duke univ. lacrosse team 10 years later

[rocket surgeon]

espn is broadcasting it's 30 for 30 tonight at 8:00pm central time.  it will be an interesting story as they usually do a pretty good job.  jay bilas wrote a very powerful letter to the editor of duke magazine-very well written and can you believe, very controversial at that time.   

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/14949958/one-duke-high-profile-alumni-pens-letter-calling-leadership-justice

 although some of the duke players might have been guilty of making some bad decisions, their lives were changed forever

[ChicosBailBonds]

A lot of people convicted those boys......sad day for the coach, the players, etc.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Remember when the president of the university said this....

"If our students did what is alleged, it is appalling to the worst degree," Brodhead said back then. "If they didn't do it, whatever they did is bad enough."


Just amazing

[rocket surgeon]

the group of 88 profs/teachers signed and published a letter essentially backing the "alleged victim".

   one of the signers, kim curtis, failed 2 of her students who were players on that lacrosse team. she was sued and raised the grades to a "D".

 mike nifong was charged with misconduct, judicially removed and disbarred

in 2007, a poll of duke faculty found that 82% were "troubled" by the group of 88's actions-are you kidding me?  first of all, that means 12% thought it was cool and if the wording "troubled" is accurate, i am still troubled by that

i understand that we will never see 100% of anything, but, whatever...

[4everwarriors]

They did not have sex with that woman, hey?

[rocket surgeon]

They did not have sex with that woman, hey?

beautiful!! 

didn't the young lady eventually get arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder?  cheezus, those dudes got off lucky then.

[Dr. Blackheart]

New respect for Jay Bilas

[rocket surgeon]

                after watching the documentary- powerful and very well done!

[LloydsLegs]

Bilas was great on this.  And on beating the anti-NCAA drum.

[NavinRJohnson]

New respect for Jay Bilas

I've had respect for him for a long time, and he demonstrated yet again how much he gets it. Always seems to come down on the correct side.

[Tugg Speedman]

Post Script to this story.

Aubrey McClendon is the founder and CEO of American Energy Partners. He was also the co-founder of Chesapeake Energy.  He was a 20% owner of the OKC Thunder and part of the group that relocated the team from Seattle.  The Thunder play in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

McClendon is a Duke Grad (1981), he was on the Board of Trustees.  A dorm at Duke is named after him.  He has donated at least $15 million to the school.

McClendon is a very aggressive oil man.  He's been a billionaire and lost it several times.  He was wiped out in the 2008 financial crisis.  Wiped out as in a net worth of zero.  Within three years he was a billionaire again.

This Forbes cover sum it up well.



Two weeks ago McClendon was indicted for conspiring to rig bids to buy oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma.  Like I said he was very aggressive.

The morning of his arraignment (March 3), McClendon drove his 2013 Chevy Tahoe into a concrete embankment at 80 MPH.  Witnesses say his car drove straight at it.  No skid marks were on the street.



Today the investigators are proceeding as if this was a suicide.  It turns out the McClendon was (yet again) wiped out.  He literally had no money left.  He was a causality of the oil bust.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-aubrey-mcclendon-specialreport-idUSKCN0WD27N

So, What does this have to do with Duke LaCrosse?

He spent at least $400,000 of his own money defending the LaCrosse team.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/06/06/wealthy-benefactor-lioniz_n_51047.html

He was the money behind re-instating the team in 2007.

Everything around this incident is so tragic.

[rocket surgeon]

Post Script to this story.

Aubrey McClendon is the founder and CEO of American Energy Partners. He was also the co-founder of Chesapeake Energy.  He was a 20% owner of the OKC Thunder and part of the group that relocated the team from Seattle.  The Thunder play in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

McClendon is a Duke Grad (1981), he was on the Board of Trustees.  A dorm at Duke is named after him.  He has donated at least $15 million to the school.

McClendon is a very aggressive oil man.  He's been a billionaire and lost it several times.  He was wiped out in the 2008 financial crisis.  Wiped out as in a net worth of zero.  Within three years he was a billionaire again.

This Forbes cover sum it up well.



Two weeks ago McClendon was indicted for conspiring to rig bids to buy oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma.  Like I said he was very aggressive.

The morning of his arraignment (March 3), McClendon drove his 2013 Chevy Tahoe into a concrete embankment at 80 MPH.  Witnesses say his car drove straight at it.  No skid marks were on the street.



Today the investigators are proceeding as if this was a suicide.  It turns out the McClendon was (yet again) wiped out.  He literally had no money left.  He was a causality of the oil bust.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-aubrey-mcclendon-specialreport-idUSKCN0WD27N

So, What does this have to do with Duke LaCrosse?

He spent at least $400,000 of his own money defending the LaCrosse team.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/06/06/wealthy-benefactor-lioniz_n_51047.html

He was the money behind re-instating the team in 2007.

Everything around this incident is so tragic.

except for the "fraud" part of his gain$, at least some of that went for a noble cause-to right a wrong and to get duke's lacrosse team back out on the field

on a related note, yale basketball starting guard and team captain, jack montegue was expelled from school because his partner(female) did not give consent for sex for a FOURTH round back in 2014.  in other words, they did some form of the nasty 3 times, but she claims the 4th time she "did not give consent" ??  earlier(the 2nd timer) she had climbed in to bed with him and woke him up with a slobber-bobber.  hmmmm, did he give consent for that?? 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/03/14/expelled-yale-basketball-captain-alleged-sexual-misconduct-was-consensual/

this title "whatever" is getting way out of hand

[HouWarrior]

I have watched the 30 for 30 piece, noted Bilas' letter, and, of course, am saddened/ mad at disbarred prosecutor, Duke admin., Durham,  etc...heck the whole handling of this was very bad.

I always wonder though...Coach K was also the AD. Why didnt he take a greater role? What would have happened if he had stood up for the coach/players early on? His influence/political capital was huge. He is Duke sports to most of the USA. Did he duck the controversy, or abdicate involvement to insulate/protect the BB program? Maybe... in the end he couldnt have made a difference...I just openly wonder why he wasnt more active/ or spoken of in the 30/30 piece. Is he an AD in name only? I really respect Coach K and worry, a bit here,  that maybe he went "missing" a bit on this one. Did I miss something? I'd enjoy hearing from y'all that he actually did all he could...it would restore my high opinion of him

[rocket surgeon]

I have watched the 30 for 30 piece, noted Bilas' letter, and, of course, am saddened/ mad at disbarred prosecutor, Duke admin., Durham,  etc...heck the whole handling of this was very bad.

I always wonder though...Coach K was also the AD. Why didnt he take a greater role? What would have happened if he had stood up for the coach/players early on? His influence/political capital was huge. He is Duke sports to most of the USA. Did he duck the controversy, or abdicate involvement to insulate/protect the BB program? Maybe... in the end he couldnt have made a difference...I just openly wonder why he wasnt more active/ or spoken of in the 30/30 piece. Is he an AD in name only? I really respect Coach K and worry, a bit here,  that maybe he went "missing" a bit on this one. Did I miss something? I'd enjoy hearing from y'all that he actually did all he could...it would restore my high opinion of him

those are great questions.  jay bilas, one of his disciples tried to play a larger role than he did.  makesone wonder if the "higher ups' were able to "suggest" staying out of it?  did he feel there was nothing to gain from getting involved?  the atmosphere was pretty charged.  a leader would have led

[ChicosBailBonds]

I have watched the 30 for 30 piece, noted Bilas' letter, and, of course, am saddened/ mad at disbarred prosecutor, Duke admin., Durham,  etc...heck the whole handling of this was very bad.

I always wonder though...Coach K was also the AD. Why didnt he take a greater role? What would have happened if he had stood up for the coach/players early on? His influence/political capital was huge. He is Duke sports to most of the USA. Did he duck the controversy, or abdicate involvement to insulate/protect the BB program? Maybe... in the end he couldnt have made a difference...I just openly wonder why he wasnt more active/ or spoken of in the 30/30 piece. Is he an AD in name only? I really respect Coach K and worry, a bit here,  that maybe he went "missing" a bit on this one. Did I miss something? I'd enjoy hearing from y'all that he actually did all he could...it would restore my high opinion of him

I'm confused....I'm 99.99% Coach K was not the AD and has never been the AD.  Joe Alleva was the AD, he took over for Tom Butters if I recall.   Today it is Kevin White.  I've never seen where Coach K has held the title of AD in any capacity.

[StillAWarrior]

I'm confused....I'm 99.99% Coach K was not the AD and has never been the AD.  Joe Alleva was the AD, he took over for Tom Butters if I recall.   Today it is Kevin White.  I've never seen where Coach K has held the title of AD in any capacity.

Consider the source, but this from the Wikipedia article on the Duke lacrosse case:  "In response to the allegations, Duke University suspended the lacrosse team for two games on March 28, 2006. The following week, on April 5, Duke lacrosse coach Mike Pressler was forced to resign under threat by athletic director Joe Alleva, and Duke President Richard Brodhead canceled the remainder of the 2006 season."

[ChicosBailBonds]

Consider the source, but this from the Wikipedia article on the Duke lacrosse case:  "In response to the allegations, Duke University suspended the lacrosse team for two games on March 28, 2006. The following week, on April 5, Duke lacrosse coach Mike Pressler was forced to resign under threat by athletic director Joe Alleva, and Duke President Richard Brodhead canceled the remainder of the 2006 season."

That confirms what I recall.  I got the chance to work with Butters a little bit, he was there forever.  Aleva was there probably a decade, then Kevin White came on board after stints at Notre Dame and Tulane.   Duke has not had that many ADs, I'll bet less than 10 in total in their history. 

[HouWarrior]

Wow thats embarrassing...here is my mistake source....

My old law partner who was president of the local duke alum chapter had told me Coach K had been given AD duties with his new big contract a few years ago. Obviously I never should have trusted what a "president" told me. lol That reference point stuck with me and I am so very sorry I never checked his BS...I and my whole post premise was totally wrong, my apologies.

I feel like Emily Latella (Gilda Radner on SNL) on this whole AD, why didnt Coach K do something post....as she would say... "Oh thats different ...never mind"...

Sorry, again...I will double check better next time

[ChicosBailBonds]

No biggie Houston....all good.

[StillAWarrior]

Wow thats embarrassing...here is my mistake source....

My old law partner who was president of the local duke alum chapter had told me Coach K had been given AD duties with his new big contract a few years ago. Obviously I never should have trusted what a "president" told me. lol That reference point stuck with me and I am so very sorry I never checked his BS...I and my whole post premise was totally wrong, my apologies.

I feel like Emily Latella (Gilda Radner on SNL) on this whole AD, why didnt Coach K do something post....as she would say... "Oh thats different ...never mind"...

Sorry, again...I will double check better next time

Houston, welcome to the club of 'Scoop posters who were wrong about something!  You'll find that it's a very well-populated club.  We've been waiting for you.  Your admittance to the club makes the Venn diagram of 'Scoop Posters and 'Scoop Posters Who Have Been Wrong About Something look like a total overlap.

[wadesworld]

I'm confused....I'm 99.99% Coach K was not the AD and has never been the AD.  Joe Alleva was the AD, he took over for Tom Butters if I recall.   Today it is Kevin White.  I've never seen where Coach K has held the title of AD in any capacity.

Yeah that would've been news to me.

I only 20 minutes into the 30 for 30 and had something come up.  I was only 16 when it happened so I didn't really follow it.  As far as why people within Duke would stay quiet, well, you have to let the legal process play out before you go about running your mouth.  That was the first thing I thought when the woman who wrote a column calling out the players for not speaking up.  How stupid is that?  Regardless of whether they are guilty or truly have no idea how these allegations came up, they're charged with sexual assault and facing a trial.  You can't go in front of media and discuss the events.  Ridiculous that anybody would get upset about that even if they're 100% convinced the players are guilty.  Simply not how it works.

[NavinRJohnson]

Yeah that would've been news to me.

I only 20 minutes into the 30 for 30 and had something come up.  I was only 16 when it happened so I didn't really follow it.  As far as why people within Duke would stay quiet, well, you have to let the legal process play out before you go about running your mouth.  That was the first thing I thought when the woman who wrote a column calling out the players for not speaking up.  How stupid is that?  Regardless of whether they are guilty or truly have no idea how these allegations came up, they're charged with sexual assault and facing a trial.  You can't go in front of media and discuss the events.  Ridiculous that anybody would get upset about that even if they're 100% convinced the players are guilty.  Simply not how it works.

She wasn't suggesting the speak to the media. She was suggesting that some on the team/at the party that night  knew who the three "guilty parties" were, and instead of remaining silent and protecting them, they should be turning them into police/DA.

Obviously that was impossible because nobody could have seen something that didn't happen. The columnist later wrote a column apologizing for the first. A little too little, a little too late, after the Flames had been fanned.

[wadesworld]

She wasn't suggesting the speak to the media. She was suggesting that some on the team/at the party that night  knew who the three "guilty parties" were, and instead of remaining silent and protecting them, they should be turning them into police/DA.

Obviously that was impossible because nobody could have seen something that didn't happen. The columnist later wrote a column apologizing for the first. A little too little, a little too late, after the Flames had been fanned.

Got it, that makes more sense. Still haven't been able to watch beyond the first 20 minutes so I'm sure it'll all be clearer when I do.

[Lennys Tap]

A lot of people convicted those boys......sad day for the coach, the players, etc.

Really bad when people tar other's reputations with unproven accusations. Think about it.