Interesting turn in the IU situation...

[Mark 3 Pointer]

Players are going to refuse to play if Sampson is fired. Here's the link.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10659277

[dc_x]

WOW...could be another Weldinggate situation.

If these players are able to influence IU's decision, it will be a sad say for college athletics. You can't send a message that players/coaches are above the rules. Sampson cheated repeatedly and deserves to get fired. If the players can't accept that, then F them.

[OX09]

I'm guessin that wouldn't help our RPI

[XU Fan]

Indiana University is not going to let the basketball players dictate who the coach is. It is cute and all that they are showing solidarity for their sleaze mongering coach, but the university is not going to cave to their demands.

That is one of the most asinine stances I have seen in a while. Assuming that Sampson is removed as the coach, the players will end up with two options:

1) One would be that they follow through with their childish threat. They'd look like crybaby a-holes for one thing, and they'd miss out on the post-season for another. They would likely lose the support of most Indiana fans in the process. It would be a drastically stupid move.

2) The other possibility is that they change their minds, which also would make them look stupid for making such an ominous threat and then quickly flip flopping once they realize how stupid they are. This would be the better of the two options, but they'd still be subject to ridicule, and appropriately so.

Either way they go they look like fools. Why go down with the sinking ship? Sampson is in charge, and he is apparently the focus of all the violations. Why would the players ruin their college career and reputation for something so stupid? They are fools.

[danaandvictory]

I'm guessin that wouldn't help our RPI

I pulled up UD's 2003 RPI at www.kenpom.com and he doesn't even have an entry for their forfeit win over St. Bonaventure.

I suspect Indiana's RPI would simply hold steady for the remainder of the year with their results standing.

What will be more interesting is if IU plays out the string with a severely depleted team (I seem to recall one Big Ten school--Minnesota?--doing this in Season on the Brink) of walk-ons and students...no idea how the committee might approach that eventuality.

[ATL Muskie]

Fine, if they refuse to play then pull their scholarships and make 'em pay for tuition, room and board, books, etc. We'll see how fast they change their minds, or how fast mommy and daddy change their minds.

[xuab]

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. There's word out that there will be a 6 pm press conference. The IU blog is saying that Dakich was running today's practice and about 6 players weren't there. I think if the players boycott a game, they'll later regret it.

[Kahns Krazy]

I agree with XU Fan. Nice presentation.

[spongebob]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS0601/80222047

Link to the updated info and who did not attend practice. Gordon apparently did, but a good contingent of the better ones did not. Under most circumstances, missing practice for no good reason would certainly warrant next game punishment at the least. How would you play those that no showed over those who showed up for work? Nice show of support for your team mates. What a friggin mess.

[dc_x]

DJ White can quit and enter the draft.

Not sure what the other 5 (Armon Bassett, Jordan Crawford, Jamarcus Ellis, DeAndre Thomas and Brandon McGee) are thinking. They should get kicked off the team and lose their scholarships.

[GuyFawkes38]

It looks like it's official now. Sampson resigns, settlement is reached, and he agrees not sue in the future.

[xuab]

Katz is reporting on Sports Center that IU and Sampson came to a buyout agreement for $750,000. Dakich, as expected, is named the interim coach.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3258506

[PM Thor]

Wow. I mean talk about a monkey humping a football.

This situation is just horrible. At first I felt no remorse towards Indiana fans, because hey, they knew what they were getting with Sampson in the first place. (I would be swinging from the rafters screaming my lungs out if we hired someone with a background like Sampson).

But now? This thing has spun out of control. When did the players decide that they were bigger than the program? This is especially true with a long and storied history like Indiana? Do these kids know what kind of black mark they are putting on that incredibly great program? Do they not understand the ramifications?

And then on to the buyout. What a weak, weak answer. It shows nothing about responsibility. It says that you can buy your way out of your mistakes. I would prefer if IU just took their lumps from the NCAA and then fired Sampson. Be a man, stand up, say that you effed up, and take your medicine. Maybe I am in the minority on that.

Another sad, sad day in college hoops. This could not have ended worse.

I hope the NCAA slams IU really hard too. Wimps cutting corners.

[X-band '01]

Wow.

Are they really thick enough to just up and quit right now? Good luck to those underclassmen finding another place to play if they go through with that ultimatum.

[joebba]

Fine, if they refuse to play then pull their scholarships and make 'em pay for tuition, room and board, books, etc. We'll see how fast they change their minds, or how fast mommy and daddy change their minds.

I was thinking along these lines as well. I can understand IU wanting to make sure whatever move they make it done with due dilligence under the contracts. They had just better well have the proof Samson did what he was accused of doing.

The players are foolish to jeopardize their scholarships. The plyers also have to understand that if Sampson is guilty there is no honor in being coacheed by him.

[joebba]

How many of us in our normal jobs are consulted or told why a co-worker was fired or may be fired or suspended?
In fact, most employers will tell there is to be no discussion/gossiping about an employee who was let go. Let the basketball players get a dose of real life.