedule Wins- New Mexico, Duke, UVa, Odu and Navy. Losses- FSU, ND & Miami. Toss-ups NC & Cuse. Put one in each category. Game that makes me nervous that I almost went straight L on, GT, speed kills! Game that I think we will win- road game, VT. Hope their QB wants to play catch again with our DB’s! So predicting a 7-5 record in PC’s 2nd campaign! H2P! UPone

Comment by UPone 08.05.13 @ 11:20 pm

TonyinHouston, I am in total agreement with everything you have to say. Watching what is happening to Pitt football now is history repeating itself.

I know Coach Hackett was instructed, outright told, to discilpline his players. I believe there were 8 or 9 o’clock AM required study halls!

I think Gottfried was fired for questioning the Dean of A&S about grades of one of his players.

Let’s face it, academically Pitt is no Stanford, Northwestern or Cal. We are not even ND, Duke, UVA, Chapel Hill, or Ga. Tech. (I’m glad we are in the same conference.)

Academically, we are better than FSU and Clemson, no question. I can say the same thing about most of the SEC. With the exception of Vanderbilt and Fla., Pitt’s academics are above the balance of that league.

My point is, what is Pitt trying to accomplish? This is not 1963. Back then the football team were students first. Check out the number of professionals in medicine, denistry, law, business, and education that came out of that class.

Today, if you want a really good football team, you have to expect personnel problems. You have to bend the academic minimums and the character requirements. You do your best to keep things under control.

This holier than thou stuff is bullshit and means another 6 to 10 years gone.

When you win, you keep the alumni happy and your admission applications go up. Do you think it might help Pitt’s academic reputation if it gets higher admittance requirements?

Comment by Old Pitt Grad 08.05.13 @ 11:28 pm

This is not a big deal. We aren’t talking about all ACC players here. They can be replaced.

Comment by notrocketscience 08.06.13 @ 7:22 am

Old Pitt Grad: Though I myself am a young grad and perhaps not as well versed in Pitt canon as you, your post warranted my response.

1-To be an ‘academics first’ school doesn’t necessitate being Harvard. It simply means you’ve made priorities. Pitt only continues to improve academically. And I can tell you, that while you (as a self proclaimed “old” grad) might not care about that, most people do. That includes recent grads, current students, and prospective future applicants. No one in their right mind chooses a college based on sports alone, unless of course they will be representing that institution on the field or on the court. So the notion of filling the team with substandard human beings simply to manufacture a more attractive win/loss column is a misguided one, and you ought to consider that there is more at stake than Saturday afternoons.

2- On a more specific note, check the admissions standards. They’re significantly more strict than even a few years ago. Admittedly, I wouldn’t get into Pitt if I applied today with my high school stats and SAT score, whereas I was the first person in my graduating class to be accepted to college when I received that great big envelope from Pitt.

The sports will come. Despite post season disappointment, there are only a handful of hoops teams that can touch our record under Dixon.
If Cincinnati doesn’t return a gazillion kicks against us in 2008-2009 (my freshman year… Cringe) we play Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl, and who knows how history would’ve played out since then. It’s been a rocky few years, and unfortunately, we don’t have the legacy to carry us through the down times. We will be back, but we’ll do it our way– and that can’t include throwing academics on the back burner.

Comment by MikePITT 08.06.13 @ 7:34 am

Well said MikePITT, if you have to compromise your ethics and good name for wins, it is not worth it. For too long universities and high schools have looked the other way regarding the behavior of their star athletes. The situation has been getting worse.

I am fine with Pitt attempting to set a new standard. You can win with character.

Comment by gc 08.06.13 @ 8:00 am

MikePITT, just look what is happening 3 hours up the road.

PSU is similar in academic rankings to Pitt .. yet nobody seems to care.

Now, all they want to do is blame everyone else for their self-imposed troubles FB issues … and went from the bastien of athletic standards/ethics to its biggest sleaze.

Yet, it maintains its high acdemic standards … and nobdy seems ro care. Perspective lost.

Comment by wbb 08.06.13 @ 8:15 am

bastion

Comment by wbb 08.06.13 @ 8:17 am

Academics and Athletics are separate issues.
One has nothing to do with the other.

Unless, Pitt has a higher academic standard for athletes above that of the NCAA clearinghouse. Pitt has not done that as Rob Foster had clearinghouse issues and had to retake courses, etc. NCAA clearinghouse has a sliding scale of GPA/SAT. Stanford on the other hand, Pac 12, does have a higher academic standard for athletes over and above NCAA clearinghouse.

There are many aspects that a student and their parents look at when selecting a college to attend. I don’t think a winning football record is part of the criteria so I doubt applications will increase with a winning football record.

Comment by Pitt.Dan83 08.06.13 @ 8:26 am

Stanford is the exception.

Judging from the types of recruits Pitt is getting, I believe winning games is not the top priority now for the Pitt Admin. Since they are now assured of a stable cash flow from their athletics, I believe the Admin are more concerned with its reputation … and winning games is just icing.

Comment by wbb 08.06.13 @ 8:32 am

Thank you God for having Pitt open camp today so that we can hear NO MORE about this insane discussion of “what ifs” and talk about real things in Pitt Football!

Comment by Dan 72 08.06.13 @ 8:42 am

Getting away from the personnel stuff, I think the NM and Duke games are actually much more important than FSU. Nobody expects Pitt to beat FSU and the other two games can lead to a 2-1 start

Comment by Frank MD 08.06.13 @ 8:47 am

despite what I wrote directly above, I exect the FSU game to be close (barring a lot of turnovers)

Comment by wbb 08.06.13 @ 8:51 am

Actually, it’s been shown without question, that having a winning football and/or basketball program dramatically increases applications to the said university.

Without question. May be a stupid reason, none the less, they go up with winning.

Comment by Dan 08.06.13 @ 9:32 am

Glad to see Foster standing out already for Bama. Wish him great success. They probably have the best receivers in the NCAA right now. Go Foster and Go Boyd! Make PA Proud! Nice photo showing his hands and how athletic.

link to al.com

Comment by Upittbaseball 08.06.13 @ 9:38 am

Plus the fact that Saban gave him Julio’s number say’s a lot about his take on Foster.

Comment by Upittbaseball 08.06.13 @ 9:39 am

louisville got into the acc becuse it had a top notch football program and basketball.
not becuse of academics so pitt needs to wake up
we are not yale so dont act like we are.
academics are important but we dont need to get carryed away with it.
do you want to win 2 games a year so you can say we are like yale not me if you want to be like yale go there.

if that is what they want they should have joined
the ivy leage not the ACC.

Comment by FRANKCAN 08.06.13 @ 10:39 am

The level of academics in regard to a football/basketball team in relation to a school should be “not an embarassment.” As long as the players aren’t so stupid they embarass the university when they open their mouth, it’s fine. Obviously they get special treatment. As long as they aren’t cheating (*coughUNCcough*), whatever.

Comment by Justin 08.06.13 @ 10:54 am

we got into the ACC because of (1) basketball, (2) academics, (3) TV market, and (4) BC AD DeFilippo … not necessarily in that order

Comment by wbb 08.06.13 @ 10:56 am

NEWS FLASH! Rumor has it that Pitt Blather and Cardiac Hill might just have some additional company regarding available Pitt athletic blogging sites.

Supposedly the name will be “The Panther Pessimist” and will be currated by JoeD.

Comment by Dr. Tom 08.06.13 @ 11:26 am

The Record-Courier, the local Kent, Ohio newspaper has Judge Oswick quoted as utilizing Chapman’s sentencing as a message to him that his inappropriate behavior could destroy the opportunity that his athletic scholarship has afforded him.

The Judge, as a condition of suspending the balance of his jail time, is requiring that Chapman successfully complete “Anger Management” courses through the University of Pittsburgh. This could be a little Catch 22 if in fact he is kicked off the team and loses his athletic scholarship. Might be hard for him to complete the courses if he isn’t enrolled at the University going forward.

The tone I took from the Judge’s quotes seem to be one of “you’ve gotten youself in a fix” and you won’t get off easy again if you don’t change your ways. However it seems to me that there is an anticipation from the Judge’s remarks that she expects that Chapman will get a chance to continue his studies at the University of Pittsburgh, based on the above. Now does that also assume that he’ll still be on the football squad as well, that is much more vague, but still implied IMO?

Read the news report yourself and draw your own conclusions.

link to recordpub.com

Comment by Dr. Tom 08.06.13 @ 12:10 pm

lol Doc Tom on Panther Pessimist.

On the 2nd matter you would have to think, that Chapman and his lawyer probably had some discussion of what would happen to Chapman’s scholarship if he took a plea on a 4rth degree misdemeanor.

I’m sure nobody (especially Pitt) wanted this thing going to a jury trial.

Comment by EMel 08.06.13 @ 12:38 pm

WBB – your comment:

“Judging from the types of recruits Pitt is getting, I believe winning games is not the top priority now for the Pitt Admin. Since they are now assured of a stable cash flow from their athletics, I believe the Admin are more concerned with its reputation … and winning games is just icing.”

This is exactly correct and is a direct result of the last three years in PITT’s history.

Chryst couldn’t have done this type of housecleaning and roster changeover in his first year at PITT or he would have lost the support of the whole roster. I don’t doubt that the plan all along has been to get settled in his first year and remake the program and roster in the second to benefit the program for the future.

I also agree that one or two wins means nothing to the PITT admin if it comes at a reputation cost. I’m sure every person involved wants consistent nine or 10 win seasons but seven and eight will do if the program has no major problems.

Comment by Reed 08.06.13 @ 4:41 pm

Reed per your comment: “Chryst couldn’t have done this type of housecleaning and roster changeover in his first year at PITT or he would have lost the support of the whole roster.”

Pray tell, what makes you beleive Chryst hasn’t lost the players left or will after a number of lost games? (I hope I’m wrong on the losses.)

By the read of this blog, his chance of future success is given a low grade. Negative to be sure.

Can it be that hard to hire a winning coach? Hell, CINN (Kelly),and Lousiville did it. Pitt is the school with the big past tradition!

MikePITT and gc, I need to take some time and maybe give you guys some REALISTIC thoughts to mul over. I do appreciate your idealism. Too bad the world just doesn’t work that way. I will give you additional thoughts when I have some time.

Comment by Old Pitt Grad 08.06.13 @ 10:39 pm

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