#6 Senior Day?

[ajwildcat]

I'm not trying to stir anything up here, Im just curious what everyone's take is.

 

[gowildcats]

What he did on the field is a big reason why WSU is where their are today. Innocent until proven guilty

 

[native]

No, with all due respect to my friends and colleagues on this board.

Yes, innocent until proven guilty in a court of criminal law as far as his legal standing with the school and the team.

Yes, if and only if the WSU administration has conducted its own investigation and has either found the charges baseless or at least verified that Bryant has performed restitution appropriate to any actual crimes committed.

No, as far as his moral standing with the team, unless such an investigation has been conducted by the WSU administration. Absent any unpublished information that Bryant is innocent or has made sincere restitution to the victims of his crimes, he should not participate in any ceremonies with the team.

Great responsibility cuts both ways. Bryant has brought success and glory to his team. But until he demonstrates his actual innocence or makes restitution, Bryant Eteuati has brought ill repute and caused irreparable damage to himself, his family, his team, his school, his community and the game of football.

Getting lawyered up and pleading innocent is not the same as being innocent. I do not claim to know the facts or Bryant's heart, but Weber State University need not wait for the findings of the court to conduct their own internal investigations. It is my hope and expectation that the WSU administration has indeed conducted an investigation and made best efforts to understand Bryant's heart and verify his efforts to do right, and based its response on such.

If we do not hold Bryant up to manly standards of redemption, we have failed not only ourselves, but we have failed Bryant Eteuati.

 

[wildfan]

I voted yes and I will stand by that vote. Native has made some valid points, and his argument is well presented. However, I think that Bryant Eteuati should be honored with the rest of the seniors for two compelling (at least in my mind) reasons.

First, he is still a member of the football team, and therefore should be honored as all the other seniors are. Perhaps I am being a bit naive, but I’m thinking that the people in the athletic department have access to a lot more information on this situation than I have seen and they have chosen to suspend him rather than removing him from the team. In this particular situation, that’s good enough for me.

Second, I think we need to focus just a bit more on the positives that young Mr. Eteuati has brought to himself, his family, his community, and his/my institution of higher education. Obviously I think we can all acknowledge that Bryant has made some poor choices. He is now paying the price for those choices, and he will continue to pay for those well into the future. My evaluation of the information I have seen leads me to believe that he will either be convicted or end up pleading guilty to a lesser charge in a plea-bargain concerning the assault charge. He will have to face the punishment for that. On the other hand, he has done great things for Weber State football, and I think he has earned the right to be celebrated for those accomplishments. Doing so will not remove that fact that he will have to face, as justice dictates, the consequences of his actions.

I agree that he needs to be held accountable. I also think that his accomplishments need to be celebrated.

 

[Front51]

This is a team that is trying to recreate it's self. To honnor him would be a step backwards in my opinion.

 

[native]

Excellent and important conversation. Good points all around.