I was in the middle of listening to the end of the Missouri Valley Football teleconference and starting to post some blog observations on former Bison head coach Rocky Hager (who I talked with for our Tuesday story on the Bison defense and who I will get to in this space later this week) when the news broke of today’s charges of voter fraud by Bison players.
By 12:45, head coach Craig Bohl was addressing the larger-than-usual media gathering in the NDSU team meeting room in the dome. By the way, somebody should tell the new FM radio guy in attendance that it’s OK to ask the tough questions, we all do it, but you don’t have to be rude. Anyway, a few thoughts on the charges:
Not good judgment, certainly. The big debate as the day wore on was why didn’t these players get suspended for a Class A misdemeanor when Bison linebacker Brandon Jemison was shown the door for his Class A misdemeanor? The answer, the athletic director said, is in the nature of the infractions. He called one sexual in nature vs. the other being signatures in nature.
My sense in talking with a veteran defense attorney is the probable outcome on these charges will be something along the lines of a fine and unsupervised probation. He’s had a case like this before, actually. Also don’t expect the court proceedings until this winter, it’s just the way the judicial system works.
What is potentially sad in this case from my chair is the ballot on medical uses of marijuana will not get enough signatures to get on the ballot, which some people put two years of work into it only to see it bomb. I have to wonder about the people out there who are in some sort of pain where the legal use of the drug would potentially help. You also have to wonder about the solidarity of the company that hired the players to do the work.
Should the players be booted now? Should they not? Did Bohl and Taylor make the right call? The floor is yours.
how was the reporter rude lol?
Unfortunately AG Stenehjem is using NDSU players as pawns in his political game of not allowing a land and water and medicinal marijuana to reach the ballot. Politics as usual.
Please tell me you are kidding here. The AG has no say over whether something gets on the ballot. That would be the Secretary of State Al Jaeger. It went to Stenehjem’s office when they realized that most of the signatures were fake.
He counts the petitions. When it’s a petition relating to UND he doesn’t look at them. When it’s a controversial issue that his political party is opposed to – he suddenly scrutinizes the survey.
Exactly! gabe…I am slowly starting to warm up to your viewss.
This will hang over the Bison team all season. Coach Bohl should have suspended all players 1 game, and move on. If anything else is to come out of the court proceedings, then administer the discipline where its necessary.
Instead, all year long, the team is stained with a considerable chunk of its players awaiting court action, instead of celebrating they are one of the best teams in nation, and quite possibly the upper midwest.
And if he suspended them all one game that would’ve help the situation how? Then no distractions after that? No strain on the team while the court process plays out then?
Come on, don’t be naive. The only thing that would do all those things you’re saying is if he would’ve suspended them indefinitely or given them all the boot. And neither of those was warranted with the current information, or lack thereof, that he has.
Bohl made the right call. This is really new territory as far as something that athletes do to get themselves in trouble. Let the courts do their thing and then determine what punishment the teams needs to dole out.
I don’t think you are setting a new precedent by not immediately punishing alleged petition fraud.
suspend them from the praire view game!
Image is everthing is sports and this image is not good no matter how you look at it. I agree a suspension should have happened, but as some of you others have said, how do you know what to compare it to. Ignorance is no excuse, but that is why politics should always stay in the back until the sports career is over.
Go Bison.
My biggest question is this a Rhett Bomar situation? Could other MVFC teams file a claim with the NCAA that these student-athletes got paid for work they did not do? Hopefully the compliance office knows by Saturday.
Rhett Bomar was paid extra money because he was a football player, thus it was an NCAA issue. This is not even close to the same situation based on the facts that have been presented. They weren’t paid extra money because they are student athletes nor did they receive special benefits because they are athletes.
Not really surprised by this. I said two weeks ago in the Jimison column that Bohl doesn’t suspend starting players or players who contribute and today further backs my comments. Lakes you can call me a troll if you want but you know I’m right. Look back at who has been released from the team and who has been kept on scholorship.
Bison03: I remember reading the post you are referring to. In retrospect — it borders on prophetical. Take a curtain call. You called it.
No decisions about team discipline are based on a team members abilities. Your analysis is shallow lacking insight.
i call BS on Gene Taylor’s calling Jemison’s charge “sexual” in nature versus the current allegations being “signature” in nature. nice little word play, Gene, to avoid the real issue. Accidentally showing your junk in public is not sexual in nature, and is a much less serious crime than deliberately defrauding a statewide petition. Jemison got jobbed, and because of that, this whole fiasco is going to fester for a long time to come.
Your really going to put whipping out your junk at West Acres Mall with kids present in the same category as adding the name “Donald Duck” to a petition when you know it’s going to get rejected anyways? Wow. Just wow.
Serious? Your going to put Jemison exposing himself at the busiest place in town in front of kids, a crime so serious he could register for life in the same category as some college kids adding Mickey Mouse to a petition to hit a daily quota? Wow! Just Wow!
Obviously you are a hockey fan? Hockey fans have an uncanny knack of putting spin on serious crimes to make them less serious and make the crime away. I see you doing that here as well by trying to bring one crime down to the level of another.
As was posted on bville today, Jemison’s first offense was hurting his hip.
Gene Taylors responses today were really embarassing. Very weak. Coach Bohls discipline pattern has no credibility. If NDSU was playing Prairie View this week all the players would of been suspended for the game. Jemison really has a legitimate beef. Why is Ojuri even on the team anymore? Sad commentary. The President’s office might need to step in on this situation. McFeeley said today that this a real balck mark on Coach Bohl and his reputation. I agree.
You are wrong.
The correct move was made. Even if they are found guilty, this will be nothing more than a 1 game suspension at the most.
A 1 game suspension for a Class A Misdemeanor? I don’t think people realize the seriousness of this crime. It is not a victimless crime and effects thousands of law-abiding citizens state-wide.
Yo, Eric, so cry us a river………..law abiding citizens who want to smoke the wacky tobackie……….YEAH, RIGHT !!
Hockey players in snow banks in the wee hrs of the morning is a victimless crime.
Agree with coach and the AD. Keep politics out of sports. These are kids. The news media needs to stop trying to influence stick to the facts!
This is the “rude FM talk guy”. If you watch the video of the press conference which is on both your paper’s web site and 1019talkfm.com you can see for yourself. I wasn’t rude in fact the coach even complimented me on one of my questions.
Perhaps what you sensed was my frustration in watching the rest of the media ask softball questions so as to not offend the administration.
These kids won’t be disappointing the football fans. They just disappointed the entire voting population of the state. But why bother with democracy when it’s football season. I’m sorry if my passion was misconstrued with rudeness. You referring to me as the “new FM talk guy” instead of by my name was indeed quite courteous.
You are a wind bag.
Thanks. And I’m the rude one…..
Bla, bla, bla. A real news guy…lol.
I don’t agree with most of you (I do agree with go for it).
The discussion among all of those interested in this situation shouldn’t be IF the players should be suspended, it should be about whether or not the suspensions were severe enough. Doing nothing should not have been an option.
Breaking the law, or having law enforcement press charges on you, should be an automatic one game suspension regardless of the charge or whether or not it involves violence, sex or drugs. It was completely the wrong thing for Bohl and Taylor to do and the wrong message to send the players. And the preception it gives the public, that starters are treated differently than others, is the wrong one.
This is a massive screw up on the part of the NDSU athletic department.
You seem opinionated?
If I may, I’ll repeat the first poster’s question, Who was rude? Was it McFooley?
Mcfooly, the male half of North Dakotas own boobsy twins, scheme the worst stooge and KFGO for providing us all with endless hrs of these talk show color clowns.
My question is this: if these guys are found to be guilty in a court of law,which we all know they are, will they be suspended? If they are suspended one game fine. But what if Jemison is found to be innocent? Does he get his season back? He has never red shirted and should be allowed to come back next year. It would be interesting if Jemison would have never been injured. His sophomore year he was fantastic and I believe he would be the best LB on the team right now. Would he have been booted or still playing waiting for his day in court? I think this will all pass and be forgotten but don’t kid yourself the up and coming players in this program will remember that if you are a stud on this team you get a pass. I am huge Bison fan but I will not be surprised it the behavior problems start all over again just like 3 or 4 years ago. Go Bison!
So you have seen the evidence and you know that the State/County or whoever has a slam dunk case?
I wouldn’t be surprised if a good lawyer doesn’t make it all go away.
LOL. Rush to judgement? But teh hockies….
And JH. Both are pretty foul.
I think all the players should have got suspended one game because for most of them that I am aware of, it was their first time being in trouble. I think Ojuri should be kicked off the team. This was his third time he got in trouble. Obviously he has not learned anything yet and probably won’t learn until you kick him off. I heard another thing that a college football coaches are doing and this might be the case with this one is that they might take part of their scholarship away and make them do community service. This might be more of a punishment if they have to start finding a way to pay for school rather than sitting out a game where they could rest or even go party that weekend.
This is my first and last post. I just can’t read any of this anymore without commenting. First of all, these kids haven’t been through the court system, so NO penalties should even be implemented. Good for Bohl on that one. What is it with the lynch mob mentality?! Secondly, even if they are found guilty, do you honestly think they had “intent” to either get these measures on or even off the ballot?! I am sure all they were interested in is getting their lousey $9 an hour because they are so POOR from working their asses off ALL SEASON to entertain the entire community. Their schedules are not at all like a normal student who has time to earn money. Yes, some have partial or even complete scholarships but that doesn’t include any money outside of school expenses and not enough to cover their rent. Speaking of community, where is their community and village that should be lifting them up? The press does such a good job of building these guys up but a better job at tearing them down and ruining their reputations.Report if you must, but just the facts please. Don’t stir the pot and spin other stories.Poor Ojuri, he has had some traffic violations and he is “a bad kid’? Man, can’t believe the judgement out there. It not only hurts these young players but the community as well.
Ojuri has been in trouble for more than traffic violations. Much worse than that. Also, Bison football is supposed to teach these guys how to be men. Thats how many, many guys have left that program. All your doing is making excuses for them. The took responsibilities the minute they put their signiture on that petition. They may not have know the consequences of their actions when they did them but they still did it and they still put a huge black eye to the program. Whether you want to admit it or not, this is a big deal and it has made our leadership look pretty questionable. Especially Gene Taylor for his comments. We would be having a hay day if this was any other program.
Bison football is teaching them to be men. Redemption, forgiveness, learning from mistakes, dirty state politics, smear radio from KFGO and it’s line up of political color clowns are all lessons men must learn.
I was with you until you started talking about the poor players who can’t afford rent.
These guys haven’t even been charged yet and the media is calling for suspensions. Does this warrant a suspension? Need to know facts but this clearly won’t warrant anything greater than a 1 game suspension. Bohl has been consistent over the years. Any player with a felony has been kicked off the team. If anything, maybe he was a bit harsh on Jemison.
Why is it that Lane Kiffen at USC can bring back a player with 2 felonies and he gets a free pass? Bohl has kicked every player off the team that has committed a felony.
The Media? If you mean that blithering twit Mcfooley, you give him way to much credit………..
LOL. What about the gapped tooth fat one? He is always giving free time to his sisters political campaign. In my mind that IS voter fraud.
I am not sure which side I am on but I have to admit it is hard to believe Ojuri hasn’t been suspended or asked to leave the team.
He left the team for a yr.
Rocky got ran off for a lot less problems on the team. With a firm stance you can never go wrong. a lot of money was contributed on both sides of the petition issues, to be waisted, by fraud. I do not Know what penalty I would have installed, but I know it would not have been no suspension. These petitions were important to a lot of people on both sides.
Rocky was caught in a political situation and WAS NOT FIRED! Rocky didn’t sign the contract he was offered and resigned.
I think I wii burn my ndsu dipolma tomorrow over a beer and start cheering for und. Thanks
How to get a student atheltic card.
Graduated in top 100 percentile of class
Demonstrate your intelligence and desire to be an AD
Score at least 5 on your act
Be able to skate backwards
Run under 4 seconds in 40 yards
Be arrested at least 2 times with one a conviction at least a class a
Be able to hold your head up and look straight ahead as you bring the ball
Up court
Be able to say wow man slow and with a deep voice