Post by Gator on Oct 13, 2004 7:47:05 GMT -5
Suspended UNC players might not return
10-13-04
By Jeff Carlton, Staff Writer
News & Record
CHAPEL HILL -- The three North Carolina players suspended Monday after being cited by campus police for misdemeanor marijuana possession are not permitted to set foot in the Kenan Football Center.
That much is clear.
When receiver Adarius Bowman, linebacker Fred Sparkman or defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas will be allowed to return to the program is not.
Coach John Bunting and athletics director Dick Baddour said Tuesday that the three sophomores might not return to the program this season, if at all.
"They're off the team, not involved. That's their status," Baddour said. "It will remain so unless there's some overwhelming reason to change that."
Bowman, Sparkman and Thomas are scheduled to appear in Orange County District Court on Nov. 22, two days after the Tar Heels' regular-season finale against Duke.
The Heels (2-2 ACC, 3-3 overall) are coming off an emotional 30-24 victory over N.C. State while trying to cope with the indefinite loss of three key players as they prepare to visit 11th-ranked Utah on Saturday night. Losing the players this way is particularly disturbing, as it brings the number of Tar Heels suspended this season to five.
"I'm not worried about it being an image problem," Baddour said. "I'm worried about it because we expect perfection in that area, and that's what we work for."
The indefinite suspensions resulted from the players' citations for misdemeanors, not for positive drug tests, Baddour said.
"It doesn't qualify as a positive," he said. "But could it trigger a suspension or trigger the reasonable-suspicion clause and, therefore, lead to another test? Yes, it could."
The university's controlled-substance policy calls for a suspension from athletics participation after a first positive test result. A second positive would mean an athlete's eligibility is canceled and the scholarship is not renewed.
An incident report states that UNC campus police were called to Connor Dorm early Monday because of a "suspicious odor." Campus police traced the smell of marijuana and cigar smoke to room 201, which is Thomas' residence, according to the report. Thomas, Bowman and Sparkman were in the room and "had red bloodshot eyes," Officer Ross S. Barbee wrote.
Thomas produced a small bag of marijuana and consented to a further search, the report said. A styrofoam container with marijuana on it was found near Bowman, as was a trash bag containing "the insides of cigars."
Citations for simple possession of marijuana were issued to all three, and 5.8 grams of marijuana -- about a fifth of an ounce -- was seized by police, according to the report.
"It's tough," senior quarterback Darian Durant said of the suspensions. "You want guys to make the right decisions. It's just a tough thing to go through. I feel for those guys, because they're good guys."
Baddour said he had two reactions to the news.
"One is that I'm really disappointed," he said. "I feel like this team has really pulled together and they're working together as a team. So I was disappointed that this judgment -- or lack of judgment -- could negatively impact the team. On the other hand, my reaction is we have over 100 guys over there making the right decisions and fighting through stuff. You kind of close ranks even more, step up and say, 'Let's put this behind us and go forward.' "
Said Bunting: "I don't think there's anybody that does more than we do, to try to educate these players, than what we do here at the University of North Carolina.
"Sometimes it's up to the players to listen and learn."
Linebacker Tommy Richardson was suspended for the Georgia Tech game on Sept. 18 because of an unspecified team disciplinary matter.
Punter David Wooldridge, accused of stealing $374 worth of computer equipment from a Wal-Mart, was suspended for the Louisville game Sept. 25. He received "deferred prosecution" Tuesday and was placed on 12 months' unsupervised probation, a Durham County Clerk of Court's spokeswoman said.
The following week, Bunting learned that starting right tackle Willie McNeill had been charged in March with misdemeanor marijuana possession and in August with being in a Durham park after closing. Bunting said he didn't suspend McNeill because the drug charge had been dismissed.
10-13-04
By Jeff Carlton, Staff Writer
News & Record
CHAPEL HILL -- The three North Carolina players suspended Monday after being cited by campus police for misdemeanor marijuana possession are not permitted to set foot in the Kenan Football Center.
That much is clear.
When receiver Adarius Bowman, linebacker Fred Sparkman or defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas will be allowed to return to the program is not.
Coach John Bunting and athletics director Dick Baddour said Tuesday that the three sophomores might not return to the program this season, if at all.
"They're off the team, not involved. That's their status," Baddour said. "It will remain so unless there's some overwhelming reason to change that."
Bowman, Sparkman and Thomas are scheduled to appear in Orange County District Court on Nov. 22, two days after the Tar Heels' regular-season finale against Duke.
The Heels (2-2 ACC, 3-3 overall) are coming off an emotional 30-24 victory over N.C. State while trying to cope with the indefinite loss of three key players as they prepare to visit 11th-ranked Utah on Saturday night. Losing the players this way is particularly disturbing, as it brings the number of Tar Heels suspended this season to five.
"I'm not worried about it being an image problem," Baddour said. "I'm worried about it because we expect perfection in that area, and that's what we work for."
The indefinite suspensions resulted from the players' citations for misdemeanors, not for positive drug tests, Baddour said.
"It doesn't qualify as a positive," he said. "But could it trigger a suspension or trigger the reasonable-suspicion clause and, therefore, lead to another test? Yes, it could."
The university's controlled-substance policy calls for a suspension from athletics participation after a first positive test result. A second positive would mean an athlete's eligibility is canceled and the scholarship is not renewed.
An incident report states that UNC campus police were called to Connor Dorm early Monday because of a "suspicious odor." Campus police traced the smell of marijuana and cigar smoke to room 201, which is Thomas' residence, according to the report. Thomas, Bowman and Sparkman were in the room and "had red bloodshot eyes," Officer Ross S. Barbee wrote.
Thomas produced a small bag of marijuana and consented to a further search, the report said. A styrofoam container with marijuana on it was found near Bowman, as was a trash bag containing "the insides of cigars."
Citations for simple possession of marijuana were issued to all three, and 5.8 grams of marijuana -- about a fifth of an ounce -- was seized by police, according to the report.
"It's tough," senior quarterback Darian Durant said of the suspensions. "You want guys to make the right decisions. It's just a tough thing to go through. I feel for those guys, because they're good guys."
Baddour said he had two reactions to the news.
"One is that I'm really disappointed," he said. "I feel like this team has really pulled together and they're working together as a team. So I was disappointed that this judgment -- or lack of judgment -- could negatively impact the team. On the other hand, my reaction is we have over 100 guys over there making the right decisions and fighting through stuff. You kind of close ranks even more, step up and say, 'Let's put this behind us and go forward.' "
Said Bunting: "I don't think there's anybody that does more than we do, to try to educate these players, than what we do here at the University of North Carolina.
"Sometimes it's up to the players to listen and learn."
Linebacker Tommy Richardson was suspended for the Georgia Tech game on Sept. 18 because of an unspecified team disciplinary matter.
Punter David Wooldridge, accused of stealing $374 worth of computer equipment from a Wal-Mart, was suspended for the Louisville game Sept. 25. He received "deferred prosecution" Tuesday and was placed on 12 months' unsupervised probation, a Durham County Clerk of Court's spokeswoman said.
The following week, Bunting learned that starting right tackle Willie McNeill had been charged in March with misdemeanor marijuana possession and in August with being in a Durham park after closing. Bunting said he didn't suspend McNeill because the drug charge had been dismissed.
