re: Letter to the Advocate editor regarding Jordan Jefferson

I have been racking my brain for one college athlete that was allowed to participate in sports after being arrested on a felony charge and before adjudication (maybe someone can list one or two). I thought I read somewhere that the suspension was automatic in NCAA.

I have no dog in this race. I do love LSU, but I don't ever want to win with a felon. On the other side I never want to see an innocent person go to jail.

The grand jury will get this as Hillar Moore is too afraid to make a decision on this as it would affect his re-election no matter which way he went.

Chicken you used a lot of big words +1, but allowing Jefferson to play (if that is even possible) would put LSU in a bad light.

Sad fact is if the grand jury goes with 2nd degree battery against Jefferson he is done at LSU. His laywer will drag the case out for at least a year.

edit: ditto for Johns (see I care)

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Joe Alleva has experience in controversy, and it’s not a laudable track record. He was the athletic director for Duke University in 2006 when four Lacrosse players were accused of rape. At that juncture Mr. Alleva jumped to conclusion and prematurely determined that the Duke student-athletes were guilty of the crime against a female prostitute. Joe Alleva accepted her dubious testimony over that of the boys and that of their supporting head coach. Further, Alleva forced the resignation of the Duke Lacrosse coach, after he had promised to stand by him as the investigation proceeded in its normal, deliberate course. In this case, according to the coach, Alleva broke a solemn pledge to one of his coaches and exercised notably poor judgment by jumping to conclusion without the benefit of conclusive evidence. He acted on a hunch—and it cost him, and the university—big time. Does anyone else notice a trend in Mr. Alleva’s reactions?

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One hell of a "cover your own arse" individual/actions if you ask me.

Personally, I do not know when/if JJ should be reinstated. You got it right..the facts need to speak first and the actions then to follow as to any criminal action. As far as Coach miles and the suspension, I defer to him, I do not have the facts.
No need for this to be a CYA process.

Well written letter. But the bottom line is that we live in the "real world". LSU's AD and HC would much rather besmirch a few athletes than have ESPN's cameras being focused on the protests of "Marine's Moms" picketing Cowboy's Stadium on September 3.


We need to realize we have never, do not and never will live in a truly "fair" world.

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Dear Editor,

I am an LSU graduate living in exile in Fairhope, Alabama. Like many avid alumni here I watch and read with great interest everything related to our revered LSU Football team. Today we exist in the throes of the budding Information Age; which is both a blessing, and an apparent curse.

Last week was difficult for Tiger fans. They watched the investigation of a routine bar fracas escalate into the hunt for Bin Laden, ending with the surreal confiscation of 49 pairs of Jordan Jefferson’s tennis shoes and the pervasive swabbing of his mouth for DNA.

Police officers are commissioned to exercise discretion while protecting and serving under the U.S. Constitution and its subsequent, ratified amendments. Particularly, the fourteenth amendment guarantees equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion or national origin—even if the person in question is a high-profile college athlete of the Internet age.

Rarely do bar fight investigations draw such scrutiny. However, given the sensational impact of the 24-hour news cycle on ongoing college sports coverage, an otherwise mundane incident became the cause celeb du jour on the eve of college football’s anticipated kickoff; which brings me to my point.

The early, incident-related comments from LSU’s athletic director, Joe Alleva, chimed accusatory. Consider his recorded statement:

“We will not tolerate student athletes whose irresponsible actions tarnish the good name of a great university. LSU student athletes are expected to behave with the understanding that they represent their school, their fellow students and the long history of this program, regardless of the time of day.

“Coach Miles has already begun taking disciplinary action. It is critical that we are deliberate in determining the facts regarding this incident, and as Coach Miles said, when the facts are clear, additional and appropriate action will be taken if necessary.”

Joe Alleva has experience in controversy, and it’s not a laudable track record. He was the athletic director for Duke University in 2006 when four Lacrosse players were accused of rape. At that juncture Mr. Alleva jumped to conclusion and prematurely determined that the Duke student-athletes were guilty of the crime against a female prostitute. Joe Alleva accepted her dubious testimony over that of the boys and that of their supporting head coach. Further, Alleva forced the resignation of the Duke Lacrosse coach, after he had promised to stand by him as the investigation proceeded in its normal, deliberate course. In this case, according to the coach, Alleva broke a solemn pledge to one of his coaches and exercised notably poor judgment by jumping to conclusion without the benefit of conclusive evidence. He acted on a hunch—and it cost him, and the university—big time. Does anyone else notice a trend in Mr. Alleva’s reactions?

The four Duke Lacrosse players were eventually exonerated in a court of law and each received a multi-million dollar defamation settlement, as their names had been unfairly dragged through the muddy kangaroo court of public opinion—presided over by the hardly impartial, self-appointed, Judge Joe Alleva.

When one carefully reads the aforementioned prepared statement by LSU’s “highly successful” athletic director (the LSU website’s dubious description of his Blue Devil tenure), you sense the same lack of sensitivity to the truth and respect for the wholly American notion of being innocent until proven guilty that irrevocably tarnished Alleva’s theretofore professional reputation. How this incident was casually overlooked by the LSU Board of Supervisors during his hiring and confirmation process remains a mystery as big as what really happened in the morning twilight outside Shady’s bar over a week ago, and further, what the true motivations are by those in power who machinate to serve their own selfish political agenda.

In defense of LSU’s much-maligned quarterback, Jordan Jefferson, it does not take a constitutional lawyer to realize that he has not received due process. Further, Coach Miles has, in my opinion, prematurely rendered punishment, as it is not certainly known whether Jefferson is guilty of the alleged battery charges. Perhaps Mr. Alleva’s noted, knee-jerk preference for doing what he feels is “politically correct,” has affected the situation?

Like in the Duke rape imbroglio, it is my belief that Jordan Jefferson, if found not guilty of battery by additional, exculpatory evidence put forth by his new attorney, Lewis Unglesby, has a possible ripe libel lawsuit in the making, as it appears that local law enforcement and the LSU brass, for whatever selfish motivation, have already rendered him guilty as charged.

Moving forward after this week, Jordan Jefferson should be reinstated, as it is his senior season, and as such, his eligibility clock is ticking. If he is not allowed to play, Jordan Jefferson, like the former wrongly-accused Duke student athletes, could wind up being a millionaire at the expense of the taxpayers, resulting from the poorly exercised judgment of a few administrative “professionals.”

Christopher E. Warner, Ph.D.

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I knew it was that guy's labored writing as soon as I started reading. He insists on trying to use big words, but he uses them too often and incorrectly. Here are the words, in order, he should have whacked from his letter:

in exile. . Like many avid alumni here. . .revered. . .the throes of the. . .surreal. .tennis. . .pervasive. . .subsequent, ratified. . .of the internet age. . .sensational. . . on ongoing. . .cause celeb du jour. . . anticipated. . .early, incident-related. . .

I'm going to stop now. But I cannot read another passage from this author without commenting.

Yes, I mad.

ETA: I'm going to keep going

"former wrongly-accused" should be "falsely accused"

"poorly exercised judgment" should be "poor judgment"

"by additional, exculpatory evidence put forth by his new attorney, Lewis Unglesby" should be eliminated entirely. It should just say "If found not guilty, has a . . ."

Hell of a precedent that would be set if miles didn't suspend a player arrested for second degree felony.

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while protecting and serving under the U.S. Constitution and its subsequent, ratified amendments.

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I think there is no one to blame here but Jefferson for being out that late and for Miles to be lax in his curfew monitoring policy...

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+1000

This is well written/thought out correspondance, however, I still feel they should not have even been involved in this situation at all and should have walked away from it and not been even implicated in this debacle, thus the suspension is warrented and now becoming a full blown distraction to the team and season I'm afraid. What about the student atheletes that do not get involved in this type of activity, is any of this fair to them?

As its already been mentioned , playing football for Lsu or any School for that matter is a priviledge, not a right.

JJ has one person to blame for the trouble he is in and that's himself.
I don't understand which part of that some of you people can't/wont grasp.