Lawrence Phillips Update (Spoiler Alert: Not Good)

Guy Chamberlin said:
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.
Click to expand...
Osborne put it to a team vote to let Phillips back on the team. But it was Osbornes lone decision to put him on the field. But in today's standards you can't apply the same logic to Ruce and Peterson. Or anyone else for that matter.
 
If I remember correctly, Osborne rationalized his choice of letting LP stay on the team was because in an absence of an adequate family, football was his family. And removing him from the team, and the structure it provided, would be much more damaging to LP. Osborne believed that football was LP's solace and as long as his time was taken up playing and practicing football, he could possibly develop in a respectful player and citizen. I don't recall it having anything to do with how high he might go in the draft. I understand that this think has holes in because he was an imminent danger to the community. I surely hope he received counseling. This is just my recollection

After listening to that emotional Damon Benning podcast, I believe Lawrence was much emotionally complicated than previously thought. One thing Benning noted was that LP wanted to be loved not because of his prowess as a football player, but as a person but he didn't have the foundational skills to deal with rejection, communication, anger. I also found it interesting that many (coaches included) stated that LP is an extremely intelligent man-even perhaps gifted but he just had a clink in his personality because he didn't belong anywhere. People only cared about his football skill when he longed to be more than that.

In my mind, he is not an embarrassment to the University. 85 kids (more then i think) get on a football rooster and there are many more student athletes across the University sports. Of course a few will do not very nice things, they are man-children after all. If anyone should be embarrassed, its his mom and the abuse she allowed him to live in. I really hope that he finds peace at some juncture in his life.

 
I dont ever remembering hearing if he was ever checked or diagnosed with a mental disorder but i would put it close to 99.99999999999999999% probability he has one. Its just almost no chance he doesnt.

 
StPaulHusker said:
Guy Chamberlin said:
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.
Click to expand...
Osborne put it to a team vote to let Phillips back on the team. But it was Osbornes lone decision to put him on the field. But in today's standards you can't apply the same logic to Ruce and Peterson. Or anyone else for that matter.
Click to expand...
Well that's the point of applying today's standards, so we can ask these questions.

Are we better for taking a zero tolerance position and sending a message to other abusers?

Or does Tom Osborne's compassionate argument still make sense, given that the basic scenarios remain the same 20 years later?

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
StPaulHusker said:
Guy Chamberlin said:
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.
Click to expand...
Osborne put it to a team vote to let Phillips back on the team. But it was Osbornes lone decision to put him on the field. But in today's standards you can't apply the same logic to Ruce and Peterson. Or anyone else for that matter.
Click to expand...
Well that's the point of applying today's standards, so we can ask these questions.

Are we better for taking a zero tolerance position and sending a message to other abusers?

Or does Tom Osborne's compassionate argument still make sense, given that the basic scenarios remain the same 20 years later?
Click to expand...
That's an argument people will have for a long time

 
The anger management regime so did not ever 'take' with this guy. I think he landed in prison by trying to run a few guys over with a car in a public park in L.A. after a p/u football game--in which LP lost, I guess. Maybe I got the story wrong, there.

Sympathy goes out to all his victim(s).

 
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cornographic said:
The anger management regime so did not ever 'take' with this guy. I think he landed in prison by trying to run a few guys over with a car in a public park in L.A. after a p/u football game--in which LP lost, I guess. Maybe I got the story wrong, there.

Sympathy goes out to all his victim(s).
Click to expand...
In one of the stories posted above, or maybe Benning's interview, the story is that he thought one of them stole his wallet, or at least he thought they did. I also heard that they somehow disrespected him, which is a trigger for him to lose it. Still not a good excuse, but more than just getting mad because he lost a game.

The stories about him are bad enough (rightfully so). Not sure there is any reason to guess at a story that makes him sound any worse. Maybe you shouldn't post things about people where you know you may have gotten the story wrong.

Yes, sympathy for the victims, above all. And at some point you have to look at this guy and wonder if he can ever be rehabbed, or if you have to protect society from him. At age 21 I could see reason for hope. Not sure there is a chance anymore, but we still don't know the story behind this prison story.

 
VA Husker Fan said:
cornographic said:
The anger management regime so did not ever 'take' with this guy. I think he landed in prison by trying to run a few guys over with a car in a public park in L.A. after a p/u football game--in which LP lost, I guess. Maybe I got the story wrong, there.

Sympathy goes out to all his victim(s).
Click to expand...
In one of the stories posted above, or maybe Benning's interview, the story is that he thought one of them stole his wallet, or at least he thought they did. I also heard that they somehow disrespected him, which is a trigger for him to lose it. Still not a good excuse, but more than just getting mad because he lost a game.

The stories about him are bad enough (rightfully so). Not sure there is any reason to guess at a story that makes him sound any worse. Maybe you shouldn't post things about people where you know you may have gotten the story wrong.

Yes, sympathy for the victims, above all. And at some point you have to look at this guy and wonder if he can ever be rehabbed, or if you have to protect society from him. At age 21 I could see reason for hope. Not sure there is a chance anymore, but we still don't know the story behind this prison story.
Click to expand...
Welp, I looked it up:

On August 21, 2005, Phillips was arrested for assault after allegedly driving a car into three teenagers,[1] following a dispute with the teens during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles, California. At the time of the arrest, Phillips was also wanted by the San Diego (California) police in connection with two alleged domestic-abuse incidents involving a former girlfriend,[1] who claimed that Phillips had choked her to the point of unconsciousness. In addition, the Los Angeles Police Department was seeking Phillips in connection with another allegation of domestic abuse that had occurred in Los Angeles.

In March, 2006, Phillips was ordered to stand trial on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon (car), stemming from the August 21, 2005, incident.[19] On October 10, 2006, he was found guilty of seven counts. On October 3, 2008, he was sentenced to 10 years in a California state prison.
Click to expand...
and there's more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Phillips#After_football

 
Last edited by a moderator:
cornographic said:
VA Husker Fan said:
cornographic said:
The anger management regime so did not ever 'take' with this guy. I think he landed in prison by trying to run a few guys over with a car in a public park in L.A. after a p/u football game--in which LP lost, I guess. Maybe I got the story wrong, there.

Sympathy goes out to all his victim(s).
Click to expand...
In one of the stories posted above, or maybe Benning's interview, the story is that he thought one of them stole his wallet, or at least he thought they did. I also heard that they somehow disrespected him, which is a trigger for him to lose it. Still not a good excuse, but more than just getting mad because he lost a game.

The stories about him are bad enough (rightfully so). Not sure there is any reason to guess at a story that makes him sound any worse. Maybe you shouldn't post things about people where you know you may have gotten the story wrong.

Yes, sympathy for the victims, above all. And at some point you have to look at this guy and wonder if he can ever be rehabbed, or if you have to protect society from him. At age 21 I could see reason for hope. Not sure there is a chance anymore, but we still don't know the story behind this prison story.
Click to expand...
Welp, I looked it up:

On August 21, 2005, Phillips was arrested for assault after allegedly driving a car into three teenagers,[1] following a dispute with the teens during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles, California. At the time of the arrest, Phillips was also wanted by the San Diego (California) police in connection with two alleged domestic-abuse incidents involving a former girlfriend,[1] who claimed that Phillips had choked her to the point of unconsciousness. In addition, the Los Angeles Police Department was seeking Phillips in connection with another allegation of domestic abuse that had occurred in Los Angeles.

In March, 2006, Phillips was ordered to stand trial on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon (car), stemming from the August 21, 2005, incident.[19] On October 10, 2006, he was found guilty of seven counts. On October 3, 2008, he was sentenced to 10 years in a California state prison.
Click to expand...
and there's more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Phillips#After_football
Click to expand...
My point was that you pretty clearly implied that he ran them over because he lost a pickup game. There was more to it. Not enough to excuse it, but it does take a little more than that to set him off. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's how it struck me and it seemed unnecessary. Not really important.

 
VA Husker Fan said:
cornographic said:
VA Husker Fan said:
cornographic said:
The anger management regime so did not ever 'take' with this guy. I think he landed in prison by trying to run a few guys over with a car in a public park in L.A. after a p/u football game--in which LP lost, I guess. Maybe I got the story wrong, there.

Sympathy goes out to all his victim(s).
Click to expand...
In one of the stories posted above, or maybe Benning's interview, the story is that he thought one of them stole his wallet, or at least he thought they did. I also heard that they somehow disrespected him, which is a trigger for him to lose it. Still not a good excuse, but more than just getting mad because he lost a game.

The stories about him are bad enough (rightfully so). Not sure there is any reason to guess at a story that makes him sound any worse. Maybe you shouldn't post things about people where you know you may have gotten the story wrong.

Yes, sympathy for the victims, above all. And at some point you have to look at this guy and wonder if he can ever be rehabbed, or if you have to protect society from him. At age 21 I could see reason for hope. Not sure there is a chance anymore, but we still don't know the story behind this prison story.
Click to expand...
Welp, I looked it up:

On August 21, 2005, Phillips was arrested for assault after allegedly driving a car into three teenagers,[1] following a dispute with the teens during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles, California. At the time of the arrest, Phillips was also wanted by the San Diego (California) police in connection with two alleged domestic-abuse incidents involving a former girlfriend,[1] who claimed that Phillips had choked her to the point of unconsciousness. In addition, the Los Angeles Police Department was seeking Phillips in connection with another allegation of domestic abuse that had occurred in Los Angeles.

In March, 2006, Phillips was ordered to stand trial on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon (car), stemming from the August 21, 2005, incident.[19] On October 10, 2006, he was found guilty of seven counts. On October 3, 2008, he was sentenced to 10 years in a California state prison.
Click to expand...
and there's more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Phillips#After_football
Click to expand...
My point was that you pretty clearly implied that he ran them over because he lost a pickup game. There was more to it. Not enough to excuse it, but it does take a little more than that to set him off. Maybe that's not what you meant, but that's how it struck me and it seemed unnecessary. Not really important.
Click to expand...
What I said:

...trying to run a few guys over with a car in a public park in L.A. after a p/u football game...
Click to expand...
What Wiki said:

Phillips was arrested for assault after allegedly driving a car into three teenagers,[1] following a dispute with the teens during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles,
Click to expand...
Apparently there were warrants out for him at the time, also.

 
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