HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
So much LAUGHY. You think he made some enemies do ya? lol interesting I guess a few. Google his history, you might than learn a thing or 2 about the guy!
Lawrence Phillips found dead in prison cell
- Thread starter nilekinnick
- Start date
So much LAUGHY. You think he made some enemies do ya? lol interesting I guess a few. Google his history, you might than learn a thing or 2 about the guy!
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
Was arrested for jaywalking. He ran across the street to save some children and puppies from a burning building. The law's the law and you have to obey the law or pay the price.
mrolympia
Well-Known Member
suffering for an eternity in hell is too good for this guy
74Hunter
Well-Known Member
While I haven't read what is being said on HuskerBoard, I have read a couple of other boards and listened to a lot of discussion on the radio about this, I have yet to see or hear anything that is bolded. I have not heard and seen anyone excuse his decisions in life because of these things, however I have heard people use those as an explanation as to why he behaved in the way he did.
I read some of the blather and untruths you posted on the first page so I'm going to make the assumption that you are either ignorant to his situation, or you have an agenda, or both.
I'm glad that your mother was able to become a wonderful, productive person in spite of her upbringing, as do many, many people. But to say that she was able to and that another person (such as LP) was not to, "so screw him" would be extremely ignorant. You would be assuming that they were 1) exactly the same people and/or 2) that the obstacles they faced growing up were the same. From what I read of your mother's childhood and from what I've heard of LP's upbringing, they are not the same, nor are they remotely similar people.
LP was an abused child, he grew up to be a broken, mentally ill person who was unable to cope with adversity the way that normal, healthy people do.
This should be lesson in child abuse, mental health, and how to diagnose and help those people out. It also should deal with how broken our judicial and prisons systems are. It's not a football story.
Last edited:
SteveGarvey
Well-Known Member
No worries. Lawrence Phillips and his death brings out various opinions in people. I mean it more in that he had everything and threw it all away, hurting people and himself, obviously.
Fryowa
Administrator
On HuskerBoard by "skersfan:"
"...the prison system created this, by putting the gang banger in the same cell. As much as he wanted to be a good person, the system worked to do everything they could to make his life miserable..."
On HuskerBoard by "krc1995:"
"Lp was never an evil man just a boy who needed a family,"
On HuskerBoard by "C N Red:"
"Id say there was most likely a scheme to have him killed and make it look like a suicide. People (inmates, guards, etc) were paid off and it happened."
Call it an excuse or call it an explanation. It's semantics at that point. Phillips was a monster and chose to do what he did, and that goes for anyone like him, not just Lawrence Phillips the Nebraska football player. He had zero respect for human life after several "second" chances.
My post being blather is your opinion which I'm okay with. If there are untruths then let me know what they are and if so I'll admit to it. You are 100% right that my mom didn't grow up like him. But if you're going to tell me that no one's ever had as rough of a time as LP without becoming a violent rapist you're wrong. This whole thing boils down to me believing that people make their own choices and have to be responsible for them, and you believing that people ultimately are a product of their environments and can't always control themselves. We won't agree on that. But someone who repeatedly beat women up, sexually assaulted at least one of them, drove a car into a group of people, and killed someone because he couldn't control his temper stops being a human at that point and I will not feel bad for him.
I've got no agenda against you, Nebraska, or Nebraska fans. I'd say the same things about an Iowa player. But I read the above kind of stuff on a Nebraska board and it riled me up so I mentioned it. Take it however you want; arguing this point is just a waste of time for everyone.
HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
Before blaming the judicial and or prison System how about we focus in on the first institution that could have help this young adult the most. How about let's look at Mr. Tom Osborne and the University of Nebraska that could have provided this kid help and failed him the MOST that's a FACT!!!
Hey let me beat my girl drag her down a flight of stairs and for that I will start you in the National Championship game. He was rewarded by Tom Osborne. What a joke!! Tom got what he want from him 2 titles and off to the pro's when the kid wasn't even close to being prepared for any of that. You can stop preaching from the pulpit Hunter, I honestly find that lame..
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
Mentally ill, absolutely. Should have received help...instead, because he was an unbelievable athlete and football player....he didnt...he played football, really well, and many a blind eye was turned.
If only there were multiple indications he needed help....oh, that's right, there were.
If he wasn't awesome at football, he would have been in prison (or getting help) long before he was, and this wouldn't have been a story at all. Instead, slap on wrist and a 6 game suspension....
I have much respect for Osborne, but he and the skrs are first in line of people who "failed" this young man....but hey...he could ball. He didn't all of the sudden develop all of those issues after graduating.
His life was tragic, no doubt. But I don't understand why this seems like such a surprise to many media and folks here in Omaha.
74Hunter
Well-Known Member
I can't speak for anyone else, but some of what those people posted could be true. LP was a target. He was almost killed by the Mexican Mafia a few years back. He requested many times not to be housed with gang members. And according to one of his high school coaches (I think) who kept in contact with LP, he thought that Soward's death was the result of "One of us isn't coming out of this cell in the morning" deal.
Quite a few people think that he would never commit suicide and that he was murdered. I have no idea if it is true, but odder things have happened.
I didn't personally know the guy, but I've heard from those that did know him that the guy had some redeeming qualities. On the radio yesterday Damon Benning was sobbing, and he said that the 2 things that really bothered LP was that he couldn't be a pall bearer for his brother and that he couldn't say he was sorry to those that he had hurt. If you read some of LP's letters from prison, he certainly seems to understand that his predicament was all his fault.
You said that he beat Kate McKewon (sp?) half to death which to the best of my recollection wasn't true. You said that he murdered his cell mate which has not yet (and may not be) proven. You also said that he sexually assaulted one of his victims which I don't recall. I could be wrong about that.
I'm not going to say that no one's ever had as rough of a time as LP without doing the horrible things he did, but all people are different, we're not the same. It's just like one soldier can go to war, come back, and assimilate comfortably into our culture, while another soldier suffers from PTSD and is never the same again.
I also never said that people aren't responsible for their actions. But just as a person with Turrets can't always control their emotional outbursts, people with other mental illnesses can't always control themselves as healthy people can.
And that's fine. I expect some will have that opinion, heck normally I would. But the more I get to learn about people, I learn that things aren't always that black and white. If LP would have grown up with a relatively normal childhood, would he have done the things he did? I can't answer that. He could have been a monster and done those things anyway, or he could have ended up being a productive member of society. It's a shame that his life played out as it did.
I do appreciate the respectful conversation.
74Hunter
Well-Known Member
I agree with pretty much everything but the bolded.
Mr. Davis has said that he wishes he would have done more. Damon Benning wishes he would have done more. I'm sure many do.
I wish he would have gotten more help, but seeing how his life spiraled out of control once he left Lincoln, would all of the help in the world mattered?
I'm no expert, but I'm not sure it would have, even though I wish he would have had the opportunity.
Thawki
Well-Known Member
Spoiler alert: I probably enjoy pointing out the hypocrisy of some people more than most, especially if they claim to be very religious Christians.
I am always amazed that people can see something like this and feel they absolutely have to comment. Many comments are very judgmental against another person. A lot of the people making these types of statements are being very judgmental and I would be willing to bet many of these same people are fairly religious or claim to be. The Bible warns against being judgemental to other human beings. That job is left to others higher up the food chain than you and I.
Just because you have an opinion you don't HAVE to post it. Saying bad things about others isn't really productive, even if it makes you feel better. I know. I can be the same way at times.
Fryowa
Administrator
This is the last time I'll hop in this thread because I think you're a pretty decent dude in hostile territory. No sense in us trading any punches.
re: the stuff you said wasn't true...
Per the police report published by the LA Times after the cell mate thing, Phillips dragged McEwen out of the apartment and down 3 flights of stairs by her hair, choked her to the point she said she was losing consciousness, and smashed her head into a mailbox. He was convicted of that so that's what I go by. Whether it's half to death we can debate I guess.
He punched a girl at a night club in Florida for refusing to dance with him.
In 2000 he plead guilty to felony assault for beating up his girlfriend after she wouldn't move out when he wanted her to.
In San Diego he attacked his girlfriend twice in one month before she called police, sexually assaulted, punched, and choked her hard enough to leave bruises on her neck according to the police report. That one wasn't published (that I saw) but was quoted in the media and if they were wrong that's on them; should be easy to google. I'm at my son's basketball practice and the wifi here sucks.
A week after that is when he chased down and ran over 3 teenage kids because he thought they stole his wallet after a pickup game. Maybe they did. Call the cops. Don't try to kill people with a vehicle.
As far as it not being proven that he killed his cellmate, I just don't know what I can say to that. I was receptive to your point up until right there. Conspiracy theories aren't my bag but, hey...
The domestic stuff against his girlfriends is what I have the hardest time with, even more than the murder. These women were totally defenseless against an NFL player who's built like a brick **** house. And how many other times did he do it that he didn't get caught? I can't expect any reasonable person to think that somehow, magically, those incidents were the only time it ever happened.
Hey I understand your frustration with the situation and you're right it's a bad, bad deal for everyone. I just look at how completely toxic this guy was to himself and everyone else around him, and I'm frustrated that people let even a little bit of it slide because of his growing up. No one would be here having this conversation if he weren't (at one time) a beloved football player who won championships. Which is totally contradictory to logic because he was actually given more chances at redemption than he deserved.
Thanks for the cool head too.
lightning1
Well-Known Member
He made choices. A LOT of bad, illegal choices. I grew up in a broken home. I grew up in a tough neighborhood. It shouldn't be overlooked in how he turned out but I am in no way going to allow it to be an excuse for his behavior.
I grew up with a few guys that ended up doing 15+ years in federal prison for really bad crimes. They were like brothers to me when I was a kid. I never made an excuse for them. They both got out of prison and vowed not to go back. They made the decision to straighten out their lives and both are currently doing just that. They have jobs. Got married and are on the right path. If I told you what they did, you'd propbably be quick to call them mentally ill. It doesn't excuse the choices they made that landed them in prison or the choices they made to make something out of their lives.
So spare us the victim routine, Huskers.
I grew up with a few guys that ended up doing 15+ years in federal prison for really bad crimes. They were like brothers to me when I was a kid. I never made an excuse for them. They both got out of prison and vowed not to go back. They made the decision to straighten out their lives and both are currently doing just that. They have jobs. Got married and are on the right path. If I told you what they did, you'd propbably be quick to call them mentally ill. It doesn't excuse the choices they made that landed them in prison or the choices they made to make something out of their lives.
So spare us the victim routine, Huskers.
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
Cmon. Yes, I'm sure everyone wish they could done more, but they didn't. Really easy to say what they should have done. national championships are important.
I've said multiple times I respect Osborne, a legendary FB coach. KF won't sniff 1, let alone 3,national titles. But I get a little tired of the inference of him being this pillar of integrity, there's a fairly long list of turning the cheek to win ballgames.
I have zero doubt he was troubled, came from a miserable background. If he was mentally ill, he needed help, and didn't get it. If he wasnt, he wasted a gift and opportunity very few can fathom, and was given infinite opportunities and chances. As you infer, maybe no amount of help may have mattered, doesnt change the fact he had no business being allowed to continue play college football after a serious, violent physical assault, none. Would I feel that way if this was about any Hawkeye...yes.
LP led a tragic life. But the only people that are surprised his life ended in a manner like this, are husker fans.
Last edited:
HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
Im guessing you must really struggle coming to this message board than.. Because my statement pales in comparison to some of the stuff said on this board.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Good Lord, he was given numerous opportunities. Your own coach/demi-god Osborne had numerous opportunities to be a real, positive role model. That was an (obvious), across-the-board fail.
Don't blame upbringing, jail, circumstances, etc. Blame Nebraska. That was probably the last chance he had, and Tom Osborne and Co. absolutely fumbled.
