Monthly Archives: November 2011

“Power Gobbling” Hazing Update: Outside Investigator Hired to Look Into Great Falls High’s Lack of Action

Last week we introduced you to a new hazing fad, “power gobbling” which resulted in Great Falls High School offensive lineman Alex Botina-Roehm, 18, being charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault. The question we had at the time was: If this happened in September, why wasn’t Botina-Roehm charged until November? Turns out, one of the victims DID report it to school officials when it happened, but then nothing happened.

It wasn’t until much later that the mother of one of the victims approached the school to find out where the investigation was. It wasn’t. The most damning evidence against the school may be an email from the school counselor to the associate principal in back September that said the football coach should have a “come-to-Jesus” meeting with the players.

Sure, that beats an actual investigation any time. Then you don’t have to admit that your school has an sports hazing problem. Everyone wins!

HS Football Coach Accused of Giving Players Password to Porn Site to “Create Camaraderie”

Really?

Is that what brings young men together these days? Access to a porn website?

Okay, maybe that’s a stupid question, but it still doesn’t explain why an assistant high school football coach would think that it was a good idea. You might want to ask Mike Pickering, 40, the former assistant at Staples High School (Connecticut) who now faces charges of three counts of risk of injury to a minor. (The tipster on this story asked if that meant that the boys had “injured” themselves from excessive self pleasuring.) According to police, Pickering told them that the squad had some issues and that supplying the players with the porn site access would–and we’re quoting him here–”create camaraderie among members of the team.”

Better than a thumb up your rectum, I guess.

Source – Westport News

Syracuse Assistant B-Ball Coach Put on Administrative Leave After Molestation Accusations – Bernie Fine

Now that the Penn State scandal is out there, are we going to be seeing more of these? Or is this just a coincidence?  On Thursday, Syracuse University placed long time associate head basketball coach Bernie Fine on administrative leave after a former ball boy accused him of years of sexual abuse.

ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” interviewed Bobby Davis, now 39, who once lived in Coach Fine’s basement as a teenager. In that interview, Davis alleged that Fine first physically restrained him and touched his penis when Davis was 12 or 13 years old. Now Syracuse police are getting involved, even though the University claims that it thoroughly investigated the claims in 2005 and say that they could not find any witnesses to corroborate Davis’ story.

Is this a case with some merit, or is a coach with more than 35 years with the school getting smeared? Difficult to tell at this point, having seen the Davis interview he looks credible, but so have others in the past making similar claims that seem outrageous.

What it really gets down to–both at the college and high school levels–is how to schools handle the investigations in a manner that is fair to both parties. It seems like most organizations haven’t found that balance yet and one side or the other gets slighted (or worse) in the process.

Source: Sporting News