Suspensions

[HogDawg]

Stop being an idiot. Our guys weren't suspended for smoking pot. They were suspended for a "violation of team rules." Do you want links to stories of athletes all over the country who are suspended for that?

Here's a name for you: Michael Divinity. Starting LB at LSU. He "voluntarily" left the team. It didn't get reported, but what I was told is it was MULTIPLE drug-test violations and he got a 6-game suspension. These things just don't get reported because the schools refuse to talk about it and don't have to.

LOL! You really need help. You compare losing ONE (1) LB --that nobody's ever heard of-- before a season even starts, to losing a 5TH YR STARTING QB, our top "NFL prospect" starting wide receiver and a starting LB DURING the WEEK of the biggest game for Tech in a decade?

You can't be serious. How about "lack of equivalency"?

[FriscoDawg]

Who decides who gets tested?

According to the university Student Handbook:

"6.04:35 Drug Testing - All NCAA or Intercollegiate student-athletes will be drug screened at the beginning of each school year, and then randomly at other times during the year, for preventing the use and abuse of illegal drugs."

If the beginning of school year test was the initial test that was failed, that puts to rest any alleged singling out of any players.

[revf]

Another day another rumor...

Overheard today JMar’s suspension has more to do with domestic violence than drug use. Apparently he smashed up a car?

This is the issue when our athletic department is less than transparent and our beat reporter isn’t really a beat reporter. Stories become reality.

Either way, if he sees the field again...I’m out. JMar is dead to me as a Tech player. His college career is over.

[johnnylightnin]

Another day another rumor...

Overheard today JMar’s suspension has more to do with domestic violence than drug use. Apparently he smashed up a car?

This is the issue when our athletic department is less than transparent and our beat reporter isn’t really a beat reporter. Stories become reality.
Lo
Either way, if he sees the field again...I’m out. JMar is dead to me as a Tech player. His college career is over.

You’ll quit being a Tech fan if J’Mar isn’t punished beyond team policy?

[revf]

You’ll quit being a Tech fan if J’Mar isn’t punished beyond team policy?

Do you know of any single company where you can come back to work after multiple failed drug test?

Any one?

[FriscoDawg]

Another day another rumor...

Overheard today JMar’s suspension has more to do with domestic violence than drug use. Apparently he smashed up a car?

This is the issue when our athletic department is less than transparent and our beat reporter isn’t really a beat reporter. Stories become reality.

Either way, if he sees the field again...I’m out. JMar is dead to me as a Tech player. His college career is over.

The federal privacy laws probably prevent releasing that information too unless charges have been filed that would be part of public record. But they might be able to state what the team rules violation was not about.

Dead tree media is just that...dead. Unfortunately the broadcast and online media that covers Tech prefers to toe the company line for fear of having access eliminated.

[johnnylightnin]

Do you know of any single company where you can come back to work after multiple failed drug test?

Any one?

You didn’t answer my question.

[dawg80]

LOL! You really need help. You compare losing ONE (1) LB --that nobody's ever heard of-- before a season even starts, to losing a 5TH YR STARTING QB, our top "NFL prospect" starting wide receiver and a starting LB DURING the WEEK of the biggest game for Tech in a decade?

You can't be serious. How about "lack of equivalency"?

Never heard of? You obviously don't follow CFB. And, Divinity is NFL talent while Smith would be cut from any good JV team.

That said, I happen to agree with you about other schools. There is NO WAY that any starting QB would be suspended and the WHOLE WORLD NOT KNOW ABOUT IT!! Especially if it were from an elite program. Can you imagine Joe Burrow or Jalen Hurts being suspended and the media not jumping all over it!? Now, the reason may not be known but there is no way a school could HIDE a starting QB not playing.

[stodgdog]

Ahem.....you know that's a 2011 story right? LOL!

No, I recalled it had happened but I didn't when. I thought the player involved was the Sugar Bear guy. At any rate, the year wasn't in question but I would think it irrelevant.

[stodgdog]

Thanks Lou.

Who is Lou?

[Champ967]

Who is Lou?

Louis Holtz Jr, if I were to speculate.

[stodgdog]

Ok. Then, if that's true, please send me a link to a story ANYWHERE where at least 3 STARTERS in the SEC, Big XII, ACC, AAC, Sunbelt, etc..... were suspended from a huge conference game like our guys were for smoking pot. You guys that are mouthing off about it --especially guys like you, in the media-- should have access to the "evidence."

I'm truly not trying to be adversarial about this. But, Louisiana Tech is OUR TEAM! And so far, all I've heard from you and few others is the typical skin deep "lip service" about how it's happening to everybody, "you just don't hear about it", etc...

No, if it was happening at an SEC school, you'd definitely hear about it. LOL! But nobody in the SEC is stupid enough to filet their team's leadership like this the week of the biggest conference showdown in at least a decade, over some college kids smoking pot . That would be suicide. This is not happening in the SEC. (Yes, they probably look the other way, which makes sense, considering the mildness of the offense.) And you can't prove it is, other than to say, "well, the occasional LB or Offensive Lineman received punishment", etc... LOL! That in no way compares to gutting your team on the eve of a HUGE conference game by suspending our own 5th yr STARTING QB, our Top Receiver (who was supposed to have an NFL future) and another starter.

This is a classic case of Skip Holtz winning the battle and losing the war.

Man, you are stating that certain things happened. I don't think you are disputing that those involved broke TEAM rules. Then you are asking for PROOF that other teams do the same thing. That proof has been proffered, Then you say well, PROVE it was considered recent and was under the same conditions. If you can't, it is Holtz' fault. Were I to propose such a scenario, what would you say were you not to agree?

[theprofessor]

Divinity left the team because of depression issues

Yeah, he was depressed because he couldn't stop failing drug tests.

[SouthernMiss3613]

LOL! You really need help. You compare losing ONE (1) LB --that nobody's ever heard of-- before a season even starts, to losing a 5TH YR STARTING QB, our top "NFL prospect" starting wide receiver and a starting LB DURING the WEEK of the biggest game for Tech in a decade?

You can't be serious. How about "lack of equivalency"?

For my knowledge which player are you considering your top NFL prospect? The WR or LB?

[theprofessor]

Ok. Then, if that's true, please send me a link to a story ANYWHERE where at least 3 STARTERS in the SEC, Big XII, ACC, AAC, Sunbelt, etc..... were suspended from a huge conference game like our guys were for smoking pot. You guys that are mouthing off about it --especially guys like you, in the media-- should have access to the "evidence."

I'm truly not trying to be adversarial about this. But, Louisiana Tech is OUR TEAM! And so far, all I've heard from you and few others is the typical skin deep "lip service" about how it's happening to everybody, "you just don't hear about it", etc...

No, if it was happening at an SEC school, you'd definitely hear about it. LOL! But nobody in the SEC is stupid enough to filet their team's leadership like this the week of the biggest conference showdown in at least a decade, over some college kids smoking pot . That would be suicide. This is not happening in the SEC. (Yes, they probably look the other way, which makes sense, considering the mildness of the offense.) And you can't prove it is, other than to say, "well, the occasional LB or Offensive Lineman received punishment", etc... LOL! That in no way compares to gutting your team on the eve of a HUGE conference game by suspending our own 5th yr STARTING QB, our Top Receiver (who was supposed to have an NFL future) and another starter.

This is a classic case of Skip Holtz winning the battle and losing the war.

Michael, I'm really not trying to be disrespectful, but I don't have the time to do this research for you. You have the Internet. It's called Google. There are tons of guys who get suspended for violating team rules -- yes, even guys in the SEC. Unless you really follow the team, kind of like us here follow Tech, you're not going to hear the behind the scenes of what that actually means. A lot of the time, it's drugs. I know that Les Miles had lots of issues with guys failing drug tests at LSU. Yes, they got suspended. Sometimes, it even happened at key times for key games. I was told by a friend who covers LSU very closely right now that several guys on the team have been suspended this year for various games because of failed drug tests. That's not something that hits the media because of the myriad privacy laws that rightfully exist.

You're looking for somebody to blame. I get it. The timing sucked. But the conspiracy theory that Skip or the admin would sabotage our season with this is asinine. In order to get suspended, you have to fail multiple drug tests. After you fail the first, you're on notice that you will be tested again at some point, and probably more than once. If you're 23 years old and you fail a second drug test in the same season, that's on you and you alone.