Swofford breaks his silence, harshly sanctions FSU women’s soccer team (Day 113) — 6:45 update

Before I get started, let me say a few things about yesterday’s happenings.  As everyone knows, Thorp came out with some awkwardly-worded statements about Butch Davis.  Watch here starting at the 48 second-mark if you want to hear Thorp in his own words say things such as

“I think what I said was that we don’t have any evidence that he knew.  I mean, you can’t prove a negative”

and

“In the future we need to know, that’s for sure.”

With these statements Thorp is digging himself further into the implausible “Coach Schultz” defense.  For this defense to hold water you have to believe such things as:

* Butch was totally ignorant about John Blake’s reputation and friendship with Wichard when these things were common knowledge. 

* Butch knew nothing (apparently even afterwards) about the Memorial Day weekend trip/agent party while somehow Kendric Burney (and certainly other players)  knew about it beforehand. 

* Butch employed the football tutor to help his son AFTER she was let go by the University, yet had no idea there was any problem with her work with the football team. 

That is just a partial list obviously (I don’t have time to get into the whole Chris Hawkins thing), and the things Butch supposedly didn’t know about his football program grows in number every day.  For a more complete discussion of the “Coach Schultz” defense, you can read this SFN entry  that was written way back on October 7th.

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The big news today is that ACC Commissioner John Swofford has come out with a strongly-worded rebuke of the FSU women’s soccer coach over his decision to hold some of his players out of the ACC tournament in preparation for an NCAA run.  You can read about it here on the ACC’s official website.  Some quotes from Swofford:

“FSU’s action is disrespectful to our teams, players, coaches and the fans that support the ACC. It undermines the purity of the competition that a conference championship deserves.

“The value of sportsmanship and leadership runs deep in this league and both were lacking when Florida State made the decision to not participate in good faith at the ACC Championship.

and

“Conference action on this matter will be forthcoming.”

Swofford then had this to say about the mammoth ongoing UNC-CH football scandals:

Given Swofford’s silence regarding Butch Davis and the out-of-control UNC-CH football program, the Commissioner’s statements about the FSU women’s soccer team are totally ridiculous.  Swofford has nothing to say about UNC-CH employing an agent/runner on the football staff as Associate Head Coach, yet a soccer coach resting players “undermines the purity of the competition.”  Swofford can’t be serious!  “The value of sportsmanship and leadership…were lacking” when the FSU players stayed home, yet he has voiced no criticism about Butch privately employing a tutor who helped multiple players cheat.   Hilarious!

On the subject of holding out star players, this is very common in soccer.  The best players in the world are routinely held out of games to rest them for more important upcoming matches.  Also, didn’t Ty Lawson or someone sit out an ACC Tournament final in anticipation of the NCAA tournament?  Hasn’t Roy downplayed the ACC Tournament in general? 

Apparently Swofford or someone bugged Coach K into saying some things backing Swofford’s point of view.

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6:45 update:

Just announced: the ACC office came down on the FSU women’s soccer with some amazingly harsh sanctions.  You can read the full official release here. 

The sanctions assessed are:

• Suspension of head coach Mark Krikorian for Florida State’s next contest. This is inclusive of the first game in the NCAA Tournament, if Florida State is selected.
• Forfeit of Florida State’s ACC Women’s Soccer Championship expense reimbursement (approximately $15,000).
• Florida State will be assessed a fine of $25,000. This fine will be applied directly to the ACC Post Graduate Scholarship Fund.
• A letter of reprimand from the Atlantic Coast Conference to Randy Spetman, Director of Athletics and Mark Krikorian, Head Women’s Soccer Coach.
• Formal letter of apology (submitted by November 12) from Randy Spetman and Mark Krikorian, addressed to the Office of the Commissioner with a copy to the Faculty Athletics Representatives, Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and ACC Women’s Soccer Coaches.

Just think what the ACC will do to the UNC football progam.