How Ramapo Students Feel About Sport Scandals

By JOHN GOLDFARB

MAHWAH – In the world of sports, athletes and teams are always determined to win no matter what happens.

In this day and age, certain teams unfortunately bend the rules in order to succeed which results in scandals and investigations occurring.

The Cleveland Browns’ General Manager, Ray Farmer, is under investigation for texting coaches on the sidelines during games according to Tim Daniels of Bleacherreport.com while the Syracuse Orange Basketball team is under an National Collegiate Athletic Association investigation for giving their student athletes extra benefits according to Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns own quarterback, Brian Hoyer, could decide to leave the organization based on what the National Football League investigates in their Text-gate scandal, where General Manager Ray Farmer is accused of sending text messages about what? to coaches on the sidelines during games.

The Syracuse Orange Basketball team have taken matters in their own hands by giving themselves a postseason ban for the season due to an NCAA investigation.

Ramapo students and staff members like Birch Hall Manager Jim Brick respects what Syracuse is doing with their situation while he feels skeptical about what the Browns are going through.

“I feel good about what Syracuse is doing,” he said. “Taking responsibility before the NCAA comes down hard on them. I respect Jim Beheim as a coach and I feel like he’s getting out ahead of it and that’s a good thing.”

“As far as the Cleveland Browns thing,” Brick added, “ I kind of think that is a made up scandal because the NFL is trying to protect the [New England] Patriots because everyone knows they cheated and won the Super Bowl so now all they got all these little scandals coming out and I think that’s why we’re hearing about stuff that we normally wouldn’t have heard about because texting a coach on the sideline seems like it’s not really a major issue.”

Even students at Ramapo feel as though scandals are wrong and unfair in the world of sports.

“It’s unfair,” said Ramapo freshman Josh Ford. “It’s not right, it’s disrespecting the association, the NCAA as well as the NFL. It’s taking the love away from the game because players don’t deserve that as well.”

Although the Syracuse Basketball team has given themselves a self-imposed ban from this season’s NCAA Tournament, the NCAA could slap more penalties on the Orange which have yet to be determined according to Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com.

According to Tim Daniels of Bleacherreport.com, Browns’ General Manager Ray Farmer could face a multi-game suspension this upcoming National Football League season as well as a loss of a draft pick which the Browns need if the texting scandal is found true.

As for avoiding scandals and investigations in the future, both Brick and and Ford have talked about what they believe other teams should do to not be in an awful situation like the Browns and the Orange basketball team.

“If I was an owner to avoid scandals, some of them are unavoidable in any situation when you’re an employer and you have employees.” Brick said. “It’s hard to control what they are going to be doing in their private life.

“As far as rules violations, just follow the rules make sure I’m holding everyone accountable,” he added, “make sure we have strict standard operating procedures written that everyone can go to if they have any questions if what they’re doing is right or wrong, and make sure I really understood the rules so if someone came to me with a question, I’d be able to answer it.”

Ford also mentioned how he would approach the NFL or NCAA if he was the coach or general manager of a well known team.

“I would actually approach the head of the NFL, the culprit side of it and talk about it and discuss it and feel like not having my team deal with that situation and try to avoid it,” Ford said.