Metropolis Reality Forums - CU coach placed on leave for comments

Sponsored by: The Fans!

Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register.
Nov 25^th, 2024, 6:15pm

Upcoming Premiere Dates:
Survivor 23, Season premiere
Thursday, September 14 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on CBS

Metropolis Reality Forums Ť CU coach placed on leave for comments ť

   Metropolis Reality Forums
   Off-Topic Forums
   In the News (Moderators: lakelady, yesteach, MediaScribe, Bumper, Isle_be_back)
   CU coach placed on leave for comments

Previous topic | New Topic | Next topic »

Pages: 1

Add Poll

Notify of replies

Send Topic

Author

Topic: CU coach placed on leave for comments (Read 185 times)

jetgirl
ForumsNet Member

Well behaved women rarely make history.

Gender:

Posts: 314

CU coach placed on leave for comments
« on: Feb 19^th, 2004, 2:11pm »

Quote

Modify

Open mouth, insert foot....
----------------------------------------------------

BOULDER, Colorado (CNN) -- University of Colorado football coach Gary Barnett was placed on paid administrative leave because of his disparaging remarks about the university's only female placekicker, who has accused a teammate of rape, CU President Elizabeth Hoffman announced late Wednesday.

"In the context of a rape allegations, it is inappropriate to make statements about the ability of the player," Hoffman said.

Barnett had called Katie Hnida an "awful" player.

Hnida, a CU placekicker in 1999, told Sports Illustrated this week that she was raped by a teammate and that she was verbally abused, harassed and molested by her fellow players.

At a news conference shortly after Hoffman announced the university's decision to place Barnett on leave, the coach read a prepared statement in which he accepted the reprimand -- noting that he did not agree with it -- and accused the media of taking his comments out of context.

"I sincerely regret that yesterday, a portion of my remarks were either misinterpreted or taken, aired out of context," he said. "And I apologize for answering that question in a manner where I must have come across as insensitive.

"What I wanted to communicate, was that regardless of Katie Hnida's abilities, I wanted Katie on our football team, I wanted to give her a chance to be a part of our program. I want to reaffirm my feelings, remarks that I made yesterday: I am very sensitive to Katie's allegations, I want to do whatever I can to help Katie."

Barnett will be on leave until the outcome of a police and internal investigation into allegations that the CU football team uses sex parties to recruit athletes and that the athletic department might have ties to an escort service.

Hoffman has warned that "no one's job is secure" amid the investigations.

"He was not apologetic, he wanted to explain himself," Hoffman said, describing how Barnett responded to the university's reprimand.

The CU program has been under scrutiny for weeks after depositions surfaced that three women claim they were raped at, or just after, a sex party in Boulder in December 2001. (Full story)

Hoffman said the university was "utterly distressed" when it learned Wednesday evening about another rape allegation, which had been leaked to the media.

"We were distressed to hear Coach Barnett's comment that he would back the player [named as a rape suspect] 100 percent," Hoffman said.

Barnett was quoted by the woman who brought the charges to Boulder police.

According to police records from September 29, 2001, the woman claimed a football player raped her in an apartment despite her telling him "at least 10 times that she did not want to have sex with him."

In his prepared statement, Barnett said he believes the police report released Wednesday had "some inaccuracies."

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Barnett called Hnida a "distraction" for the football team and a player who was not fit for Division I football.

"It's a guy's sport, and they felt like Katie was forced on them," Barnett said. "It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful."

"You know what guys do, they respect your ability. I mean you can be 90 years old, but if you can go out and play, they respect you.

"Well, Katie was a girl. Not only was she a girl, she was terrible. And there's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights."

Hnida, an honorable mention all-county high school kicker, was brought to CU as a walk-on by then Coach Rick Neuheisel, but, when he left the university, Barnett became her coach.

In the Sports Illustrated article by Rick Reilly, Hnida said five teammates surrounded her on the first day of practice under Barnett and verbally abused her. During the season, players exposed themselves to her "at least five times," she said.

Then, one summer night, when she was at the home of a teammate, she said he began kissing her despite her objections and then raped her. "I tried to push him off me, but he outweighed me by 100 pounds," Hnida was quoted as saying.

She said she was scared to go to the police, fearing "what he might do to me."

In a written statement Tuesday, Hnida -- who dropped out of CU after her sophomore year and eventually walked on at the University of New Mexico in 2002 -- said she decided to go public now because of the swirling controversy surrounding Boulder's program.

"The recent allegations into the football program at the University of Colorado have caused me to come forward with details of my own experience at CU," she said.

"To this day, I am dealing with the repercussions suffered from my short time at CU. I will have to deal with it for the rest of my life."

IP Logged

You have to expect that if you cuss out the world, the world is going to cuss back.

Addams
You Bet Your ASS Team
ForumsNet Member

Gender:

Posts: 5398

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #1 on: Feb 19^th, 2004, 2:30pm »

Quote

Modify

I was just reading about this in the Toronto Star newspaper at lunch today. The Colorado team (it's a college team right? - I'm a canuck) seems to have alot of issues right. Let's hope they get it all worked out. Are you from that area?

IP Logged

BlankWillWin
ForumsNet Member

The Psychotic Predictor

Gender:

Posts: 1257

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #2 on: Feb 19^th, 2004, 2:36pm »

Quote

Modify

Yes, it's the Colorado University football program. They're one of the top teams in the country, and it sounds as though the players figure that they deserve special treatment for playing football so well.

Eric.

IP Logged

The Artist formerly known as Tina, Ethan, Neleh, Helen, Deena, Tijuana, & AmberWillWin.

avsfanbuck
ForumsNet Member

Pulling W. Out for another Party!

Gender:

Posts: 2167

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #3 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 8:03am »

Quote

Modify

Ya, it is all over the news here in colorado.

IP Logged

You all Know that Cappy is coming back for All Stars!

Rhune
ForumsNet Administrator

Gender:

Posts: 292

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #4 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 8:45am »

Quote

Modify

As well he should be placed on leave after those remarks. :no:

IP Logged

jetgirl
ForumsNet Member

Well behaved women rarely make history.

Gender:

Posts: 314

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #5 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 10:42am »

Quote

Modify

Apparently some folks from Colorado are not pleased that he's on paid leave. He's the highest paid state employee in CO.

IP Logged

You have to expect that if you cuss out the world, the world is going to cuss back.

guest
Guest

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #6 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 1:13pm »

Quote

Modify

Remove

Just my input but when was "paid" leave considered a punsihment?! I would surely go on paid leave for any lengh of time if I was asked to lol

IP Logged

avsfanbuck
ForumsNet Member

Pulling W. Out for another Party!

Gender:

Posts: 2167

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #7 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 1:15pm »

Quote

Modify

Ya but you still have the guilt!

IP Logged

You all Know that Cappy is coming back for All Stars!

itsjustwrong
Guest

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #8 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 1:19pm »

Quote

Modify

Remove

If he feels any guilt you ASSUME alot lol. It appears to me CU doesnt feel him that guilty as well otherwide he would be on UNPAID leave.

IP Logged

jetgirl
ForumsNet Member

Well behaved women rarely make history.

Gender:

Posts: 314

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #9 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 1:29pm »

Quote

Modify

from CNN story today....

Barnett told CNN's "Larry King Live" on Thursday night that he expected to be reinstated.

"I think I said the wrong thing, the wrong way and at the wrong time," Barnett said, referring to his remarks about Hnida.
---------------------------

You think?

IP Logged

You have to expect that if you cuss out the world, the world is going to cuss back.

Rupey
ForumsNet Member

Can't top Pearl Islands!

Posts: 2147

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #10 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 2:23pm »

Quote

Modify

I'm sure that behavior like this goes on much, much more than we realize or want to admit. My brother played basketball for a major university (that went to the final four while he was there) and he told me stuff that players did (drugs, theft, women in the dorms, money slipped secretly to players from benefactors, fighting, threats, perks from professors, etc.) that the coach was aware of but turned a "blind eye" to.

I can't stand the "boys will be boys" mentality.

IP Logged

"Lord, please make me the person my dog thinks I am."

avsfanbuck
ForumsNet Member

Pulling W. Out for another Party!

Gender:

Posts: 2167

Re: CU coach placed on leave for comments
« Reply #11 on: Feb 20^th, 2004, 2:55pm »

Quote

Modify

I don't think he will be reinstated.

IP Logged

You all Know that Cappy is coming back for All Stars!

Pages: 1

Add Poll

Notify of replies

Send Topic


Previous topic \| New Topic \| Next topic »