Upcoming article in Rolling Stones mentions Urban Meyer

Posted for your reference.  And yes, while it would be nice to see the folks in Columbus squirm, I don't see anything coming of this. Because it's Urban Meyer.

In the new issue of Rolling Stone, contributing editor Paul Solotaroff delivers a detailed investigation into Aaron Hernandez's life, tracing his path from affable high school football star to deeply troubled NFL player to murder suspect. Solotaroff conducted interviews with family friends, high school teammates and NFL sources to help explain why the potential NFL great was ensnared by drugs, guns and a life of violence. Here are five revelations about Hernandez from "The Gangster in the Huddle":

• Hernandez was a heavy user of angel dust, and had become so paranoid over the last year that he carried a gun wherever he went.

• He surrounded himself with a cohort of gangsters, and cut himself off from his family and teammates.

• Hernandez had so infuriated his head coach, Bill Belichick, with missed practices and thug-life stunts, that he was one misstep from being cut.

• Both his parents, Dennis and Terri, had criminal records, as did much of his extended family.

• Terri allegedly cheated on Dennis before his death with a violent drug dealer named Jeffrey Cummings, then married Cummings after Dennis died and moved him into the house she shared with Aaron.

• In college his coach (then-University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer) may have helped cover up failed drug tests, along with two violent incidents — an assault and a drive-by shootout outside a local bar.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/five-revelations-from-rolling-stones-aaron-hernandez-story-20130827#ixzz2dDWYKRT5

Very interesting, thanks WH.

I'm sorry, but the mentality that it is somebody else to blame for my failings is going to ruin this country. Wanna know who is to blame for this young man being charged with murder? His parents and HIMSELF! His parents when he was young for not correcting destructive behavior (themselves included) and himself once he was an adult for choosing destructive behavior. It's the not the fault of a coach (high school, college or NFL) or anyone else. At some point in time we have to start holding people accountable for their own actions, not deflecting blame to somebody else.

Points taken, blu4vr...but even though adulthood had been reached, any allegations of Meyer's cover-ups, if true, definitely did not help AH's situation. Rather, they unarguably exacerbated the problems, in that they allowed him to continue to postpone the "turn-around" effort in his life.

And in the case of a lower-than-average-intelligence** person like AH (read: readily impressionable), such cover-ups, as well as (legally) constituting an accessory to a crime, could (note that key word) have sent a further signal that you are not accountable for your missteps.

All that off my chest, I have to grant your underlying point: the perpetrator is ultimately reprehensible for the crime...unless indeniably coerced, which by all indications AH was not.


** - let's be honest here

blu4vr wrote:

I'm sorry, but the mentality that it is somebody else to blame for my failings is going to ruin this country.  Wanna know who is to blame for this young man being charged with murder?  His parents and HIMSELF!  His parents when he was young for not correcting destructive behavior (themselves included) and himself once he was an adult for choosing destructive behavior.  It's the not the fault of a coach (high school, college or NFL) or anyone else.  At some point in time we have to start holding people accountable for their own actions, not deflecting blame to somebody else.

At worst Meyer and the entire coaching staff at Florida enabled the behavior to continue, but you are right.  His parents raised him wrong, and he continued to live wrong as an adult.

blu4vr wrote:

I'm sorry, but the mentality that it is somebody else to blame for my failings is going to ruin this country.  Wanna know who is to blame for this young man being charged with murder?  His parents and HIMSELF!  His parents when he was young for not correcting destructive behavior (themselves included) and himself once he was an adult for choosing destructive behavior.  It's the not the fault of a coach (high school, college or NFL) or anyone else.  At some point in time we have to start holding people accountable for their own actions, not deflecting blame to somebody else.

Of course AH is the largest guilty party here.  His parents are most likely #2, then authority figures (such as urban liar) come next in varying order.  No, urban will not be charged with murder or even as an accessory to murder but as JoePa said "I could have done more".  Difference is JoePa seriously didn't know everything plus he did report what was tild to him to the President of The University as well as the AD.  urbie "covered things up" so that no one knew....

I understand everyone has disdane for Meyer, but I find it laughable that nobody ever mentions Belichick being responsible for any of this. He was his coach for the last 4 years, what blood is on his hands?

blu4vr wrote:

I understand everyone has disdane for Meyer, but I find it laughable that nobody ever mentions Belichick being responsible for any of this.  He was his coach for the last 4 years, what blood is on his hands?

Big difference between an NFL coach and a college coach. College coaches are supposed to be mentors and and father figures while a young man transitions from teenager to adulthood.

NFL coach is your boss. Plain and simple.

So it's ok for a boss to sit back and watch a train wreck happen? Hmmmmm...

blu4vr wrote:

So it's ok for a boss to sit back and watch a train wreck happen?  Hmmmmm...

No, a boss' responsiblity is to make money for the owner. In the NFL, winning equals making money. If they guy is performing, who cares what he does in his off time. As soon as it impacts the company/team, then you let him go. Which, they did.

But he was performing, and at a high enough level he just got a new contract. By not intervening in his personal life, one could say that the boss actually cost the team money, by not taking care of the assets. If a horse is winning races, but has issues with it's health, does the trainer just keep running him till he doesn't win, then sell him off in a claiming stakes race and move on to the next horse? That is basically what you are saying about a player, use him till he is of no use, cut the ties and move on. But what about the investment in the player, how much do you lose in the long run by taking that approach?

But they didn't lose any of their investment. The NFL contract is not guarunteed.

Hernandez is responsible for Hernandez. My boss isn't responsible for me. I am. I make my desicisions. I know right from wrong.

If the players union has their way, the Pats will lose money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/nfl-players-union-files-grievance-to-help-aaron-hernandez-collect-82000-in-workout-bonus/2013/08/27/6c0fc5f2-0f46-11e3-a2b3-5e107edf9897_story.html

I also understand your position about responsibility, but doesn't compassion and a sense of right and wrong come into play between supervisor and subordinate. Before you retired, you obviously had adult NCO's working for you. Not the young privates who still require mentoring, but soldiers who had over 10 years already. If they were messing up, did you blow them off or intervene to help them out? You were their boss, but they were adults. Answer honestly.

blu4vr wrote:

If the players union has their way, the Pats will lose money.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/nfl-players-union-files-grievance-to-help-aaron-hernandez-collect-82000-in-workout-bonus/2013/08/27/6c0fc5f2-0f46-11e3-a2b3-5e107edf9897_story.html

I also understand your position about responsibility, but doesn't compassion and a sense of right and wrong come into play between supervisor and subordinate.  Before you retired, you obviously had adult NCO's working for you.  Not the young privates who still require mentoring, but soldiers who had over 10 years already.  If they were messing up, did you blow them off or intervene to help them out?  You were their boss, but they were adults.  Answer honestly.

Definately, but I consider the military different. Heck, you get a DUI in the military, and your done. Also, we don't have double jeopardy attached. So you can get arrested out in town, go to court and be cleared and then still face military punishment. So yes, you have to continue to mentor NCO's and continue to seek mentorship for yourself.

So it is a double standard? In one profession we look out for each other and have counselling sessions to discuss performance and a continuing support network in which we look out for each other, all for the best interests of the unit. But in another we don't care? That seems callous to me. Isn't a unit just like a team? Everyone has to work together to complete the mission? Mission First, People Always.

blu4vr wrote:

So it is a double standard?  In one profession we look out for each other and have  counselling sessions to discuss performance and a continuing support network in which we look out for each other, all for the best interests of the unit.  But in another we don't care?  That seems callous to me.  Isn't a unit just like a team?  Everyone has to work together to complete the mission?  Mission First, People Always.

But in football, no one is shooting at you.

I get where you are going with this, and I don't completely disagree with you. But to your original comment, why is Urban under fire but Belichek isn't, I think because of the age of the individual. Also, it has been said, true or not, that Urban had an active role in covering up things for Hernandez. Belicheck didn't. That could be the biggest thing right there.

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

...Of course AH is the largest guilty party here.  His parents are most likely #2, then authority figures (such as urban liar) come next in varying order...

^^^my thoughts exactly

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

......Difference is JoePa seriously didn't know everything plus he did report what was tild to him to the President of The University as well as the AD.  urbie "covered things up" so that no one knew....

^^^I am one of the people that don't think Urbs covered it up, rather he just looked the other way. The are not the same but in the end both actions can and usually do end up with the same negative results

blu4vr wrote:

I understand everyone has disdane for Meyer, but I find it laughable that nobody ever mentions Belichick being responsible for any of this.  He was his coach for the last 4 years, what blood is on his hands?

^^^I have a hard time relating to this because if I mess up and my boss fires me there are plenty of other software engineers capable of doing my job at my level. that is not the case in the NFL. Now if there were thousands of capable guys lined up that could play at his level then this statement would hold a little more water for me

fishgoblue22 wrote:

I know right from wrong.  

I have issue with this on some things. J/K 'fish...