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SEC teams haven’t disappeared from the news cycle this offseason. The headlines have simply moved to off-the-field allegations, possibly infractions and a notice from the NCAA. Then there was the embarrassment on Jeopardy! when an LSU fan fumbled questions about Steve Spurrier and Derrick Henry. And another contestant mixed up the Crimson Tide mascot with an arch-rival.
Here are some of the ugliest offseason issues:
Tennessee lawsuit
Eight female former students have alleged in a federal lawsuit that the university administration and athletics department systematically enabled student-athletes to avoid or escape punishment when accused of sexual assault. The University of Tennessee President, Joe DiPietro, supported those leaders accused and said this week he had no reason to be worried, the Tennessean reported.
“Certainly we don’t promote a culture that endorses sexual assault, and we have done lots of work to shore up Title IX issues and educating students across the system,” DiPietro said. “That’s as much as I can say.”
The lawsuit focuses on five players, including three former football players and a current one.
Butch Jones, who was in Georgia last week, told the Macon Telegraph that, “We have done everything the right away.”
Jones also told reporters that teammates did not assault former player Drae Bowles, whom the lawsuit said gave an alleged rape victim a ride to the hospital and supported her decision to go to police, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported.
Ole Miss NCAA notice
The Associated Press reported last month that the Ole Miss athletics department was cited for 28 possible violations, including 13 by the football team, nine under coach Hugh Freeze, and five related to former OT Laremy Tunsil. In some cases Ole Miss has self-reported or self-imposed penalties.
The issue has rekindled questions about Ole Miss’ recruiting efforts, which have been highly-ranked — and questioned — under Freeze. The coach in 2013 tweeted that anyone with facts about rules being broken should email the school’s compliance office.
Johnny Manziel
The rapid fall from SEC superstar to NFL bust has repeatedly put the former Texas A&M player in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Twice in the past five months, Manziel has been involved in domestic incidents with his girlfriend and ex-girlfriend. Manziel wasn’t arrested, but the NFL has launched another inquiry while a Dallas grand jury looks at the case.
Meanwhile, he reportedly was at a strip club recently, a night caught on video.
“That behavior will not be tolerated,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said at the NFL Combine. “Our organization is going to take a stand, and we’re going to move on from those kind of situations as we move forward.”
LSU fan on Jeopardy!
Of all the Steve Spurrier quotes, especially when he coached Florida, the one about rival FSU standing for “Free Shoes University” is one of the most well known.
Likewise, if you’re any kind of fan of LSU, Derrick Henry should be Public Enemy No. 1.
So letting the beeping sound on Jeopardy! come without an answer was not the way Kevin Brown, an LSU student, wanted to be remembered. Unfortunately for him and SEC loyalists across the Southeast, both questions fell without an answer.
Overall, it wasn’t a good winter for the SEC West on Jeopardy! as a question about “Colleges by Team Name” presented a clue of “Crimson Tide,” but the contestant replied, “Auburn.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
