Thursday, March 3, 2011

Screw BYU, and the Greatness of Nolan

I didn't want to lead with BYU this morning. Duke got a nice senior night win over Clemson, and the Black Falcon hit yet another clutch shot to secure a tenuous Tar Heel victory. But this Brandon Davies story is too much. I heard the full details at halftime of the Duke game, and it immediately infuriated me. When I woke up this morning, I had a few blissful moments of peace before remembering the story and getting angry all over again. Here are the basics:

*Brandon Davies is a forward on the BYU basketball team.
*He's their leading rebounder and 3rd-leading scorer.
*The BYU honor code says you can't have premarital sex.
*Brandon Davies got turned in for having premarital sex with his girlfriend.
*They kicked him off the team.

Now, there are a lot of ways to milk this story for humor purposes. A lot of people have started to get mileage out of it already, and believe me, I'll be going there. For now, though, I can't. It's too sick. It's too disheartening. This whole story is too unbelievable, and I can't fathom that it's happening in America.


Actually having that nonsense in the honor code is one thing. BYU is a religious university- strike that, an uber-religious university- and any institution where religion plays too strong a part is bound to have its wacky nooks and crevices. Really, go down the list; BYU's no-sex policy (phrased this way: "live a chaste and virtuous life") is actually kind of tame compared to some of the stuff that's out there. And I'm not here to take a shot at religion; it's a popular target, and maybe deservedly so, but I'm personally one of those people who believes in God without going to church more than once per year when the family drags me on holidays.

None of that matters here. What matters is the integrity of an individual human and the freedom that should rightly be his, at least in this corner of the world.

Sex is a natural impulse, and I would bet that 50% of athletes in BYU's recent history, at a bare minimum, were having premarital sex. Clearly I have nothing to back those numbers up, but I'd say they're fairly intuitive. Probably conservative, too.

Now tell me: what kind of institution would not only have those rules, but also enforce them? What oily high priest is keeping track of Brandon Davies' sex life? What piece of human garbage reported him? What piece of human garbage of a university official didn't tell the snitch to mind his own business? Why wasn't this cretinous accusation swept under the rug? THE DUDE HAD SEX WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND. He wasn't the first, guys! He won't be the last!

Let me answer my own question: this is the kind of thing you read about happening in extremist Islamic cultures. Sorry, but it's true. That's who BYU reminds me of right now. Of course, some idiots in the media are tripping over themselves to defend the Mormons. Here's the cliff notes of their justification:

*Brandon Davies knew the rules when he signed up. He knew what he was getting into.

Then you have brainless slugs like Chris Broussard saying they think BYU's rules are "refreshing" in an era so full of corruption. Sweeping him aside like a babbling drunk, let's examine the more common defense: 'he knew what he was getting into.'

Yeah, sure, lip service was probably paid at his signing to that particular bit of lunacy in the honor code. But how many players have ever been kicked out of BYU for sex? Maybe there's been a few, but certainly none that I know about. And how many BYU athletes do you think were having premarital sex? Zero? Half? If it's half, and at least for the football and basketball team I believe it's half, that's a culture where the 'chaste life' stuff is completely ignored. That's the culture Brandon Daves came into. If he wanted, he could probably snitch on 5 of his teammates who are having sex. Maybe even Jimmer Fredette! Maybe the golden white child savior is having sex!

So anyone who says Davies should have known and abided these rules is being a short-sighted hypocrite. That part of the honor code is not being enforced. Except for Brandon Davies.

Which brings me back to my central point: forget the existence of the rule. For someone to actually report him, and for that report to be prosecuted seriously, speaks so poorly of BYU. It shows a school adhering to written nonsense to the detriment of a student's humanity. Not to mention their apparent ignorance to a million extenuating circumstances.

It's an informant culture; its the Soviet Union combined with the religious mores of radical Islam. What kind of dignity can anyone have when they're constantly monitored? And like I said, I don't think that's the case with other athletes; I think Brandon Davies ran into a few uptight and sadistic prigs within the system. But still, if those people are allowed to thrive and wield influence at BYU, that says all we need to know about the college itself: they're dehumanizing scum.

BYU: Where you can't have sex with anyone before marriage, but you can screw 15 after.

And here's the really sad part: in the article linked above, Davies was the one being apologetic. Check out these excerpts:

Two of Davies’ teammates, Jimmer Fredette and Charles Abouo, said Wednesday night after the loss that they stand behind their former teammate and have no resentment toward him, saying they consider him a brother.

“Everyone makes mistakes in their life,” Abouo said. “We are reaching out and trying to help him get through this.”

Uhhh...really? You're standing by him through his big "mistake"?

Fredette said Davies spoke to the team and apologized.

“He told us everything. He told us he was sorry and that he let us down. We just held our heads high and told him it was OK, that it is life, and you make mistakes, and you just got to play through it,” Fredette said.

He shouldn't be apologetic! He should be angry! How absurd is this? Again: HE HAD SEX WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND! He didn't even cheat on anyone! He has no criminal record! He is, by all accounts, a great kid!

According to a source close to the program, Davies was “extremely remorseful, heartbroken,” but has accepted the punishment doled out by the school.

Unbelievable. I really hope he gets to tell his story sometime, and I hope he gets to tell it with an edge. The only thing worse than someone getting screwed by a system is when they don't realize they're being screwed. He's like a kid who's told that his parents' divorce is his fault.

And I just wish someone would support him. I know it'd be hard; I know it's a lot to expect the players to go against the grain when they're mere games away from a shot at the NCAA tourney. I know it's hard for the coach to put himself on the line in the midst of coaching the best team he'll ever have, with the probable national player of the year leading them into battle. But could he at least not say things like, "I think Brandon's heart is in the right place"? Could they at least look pissed off, even if they can't say anything?

Here's my least favorite justification of all, from coach Dave Rose: ""A lot of people try to judge if this is right or wrong, but it's a commitment they make. It's not about right or wrong. It's about commitment."

Just like a woman removing her veil in public, right? STONE HER TO DEATH! IT'S ABOUT COMMITMENT! SHE KNEW THE RULES!

Before last night, BYU was #3 in the nation. They were perfect at home all season. Then New Mexico, a sub-.500 team in conference, came in and beat them by 18 points.

Karma, bitches. Always gonna get you.

******************

You know who DIDN'T lose their perfect home season?

THE GODD$#MN DUKE MOTHERF#*%ING MOODY BLUE DEVILS!

As you can see from the game flow, this was not the senior night rout I had anticipated:


With 11:42 left, Clemson was still within two. In fact, they played a pretty great game in highly challenging conditions.

Their style was aggressive and full of risk on defense, but their gamble paid off; Duke chose not to press the pace, relying instead on a halfcourt offense that looked mostly stagnant. Each team had 68 possessions, 2 lower than Duke's average. Once again, an opponent defined the tempo.


As you see, three stats stick out: Clemson's steals and fouls, and Duke's turnovers. Each is proof of Clemson's brute, war-of-attrition strategy. Only the Tigers' shooting let them down:


You're certainly not going to win in Cameron with a 33% effective field goal rate. Which, essentially, is just another indication of how strong Duke's defense has become. Also, Clemson's aggressive style had its price: Duke attempted 25 free throws, even higher than their impressive season average of 22.

Let's zoom in to the individual level:


Notes:

*Only 5 players scored. Yikes, kinda. Not that we have a ton of scorers, but the bench output of 0 points is not encouraging. Where was Dawkins?

*Nolan and Kyle were just slightly underwhelming from a statistical perspective (though I will see Nolan's sick crossover in all my best dreams). Singler put up only 12 shots, a surprisingly low total against a team without much size at the 3. Nolan was less shy, with 20 shots, but he only made 7. Also, he was sloppy; 8 turnovers to 7 assists.

*Seth was johnny-on-the-spot from three yet again. It's not just that he makes them; it's when. His second three came when Clemson had closed it 38-40 in the second half. Then he hit a jumper with Clemson within 5. With 7 minutes left, Clemson narrowed it to 5 again, and that's when he hit this third three of the night. Then he hit three foul shots to ice the game with 5 minutes left. So, so valuable, and so clutch.

*Both teams grabbed offensive boards at a high rate: 42.9%. Singler had 5 by himself, which is great. But Grant and Jennings combined for 10 on the other side, which is bad news when Zeller and Henson lie in wait on Saturday.

*Speaking of which, it's not healthy for me to watch Carolina games right before Duke plays. Watching Henson patrol the inside, gradually but inexorably influencing how an opponent attacks, while Zeller perfectly complements him with great shooting accuracy inside and a stout second line on defense, is discouraging enough by itself. Having to watch the Bumblees immediately after makes it almost unbearable.

*Which brings us to Mason. What can I really say? He had another okay game. He didn't shoot too much (only 2-3 from the field), and he actually made his foul shots (4-5). He grabbed 7 boards, but was directly responsible for allowing a lot of offensive boards. As for his man-to-man skills, The Devils Den put it best on twitter last night: "Mason Plumlee is like Pavlov's defender. Head fake, and the subject jumps." Combine that with leaving his man for ill-advised steal attempts and double-team blocks, and he continually costs us points and second chances inside. If Roy Williams has any brains, he'll have learned his lesson from the disastrous second half in February and pound the ball down low all game.

I guess that's as good a segue into Carolina as any. Just before Duke tipped off, this happened:


The Black Falcon spread his wings, and Carolina held serve. The talk of tiebreakers can be put to rest; everything will be decided on Saturday.

And here's why we're going to win: Nolan Smith.

On senior night, he didn't have his best game. But he still had a great game, full of great moments, and it still capped off an incredible career. The season before Nolan came to Duke, the Blue Devils lost four home games. In the four years since, they've lost two. That includes two straight years of 17-0. It includes a national title.

I will admit to becoming a little emotional when he and Singler got their curtain calls last night. It's hard to imagine that they'll never play at Cameron again. It's hard to imagine we're only a month from losing them forever. But it's been endlessly rewarding to watch them play, even through the rare bad stretches. They'll leave, but the memories won't.

And Nolan is timeless. He's going to be the ACC Player of the Year. He'll finish in the top 3 nationally. The pundits and fans who didn't believe in his game have disappeared. I feel good every time #2 steps on the floor. I can't remember one game in the past two years that I expected Duke to lose. That's one reason why he's my favorite Dukie of all time, and the others are too numerous to explain. But there's something relatable about Nolan that can be hard to define. I like everyone who wears a Duke uniform simply because they play for Duke, but with Nolan it goes beyond that. He's a great person, who came through great struggles in the hardest way possible.

There's nobody like Nolan. I mean it; you can take everyone. You can take Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill and Shane Battier and Jason Williams and Redick and Scheyer and Singler. Take them all. But leave us Nolan Smith. He's the one we can't live without. He's the reason why, with an ACC title on the line, Carolina doesn't stand a chance.

46 comments:

  1. “He told us everything. He told us he was sorry and that he let us down. We just held our heads high and told him it was OK, that it is life, and you make mistakes, and you just got to play through it,” Fredette said.

    Probably a poor choice of words, Jimmer.

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  2. Needs more charts

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  3. I still want to know how the scandal came to light. How did he get caught? Did he get snitched on by a Moody Blue with video tape evidence? Perhaps there's a baby on the way and they couldn't hide it under those absurdly long dresses and baggy clothing any longer.

    How funny would it be if there was a baby and it popped out a few months from now and was white and turned out to be Jimmers?

    Why didn't she take one for the team and claim immaculate conception like that that one time, ya know the one 2000 years ago.

    Prediction: BYU gets a 2 seed and loses to a 15

    I think Mason actually had a pretty awesome game tbh. He actually hit his free throws, and that bitchin sky hook from way the hell out of the paint.

    -GB

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  4. Excellent take on the BYU story. What a crazy school.

    Another issue I've always had trouble understanding is how African-American athletes go to a school or take part in a religion, that less than 100 years ago, said they were second class and "dirty" people. It's mind boggling.

    Also I noticed a few years ago that most of the African-American players on the football team wore full arm and full leg white spandex. Maybe I'm over thinking it and it's just cold in the mountains, but that stuck me as weird.

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  5. I realize that its shocking that he got kicked off the team but have any of you ever been to Utah????? Do you think this is a one-time deal??? I'm not defending them, I'm just saying that's how it is there. Don't go, it sucks. Just take my word for it.

    Dr. K

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  6. Wow, its amazing to me how ignorant this entire article is and every comment made related to BYU. First, stop perpetuating the entirely misunderstood and derogatory stereotype that: BYU: Where you can't have sex with anyone before marriage, but you can screw 15 after. The LDS religion promotes chaste and MONOGAMOUS relationships both before and after marriage and any argument to the contrary is based on lies and ignorance. Second, your criticism of some unknown member of BYU community reporting Davies is just false. He reported himself. I repeat, HE REPORTED HIMSELF. The scum bag here is not someone snitching on Davies to the school it is someone revealing the cause of the violation to the media, that is the really sad part of the story, having your mistakes brought to life in front of the whole world. And why did he report himself? Because he obviously has a different world view than you, which, though you claim to have an open and inclusive mindset, apparently his beliefs don't matter or they are crazy so you insult them. Its obvious that to Davies, integrity and recognition of his errors and trying to change is more important than basketball. IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT YOU DON'T THINK IT WAS AN ERROR, HE DID. Furthermore, the comment by Jacob that Mormons viewed African Americans as second class dirty people is again so ignorant (I am so disgusted by this entire article and comments, I really cannot even fully express my disgust). Within the first 10 years of the formation of the church African Americans were being baptized members of the church and this during a time when few (I would say none but I am not an expert of the history of other religions) religions would baptize them. Also, the governor of Missouri issued an extermination order for the Mormons residing there - yeah, you read that right, extermination . . . of a religious group . . . in the United States - and why did he do that? Well, one of the main reasons was the fear that the Mormon population would grow so large and become a part of the state's politics and that they would then abolish slavery. Once they left Missouri, for fear of their lives, the state they settled in, Utah (where they settled because it was desertic and few others would want it, so they wouldn't be exterminated again) it was 50 years before they were granted statehood and it was partly because of slavery. The federal government knew that the people would decide to be a free state and with all the turmoil over which states would be free and which would be slave, the government punted and made them a territory.

    Before you write an article or a comment slandering a group of people because of their religion, at least get your facts straight. At least. Apparently it is too much to ask for people to respect opposing beliefs, so at least know what you are talking about first.

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  7. Apparently my comment that sought to clear up confusion has been removed because it was deemed too true for this blog. Well done "Shane", you have just proved my point.

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  8. I didn't delete any comments, dude. In fact, I never delete any comments (unless it's my brothers typing the word "fag").

    GB, I hope you're right about the 2/15 upset. I will probably pick just for kicks. I will admit that Mason had an okay game, but I'm still seeing the same kinds of mistakes. His one pass, though...holy shit.

    I will now cancel my motorcycle trip to Utah.

    -Shane

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  9. Even though he got called for a travel on the play, that diving backwards shot that went in made Mason look godly. And he had a wicked pass to Singler. I am significantly more optimistic about his performance in the tournament then I was last month.

    Oh, and Go Lobos! Made me proud to be a New Mexican yesterday. :)

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  10. Alright, then if you didn't delete the comment you won't mind my continued effort to resolve the ignorance of your post.

    Davies was not caught in the act, or reported on by another student, HE REPORTED HIMSELF. You can think what you want about premarital sex, but it is obvious that Davies believe he had made a mistake and now he is doing what he can to correct that mistake. AND you can believe what you want about whether the policy of BYU is correct or not but at least they stick by it. This event shows that honor and personal integrity are the qualities that BYU wants to teach and that winning isn't the only thing in life. Also, please do not continue to promote the ignorant idea that Mormons are polygamous, thats just a lie. The religion promotes chastity and fidelity in monogamous relationships. And regarding Jacob's comment, before the civil war the LDS church one of the very few to baptize african americans. The missouri government issued an extermination order of them because they feared their influence in the state would make it a free rather than slave state, and Utah was not made a state until 50 years after its settlement because the federal government knew the people would vote to make it a free rather than slave state.

    As a Duke student I love Duke basketball and I generally like this blog but the ignorance and lack of respect for others beliefs in this post and comments is disgusting. Sure its just a blog and there are a lot of crazy stupid things on blogs out there but some people who don't know any better might believe the lies you tell and that's unacceptable to me.

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  11. BYU is right to get rid of him if you violate your school contract you get suspended and if you violate your work contract you get fired he signed the paper and he knew the rules sorry maybe the rules are over the top ill agree with you on that but he still knew what to do i feel for the kid because your arguments are correct. It takes a real scum to turn him in

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  12. That's the second time I've had a comment removed. You aren't worth it anymore, but I will try one last time to say that Davies reported himself.

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  13. I recommend taking a commenting course ($85 for exactly 1.5 minutes of instruction). Nothing gets deleted.

    And I'd like to see your source that says Davies reported himself. He admitted having sex after he was accused, but I didn't see anyone reporting that he self-reported.

    -Shane

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  14. Are the gratuitous snide remarks about Islam and the veil really necessary in this context? I realize this doesn't pertain to the bulk of your content, but reading those asides so casually embedded in your commentary was, frankly, quite disturbing.

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  15. I agree that it is absolutely ridiculous that BYU's season is ruined because some dude had sex with his girlfriend. I think it is heartbreaking for Brandon Davies and his entire team. I also have issues with BYU and its hypocrisy.

    That said, I have been really conflicted about this. He chose to go to BYU. 98% of the student body is Mormon; the other 2% have to pay higher tuition because they do not pay "tithing" to the church. They take their shit seriously. And it is part of their religion to abstain from sex, coffee, booze, and other things for which I would surely be expelled. He DID know what he was getting into, as these are fundamental tenets of Mormonism. He signed the honor code and cashed his tuition checks. And unlike his teammates, who may or may not be banging it out, he got caught. That is why he apologized to them. Which sucks, don't get me wrong. But there have been a lot of cases like this at BYU. And I can't fault the university for upholding its honor code regarding an athlete instead of doing what basically any other school would - look the other way and sweep this under the rug.

    So to compare this - a kid getting paid to go to school as long as he follows its rules - to a woman being stoned, or to claim that "anyone who says Davies should have known and abided these rules is being a short-sighted hypocrite," seems pretty extreme. For all we know, this chick's parents reported him, or a church leader, or a professor. We don't know. But to fully absolve him of blame, when he knew damn well what could happen, seems equally short-sighted.

    I'm sorry, I will go back to being snarky and fun now. :)

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  16. Fine, if my comments are not being deleted on purpose, then I apologize. But I'm interested to see what your instruction includes because maybe I could write part of my doctoral dissertation in computer science at Duke on it.

    My source is me, and I'm a pretty good one. While a BYU undergrad I worked part time in an administrative position. The only way for Davies to have not reported himself and for the university to have taken action is if his girlfriend reported him and herself and then they both talked about it with the university. Any reports by roommates or others (rare but occasional since some people just hate their roommates and want out of their contract any way they can) are thrown out.

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  17. Just wanted to say that the last part about Nolan was well done. That is all.

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  18. Jill, that's essentially my girlfriend's argument. In my opinion (and that's what this was, opinion), you're both going too strictly by the book and ignoring the human element. It's easy to get lost in the minutiae of the honor code and the rules, but the larger story here is that a guy (who's not Mormon, I assume) lost his chance to play in an NCAA tournament because he had sex. I mean, our president had an affair and he didn't get kicked out of office. I realize that as a private, religious university BYU has the right make and enforce these kinds of rules, but that doesn't mean I have to think it's right.

    Spike and I were talking earlier, and the last time BYU suspended a major athlete, it was a QB for drinking. And guess what? They suspended him after the season.

    Bottom line, at least to me: if you're going to have these bizarre, morally rigorous rules, you can't enforce them unevenly.

    Anon CompSci major - if that's true that sex complaints by an outside part are thrown out, it's very interesting. My guess then would be that his girlfriend was pissed for some reason and reported him. But you'll forgive me if I'll wait to hear official word on this one.

    Anon - I'm curious why it was disturbing for you to read my 'snide' remarks about extreme Islam. Disturbing because the comparison is unfair, or because I mentioned extremist Islam in the first place?

    -Shane

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  19. If Shane was deleting comments, why would he leave up your comments about him deleting comments? Wouldn't he just delete those too?

    Are you sure you are not just forgetting to type in the verification step, or maybe doing it incorrectly?

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  20. He is a Mormon, Shane. That is the flaw in your argument. These are HIS fundamental beliefs.

    You are basically mocking BYU (and anyone who supports the suspension) for Brandon Davies own choices. He chose to be a Mormon, he chose to go to BYU, and he chose to have sex. You do not agree with the tenets of Mormonism, and I get that; it is overly restrictive and ridiculous. But we aren't Mormons! We were slutty, boozeful Blue Devils who wouldn't have gone near BYU's campus. Brandon Davies and 98% of his school believe in this stuff, even if we don't. The least we can do is respect their religion and university.

    But really? I just don't think you can compare this to physical torture. That is my issue with the post. I know you were making a point, but you attempted to compare college athletics to crimes against humanity/international law. There is no way to win that argument, no matter how valid your point is. And as one of your biggest fans, you know that I usually agree with you.

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  21. If anyone is having trouble commenting, they can e-mail me at shane.spr8 at gmail dot com and I will post their comment. This goes for Duke CompSci PhDs and average citizens both.

    -Shane

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  22. Shane, Their Stud running back Harvey Unga was kicked off for that same reason just two seasons ago. As far as the QB thing, that was a very vague reference with which I am not familiar with.

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  23. First, you'll be waiting a while to hear official word on it. Since its not a ciminal offense BYU won't tell anyone how it happened because they shouldn't. Ideally, the exact offense never would have been revealed. And to your other point, maybe all offenses are not perfectly enforced but what institution does or CAN? BYU learned about it a day before it happened and you can't say that the incentive for delaying the suspension of the football player was greater than a highly ranked team entering the NCAA tourney. Also, since I follow BYU sports more than most I can cite at least three recent football players, highly recruited, that were either suspended or dismissed before the season. Additionally, I don't mind if you call our rules bizarre but at least respect them and that we TRY to live up to them. Few institutions do. And the religion support fidelity in all monogamous relationships. And on Jacob's comment, a cursory look at the LDS history will show its support of African Americans. During the 1830s the entire religions was exterminated by governor decree from Missouri in part because they supported the abolition of slavery in that southern state.

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  24. I heard that he got his girlfriend pregnant. If that is so, I don't think that they really had a choice. It is simply the rules.

    Anyways, I personally much prefer their weird sense of honor, to say Calipari's blatant and ruthless cheating.

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  25. I admit to being wrong on the Mormon front, Jill, but I still think it's atrocious that he's been punished and made to feel ashamed because of a very natural impulse. You can say they're "his" views all you want, but are they really, or are they views instilled in him by a pretty extreme religious group since his youth? And what good has it done him? He gets punished in something he's great at because of a silly, anti-human rule? Sorry, I absolutely do not have to respect that. And I'll continue not respecting it.

    It may not be physical torture, but we're not talking about college athletics. We're talking about a student's humanity, and the comparison was drawn because I think there are legitimate similarities; he's being punished because of his natural (and very normal) desires. To me, punishing sexuality is a crime against humanity, even if it's on a much lower level than some others we could all name.

    And anon, you're right: Mormonism has a long history fighting racism, and I credit them for that. And I'll take your word that other athletes have been prosecuted for similar offenses.

    Mormonism is one of the things I know very little about, so the more I get into this conversation, the more out of my element I'll become. So I'm done responding to this debate, interesting as it is. Please don't make my silence on the BYU thing after this comment as ignoring anybody. Just time to move on.

    -Shane

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  26. I appreciate you admitting ignorance regarding my religion. This will be my last comment and it only involves your use of cult, which honestly offends me. I don't care if you don't respond and I won't either but still its not a term that should just be thrown out there. For the record, I obviously have those views but I was raised unreligious until I decided to become religious at 19. Further, doesn't that just mean that any institution with ethics other than your own and that teaches ethics to kids is a cult? And at its core this isn't about sex. The same ruling would have occurred regardless of whether it was cheating, or something criminal. The only thing taught about sex is to have it in marriage, and that's not a novel idea being taught by only cults.

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  27. I removed cult from the last post even before your last comment, anon, I admit it was a step far considering the connotation of the word (I would use it for Catholicism in the context I meant, which is my born religion, but I realize this context isn't common).

    -Shane

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  28. I appreciate that Shane. Thanks.

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  29. Anyone who doesn't have Mormon googles on recognizes that the Mormon church has a very recent history of treating African Americans as inferior. Pretending it doesn't exist just makes it more offensive.

    On the Duke front, I LOVE that Kyrie wears a Nolan #2 jersey necklace. They are my favorites :)

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  30. It's the only kind I know, brother.

    -Shane

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  31. I'm not sure how to approach the topic of religious discussion and cultural relativism on a humorous sports blog. I guess I'll just say that premarital sex is a wonderful thing. You gotta test drive the car before buying it.

    Let us drop this seriousness and go back to hating UNC and letting a ball dictate our emotional well-being.

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  32. I am far more concerned with the fact that coffee, tea, and booze are prohibited at BYU.

    However, "Shane" (assuming that is your real name), I must agree with Jill (in part) insofar as Brandon Davies made a conscious decision to attend a school with an overly rigid honor code where he is expected and required to adhere to the fundamental tenets of the Mormon religion.

    Your take on Davies' "offense" is just a reflection of your view, and the view of many, that it is acceptable to have premarital sex. However, Mormons don't share this view. Neither do a lot of Evangelical Christians, a lot of Catholics, Muslims, and apparently, Lady Gaga. But thats just like, your opinion, man.

    And you can't compare a "drinking" violation to a "sexual" violation. By analogy, the punishment if you get caught with an ounce of pot is not the same as getting busted with two kilos of cocaine. From my limited understanding of the BYU honor code (and Mormonism in general), it is much more serious to have premarital sex than to drink some beers or a cup of coffee. There is no evidence that the honor code isnt being enforced evenly, just your speculation that people must be breaking the code and Davies has been unfairly treated.

    -Craig J.

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  33. Shane, if you really want to learn more about Mormonism this is a good place to start.

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  34. On a basketball related note, last night was the first night I'd really seen Clemson play all season. In what came as complete surprise, I was actually kind of impressed, especially with their defense. I am interested to see how things will develop down in Pickens County over the next couple of years.

    Oh yeah, and Carolina sucks.

    -Candice

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  35. Shane took some good shots at BYU but, he's no Elizabeth Lambert.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEobeNfGcc&feature=related

    -GB

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  36. I know (hope) that's a joke and not really Shane's bros but it is still lame.

    -Shane's bro.

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  37. Gosh, is this what happens when I wait until late in the day to read SCSD!? Shit got real fiery up in here.

    I have nothing to say really. Conflict freaks me out. I hope for a lot of hugs and sunshine in tomorrow's post, please.

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  38. Shanes real brothersMarch 3, 2011 at 9:18 PM

    How dare someone take our place on this blog at insulting Shanes homosexuality and claim they are us. For that you deserve a dinner with Brian Williams where he talks specifically about cats, what cats eat, how cats reproduce and homosexuality in the cat community.

    ReplyDelete
  39. For the record, I also had a comment I made disappear. It was definitely there after entering the captcha, wasn't there the next time I came back.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hey so a Mormon guy I know linked this on facebook.

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/cougars/51355487-88/byu-code-honor-lds.html.csp

    I thought the article had a pretty good take on the human side of why this was a bad way to go about the honor code violation.

    ReplyDelete
  41. No, folks, those are really my brothers. Not fun times. Be glad if you have supportive families (and for the most part, I do).

    -Shane

    ReplyDelete
  42. Id rather see BYU get a #1 seed and be the first to lose to a 16...too bad that wont happen now

    ReplyDelete
  43. **UPDATE**Charlie Sheen just admitted on Dan Patrick he got his adonis dna from Nolan Smith

    Whos your daddy

    ReplyDelete
  44. I also had a comment deleted. Why is the internet censoring SCSD?

    -Craig J.

    ReplyDelete
  45. That's very strange. Hopefully it stops happening today.

    -Shane

    ReplyDelete