<p>Hell yeah, Duke Lax is back. The team got reinstated today. Everyone knows Duke lax is not guilty.</p>
<p>Give me a break.</p>
<p>Duke lax ain't gonna be "back" for quite a while.</p>
<p>Actually, he's right... President Brodhead gave the go-ahead for next season. Looks like the assistant coach will be the interim head-coach.</p>
<p>That's not what I mean. Duke lax will not be competitive for quite a while. The "program" is dead.</p>
<p>sorry, forgot to address that... it seemed that the initial responses were of disbelief that the team was coming back. I definitely agree that they aren't "back," though... it'll be interesting to see how they fare next season.</p>
<p>Did anyone see that a rising sr was suspended 'indefinitely' for DUI (.23) and pot possession? </p>
<p>I agree - team will not be nationally competitive for several years. Did not get one out of the top 100 recruits this past year. </p>
<p>Depending on the speed of Durham County justice, we could be looking at an in-season trial next year for these 3 guys. What fun that will be.</p>
<p>Agreed, OP is offensive. Hope that is not representative of campus opinion</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about that... this guy has been all over the boards (and my apologies if it seems that I was agreeing with his entire post... I skimmed over most of it and just saw that people didn't believe that the lax team was back).</p>
<p>lukewarm reinstatement by brodhead--</p>
<p>insulting to those lax players who continue to either remain at duke or those enrolling.</p>
<p>good lord--can this administration get anymore PC?</p>
<p>Brodhead is right to publically put the team on the short leash...idiot mentioned above who got nailed for DUI and possession on eve of team's reinstatement doesn't help the cause. </p>
<p>Can these guys just keep their heads down for a while and not do stupid ***** like this at least for a year or two?</p>
<p>omg That is very bad timing...wow</p>
<p>
can this administration get anymore PC?
Have you seen the record of some of the team members versus the rest of the university? Have you read the reports about the actions of teaam members versus the rest of the university? Calling the steps put in place by the administration "PC" is simply absurd.</p>
<p>The Durham PD do sweeps at off-campus parties at the start of the school year and issue citations to literally HUNDREDS of students for alcohol possession, underage drinking, etc. The charges are almost always dropped, the point is just to send a message.*</p>
<p>The vast majority of these students, of course, are not on the lacrosse team. </p>
<p>Look, I don't think the University's actions are just PC, but it also isn't "simply absurd" to suggest they are. One particular annoying thing about this whole mess is the media hysteria that the LAX players prior brushes with the law are so appalling or telling even (like peeing outdoors is perhaps a gateway to rape, robbery, assault). When Brodhead first heard about the LAX players "records", he publicly shrugged off the sensationalistic headlines and called the citations "common and familiar". They are. Students drink beer. They attend parties. And play loud music. This is not new, this is not NEWS. I suppose I'm in favor of some sort of honor code in light of the damage done to the University, but I think people need some sense of proportion here. The old team's crimes were pretty typical college crap. Jock or no jock. </p>
<p>*And as you may know, Difong decided to dust off these charges and prosecute some LAX players. The judge not only ruled the players' innocent but chastised the court for wasting his time and bringing the trivial offenses to trial in the first place.</p>
<p>OK - let me ask this then. What is PC about what Brodhead did? He took back direct control of the athletics department after receiving a report that clearly indicated problems with communication between departments. After talking with the team and the AD, he put in place a code of conduct that supplements the academic requirements of the school given that the previous behavior of the team - even prior to this incident, has done harm to the university and to community relations. Which part is PC?</p>
<p>this better not affect the girls lax...</p>
<p>PC in that his fingerwagging and demand that LAX adheres to a higher standard of conduct than the rest of the student body in a way validates the unfair, sensationalistic media coverage of the players and their behavior. Strained community relations has never been strictly a LAX-Durham problem, but he's perpetuating blaming the team in the name of public relations. That's the PC complaint. </p>
<p>But I see your point too. And don't get me wrong, I am happy with Brodhead's leadership through this whole thing. It's just a complicated mess.</p>
<p>In this country, we used to cherish the belief that all were presumed innocent until proven guilty. In the rush to prejudge, you had many faculty members sign a petition to essentially "hang them" similar to a theme found in the looking glass: sentence now, trial later. You had an outside activist group calling for draconian actions by the administration. Essentially, the administration caved to all the demands by trashing the seasons, presuming all were guilty, and now using the canard of "prior bad behavior". Give me a break.
Did it ever occur to this PC mush administration to stand up and say we back our team until proven guilty? That would have shut down the media, shut down the hysterical antics of the crazies and smothered the nonsense going on now with the alleged victim and victim #2 changing stories to fit the whims of a DA hell bent on conviction, guilty or not.</p>
<p>^^I agree musictoad. Looks like Cassese had the courage to say something that Brodhead and rest of the Duke Admin could not/would not do: </p>
<p>"Three players from last season's team have been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges after a police investigation of an exotic dancer's accusation that she was raped at a March 13 team party. Cassese specifically mentioned one of the three -- graduated senior David Evans -- during a brief statement on the case.</p>
<p>"Based on what I know of David's character, I find it impossible to believe he could have done the things he's being accused of," Cassese said. "While I never had the opportunity to play alongside Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty, I will -- as with David Evans -- support them until there is evidence and a court decision that leads me to conclude otherwise."</p>
<p>(Key word: support. Also used by Ammons at NCCU on behalf of the accuser.)</p>
<p>This case goes from bad to worse. Literally right out of Alice in Wonderland.</p>
<p>Have you read the latest article from the local newspaper where Kim calls the alleged victim's story a "crock"?</p>
<p>To those of you in the Duke bubble, it may look PC. But believe me as an alum out in the world, it is probably necessary to tilt overboard in at least the short term to stem the tide of garbage being thrown rightly or wrongly at the school. We are doubtlessly looking at decreasing yield rates in the short term, and reduced alumni giving as this gets sorted out, even if all are completely exonerated. </p>
<p>In case you didn't get the memo, it's no longer business as usual at Duke, or at other places (see Northwestern) where ADs and Presidents are in fear for their careers because of a press that has got ahold of this issue and won't let go. Richard Brodhead et al are not going to go down because of some Boyz Gone Wild episode that got out of hand. </p>
<p>It's the same press that wants to televise every Barry Bonds AB while simultaneously running 'insider reports' detailing the latest DEA sweep and convening 3-4 talking heads to cluck disapprovingly at the latest scandal before they go off to the happy hour bar and load up.</p>