AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > October > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USUncompromising stance suits Evans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
It’s one thing for Georgia athletics director Damon Evans to stay with his convictions, follow the guidelines of his new academic policy and suspend three key members of the Bulldogs’ rising basketball team for a total of 30 games after they blatantly slam-dunked his rules.
Nobody cares about Georgia basketball.
You know where I’m going. What if the violators of Evans’ policy were Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Sean Bailey — the key members of Georgia’s All Mighty Football Team? Would the same folks around Bulldog Nation whom Evans said have been supportive of his 10-month-old policy continue to applaud between shrugs, or would they seek to feed Evans limb by limb to a snarling Uga VI?
“It might cause more of a commotion [if it were football players]. I can’t say for sure,” said Evans, in his fourth year as Georgia’s athletics director. “But at the end of the day, it’s what I believe in. It’s what we believe in. And I want to say this: It doesn’t matter who the young man or the young woman is, because that’s been, I guess, a lot of the issue in intercollegiate athletics. Everybody has always said, ‘Yeah, do this to the kids who don’t play, but don’t hold the stars accountable.’ We’re holding everybody accountable.”
Such a noble response, but Evans just moved closer to Uga VI’s food bowl. Not that Evans cares. Which is why Vince Dooley’s tough-minded successor should be the person to beat for athletics director of the year. He also should rank among the candidates for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, king of the western hemisphere and whatever else you can give somebody for such a courageous act.
How courageous? Evans knows Uga VI’s teeth are pretty sharp, but he still implemented maybe the stiffest policy ever for an NCAA institution (well, at least one with big-time athletics) regarding student-athletes who skip classes and academic appointments. Among other things at Georgia, three unexcused missed classes will get you suspended for 10 percent of the season in your sport. Each absence after that will get you an additional 10 percent suspension.
Now consider Bulldog Nation joins the rest of its SEC brethren by caring more about whether Johnny knows an X from and O than whether he can conjugate a verb.
This is the same Georgia whose fan base turned the name “Jan Kemp” into a four-letter word forever around Athens after she exposed the Bulldogs’ plantation system for football players during the middle 1980s. This is the same Georgia that became a national punch line after former Bulldogs basketball assistant Jim Harrick Jr. taught his infamous class on Coaching Principles and Strategies of Basketball (“How many points does a 3-point basket account for in a basketball game?”).
This also is the same Georgia whose president, Michael Adams, embarrassed himself last year by saying he would allow the enrollment of some student-athletes who didn’t meet the admission standards of the university, because, “We still have to compete in the [SEC].”
Adams is Evans’ boss, by the way. So what has Adams said about Evans’ policy that surely will affect Georgia’s ability to “compete” in the conference on occasion?
“After I enacted the policy, I informed our president what we were doing, and he has been very, very supportive, and our board members also have been supportive,” said Evans, before addressing his questioner for a moment. “You say this is a courageous thing I’m doing, but it’s really just the right thing I’m doing. My thing is to always look forward and do what’s most appropriate. At the end of the day, I’m trying to send a strong message to our student-athletes, first and foremost, about the importance of academics. And I hope the alumni, the fans and the people who support this institution can appreciate the stance that we’re taking.”
That’s questionable. Many in the Bulldog Nation want Johnny to be able to read. It’s just that they’re referring to defenses.
Permalink | Comments (40) | Post your comment | Categories: Terence Moore, UGA / SEC
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By dawgfan
October 19, 2007 8:20 PM | Link to this
I support the Evans policy, but I don’t give a damn about what T. Moore thinks about it.
By Steve
October 19, 2007 8:50 PM | Link to this
I support Evans and after all the athletes realize that it’s not skip class as usual it will help the athletics at Ga.
By Enerst T
October 19, 2007 8:57 PM | Link to this
No matter what else happens - at the end of the day T.Moore will still just be a dumb ole !@##$%
By Einstein
October 19, 2007 9:07 PM | Link to this
If only there had been academic standards at your institution of higher learning, we wouldn’t be reading this crap! Regards.
By Chan Gailey
October 19, 2007 9:16 PM | Link to this
Hey If they flunk out at UGA we will take them, I just need to win to save my job.
By Bob
October 19, 2007 10:00 PM | Link to this
Damon is just doing what is right. I applaud him. If the fans dictated or made up what is UGA, the University would not support what he is trying to do. In reality, speak as a fan (and alumni), the fans are nothing but spectators. The University is trying to speak to integrity and responsibility not drunkness and stupor.
By Always A Dawg
October 19, 2007 11:07 PM | Link to this
It doesn’t matter what UGA does to try to instill discipline and credibility into the sports program, Terrence Moore would always have some smart a** thing to say.
By STephen
October 20, 2007 12:00 AM | Link to this
T. Moore, right or wrong you will never ever agree with anything we do. Hear this, we all HATE you, and you suck
By Long Arm of the Law
October 20, 2007 12:28 AM | Link to this
I can’t believe you get paid to hate Terrance. Get a job man!
By Pago Pago
October 20, 2007 1:38 AM | Link to this
Do you actually think an afro will ever say anything against another afro!
By Luda
October 20, 2007 4:23 AM | Link to this
One of my favorite things about college was being able to skip class if you felt like it. The only school I was ever allowed to miss was when I got checked out of school on thursday to go to JAX. But then again I wasn’t on an athletic scholarship. GO TO CLASS!
By VanDSIRROM
October 20, 2007 5:58 AM | Link to this
It’s about time
Imagine college “students” required to go to class…how novel…
By 1 + 2
October 20, 2007 6:22 AM | Link to this
Pago Pago, you’ve got to be a Tech fan to say something that stupid.
By Tiger77
October 20, 2007 7:59 AM | Link to this
Bravo for Damon Evans! However, what amazes me is that Vince Dooley is never criticized for such things as the Jan Kemp issue, Jim Harrick, the pathetic football graduation rate during his last years as AD, etc.
By hr
October 20, 2007 8:01 AM | Link to this
If I remember correctly, Sammy Drummer, the great Ga. Tech Basketball player could not read well when he left Ga Tech early for an attempt with the NBA. He is only one example(if this is correct & I hope it isn’t),of bad things that have happen and shoudn’t happened at many Schools, including UGA. I graduated from UGA & believe me, it didn’t take that much effort, but you have to go to class. My question is, why weren’t the problems with these GA Basketball Players known BEFORE the problems came to light and became a real problem? There are not that many Players on the Team to watch. I have no problem with the policy, but just don’t understand how this happened. Yes, I want Players in all Sports to be able to benefit from a College Education and also believe that they should have to attend 4 yrs., not go Hardship. But, that isn’t going to happen. There are always Schools willing to bend the rules to win, but that is not good.
By DoggieStyle
October 20, 2007 8:14 AM | Link to this
Thanks Mr. Evans and Mr. Moore.
We move one step closer to removing the foul stench of Vince Dooley from our program. Unlike many of the bloggers, I actually graduated from UGA and truly love and support the school.
By UGA class of '88
October 20, 2007 8:17 AM | Link to this
It’s about time —that’s all I can say. Academics (or lack thereof) and University of Georgia athletics have been an embarrassment before, during and after my four years in Athens.
If not for Jan Kemp —Georgia would probably still be admitting players who can’t read or didn’t actually graduate high school —sorry, it’s a FACT as a former HS teammate of mine played two years at Georgia and NEVER passed a class, didn’t graduate HS and was basically illiterate. It’s an embarrassment.
By Todd
October 20, 2007 8:42 AM | Link to this
As a UGA grad and letterman, the athl. director is the most overrated thing going.
Damon Evans is a hard working accountant that got the job b/c of his knowledge of the budget and #’s and that impressed the powers to be to hire him I suppose.
Greg McGarity at UF should’ve been hired.
Back to this most recent academic issue that Evans has directed. I ask the question “what in the heck are the academic advisor people and the big $ tutoring program facility doing?” Why does Dennis Felton go to all the effort on the front end (signing the guys and awarding scholarships in the first place) to end up in the situation he’s in now.
I don’t see this as some “feather in the cap” for UGA, we’re taking some stance that the rest of the SEC is not doing.
I see it as the folks in place are failing the kids on the front end by not staying on them from the get go.
It starts with the kid as the current athletic director, Evans. Will see what he’s all about when he has to make a coaching change.
By Captive in TN
October 20, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this
Thanks for your stance, Damon. It’s about time that the term “student-athlete” will actually live up to its name. And which one is listed as first priority? Athlete! And, I agree with Doggie Style, let’s rid ourselves of the bad things that occurred during Dooley’s days. I personally experienced several classes with some of his athletes who never, ever attended class, failed the mid-quarter tests (grades were posted; made 16 on the final exam) and received higher grades than I did.
By GTforever
October 20, 2007 9:01 AM | Link to this
Please, this is a JOKE! UGA will always be a FOOTBALL FACTORY. 90 percent of the athletes would never had gotten in school, had it not been for their ability to play. The only thing that anyone cares about at UGA is winning!
By Voice of Reason
October 20, 2007 9:18 AM | Link to this
This is a big step in the right direction. Jan Kemp to Jim Harrick was twenty-plus years, and the beat went on for UGA athletics. If any “blind dawgs” out there want to deny that fact, just look at the NCAA graduation records for the past several years.
This years release of data: 41% graduation in football; 19% in men’s basketball.
Last years numbers: Football 41%; Men’s hoops 9%. (Yes that is NINE percent.)
Like T Moore or don’t (I personally think he’s a well spoken bigot), this is a disgrace to the University of Georgia, to the great state of Georgia (my home since 1977), to the great Southeastern Conference, and to college athletics as a whole.
Please UGA, for the sake of ALL of us who care about college athletics, continue to enforce whatever measures necessary to stop this terrible disservice to your young athletes.
By Ed
October 20, 2007 9:19 AM | Link to this
We’ll see how long this policy lasts when we struggle to beat Coastal Carolina in 2009.
By Gene
October 20, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
Evans is just another puppet of Michael Adams. Remember Adams? He gave us Jim Harrick, basketball 101 and Tony Cole, the convicted rapist. Adams micromanages the University of Georgia and will manipulate statistics without hesitation. This business of academic standards is empty talk. Perhaps Richt is praying that his football players attend class, and that will be about as effective as this new policy.
By TROTTINGHOMETUDD
October 20, 2007 9:34 AM | Link to this
Terence, your still Uncle (terence) Tom Moore to me. Again a very simple article that any layman could have wrote having a beer with his buddies. I will not weep when you pass from AJC. But,because your first name is…Uncle, we all know your white boss is not going to let you go.
By martin
October 20, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this
To GTforver, How many of GT’s players would have been admitted if they weren’t football players? I wonder how many of Tech’s football and basketball players are majoring in engineering?
By SW
October 20, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this
If the new academic policy called for the suspension of pivotal players on UGA’s football team, you’d better believe it would cause some rifts. Players would only sit out 1-2 games and they would conveniently be against teams like Western Kentucky or Georgia State. The fact that UGA and it’s fan base has a stronger affinity for football does have something to do with this. Yet, I do appreciate Damon/UGA for sending a message by coming down on the (top) basketball players.
That said, the academic policy for athletes is a JOKE. In highly involved sports, some of these individuals have been playing since the age of 8-10. They never took school seriously except to socialize and participate in sports. I say drop the smoke and mirrors and take all-comers regardless of academics (except for those with criminal records). Current admission and eligibility policies are uber-lenient anyway. Not to mention, most schools stretch the (already lenient) rules to their benefit to pimp the heck out of some poor kid who can’t even fathom the exposure or financial boom that he(she) brings to their university. I say its time that we totally separated athletics from universities so that the both of them can pursue their mission…universities as academic bastions and athletics as minor league farm teams. I know its unfathomable for some but we could end all of this harble gargle regarding athletics and eligibility. We could also put an end to universities making dollars off of young men who (chances are) won’t graduate and be ill-prepared for the work force. No need in any of this happening b/c it’s pointless. If one can serve in the military after high school, they should be able to get paid to play for a minor league team…I’m obviously speaking specifically for football. Ok, I’m off of the podium. There needs to be change….
By brucelauriault
October 20, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
T.M. I would like to apologize for the ignorant comments of some of the so called UGA supporters,I doubt if many of them even attended UGA.Thank you for the positive article,as I read between the lines I believe you have a warm spot in your heart for our dawgs because of our leadership(Richt&Evans). Thanks, Bruce Lauriault
By RAMBLE ON!
October 20, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this
How can someone flunk out of UGA, come on?
By DR. X
October 20, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this
All the holier-than-thou crowd out there concerning Evans’ “get-tough” policy can bet their last dollar that, if the football program starts to lose big-time and is no longer able to financially carry all the other worthless, non-revenue producing male/female athletic programs on its back, all this BS about class attendence, etc. will be flushed down the toilet in a New York second. The simple fact is that people like me who pay out a whole lot of money/$$$$$$$$ to see Georgia WIN will decide it ain’t worth the money or the plane trip from Longboat Key and stop shelling it/$$$$$ out. Please allow me to sum this up in terms even a Tennessee fan can understand. I don’t give a tinker’s damn about whether a football player or anyone else graduates from UGA. All, I care about is that Georgia WIN football games. If the time comes when I don’t think I am getting sufficient return from my investment capital in the GEEF and in season tickets, I will quit shelling the $$$$$ out, and, may I add, that based on the results of last season and this one, I am damn close to that point now. President Adams, sir, need I say more. Dr. X in Longboat Key, FL.
By catlady
October 20, 2007 11:43 AM | Link to this
Many of the athletes admitted to high gloss programs are “marginal” to be generous. Many of them have “learning disabilities”. But they can still learn the playbook!
By martin
October 20, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
To RAMBLE ON: They flunk out at UGA because we don’t lie and cheat like your school does. When our players are ineligible they don’t get to play. At your school they do.
By decatur dawg
October 20, 2007 11:52 AM | Link to this
I just hate Op Ed pieces that are arguing a point that hasn’t even happened? Writing an article on what might, woulda, coulda, yeah yeah BS!
Write about facts, Dumbass!
By Tom
October 20, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this
Apparently the “coaches” still aren’t recruiting the “right” kind of kids. The Coaches are responsible … too bad the AD has to monitor what the cosches bring it.
By Joey
October 20, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this
I had professors who didn’t care if I missed the entire quarter, as long as I passed the exams. So what happens to the regular students who miss classes for this type of professors? NOTHING. The rules should apply to all students, including student-athletes. I don’t care if athletes miss classes as long as they pass the class. UGA needs the same rules as Fla, Tenn, LSU, etc.
By brandon
October 20, 2007 3:02 PM | Link to this
Damon has turned UGA into vanderbilt. We will not be able to compete with the rest of the SEC. No other school in the SEC is doing this.
By ME
October 20, 2007 3:21 PM | Link to this
Collegiate sports are about $$$$$$. Always have been; always will be.
By Andy
October 20, 2007 3:50 PM | Link to this
ErnestT I disagree with about 90% of what Moore writes and think he says alot of BS, but come on dude. I guess you are just showing that you are a dumb ole *!@$#
By ME
October 20, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this
Also……..maybe the NFL should finance their own minor league system.
By Lee
October 20, 2007 8:20 PM | Link to this
Let’s be honest here. There are a lot of football / basketball players who have no business on the campus of a university without a mop and broom in hand.
I remember back in the 70’s, they would introduce the players on tv and give their major and GPA. Stopped doing that because it got too embarassing.
Lot of factors at work here. You have coaches making million$ and whose job depends on putting together winning seasons and championships. There is not a lot of difference between the #5 team and the #25 team in the nation. A few impact athletes can make all the difference.
I recall one game where they announced the scholar athlete of the game. UGA’s “scholar athlete” had something like a 2.73 gpa. Can’t even pull a B average with all the tutoring and academic spoonfeeding they receive.
Funny how the Gym Dawgs and the tennis teams can field champions with true STUDENT-athletes.
Can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear is true, I guess…
By James Evans
October 20, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this
I know you were disappointed that you couldn’t use race in this column. As a UGA alum, I applaud the policy.