What's Football Got to Do With It?
Former Wake Forest football player Lucas Caparelli was not smart to post violent statements on his Facebook page. We all agree; he made a huge mistake, and he got suspended for it.
What we're not seeing eye-to-eye on is how much Caparelli's status as an athlete comes into play.
Some commenters sympathize with Caparelli because his already uncertain future in football is likely over for good now that he's been suspended by Wake Forest.
StaggoLee: So, you check out the threat, find it's just a dumb thing to have said, then move on. Thoughtless, yes. Ruin his football future, no.
And run the risk of another Pat Lazear saga? I don't know about that one.
LeftwithNochoice: Yeah, not smart the comments, but the sentiments sound all too familiar. I played football in NC, too, at Davidson, and I know what an adjustment it is. . .
Other commenters speculate on how school officials decided on Caparelli's punishment:
dailykos1: Be realistic. Is there any doubt that had his debut football season been more successful that he would not have been suspended. Wake Forest agreed with him that he was not "their kind of people" and because he couldn't serve them on the football field, they took the opportunity to kick him out. Wake Forest isn't overreacting to an immature stunt, they are just making a business decision.
Take it easy, Nancy Drew. That might be a bit extreme.
And now from one extreme to another:
jhbyer: If he hadn't been a jock, he'd have been expelled.
It's easy to say that sort of thing when you don't know for sure (unless a non-athlete who goes to Wake Forest posts the exact same statements on his or her Facebook page. I do not recommend trying it).
I've got to disagree with jhbyer. I've always thought that schools tend to see student-athletes as the ones to make examples of, and sometimes that means harsher penalties. I'm curious if anyone else feels the same way.
By Lindsay Applebaum |
April 9, 2008; 2:33 PM ET
| Category:
College Football
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Posted by: spectre | April 9, 2008 2:46 PM
If it were a school with a history of stretching the boundaries for its student athletes, like say....any school in the SEC sans Vandy, I would be more apt to side with dailykos1. This is Wake Forest though, a school with a history of taking academics seriously. Therefore, I've got to agree with you Lindsay, and say the possibility of making an example out of a student-athlete with a harsher penalty is a very likely possibility.
Posted by: spectre | April 9, 2008 2:51 PM
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....and I thought this might be an article about United. Oops.