Update: Urban Meyer suspended 3 games

[BigD88]

2 minutes ago, NateDawg said:

With DV, unlike other crimes, you don’t have to have a willing victim. Even if the victim says they don’t want to prosecute, charges are filed based solely on probable cause, and suspect goes to jail. It’s that simple. The questions that people seem not to be asking is why were no charges filed by police? Only logical answer is that for one reason or another, there was conflicting information. People are expecting Meyer to act above the police by judging Smith’s guilt or innocence, even when he reported stuff to the AD. I personally think the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze with Smith and would have handled it differently. Too many hot takes, torches and pitchforks on this one.

No one here is saying Urban needs to act above the police. They’re just saying he should’ve exercised common sense and not kept Smith around after hearing of DV allegations more than once. 

Based on what we know, it appears that the Powell PD wanted to pursue charges but the DA office did not. The fact that the Powell PD can’t legally release the report indicates that they booked Smith as an offender instead of a suspect. This would explain why the “arrest” box was checked on the incident report, but then not in the arrest report as McMurphy pointed out. 

And much of the context of my statement above was related to the victim simply calling the police in the first place.

[naptownskinsfan]

19 minutes ago, BigD88 said:

I know we touched on this earlier in the weekend, but as a Penn State fan, if I found out that James Franklin was given (at least) two different allegations of domestic violence about our current WR coach, and continued to keep him on staff for years, And renew his contract, I’d be absolutely furious because that’s just colossally stupid.

Its not about shielding himself and the program with technicalities of reporting it to the AD (btw, didn’t Zach Smith say that Gene Smith was told by police, not Urban, although that doesn’t mean Urban didn’t report it at some point) - it’s about leaving the program vulnerable to a slew of negative publicity for a simple position coach. One instance? Fine. Report it and nothing legally comes from it? Ok, you can explain that away if it ever comes to light. But (at least) two? Now there’s a trend and you simply have to distance this person from the program from a pure risk management perspective. Especially if I’m plastering giant signs saying “respect women” in the football building and parading around a “zero tolerance” message with regards to violence against women. Also, when it comes to domestic violence, there are a TON of reasons for why many incidents aren’t prosecuted, some of which we’ve seen at play here based on what we know so far (victim being pressured not to ruin their spouse’s career and financial security, the accompanying mental abuse where the victim feels that she is also at fault, etc). 

Its just terrible management to keep that ticking time bomb around. I understand that he probably felt conflicted, or gave him one too many chances because ZS was his mentor’s grandson (again, assuming best case scenario here for Urban), but when that backfires, you may have to pay the piper.

PS-It would be very hard to win a wrongful termination suit unless the program went out of their way to broadcast it to the whole world that Zach Smith was an abusive husband. Simply firing him before his contract was up would not open them up to some wrongful termination suit. And unless ZS would’ve wanted to sabotage his own future job prospects, he wouldn’t pursue such a course of action.

I liked it, but have to say it too, great post.  Meyer's in a tough spot, and I agree about handling it one time and trying to get people to figure it out?  A second time?  It's time to look out for you, and it can't ever be a good look.  At work, I don't start holding my subordinates accountable until the second time a mistake happens.  I trust them that they will learn from their mistakes, and we have a conversation about it and the expectation that the mistake isn't repeated.  When it is, now we're moving down the road of accountability which can lead to termination.  

At the very least, after the second time, give Smith time away from the team on admin leave and have him get some help if Meyer felt that close to him because of his mentor.  You've got to do something different than just let it go or defend him.  

[NateDawg]

2 minutes ago, BigD88 said:

No one here is saying Urban needs to act above the police. They’re just saying he should’ve exercised common sense and not kept Smith around after hearing of DV allegations more than once. 

Based on what we know, it appears that the Powell PD wanted to pursue charges but the DA office did not. The fact that the Powell PD can’t legally release the report indicates that they booked Smith as an offender instead of a suspect. This would explain why the “arrest” box was checked on the incident report, but then not in the arrest report as McMurphy pointed out. 

And much of the context of my statement above was related to the victim simply calling the police in the first place.

I agree that it was a common sense thing. Bad call by Meyer, period. I just wonder why, though, Gene Smith wouldn’t have come down on this one as the AD, with him also knowing about the multiple allegations.

[BobbyPhil1781]

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/2018/08/94997/ohio-state-expects-to-complete-urban-meyer-investigation-within-two-weeks

 

Let's hope this timeline remains true. 

[jrry32]

Ohio State has to do a couple weeks of investigatory polling to decide if the PR fallout is worth firing a winning coach. Based on how Ohioans reacted to another recent OSU-linked scandal, I think they keep him.

[Danger]

34 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

Ohio State has to do a couple weeks of investigatory polling to decide if the PR fallout is worth firing a winning coach. Based on how Ohioans reacted to another recent OSU-linked scandal, I think they keep him.

Pretty much this. Either that or they've already made up their mind and think this is the minimum amount of time that they need to wait it out until people think they've actually tried to look into it.

[buno67]

Interesting Twitter thread

read the other 2-3 posts attached to this. 

I’m not defending Smith, just this police report stuff is getting crazy.

[NateDawg]

There’s no defending Smith in any of this really. Urban could have handled things way better too obviously. I will say though, McMurphy has handled the reporting on this incident horribly. Your job as a reporter is to report factual findings. It isn’t to give opinions, draw conclusions, and alter facts to influence the public. It’s no wonder this dude is out of a job.

[buno67]

23 minutes ago, NateDawg said:

There’s no defending Smith in any of this really. Urban could have handled things way better too obviously. I will say though, McMurphy has handled the reporting on this incident horribly. Your job as a reporter is to report factual findings. It isn’t to give opinions, draw conclusions, and alter facts to influence the public. It’s no wonder this dude is out of a job.

It’s fitting cause it broke on Facebook lol

[Breesus mode]

On ‎8‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 10:29 AM, big poppa pump said:

And you are such a hater...you have this case tried and convicted in the court of public opinion before all the facts are given.  .lulz

Really not, and it really isn't my fault you are incapable of dealing with your school being criticized. 

[JammerHammer21]

27 minutes ago, Breesus mode said:

Really not, and it really isn't my fault you are incapable of dealing with your school being criticized. 

I like that he's an OSU fan with the name Big Poppa Pump

[rob_shadows]

5 minutes ago, JammerHammer21 said:

I like that he's an OSU fan with the name Big Poppa Pump

Probably doesn't even realize the Steiner brothers are Michigan alumni and will now change his name because of it, lol.

[JammerHammer21]

3 minutes ago, rob_shadows said:

Probably doesn't even realize the Steiner brothers are Michigan alumni and will now change his name because of it, lol.

Yep. Comes from a highly educated university.

[big poppa pump]

38 minutes ago, JammerHammer21 said:

Yep. Comes from a highly educated university.

Was fully aware...and it's funny that when you think of Scott Steiner...you think highly educated...el oh el

[Bonanza23]

5 hours ago, NateDawg said:

There’s no defending Smith in any of this really. Urban could have handled things way better too obviously. I will say though, McMurphy has handled the reporting on this incident horribly. Your job as a reporter is to report factual findings. It isn’t to give opinions, draw conclusions, and alter facts to influence the public. It’s no wonder this dude is out of a job.

I hear TMZ is trying to hire him.