Gundy hesitant to ban Cowboys from entering bars
Published: 8/4/2010 8:12 PM
Last Modified: 8/4/2010 8:12 PM
On Saturday, in a Stillwater bar called J.R. Murphy’s, Oklahoma State junior defensive end Jamie Blatnick is alleged by police to have rocked the face of former teammate Steve Denning with a beer bottle. As a result, Blatnick was charged with a felony – assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
Just for the record, Blatnick is 21. From the standpoint of being in a bar, he was legal. But from the standpoint of allegedly being involved in an incident that stains OSU’s image and could, if he is suspended or dismissed, hurt the football program, Blatnick apparently made a bad decision to be in a bar at 1 a.m.
Cowboy coach Mke Gundy has every right to ban players from entering bars. Even those of legal drinking age. But even after the Blatnick incident, Gundy says he would be hesitant to institute such a ban.
“Most bad things happen after midnight,” Gundy said on Tuesday. “(However), I am not a firm believer in saying to the . . . guys on our team, ‘You can’t live the normal life of a college student.’ Maybe that’s wrong, but right now, I just don’t feel like you can do that. How can I punish the other 119 guys (as a result of) one guy making a terrible decision?”
There’s nothing “normal” about bar fights. They might be common or even frequent, but it’s not normal to fight so viciously that police resort to using a Taser on one of the participants (Denning).
College football is a tough gig. It ain’t for sissies. From those who play the game, it requires a tremendous level of physical commitment. But for the players, life is pretty good. They are granted a certain celebrity status on campus and in Stillwater – and they constantly are being watched. Like it or not, they constantly are representatives of the university.
No program is immune from problems like Oklahoma State’s current Blatnick and Victor Johnson situations. This stuff happens all the time, coast to coast. At OSU, would a bar ban be effective? Would there be fewer unfortunate situations?
Or is Gundy correct in trusting his players to be civilized, responsible young men?
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
