News Flash: BYU has an honor code.
I don’t know why people are suddenly surprised at what the honor code entails–say the letters BYU and most people automatically think “Mormon” which naturally leads to “people who have a different version of fun”–but the media frenzy surrounding Brandon Davies right now makes me livid.
Brandon Davies has been a go-to inside man on the BYU basketball team, currently ranked #3 in both polls, and projected to take a #1 seed in the NCAA men’s tournament.
I’ve made the mistake of reading the comments on a couple of online news stories about Davies’ dismissal from the team, and I want to scream at the morons, but that will do no good.
So I’ll scream here.
One: it doesn’t matter what the infraction is. Sure, since Charlie Sheen is going all full-disclosure on Americans right now, we think we’re OWED explanations of when people screw up. We’re not.
Two: How many student-athletes over the years SHOULD have been punished for any number of behaviors but were not, all in the name of “winning”? Too many to count. One reason I can’t stand Nebraska Football? Lawrence Phillips.
Three: Athletes aren’t the only people to get kicked out of school (which, incidentally, Davies has not yet been dismissed from school). Kids who plagiarize are typically summarily expelled. And that’s from PUBLIC universities.
Am I sad and disappointed that Davies did something to violate the honor code? Sure. Is it unfortunate that, since he’s not a rank-and-file BYU student, his violation is splashed all over sports media? Absolutely.
But BYU has a clear standard, one that is no secret. And choices have consequences.
So I’ll listen to tonight’s game with one eye closed, hoping against hope that the transition to playing without Davies is somewhat seamless.
