I'm not about to excuse Harris but if he violated a team rule and/or agreement between him and Chip, after being given a second chance, there should be serious consequences. The 'devils advocate' in me is going to offer up that this was a violation - a speeding ticket. Not a criminal activity, say, fighting, criminal mischief, etc. How many of us will knowingly violate a traffic violation sometime during the week? I know...I know... I'm stretching it. I'm not going to pretend I know the situation and can recommend the best sanction/punishment for this situation. I trust Chip and his history of being fair with players, yet not hesitating to set an example with some of the hardest punishments in all of NCAA football. (Masoli was with the 49ers and now plays "professional" football in Omaha)
This goes a little beyond a traffic ticket. He was driving with a suspended license and no insurance. Has it even been six months since his last run-in? Wasn't he driving on a suspended license that time too? The guy has shown zero common sense and an obvious disregard for the rules. Not very smart.
Driving without insurance is a little different than not wearing your seatbelt or going ten miles an hour over the speed limit. If he happened to get into a fender bender or a major accident, it would be on the other person's insurance company to cover all the costs. There's a reason why our government requires insurance to drive.
I think you totally missed the point I was trying to convey. We are talking traffic violations, not criminal code here. Driving uninsured is a Class B violation in Oregon. Fans want his head over traffic violations? Fine. That's their right. I'm sure we're all familiar with other situations (specifically in the SEC, ACC) where players get in drunken fights (misdemeanor crime) and are suspended for half a game. People here want him gone and done for the season? Fine. Maybe even kicked off the team. Ok...that's their opinion. I say let Kelly make that call because he'll know the details. We don't. Right now, he has not been found guilty of any violations and it's all under investigation. The comment was made that he's not playing well anyway and he should be kicked off the team. First, his productivity should have no bearing or impact on the outcome of his discipline -- everyone should be treated equally. Second, again, we're talking traffic violations here. Where are you going to draw the line? A player has a problem with parking citations and racks up loads of unpaid fines. You going to kick him off the team? For me personally, I think it is what is best for the player - not my own sense of justice. I think it showed a complete lack of judgment and lack of maturity and lack of respect on Cliff's part, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel on him over a traffic violation. I'm more concerned with the agreement Cliff had with Chip and what team agreements he violated.
I would have a hard time supporting him being kicked off the team. I personally think Cliff is a good kid who keeps screwing up and is showing a pattern of bad behavior. I'm not about to throw in the towel on his academic and athletic time at Oregon over traffic violations - not when I hear he's attending class, working hard and getting decent grades. I'd favor a season suspension with the potential to earn time back -- only if he stays on the straight and narrow.
I agree.....but when was the last time a big corp *fired* someone over this kind of offense? A season long suspension seems like over-kill. (just MHO)
Big corps try to avoid bad press, so they will let a lot go without punishment. Unfortunately for UO they can't avoid bad press because the media in Oregon jumps on every single tiny infraction.
It's really all about accountability. Cliff Harris was given a chance and he proved that he can't hold himself accountable. He's a talented player for sure, but when you can't trust a guy not to mess up what can you do?
and now it comes out, according to his dad, that he has proof of insurance and he has a valid CA license, and the suspension period on his OR license has supposedly passed as well... If this proves to be true, that means all he is guilty of is not wearing a seat belt....Should we kick him out of school for that? This is EXACTLY why Chip doesn't like to comment on these kinds of issues, and he is right not to...and EXACTLY why the media in Oregon are a bunch of fucking idiots.... How about if ONE of them actually did just a little bit of reporting? Is that too much to ask? http://www2.registerguard.com/cms/i...nts/harris-to-fight-latest-traffic-citations/
Why should reporters bother to do their job....if this is true, the cops didn't bother to do theirs'.
According to Oregon DMV, the Harris family's timeline was off. Cliff's 60-day suspension for driving 118 mph in June expires ... tomorrow.
http://www.kval.com/news/local/132663333.html Just so everyone knows, when the DMV says or claims something, it can be contested in court and has before been found in error. As I've said, I don't know who is right or wrong in the he said/she said -- but, wanting to kick a kid off the team for traffic violations is simply creepy. Suspension and earning his way back...great. Writing him off --- hate to be your kid/wife/family and ever make a mistake.
