Why boot Tucker?

DuffMan

DuffMan

Well-Known Member
I don't understand why the prevailing thought is Lick needs to boot the kid the curb? I'm not saying his PI arrests arent serious, far from it. But lets face facts. This kid isn't doing anything destructive to anyone other than himself. Doesn't Lick owe it to this kid to at least try to get him the help? I think to just automatically kick him off the team would be a negetavie relfection of Lick and his personal character. To abandon Tucker in this sitation would be viewed negatively by the rest of the roster and future recruites.

Often times doing unpopular things is a true test of personal character. Keeping him on the team would be unpopular in many circles but I think its the right thing to do. As Tuckers coach Lick has promised him and his parents to help Tucker become a better basketball player and human being. I'm not saying there shouldnt be consequences. In fact I don't think Tucker should see the floor until everyone is satisfied (teamates, coaches, parents) that he's made the proper adjustments to behavior.

This isn't someone who stole something, physically or sexually assaulted someone, or whose actions posed a serious threat to others. This is someone who appears to have a very serious condition and needs treatment and support. Lick owes it to him and his family to give it to him.
 
DuffMan said:
This kid isn't doing anything destructive to anyone other than himself.
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Not playing for most of the season last year and now not playing for (at the very least) a considerable part of this year's Big 10 season is destructive to the team.

How many chances should a player get to hurt a team to the extent Tucker has? I don't know.

If they cut him loose now I can understand why, if they don't I can understand that too.
 
Lickliter didn't have any problems kicking Bohall off the team and that was his first time so what is the difference? And Bohall did not get picked up, he was found in the dorm if I remember correctly. Why didn't Lickliter keep him on the team and help him using the same logic? Starter compared to bench warmer? His job on the line? What?

If he keeps Tucker on the team, then there is definitely a problem of favorites or unequal treatment being played don't you think? Or an act of desperation by Lickliter?
 
NewMexHawk said:
Lickliter didn't have any problems kicking Bohall off the team and that was his first time so what is the difference? And Bohall did not get picked up, he was found in the dorm if I remember correctly. Why didn't Lickliter keep him on the team and help him using the same logic? Starter compared to bench warmer? His job on the line? What?
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Bohall was suspended for an indefinite amount of time, then he rode the pine. Then, it was his decision to leave the program. Lick did not kick him off the team IIRC!
 
tubahawk said:
If they cut him loose now I can understand why, if they don't I can understand that too.
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That's where I am with it. Tucker has had a pair of booze related problems. The athletic department gives a three strikes you are out policy with booze.

He's also struggled with academics, and many would look at that as strike three.

At the same time, with booze there can be an underlying issue and illness that the kid needs help with. The time to get that is NOW, not when he's in his 40s and lost a house, wife and turned life into a bad country song.

The U has the structure to get him that help, but of course, he has to want that help first.
 
He has seriously hurt the team and basketball program 2 years in a row. Is Lick going to put him in a position where he can do it again and blow away 3 seasons? Lick is stupid , if he does. Tucker has no real control over his problem and it will rear its ugly head again and bite the Iowa team in the *** again, if Lick lets him back on the team. Nothing against Tuck, but let him bring another school's basketball program down, not Iowa's again.
 
Tucker should still be on the team. Hawkeye tradition is that you have to do something worse than rape to be booted for good.
 
NewMexHawk said:
Lickliter didn't have any problems kicking Bohall off the team and that was his first time so what is the difference? And Bohall did not get picked up, he was found in the dorm if I remember correctly. Why didn't Lickliter keep him on the team and help him using the same logic? Starter compared to bench warmer? His job on the line? What?

If he keeps Tucker on the team, then there is definitely a problem of favorites or unequal treatment being played don't you think? Or an act of desperation by Lickliter?
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Dan left the team, Lickliter didn't kick him off. It was likely a mutual decision, but it's not like Bohall was thrown off the team.
 
yea, keep him on the team. A team that is likely to win what, maybe 8 or 9 games?? His presence will only compound an already horrific season with the story line of a guy who can't make grades and has had repeated run ins with the law. That's the type of guy you want representing your program??? sure, keep him.... as if Iowa isn't already synonomous with criminal student athletes.
 
crabshack said:
yea, keep him on the team. A team that is likely to win what, maybe 8 or 9 games?? His presence will only compound an already horrific season with the story line of a guy who can't make grades and has had repeated run ins with the law. That's the type of guy you want representing your program??? sure, keep him.... as if Iowa isn't already synonomous with criminal student athletes.
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"Public intox" is now synonymous with "criminal" eh? Where do you live? As for Iowa being synonymous with criminal student athletes, that's only the case when it comes d-bags within a 5 mile radius of Ames. I don't recall ever dropping "University of Iowa" on anyone else and getting "The place with all the criminal student athletes?" fired back at me...
 
Two booze related incidents and academics. Open up the scholarship for someone that can join the team next year.
 
DuffMan said:
But lets face facts. This kid isn't doing anything destructive to anyone other than himself.
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Was it not reported that the cab driver locked the doors because he felt he was being threatened? It sounds like this was a little more than just an innocent little public intox. When you start threatening other people, not cool.

Two PI arrests, rule academically ineligible, and a situation in the last PI arrest where it sounded like there could potentially have also been an assault situation if the cab driver had not locked the doors. Ask yourself again if there's any reason to not have Tucker on the team? So far, he has been nothing but trouble. I hate to say it, but it's true.

I hope Tucker gets his life straightened out, but Lickliter is not obligated to keep Tucker on the team. The UofI does not owe Tucker anything.
 
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2 alcohol incidents + 1 academics layoff = pretty typical college athlete. Let the kid play, we need all the warm bodies we can find.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Was it not reported that the cab driver locked the doors because he felt he was being threatened? It sounds like this was a little more than just an innocent little public intox. When you start threatening other people, not cool.

Two PI arrests, rule academically ineligible, and a situation in the last PI arrest where it sounded like there could potentially have also been an assault situation if the cab driver had not locked the doors. Ask yourself again if there's any reason to not have Tucker on the team? So far, he has been nothing but trouble. I hate to say it, but it's true.

I hope Tucker gets his life straightened out, but Lickliter is not obligated to keep Tucker on the team. The UofI does not owe Tucker anything.
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You would be best served not taking all police reports at face value. There are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies in the middle.
 
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