Op-Ed
Untamed Tigers: How Memphis gets away with winning
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The Absurdity Exhibition
SAN ANTONIO — After witnessing the University of Memphis basketball team dismantle my beloved UCLA Bruins Saturday night in San Antonio the Tigers seem the odds-on favorite to win tonight’s National Championship game against Kansas University.
As they should be.
Phenom Memphis guard Derrick Rose made his UCLA counterpart look like a fumbling middle-schooler barely able to dribble the ball down the court without it flying off his foot. Veteran Memphis big men Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and Shawn Taggart denied UCLA freshman standout Kevin Love the ball so often that the doughy Bruin center look malnourished as he reluctantly waddled off the court and into the locker room.
As he should have.
Memphis coach Jim Calipari beamed at his team’s chance to set a single-season wins record at 39 with a win against Kansas.
As they should.
The Tiger should win their first NCAA title tonight not because they somehow deserve it or their skill is so superior to that of Kansas, but the lengths they’ve gone to get here. What lies beneath Memphis’ beautiful, high-flying brand of basketball is a recklessness, an unchecked criminality that anticipates a laundry list of arrests and accusations. Memphis has been a program of criminals ever since Calipari — a greasy sleaze whose last Final Four appearance was stricken from the record after it turned out his best player was getting paid by an agent all along — took over as coach in 2000 and began letting everything from inciting riots to marijuana possession go effectively unpunished. This is a team that values winning over anything else, and its penchant for allowing its players to roam the city punching out girlfriends and making it rain in clubs so long as they can hit a 3-pointer should let it coast past law-abiding teams to a championship.
But if there is such thing as karma, if the universe aims to punish the unpunished and reward the unrewarded, the Tigers will lose tonight. Consider the legal history of the Memphis Tigers.
The Tigers got their crime season going before the hoops season even tipped off as the aforementioned Shawn Taggart and reserve player Jeff Robinson were arrested for inciting a riot outside the Plush Club. The charges were dropped after the players completed anger management classes and the two were never suspended. Either was starting center Joey Dorsey, who made it rain at the Plush Club just before his teammates were arrested. For those of you who don’t know, making it rain entails tossing money in the air just to watch it fall to the ground … like raindrops … get it?
This was not Dorsey’s first brush with the law by any stretch. Back in October 2006 Dorsey and his teammate Hashim Bailey were accused of threatening, pouring water on and throwing water bottles at two female students. Dorsey has also been in two other police reports alleging he punched someone in the face then ran away.
Dorsey’s frontcourt mate Robert Dozier got in on the action in February when he followed his ex-girlfriend after she left the Plush Club, got out of the car he was driving in at an intersection, and proceeded to hit her twice. Dozier was suspended for one meaningless blowout game against SMU.
Dozier wasn’t the first Tiger to beat up on his girlfriend however. Back in 2005 then Memphis standout Jeremy Hunt was arrested for battering his girlfriend. Hunt went on to break his hand in a bar fight, a crime that got him kicked off the team until two Memphis players left for the NBA and Calipari brought him back on the team out of desperation.
The most recent issue involves reserve guard Andre Allen, who seemed to be back on the right track after getting caught with a whore, er, soliciting a prostitute back in 2005. Allen was suspended prior to the Final Four for a, “violation of team rules.” This is obviously ridiculous as Memphis’ team rules are a) there are no rules, and b) THERE ARE NO RULES. Allen reportedly failed a random drug test given by the NCAA, something that makes sense considering teams usually suspend players for failing a drug test before the NCAA has a chance to.
There are more cases of past Memphis legal trouble (Marcus Banks’ burning of a 15-year-old girl’s leg with a cigarette as part of a gang ritual), present legal trouble (Pierre Niles’ slapping of a UAB fan following a post game melee in February) and future legal trouble (Memphis is one of the only teams still in the running to land top recruit Tyreke Evans, who was admittedly in the driver’s seat during a drive-by shooting resulting in the death of a teenage earlier this year), but the picture is clear.
Keep in mind the background of these kids. Many of them come from impoverished, inner-city areas where crime, for better or for worse, is a part of life. They are in part victims of circumstance, and the fault is not all their own (although slapping around your girlfriend is pretty inexcusable, especially when you’re 6’9”). But John Calipari knows better. If he is going to recruit kids from tough neighborhoods then he bears the responsibility of not only teaching them basketball lessons but also life lessons. Calipari is giving these kids a way out of a life sadly destined for crime or prison, but he has to give them the tools they will need to remain above crime and prison. He isn’t doing that. He’s too selfish to put installing new plays aside for instilling needed discipline. He supports the winning way over the right way no matter how lost his players find themselves off the court.
Memphis should win tonight, but we all know they shouldn’t.
Tony Manfred is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be contacted at tmanfred@cornellsun.com. The Absurdity Exhibiton appears alternate Mondays.
well said.
well said.
Why must everyone point out
Why must everyone point out Memphis' players' criminal records? Not all have been plagued with legal issues. Memphis' boys get the bad rap for one reason: they are black. If this were a team with predominantly white boys--aside from them probably not making it this far--no one would bring up the legal issues. In fact, it would be swept under the rug.
CDR, Derrick Rose, Willie Kemp, Antonio Anderson, Doneal Mack, Chance McGrady have no criminal issues to discuss.
Please, give me a break.
Please, give me a break. Because "they are black?" The writer is apparently a stranger to reason.
Were it a racial set-up, their high profiles and popularity would guarantee quick and proficient legal representation to show the Memphis cops as civil-rights violators.
Your "white boys" who wouldn't have gone very far?---Tell it to Davidson.
Face it, amigo, you have a college version of the Portland Jailblazers. But maybe your race argument can be used at adjudication--I hear it usually works.
Please....
Pointing out that 5 players don't have criminal records from a roster of 12 or 13 guys really isn't helping your point very much now, is it?
WHAT?
because they are black?!?! SERIOUSLY?? That might be the dumbest comment EVER! Does a predominantly white team of college basketball players even exist?????
Well said and well
Well said and well written!
While it's true that "not all of the Memphis players have criminal records", the fact is that almost half of their stars apparently do! The fact that one of the commentators even tries to use this as a defense is ludicrous. This team is talented, dominant and among the very best from the standpoint of basketball skills. Life skills? Forget it! One would think that the University of Memphis has a responsibility to educate these young men to be responsible citizens; that goes for behavior as well. The fact that these players are allowed to roam around undisciplined, putting other members of the university community at risk is scary. That they are undisciplined by the university and held up as role models by their school and their coach is sickening. I understand and agree that not all of this are the players' fault, and that much of it has to do with where they were raised and who their role models were growing up. It has nothing to do with race; I'd feel the same way regardless of skin color. But to allow the convicted all the perks of stardom while their school and coach look the other way is just not right.
I was thrilled to see KU win last night. For once, I believe the good guys won. But don't feel so bad for the Memphis players, they had a great season and set an NCAA record. As for the "Thugs" among them? Don't feel bad for them either. There's a home waiting for them in the NBA.
Article on U of M basketball
Thank you for speaking the truth!
I must be the only person in Memphis who isn't blinded by a basketball jones.
Calipari is a first class slease, whose favorite thing is his mirror.
Half truths and lies
Just because you are upset about losing does not give you the right to slant issues this way. To say John Calipari, is leading these players down a path to prison is questionable at best and one could wonder about what your motives are. Memphis is not a school that can bring in the blue chip ballers but if Calipari can bring in kids that come from homes that have never sent anyone to college what's the harm? Also, what's to say that the charges that have been dropped may have been dropped for cause? No one ever preys on high profile people and again since you are only reporting the half facts to slant your article I wonder your ethics. I agree that not all of the players are innocent but not all are guilty and based on that name me 1 good program that has stayed completely clean over time.
What's funny about his
What's funny about his article is that all the "crimes" he talks about didn't necessarily even happen. There were no police reports filed against Dozier and the ex-girlfriend had a history of false accusations and restraining orders on herself. The author took the "victim's" accounts on all of these stories and embellished them to make the tiger players look as bad as possible. All of these kids come from bad backgrounds, and most come to Memphis and get a degree and go on to doing much better things than if they'd been left on the streets.
For Example, Joey Dorsey (the guy who this genius author makes to look like a monster) is the first kid in his family to graduate from high school, and he'll be getting his college degree at the end of the summer. I'm not saying that Joey is perfect, but he's doing a lot more good going to college and getting a degree than causing real trouble.
The Taggart and Jeff Robinson thing was a case of mistaken identity and they were arrested because the police thought they were someone else. They got cleared of wrong doing and have to attend the anger management classes as a "community service" type deal.
As for all the petty charges (i.e. Marijuana charges), every major college basketball (and most other sports) have incidences of these type. Heck, not just limited to athletes, most COLLEGE kids have some type of mess up. It happens, these are COLLEGE kids.
Cal did discipline some of these kids but he failed to mention that. Jeremy Hunt was kicked off the team for a year, and after spending the whole year on the sideline and going to classes he was reinstated. he's not in graduate school at the U of M. Sean Banks (who was a top 50 maybe higher recruit) was kicked off the team after his messups.
I just wish that instead of copying and pasting what you read from a moron on ESPN.com the author actually researched and learned about the kids' backgrounds and what they're actually like. All of these kids have bought into a team philosophy and are truly great at representing their city when they're in public. Every time these kids are out in public they are friendly and sign autographs and hugs babies and do all the right things.
And about Coach Cal, he was cleared of all wrong doing at UMASS so the author was even wrong about that. I thought Cornell was supposed to be a school for intelligent people? I guess the author could be intelligent, just really lazy.
You lost every ounce of
You lost every ounce of credibilty when you failed to do research. "Jim" Calipari? Who the hell is that? John sounds more like it. I'd accept a typo, but that is bad man. I'll continue.....who is Marcus Banks and who did he burn with a cigarette? We did have a Sean Banks, but he never burned anyone. He did get in trouble, but what are you talking about. I understand you are a college student and this isn't you career, yet. Work on getting stuff right before you get to your career goal, buddy.
sigh
sigh.
unreal. an article of mis-information, half truths and hyperbole. i just saw this (it's august) but i felt the need to reply.
I will never understand the venom lobbed at Cal. yes, we have had players get into trouble, and Cal has handled it correctly at times and incorrectly at others. for many of these kids, the time at the U of M under cal is the most discipline and structure they have ever had. most of them blossom and make something of themselves, joey dorsey included.
we knock the kids for poor decisions, yet fail to understand that in most cases (sean banks the exception) they learn from the mistake, grow up, and make something of themselves. Cal has graduated almost every senior he has had, and NONE of his former players are in any trouble. see Arkansas and criminal players in jail for an example.
Memphis has had truly bad eggs in its history. William Bedford is in prison for goodness sake. but to rip a program to shreds you know nothing about is sad. The locals here know, Cal has done wonders. has he erred in judgement at times, sure, but what 9 year couch hasn't. as for your beloved UCLA, they were the poster child for NCAA violations under Harrick, yet to date, and please read this slowly, has NEVER been found in violation of a single NCAA rule in his ENTIRE coaching career. he has staff at the U of M check with NCAA compliance on every move he makes, and within the community he is a godsend. he is a champion for the school, the community, and donates more time and money to this area than you could understand.
he is a GOOD man. he runs his mouth and has a salesman personality, but he is a GOOD person.
not every team has had our problems, and yet our problems are small compared to what others have done. just look at Kansas (who you were glad won) having to self report violations between 1997-2003 while the littly white Roy Williams was at the help. That's right, nearly a decade of infractions, by the coach and staff, yet Cal is the bad guy. Or Kelvin Sampson, and on and on.
You are right to point out we have had issues, but in doing so you should be fair and decent and try to get a) the players names right and b) get to the actual facts of a situation. you did neither.
The only rebuttal is that, "oh well we all know cal is a cheater" etc. NO, he isn't. You think he isn't watched carefully by the local media? You think he wants to embarass his wife and children, who have become fixutres in the local community? He watches his step, does a great job, and tries to treat his players correctly. could they use more discipline? sure. could they use the old school athletic dorm system, sure. but they could also use a evenhanded touch when writing about their shortcomings, most of which have amounted to juvenile college behavior, the jeremy hunt situation aside.
so thank you for writing a giant hit piece. if you want to come down for a game, let me know, and i will get you a ticket.
Poorly Researched and VERY Bad Article
As a former Sports Editor of both my college and JC papers, I feel compelled to add my comments. First, your research is minimal to non existent at best. You have not contacted one Memphis player or Coach to verify your accusations. Therefore, you are purely expressing very poor and uninformed opinions by a college freshman who lives in New York and has no clue about Memphis players or their backgrounds. You have not taken the initiative to explore the background of the individual Memphis players. Anyone with an ounce of common sense would quickly understand that no player or group of players with a criminal background would be playing for a highly ranked college team.If that was true, ESPN and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED would have been all over it. Even if such players SNEAKED THROUGH, their felony convictions would be a matter of public record. You fail to state any felony convictions.....and therefore.... SHAME ON YOU for falling prey to sensationalism by not revealing one fact to back up your assumed criminal accusations. Overall, you are a pretty poor excuse for a sports reporter because....you fail to report any researched facts. Instead, you blurt our unsubstantiated personal opinions from someone who has obviously not played one second of college basketball. Chances are you never attended any post season game in your life. So, lets not confuse you with an EXPERT. Instead lets understand who you really are....a misinformed, freshman sports writer want to be, who should learn how to do basic research especially before placing it on the Internet. Remember this truism....Make sure brain is in operation before operating hand, mouth or expression opinion.