Lawrence Phillips Update (Spoiler Alert: Not Good)
- Thread starter huskeraddict
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BigRedBuster
International Man of Mystery
I guess what this had to remind me of is that he is still a human that there are people who care very deeply for and he actually does have a good side. He has a HORRIBLE bad side. But, he still has a good side.
It was insightful to hear this, no excuse for what happened and nothing diminishes his actions. Listening to Damon it really is a walk down what life is like for a mentally ill person. And I am sure for a coach 20 years ago this was a tough decision for Coach O. Had Lawrence been able to get his life in order this would still be a difficult husker moment to understand but I don't think we would be talking about it.
Whistlebritches
Special Teams Player
Parts of it were difficult to listen to and you could tell it was hard for Benning to talk about.
When LP was a child, his mother's boyfriend stepped on LP's back to hold him down so he could urinate on him...the mother watched. WTH
I was in my late 20's then and I thought Tom did the right thing, i trusted Tom Osbornes call and still do. . I believed he was trying to fix this kid after holding him out all season.. we all know TO didn't need LP to win that Natl Championship. that was one of the great country a$$ kicking's of all time. Spurrier and his team were completely dismembered....they didn't have an answer for anything...TO didn't need LP and he knew it.
VA Husker Fan
All-Conference
At the time we didn't know that any more that we knew that whatever TO was trying to do for LP wouldn't work. A lot of people thought Florida was going to pass us silly. Most of us in Husker Nation quietly thought "we'll see about that" but we were the underdog according to Vegas. http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/43730-1996-fiesta-bowl-spread/%C2 I don't think anyone can say that we didn't need LP to win that game and in the same breath say that Osborne couldn't have known how LP's life was going to turn out. In hindsight both seem obvious but neither was a given at the time. Play that game again, and maybe we blow them out again, or maybe UF clicks enough to pull it out, or maybe LP is the difference between a Husker W or L.
I don't think anyone is going to change their minds about TO's decision, but I think listening to Benning's take on it all is worthwhile. I was going to ask for a summary of it so I wouldn't have to listen to it all, but I think it's worth getting the tone and the background, and Benning acknowledging his possible bias as a teammate of LP and player for TO, but he still feels how he does.
suh_fan93
Heisman Trophy Winner
LP had a rough go of it from the beginning. His story is pretty sad actually. Found this old article from '97 that interviewed his foster family.
Who Is Lawrence Phillips?
Sad Childhood, Destructive Behavior Are The Most Prominent Features In A Puzzling Portrait.
Who Is Lawrence Phillips?
Sad Childhood, Destructive Behavior Are The Most Prominent Features In A Puzzling Portrait.
StPaulHusker
Banned
Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
I taught classes at San Quentin for two years.
Me personally? I don't think I'd do very well in prison.
But I certainly leaned there's more than one path that leads you to San Quentin. A slight push in the right direction at the right age and you're still free. And for those of us not in prison, you realize that a slight push in the wrong direction — or just being born on the wrong side of the tracks — and things can go bad really quick.
The sh#t we did as bored white suburban teenagers should have put us in jail.
We might have shared a cell with Bob Devaney, but that was back in the day where you'd get pulled over for drunken driving and escorted home rather than jailed. At least if you were Bob.
Me personally? I don't think I'd do very well in prison.
But I certainly leaned there's more than one path that leads you to San Quentin. A slight push in the right direction at the right age and you're still free. And for those of us not in prison, you realize that a slight push in the wrong direction — or just being born on the wrong side of the tracks — and things can go bad really quick.
The sh#t we did as bored white suburban teenagers should have put us in jail.
We might have shared a cell with Bob Devaney, but that was back in the day where you'd get pulled over for drunken driving and escorted home rather than jailed. At least if you were Bob.
What Mack said. Until and unless an abused child learns that it was not their fault (VERY difficult) their brain and mind are warped. Some abused do well, others never do. I've seen two sisters who were abused and one "gets" it and the other doesn't. LP never did. Very sad. What is even more sad is the number of the abused in jail who could have been helped with treatment and were not.
Guy Chamberlin
Heisman Trophy Winner
If it was the right thing to poll the team and let Phillips play, does the same logic apply to Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson?
And a bunch of less famous guys?
You can make a decent argument that it's MORE dangerous to isolate and publicly shame these volatile and prideful men, that Lawrence Phillips needed the stability of the team more than ever. But most of us aren't comfortable with what seems like a lack of consequences along with disrespect to the victim. Appears that Tom's compassion did not serve its intended purpose.
And I don't think our compassion for Phillips and Tom Osborne's dilemma would have translated to another team.
What am I saying? We love it when SEC players get kicked off the team.
And a bunch of less famous guys?
You can make a decent argument that it's MORE dangerous to isolate and publicly shame these volatile and prideful men, that Lawrence Phillips needed the stability of the team more than ever. But most of us aren't comfortable with what seems like a lack of consequences along with disrespect to the victim. Appears that Tom's compassion did not serve its intended purpose.
And I don't think our compassion for Phillips and Tom Osborne's dilemma would have translated to another team.
What am I saying? We love it when SEC players get kicked off the team.