Allegations against Baylor involving football - will this affect JH Satellite Camp stop?

Submitted by Wolverine In Iowa 68 on

Just read up on this.  There have been a number of very serious allegations made against Baylor football programs for assault and worse.  Art Briles is coming under some heavy questioning, and the court of public opinion could be turning south on him/them quickly.

Question for the board, do you see this affecting Harbaugh's plans to camp there June 12?

 

Should it?

 

Comments and thoughts welcome.

 

For reference: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/05/19/college-coaches-join-call-for-…

I Like Burgers

May 19th, 2016 at 8:28 PM ^

Whether or not Michigan co-hosts a camp with them has nothing to do with the NCAA though. Given all that's been reported about them in the latest OTL report, Michigan should absolutely cut ties with that camp. The fact they haven't done so already is kind of mind-blowing.

Schools/teams suspend players indefinitely all the time before due process is complete. This isn't any different. Art Briles and the Baylor football program looks like a massive piece of shit right now. There is zero reason to be associated with them.




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Amaizing Blue

May 19th, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^

Briles supported him last year and has come to at least one camp as a speaker.  I know loyalty is something that's important to our coach.

On the other hand, the sexual assault story at Baylor gets uglier with each new revelation, and a pattern of, at best, turning a blind eye seems to be emerging.  Not a good look to be associated with.

I can't decide how I feel about this one.   

Wolverine In Iowa 68

May 19th, 2016 at 2:12 PM ^

It's a tough call.  That's why I was interested in other's opinions.

 

The allegations look bad, as they keep coming in.  And I know on the surface "innocent until proven guilty...", but we also know the court of public opinion is a bit more fast to react.

We're still in the process of "rebuilding" our National Powerhouse brand and pulling ourselves out of the bad taste Brandon left.  Is it a good idea to associate with this "mess" or could it come back to bite us if the allegations are proven true.  I don't want the taint, but I also believe in the loyalty factor, like you mentioned.  Very tricky.

The Mad Hatter

May 19th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^

I don't think Michigan / Harbaugh would take too much of a PR hit if something came out later about Briles being complicit in any inappropriate activities.  Sure, the usual Michigan bashers would use it as cannon fodder, but they're going to find something to bitch about either way.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Harbaugh calls Briles and asks him straight up what's going on down there.  Jim seems like the sort of person that doesn't suffer fools. 

Mr Miggle

May 19th, 2016 at 7:04 PM ^

What are the chances the media won't ask Harbaugh the same thing? Then ask more questions later? More bad news could break about Baylor at any time. Harbaugh and what he does and says is always news, He'll need to do a good job answering some potentially difficult questions.

I think the fair question is whether going through with the camp the right thing to do. Not whether people care or will complain about it. I think Harbaugh will just want to do the camp, since he'll be working with the kids, not with Briles. Like his other camps, that should be good for the kids. At the same time, it looks like he's showing support at a critical time for a program and coach that don't deserve it  I don't know the answer. I think this is a case for Manuel to have the final say.

Ghost of Hoke

May 19th, 2016 at 2:10 PM ^

No brainer to back out if Briles hadn't supported Michigans camp. There might be a contract in place that makes them return the favor.




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I Like Burgers

May 19th, 2016 at 8:32 PM ^

Who cares if they supported Michigan's camp? Or if there's a contract (highly doubt there is). All of that was in place before it was throughly reported that Baylor was ignoring rape charges against their players. Show some spine as an institution and tell Baylor to fuck off.




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I Like Burgers

May 19th, 2016 at 9:45 PM ^

It's not even a mater of due process, because this isn't a court of law, it's the court of public opinion. It's a matter of someone being a part of some thoroughly reported nastiness and deciding wether or not you want to become a part of their shit storm.

"He was nice to us once" isn't a reason to stay involved in the camp.




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Wolfman

May 20th, 2016 at 9:03 AM ^

Due process is far more important than a phrase made popular in the past couple of years. First time I heard it, it was like they "must do their best to win in the court of public opinion,because they know they can't win in  a court of law."  Somehwat clever, but it sounds as if it is written as a reaction to pre-trial strategy.

Coach Harbaugh has surprised me in many ways. The man normally had not made too many decisions on which I have disagreed. I think overreaction on our part, to this first report we've received would be ridiculous. As stated, give it a little time, and it might require no action on our part and it it does, I am sure the path we take will be made clear. We are not going to support anyone in a JoePa like situation. On the other hand, we are not going to rush to  judgment based on reports. Yes, Due Process is alive and well and how many times has someone misjudged your actions, or worse reacted on those that never existed?

Let it play itself out for a bit.

Mr Miggle

May 20th, 2016 at 10:09 AM ^

There have been many similar reports, going back at least a couple of years. Nothing much was done about them. now it appears their problems are finally coming to a head. More victims are speaking out and their claims have been investigated. Baylor has finally launched an investigation of their own and the media coverage has intensified.

Due process should be followed for the people involved, whether they face losng jobs or prosecution. It should also be afforded the university in terms of facing punishments from the NCAA. The due process involved in deciding whether to associate with them in a voluntary way is not the same. At this point, there is really no doubt that something is rotten at Baylor, it's been ongoing and it involves their football program. Do we need to know if it rises to the level of criminal culpability?

 

 

We are back

May 19th, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^

Just speaking of the one case and I'm sorry to be that guy to say it but it confuses me, How did it happen twice? And I'll never understand the not pressing charges thing.

(Disclaimer) I'm not saying the players are innocent or guilty just commenting on things that confuse me.




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King Douche Ornery

May 19th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^

"...just commenting on things that confuse me"

 

Well now, that would mean just about everything that you don't have ALL the facts on, right, genius?

And that would apply to every other self-righteous idiot on this blog.

The Mad Hatter

May 19th, 2016 at 2:16 PM ^

Briles has been a known friend and trusted agent in hostile territory, but the allegations are pretty serious and numerous.  I find it difficult to believe that he didn't know about the things that allegedly went on.

Maybe the way he sees things is that if charges aren't filed then whatever happened either didn't happen or wasn't a big deal.

Need more information before I have a strong opinion about it.

NittanyFan

May 19th, 2016 at 2:19 PM ^

The final report remains a work in progress.  The school has received a preliminary version of the report, however.

What will be interesting --- whether or not the University publicly releases the final report or not.  They do not have to.  

If someone wants to "apply pressure" on Baylor, calling for a public release of the final report  would be one way to apply pressure.

Baylor's current President is Ken Starr --- anyone who followed the news in the 1990s knows that Starr has prior expereience with independent reviews.

Mr Miggle

May 19th, 2016 at 7:23 PM ^

Baylor's sounds more akin to the NFL's in deflategate. Baylor has said they will decide what to do with the report after they have reviewed it. They have resisted calls for a promise to release it that started as soon as it was commissioned, including a demonstration at Starr's house.

I wonder how much pressure can be put on them. ESPN is leading the media effort to expose the scandal. Ultimately, it's a private school that's going to suffer some bad publicity either way.Unless the feds get involved over Title IX issues, I expect them to do no more than cover their asses.  . 

NittanyFan

May 19th, 2016 at 8:30 PM ^

For lack of a better way to put it --- Baylor doesn't really move the needle.  ESPN can investigate it as much as it wants, but it's still a private university, that historically isn't very relevant/popular in the sports world, and 85% of the general public has no idea even what state the school is located in.

If this was Notre Dame?  Sure, that story makes CNN.  That's pressure.  But this story likely isn't making CNN (especially so in an election year).

I don't know on the Title IX front either.  Penn State and the Clery Act --- maybe I missed it, but I swear the Feds never did anything there.  Or else it's some super-long (4+ years?!?) investigation.

Mr Miggle

May 19th, 2016 at 10:25 PM ^

How many parents will want to pay to send their daughters there? That's potentially a big issue at a Baptist school, whose atmosphere is a big part of its appeal. That's something Baylor's administrators can probably only guess at. By the time they know for sure, they may have taken a big hit. My guess is that they fire a few people, announce a change in procedures and release as little info as possible.

Yeoman

May 20th, 2016 at 1:04 PM ^

Those parents know their daughters are good girls. They won't be hanging with football players (and yes, for some there's a racial signifier lurking here), they won't be sexually active with anyone (and sure as hell not any football players), nothing bad's going to happen to them.

That's at the core of the problem there. It's clear from pretty much every statement they've made since this started (and I'll bet it's a lot worse when they're speaking among themselves and not putting out vetted statements) that Baylor's administration can't quite wrap their heads around the concept that these were even assaults. Rape, to them, is a stranger hiding in the bushes--if you let yourself be alone with a man and it's known that you might not be a virgin, well, dammit, what did you think was going to happen?

They aren't joining our century anytime soon, and they aren't likely to solve a problem they can't even see.