Fascinating Updates on the TKO situation

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Sounds like Chip Towers and Wanda smile ain't exactly bosom buddies still.

BTW, the level of obvious animosity in the headlines of Towers's articles is quite humorous. They are using different headlines for the internet articles (where the true hardcore Dawg fans read) than the ones in the print edition. For example, yesterday's print edition said:

GEORGIA DROPS CHEATING CHARGES
Kearney still faces conduct questions

It reads as if to indicate that UGA is sweeping it under the rug. Whereas, the print version of yesterday's article reads:

Kearney cleared of cheating
Freshman football player still faces disorderly conduct charges

Today's article also has different headlines in the print version and the 'net version.

PRINT: "KEARNEY, DEAN MEET, MAKE PROGRESS TOWARD RESOLUTION"

INTERNET: "EXPULSION UNLIKELY FOR KEARNEY"

Considering how previous articles and headlines in the print edition had trumpeted that Tavares could get expelled, why leave that out in the print edition now?

Both articles have this as the first paragraph:

Georgia freshman linebacker Tavares Kearney met with the university's associate dean of students late Thursday afternoon but failed to reach an agreement about how to handle the disorderly conduct charges the university has filed against him.

More interesting is that Towers waits until the fourth and fifth paragraphs to bother to mention the important parts...

Kearney left with a copy of an informal agreement. If he chooses to sign it, he will effectively be pleading no contest to the three counts of disorderly conduct UGA charged him with. If he chooses to not sign it, his case will be forwarded to the University Judiciary, a panel of three students and two faculty members which would decide his fate. The earliest UGA would be able to schedule a hearing date would be Aug. 16, Ellis said. Expulsion, she said, is unlikely in his case.

Considering that Towers's initial articles in the print edition strongly mentioned expulsion, it is pretty interesting that he chose to bury it in the fifth paragraph of the print edition article, particularly after leading with the paragraph with which he led.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by HomerJSimpson

The AJC reported that he has already pleaded "no contest," which if true (and that's a big if since it is the AJC) would mean the innocent ship has sailed.

Hmmm...I'm not seeing that. It says that he "can" plead no contest. Here are the current headlines in their UGA section...
(By the way, it is stunning that, on the day practices starts, three of the four headlines are related to what is sounding like it amounted to a slightly-overzealous TA snatching a cell phone and a slightly-overzealous 18-year-old snatching it back.)
Expulsion unlikely for Kearney

Freshman can plead no contest to disorderly conduct or appeal charges.

• Kearney cleared of cheating
• Irons ready to get rolling for Auburn
• Kearney facing three charges

Next: UGA fall practice

Players report Aug. 4, first practice Aug. 5.


Mobile updates

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[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt.

'

True ... but it ain't exactly a staunch defense of innocence either.

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Hmmm...I'm not seeing that. It says that he "can" plead no contest. Here are the current headlines in their UGA section...
(By the way, it is stunning that, on the day practices starts, three of the four headlines are related to what is sounding like it amounted to a slightly-overzealous TA snatching a cell phone and a slightly-overzealous 18-year-old snatching it back.)

I could have swore that article said earlier that he did plea, but they couldn't come to an agreement on punishment.

[Ben E Lou]

Of course, my favorite part of this whole thing is that the original AJC accusation had him cheating by taking a picture of the answer sheet using his mobile phone.

no way that it would be helpful. Whoever purported that he was cheating with a picture of the scantron with his phone was obviously making that up. It just can't be done.

Just to give you an idea of how ridiculous of a proposition this is, I just took a picture with a fairly-high-quality (5.0 megapixel) digital camera of a page in Sports Illustrated. I put the magazine on a flat table, right underneath a table lamp for optimum lighting, and took time to line up and steady the camera to get the best shot I could. Now, *my* mobile phone has a 1.25"x1.25" screen, and pictures take up a max of maybe 2/3 of that, but just for fun, let's say Tavares has what would be a HUGE screen on his phone--2" X 2"--and the picture can take up the entire screen.



...and again, that's taken with optimal lighting, with time to steady my hand, with the ability to focus the camera, and on a much higher-resolution camera than I'm sure his mobile phone would have (if it has one at all). Imagine that picture taken quickly with a crappy mobile phone camera in classroom lighting with no ability to focus on something so close. Yeah, right.

[Easy Mac]

When I was in college, if our phone went off during an exam, it was an automatic failure. Sounds like the football player was a spoiled brat who got off light.

[Psmith]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

When I was in college, if our phone went off during an exam, it was an automatic failure. Sounds like the football player was a spoiled brat who got off light.

Weren't the cheating charges dropped because his phone records proved that his phone in fact didn't go off? Even if the phone did ring, whether he got off light depends on school policy. Unless you went to UGA, why does it matter what the policy at your college was?

[JonInMiddleGA]

from Saturday's AJC

Kearney suspended for season opener

By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/05/05

ATHENS — Georgia linebacker Tavares Kearney was placed on probation by the university's Office of Judicial programs and received a one-game suspension from Bulldogs coach Mark Richt for his role in an altercation with a teacher that accused him of cheating on an exam last month.

By signing an informal resolution agreement Friday morning, Kearney effectively pleaded no contest to two of the three charges of disorderly conduct the university brought against him, according to documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday. Richt announced his disciplinary action, which includes "some community service responsibilities and internal discipline" late Friday after the university's judicial process was completed.

"We all have to live under authority," Richt said. "Whether it's a faculty member, coach, parent, police officer or supervisor, we all have to respect authority. In this case, it was unacceptable for Tavares, as it would be for any one of our players, to be involved in any altercation with a faculty member. I'm sure there have been some valuable lessons learned."

Kearney was placed on university probation for the 2005-06 academic year. That probation will be lifted at the end of the fall semester, however, if he "is successful in meeting his sanctions," the agreement stated. Also, it states that Kearney may not enroll in any classes taught by Dawn Penn, the teaching assistant who accused him of cheating and simple battery; must meet with associate dean of students Kim Ellis once a month; will work with UGA's Office of Judicial Programs and staff members of the Georgia Athletics Association "to develop strategies to successfully react to situations that may be frustrating."

Kearney signed the agreement Friday morning, then joined the Bulldogs on Woodruff Practice Fields for the first day of preseason camp at 3:30 p.m. He's the fifth Georgia player suspended for the Sept. 3 opener against Boise State.

"I realize I did not handle the situation in the best way possible, but I feel that the process has been handled in a fair way," Kearney said in a statement. "I'm relieved the matter has been resolved, and I'm ready to get back to classes in a couple of weeks."

Penn accused Kearney of cheating on a July 15 nutrition exam and filed an initial charge of simple battery against him with the UGA Police Department. She later dropped those charges but forwarded her complaints to the university. Penn has not returned numerous phone messages.

Kearney, a freshman from Tucker, was cleared of academic dishonesty by the university's Academic Honesty Panel last week.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

"We all have to live under authority," Richt said. "Whether it's a faculty member, coach, parent, police officer or supervisor, we all have to respect authority.

That's one reason why I love Richt. For some odd reason, this is so difficult for many to grasp (particulary colleged-aged kids, I observed last month...) Good word, Co-ach.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/12426986.htm

Georgia freshman LB Kearney out for year

Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia freshman linebacker Tavares Kearney, already suspended one game for confronting an instructor, will miss the season with a knee injury.

The school announced Friday that Kearney needs surgery to treat a chronic injury to the articular cartilage in his right knee.

The operation is scheduled for Wednesday. The Bulldogs will seek a medical exemption from the NCAA for 2005, which would give Kearney another five years to complete four seasons of eligibility.

Kearney faced school charges of disorderly conduct after an instructor accused him of cheating on a nutrition exam last month.

The instructor said Kearney twisted her wrist after she confiscated his camera cell phone because she suspected the football player was using it to cheat.

Kearney was cleared of cheating but agreed to disciplinary measures proposed by school officials, conceding he "did not handle the situation in the best way possible."

Coach Mark Richt also suspended Kearney for the Sept. 3 opener against Boise State. Richt said the suspension will be carried over to the first game in 2006.

[Ben E Lou]

http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~fof/foru...ad.php?t=41716

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sorry SD, I looked in a couple of the Tucker dynasty threads but didn't see the post. (Not sure if I was looking in the wrong thread or just missed it or what).

But since you're here ... the first thing that came to mind was a question of whether this was some sort of Michael-Jordan-"retirement"-deal.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Sorry SD, I looked in a couple of the Tucker dynasty threads but didn't see the post. (Not sure if I was looking in the wrong thread or just missed it or what).

But since you're here ... the first thing that came to mind was a question of whether this was some sort of Michael-Jordan-"retirement"-deal.

No, not at all. He probably should have gotten this done when he was in high school, but, of course, too much was at stake at the time. If you read the 2004 Tucker thread, you might recall that I mentioned a minor knee injury. He missed all of one game and parts of a few more with the knee bothering him, and he had to get it drained of fluid before each playoff game. He had a monster game against Clarke Central, but was limping noticeably throughout.

Richt had said just a week and a half or so ago that Tavares was going to see significant playing time this season.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

No, not at all. He probably should have gotten this done when he was in high school, but, of course, too much was at stake at the time. If you read the 2004 Tucker thread, you might recall that I mentioned a minor knee injury. He missed all of one game and parts of a few more with the knee bothering him, and he had to get it drained of fluid before each playoff game. He had a monster game against Clarke Central, but was limping noticeably throughout.

Richt had said just a week and a half or so ago that Tavares was going to see significant playing time this season.

Got to talk with Tavares at the Tucker game this Saturday. It definitely was the same injury, he says. It used to flare up from time to time at Tucker, and it happened during practice. The team doctors examined him, and made the decision to go ahead and clean things up in there now.

[GrantDawg]

Kearney's mom: Ordeal 'a bit much' for son

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/27/05

Georgia freshman linebacker Tavares Kearney told his mother he didn't feel like he was given "a fair chance," which led to his decision to transfer.

Kearney, a former Tucker High linebacker who suffered a season-ending knee injury during summer camp, is still enrolled in classes but has left the Georgia football team, coach Mark Richt said. It's the latest chapter in a tumultuous freshman season for Kearney, the son of Atlanta radio personality Wanda Smith, who issued a statement about her son's decision today to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Kearney and an instructor were involved in a summer altercation for which he received a one-game suspension. The instructor had accused Kearney of using a cell phone camera to cheat on his nutrition exam. He was cleared of academic dishonesty by a university panel in August, but placed on probation by the school and received a one-game suspension from Richt.

Wanda Smith said the ordeal "was a bit much for Tavares."

Her statement:

"Tavares had over 200 offers to attend college. I think we — family and friends — kind of chose his destination for him. My co-workers, close friends, extended family chose UGA because it was close to home. I don't feel as if he ever had a fair chance. With the incident that happened over the summer, the Academic Dishonesty Charge — that was cleared — was a bit much for Tavares. After that took place, the personal and extended family came together again to support Tavares and asked him to stay and give it another try. He agreed.

"Soon after, Tavares was injured in practice. He had to knee surgery, which was another setback for him. As a mother, Tavares would call to discuss his stay at Georgia. He actually shared that he wasn't too happy, but he decided to stay. He did not feel as if he was given a fair chance. As a mother, I heard my child's silent cry. He wanted to stay to make things work, and he did for a while. He had surgery and a day later he had to begin rehab. He survived even through the pain. I was informed by the coaches and the weight training staff of his progress on a daily basis. Soon, he was off crutches. Things were getting better. I did not hear from him as much.

"I received several calls from Coach Richt with updates on Tavares. Due to his injury and extensive recuperation, he met challenges traveling back and forth. Tavares felt he wanted to build a name for himself. Challenges were met because of who his mother is. He said he wanted to be his own man, not the son of a famous mother. He decided Georgia was not the place for him. He did not want to be labeled as Wanda Smith's son, Frank Ski's nephew or 'Little V-103,' anymore. He wanted to be his own man. He did not want to be in that environment anymore. He wanted to more forward.

"[i] spoke with [Georgia athletics director] Damon Evans on several occasions and he has agreed Tavares has just had it rough from day one, and just did not have a fair chance. He wishes Tavares well in whatever he does and he would be supportive of whatever Tavares decides.

"I have received hundreds of letters of support from our listeners. I would like to thank all of our V-103 listeners."

[ShaefIllini]

Supposedly Tavares was visiting Illinois this weekend. Should the 'off the field problems' be something Illini fans should worry about?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by ShaefIllini

Supposedly Tavares was visiting Illinois this weekend. Should the 'off the field problems' be something Illini fans should worry about?

A change of scenery and being out of the spotlight would probably be the best thing that could happen to him. Having a local-celebrity mom and having a high-profile incident before he ever saw the field in Athens was probably a little more than this relatively-shy kid could handle.