Yesterday we had a discussion on The Blather regarding WR Tyler Boyd being dropped off the Biletnikoff Award watch list because of his arrest and it’s circumstances. The fact that he hasn’t been convicted or anything yet was raised as a counter to that decision. However, the Award committee has separate criteria/standards/rules that they are applying here, just like a university or any other formal institution. As such they don’t have to wait or even care about a conviction.
Being legally convicted of some transgression are a civil and/or criminal judiciary matter, not a non-legal institutional one. The difference is that universities and their football programs apply discipline and sanctions as they see fit. Hence we have suspensions and even dismissals which are based on internal and NCAA rules and not the local criminal laws.
There is a solid basis in the award committee making this decision, as the criteria is pretty straight forward:
5. The candidate must display leadership and self discipline; and he must have a significant, positive impact on his team’s success.
Only the first part of that criteria is in question, he’ll have a positive impact on PITT’s football success this year. As to meeting the second part of it we do know the facts regarding Boyd’s actions that early morning and they are:
1. He was drinking illegally and in violation of university rules pertaining to that issue.
2. He was driving while he had been drinking illegally and
3. He was arrested.
All three of those actions violate #5 criteria’s “self-discipline” requirement and you can make a strong case for the leadership part also. Why leadership? Well, if you are going to be calling out your teammates for poor performance and attitude then your glass house windows better be crystal clear. If not and you do something negative like Boyd did it is poor leadership.
Boyd’s DUI charge or his blood/alcohol level determination aren’t in discussion here because, while DUI is the most serious charge levied at him, it isn’t publicly known to be a fact at this point, unlike Boyd’s own admission that he was drinking before driving his car.
As in many other times a PITT player or players have run afoul of rules, made poor decisions and broken conduct standards and laws, Pitt fans point to criminal court findings as a final decision if discipline and punishment should awarded. That is ridiculous, dangerous and cuts the University and their behavioral requirements off at the knees.
The idea that there has to be a conviction is like saying that if the charges are dropped the incident never really took place, which just isn’t true. Those three things listed above are factual and no type of proceedings can erase that.
Cardiac Hill’s opinion on this Biletnikoff Award issue differs though:
“If the award committee wants to hold his charges against him and use that as criteria in determining if he should win, I have no issue with that at all. It’s fine to take a player’s character into consideration, in my opinion. But to use that and essentially say that you don’t see him as a candidate to win the award is preposterous.”
Lots of people agree with this, however the award committee already has determined Boyd meets the first sentence and in doing so has determined whether or not Boyd should (or could) win the award by dropping him from the watch list. It isn’t clear why it is “preposterous” though. Would we rather Boyd be the apparent winner of the award but have the committee refuse him by holding “his charges against him in determining if he should win”? You would think that is the absolute LAST thing anyone would want to happen.
People are acting like being recognized as the ‘best receiver‘ is the only criteria for winning the award whereas the committee has shown in writing and now in their actions that it certainly isn’t.
I have heard and read people bitching about the fact that the Heisman Award committee doesn’t have this type of clear criteria hence Jameis Winston’s win of 2013. The actual wording in the Heisman Mission Statement is, probably on purpose, left vague so the committee can defend their decisions by pointing out that nothing specific was violated. It reads in part:
“…the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.”
Apparently much like Bill Clinton’s definition of ‘is’ the Heisman committee’s definition of ‘integrity’ is vague and flexible. (Funny that the mission statement was re-written after the 2013 award year… gee, wonder why.)
Pitt fans being so upset at Boyd’s watch list slight is interesting for a few reasons; first is if this was a kid who played for PSU or WVU you’d be all in agreement that the kid should be dropped off the list. C’mon… you know you would.
Second is the bigger issue. We have read on here many times that (most) Pitt fans find the habit of giving sports and team awards for every single reason, no matter how minor and ridiculous, is a lessening of standards for youth sports and in turn is ‘bad for America’.
The silly ‘participation awards’ are an example of this. Yet when a formal award committee lays out strict standards of consideration for an award and our player then violates those standards there is a huge outcry of unfairness and wrongdoing.
Much of the anger and disappointment Pitt fans are feeling should really be directed at the person whose actions caused all of this controversy to happen. But somehow it seems like we Pitt fans are giving Boyd a pass on that. This is a strong example of personal accountability (another thing everybody thinks there isn’t enough of in America) and yet because he’s a talented athlete, and one of our own, that gets negated?
Why?
All of us want Tyler Boyd to have a great season this year. We are proud that he chose to attend college at PITT and we want him to succeed in every way possible, especially on the field because we are football fans and want lots of wins also.
Boyd will do all that and may even have better stats and more impact on his team’s success than the actual award winner does. That would no doubt be a tough thing for Boyd and frustrating for us fans.
But this committee’s decision isn’t going to affect his play on the field nor his chances of being a high draft choice and having a successful NFL career. His talents and productivity will do that. NFL scouts aren’t stupid, if Boyd is good enough for the NFL that’s where he will be and we all know he’s good enough so that isn’t even in question.
All of this is a hard learned lesson for Tyler Boyd to take into his real life after college or the NFL. He is now realizing, as are his teammates in watching all this unfold, that if you break rules and laws there is a price to pay, and that is how it should be.
If my kid was a FB recruit, I sure wouldn’t allow him to go to a university that allows its students the easy way out. Or “looks the other way” for its players.
I hope we see, as this incident plays out, that here at Pitt, character matters. We are NOT, what is currently perceived as, The Typical Pennsylvania University!
He has my sympathy, but not an amnesty pass. Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay the time. Hopefully lesson learned.
I still feel he has a legit shot at the Biletnikoff Award with a productive season. We’ll see.
He used poor judgement and got caught. He should be able to put this behind him with hard work and a positive attitude, and an apology to his team mates, coaches and fans. Then take his punishment like a man.
It’s not like you’re saying Tyler Boyd is barred from being a first-Round NFL Pick now because of this!!! lol
Tyler Boyd I’m sure will own-up big-time in all of his NFL interviews, and the Scouts will totally be enamored with his honesty — along with the seeming-fact that Tyler Boyd wasn’t even really ‘Legally Drunk’ even though he is technically underage!
************ Side Note —- No one has brought up that Aaron Donald may soon be playing his NFL Football in Los Angeles!!!!! Hail to Pitt! 🙂
Justin Blackmon was the 2012 winner. Not sure of any previous issues but he is now in the 3rd stage of the NFL substance abuse program.
And of course, the 2000 winner has always been the model of comportment.
— James Conner is 10th all-time at Pitt in rushing yards (2,564) and needs only 707 to move into second place with Ray Graham.
— Tyler Boyd needs only 40 catches and 627 yards to become Pitt’s all-time leader in those categories over Larry Fitzgerald. Boyd averaged 82 and 1,218 over his first two seasons.
Here’s wishing both achieve these marks …and more.
Nathan Peterman will ‘officially’ be here in less than a Month, along with “Gatorade PA Football Player of the Year” Ben DiNucci —- and “Baby Ben” Bertke hopefully put a few more pounds of muscle on his 6’6” frame!!!
Jim Chaney has repeatedly said, “Open Auditions for Starting QB!!!!” lol 🙂
But this is an award that can set its criteria. I hope their were no emails from the Pitt aadinistration,demanding his name be removed.
Their fans seem to really enjoy it.
Tony – I very much doubt that PITT, or any university, would do that to one of their players. It is enough that the player be disciplined by the school and the judicial system without wishing to have even more piled on. If so, it was a bush move but I can’t believe that PITT would do that.
The below link is from the Auburn’s SB Nation site. Both preseason 2015 1’st team SEC wr’s didn’t make the watch list. So the writer investigated. Basically, The Biletnikoff people take the top yardage receivers from 2014. Remove those who have graduated, went to the NFL, on/could be suspended, or are injured. The remaining 48 make the list.
link to collegeandmagnolia.com
Reed – Did you get press credentials for the ACC Media days?
Sometimes it still isn’t.
I might go down the list of who IS on the watch list, and see if they are all choir boys.
Or if there is more to this.
And just about everyone on the board is of course a Florida State alum.
I’m sure they were all in ‘lock-step’ behind our boy Jameis.
Memberships and local activities include Faith Presbyterian Church, where he serves as an Elder; Tallahassee Lions Club; Downtown Rotary Club; Past Chairman, Leon High School Foundation; Founding member and past Chairman of the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, which presents the Biletnikoff Award to the nation’s top collegiate receiver; Past President of the Tallahassee Quarterback Club; Member and past Chairman of the Board of Directors of Big Bend Hospice; Trustee, Big Bend Hospice Foundation; Member of the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees; Member of the Tallahassee Senior Center Foundation Board of Directors; Member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans; Honorary member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and recipient of the “Stonewall Jackson Memorial Award” for service to the UDC.
Operations Manager at Lithohaus Printers, Inc. He has Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from Auburn University. Ritchie is a member of Theta Xi fraternity. Ritchie has been active in many civic organizations here in Tallahassee. He was Chairman of the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc. President of the Tallahassee Auburn Alumni Association, Commander of the Camp David Lang #1314 chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Parade Chairman for Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Ambassador and is a life member of the Jackson #1 Masonic Lodge.
I presume that’s the Stonewall Jackson Masonic Lodge
Not a single woman.
As they do everything else they don’t like.
He doesn’t even have a link to his bio.
He is also the vice president of a Tallahassee Toyota dealership and is featured in the dealership’s commercials.
He than ran as a Republican for a Fl. state house seat but lost. Then miraculously (or maybe not).
Following the election Boulware was appointed to the Florida Board of Education by Governor Charlie Crist.
Apparently working at a car dealership qualifies one to be on the Florida Board of Education.
Gotta love it ! lol
About the only thing you can do outdoors is drink !
To see if this is some sort of bias going on here.
I’ve already shown, that those that make up the Tallahassee QB Club seem to have a ‘double standard’ (no not them) when it comes to those who are deserving or not deserving of awards.
Or one of the call girls gave them syphilis.
🙂
Maybe this explains it, also listed in the 2015 medi guide:
Five of Pitt’s seven losses last season were by point margins of 4, 5, 3, 5 and 1
(Trouble is his year’s schedule seem much mire difficult)
Sadly, my writing is 5 times worse than my typing
And speaking of the South, that Confederate flag will be banned at SEC games and NASCAR. And the Redskins will lose the right to call themselves that name. Its just the times.
Saintly virtues is what the Pedos thought of Poopy Pants. Instead he turned out to be the Patron Saint of Pedophile Protectors. So lets not all get high and almighty with these lists when higher crimes get committed by university leaders are are covered up for years. Burn in HELL Paturdo.
To me Tyler Boyd is lucky as hell he didn’t kill someone and end up in prison as so many young, and old, people are these days. The old times of a cop calling your dad or your buddy to come get the car and give you a ride home are long gone as they should be.
I don’t care what happens at FSU or Marshall or with any of the remaining Award watch listed players. I only care about the football players on the Pitt roster. I can’t help but think that delving into the committee’s ‘credentials’ is rather worthless because whether we like it or not they made the rules for this award… and those rules are not heavy handed in the least. They are actually pretty logical and straightforward.
Anyway – I’ve a drafted article about Tyler Boyd’s football playing and what we may see from him, and Voytik, this season. Much lighter and more fun than discussing something that won’t see an end to it for some time. That will go up Monday for your workdays.
PITT-Coacks fan, I didn’t apply for the ACC media credentials because I won’t be travelling for any of the events. I did get some exclusive access for this years ACC Teams only videos and the video library which I’ll use in support of articles on here.
That will be a different avenue for interesting stuff on The Blather I think.
Reality, please.
Go get me Tony77, Tex , EMel, BigB, WBB, Reed et al. … And one last shot for UPittBaseball!
A big eat shit and die to Penn State trolls’
Hopefully this snub and the feeling of letting his teammates down is motivation for a kid that still has a real bright future.
Boyd’s dad is serving a 10 yr prison sentence for cocaine distribution. Couple that with growing up in a place like Clairton, I give him a lot of credit to be where he is today.
He made a mistake, absolutely he did, but by all accounts seems like a pretty good self motivated kid. I’m pretty confident he will learn from this and realize he has a opportunity most ppl only dream of. I expect and hope for a big year from #23…
5 years ago, a Pitt player against the pleading of 2 policemen, threw an antagonist threw a glass door. A month later, he was voted team captain … and 3 years later, he was voted as the Walter Payton award by the NFL team he played for … an award for exemplary off the field, community service.
People make mistakes, especially when they are 17 to 21 … I sure did. But it’s ridiculous to term a kid as a problem child unless a pattern continues.
Of course, there some crimes that are unforgiveable even for a first timer … but my guess is that if every person who drove under the influence were somehow banned from this blog, this blog wouldn’t exist. I’m not condoning drunk driving, just know that it happens all the time.
Having Boyd off the list is poor not only for him but for Pitt – especially when we have a good history with the award.
Reed I love your posts but missed on this comment.
HTP
Tore my Hamstring in 3 places in Miami and no a Brazilian Supermodel was not the reason.
Anyone ever tear their Hammy and what was needed? Surgery? This is high Hammy almost ass muscle high.
Miss you guys.
Upitt
“Second is the bigger issue. We have read on here many times that (most) Pitt fans find the habit of giving sports and team awards for every single reason, no matter how minor and ridiculous, is a lessening of standards for youth sports and in turn is ‘bad for America’.
The silly ‘participation awards’ are an example of this. Yet when a formal award committee lays out strict standards of consideration for an award and our player then violates those standards there is a huge outcry of unfairness and wrongdoing.”
Meaning that what we all don’t like about those ‘silly’ participation awards isn’t what is happening with this award. Hence I said a “Yet when formal award committee…” meaning that their strict criteria makes this award even harder to qualify for and to win.
I was surprised that if you have been reading on here for some time that you’d think I’d even consider Pitt players’ winning big awards as ‘silly’. I’m as proud of those awards as any Pitt fan is.
Yes, those things didn’t happen and my point is that Boyd is very lucky it didn’t. My hope is that something like this is a huge wake up call for him, which I’m sure it is. Boyd didn’t go out to do anything but be with friends, socialize, drink and then drive home. His poor driving and the police changed that scenario greatly… and that’s why I believe someone’s life can change in a blink of an eye and for the rest of their lives.
I sure that if you could talk with Tyler Boyd today the first he’d say was that he’s grateful as hell that something worse didn’t happen. The crap he’s going through is bad enough.
But the reason that I’m serious about this issue (not just with Boyd but the very real, widespread problem of drunk driving) is that for 20+ years of my career I was the ‘Drug and Alcohol Counselor’ for the military units I was assigned to. I saw families torn apart by this and not just a few either. And that was in the ‘old days’ it is much stricter now. That collateral duty was rather ironic because I drank like a fish all those years but I was good at getting sailors and their spouses help when they needed it.
…and yes I’ve drove drunk many times until a flashing light, two nights in the local lockup, huge attorney fees and a full trial changed that part of my life, and absolutely for the better when I look back on it. I’m just grateful as hell I didn’t hurt anyone doing it. So, yeah – I hope Boyd can avoid what problems I and I’m sure others on here went through with booze and a car.
Obviously this is a real concern of mine and as such I get pretty damn passionate about it. I guess we’ll agree to disagree. What is your license plate number and the color of your car? 🙂
