Davis not starting for disciplinary reasonsBy Travis Haney (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Mic Smith USC running back Mike Davis COLUMBIA — The reason South Carolina running back Mike Davis is sitting to begin Thursday night's opener is disciplinary and not directly linked to his health or performance in recent practices, a pair of sources close to the team told The Post and Courier on Tuesday. On Sunday, Davis broke into a locked refrigerator in the team's weight room that contained sports drinks, sources said. Davis bent the door's frame to get a drink, they said. The players were summoned and the guilty party was asked to come forward by strength coach Mark Smith. Smith told everyone there was a surveillance tape of the area. But no one confessed. The football staff learned later, through that video footage, that it was Davis. The coaches then decided the best mode of action was to bench the senior from Columbia, at least to begin the game against North Carolina State. A source said Davis is also expected to pay for the damages to the refrigerator. The information takes some of the stun out of coach Steve Spurrier's decision Monday to name career reserve Taylor Rank the Gamecocks' starter. Spurrier said Monday, and again Tuesday, that Rank had performed well in practice and Davis had struggled to show he was ready after a shoulder injury and an illness sidelined him for a couple of weeks during camp. "Mike hasn't hit any basically all preseason, and he's been hurt about the whole time," Spurrier said. "Taylor's really had a better preseason. He's done everything we've asked and so forth. But Mike's ready to play. Mike's ready to play." When asked if the benching was about trying to send Davis a message, Spurrier said no. "No, no, I'm not unhappy with Mike's effort," Spurrier said. "He'll be fine." Running backs coach Robert Gillespie was requested Tuesday for an interview, but he declined. He referred general questions to Spurrier through USC's sports information department. Davis rushed for 518 yards last season, and has 1,658 rushing yards in his three-year career. Davis, along with a couple of teammates, will also have to sit one game later in the season because of spotty class attendance. It will likely be the Sept. 20 Wofford game or the Sept. 27 UAB game. Rank has started one game before. He rushed for 101 yards on 15 carries in the 45-6 win over Florida Atlantic in 2006. Otherwise, he's rushed for 3 yards on seven carries. Sophomore Brian Maddox was ahead of Rank initially when Davis went down. But Maddox has had trouble hanging onto the ball during practice, making Rank the more dependable, experienced option. On Monday, Spurrier referred questions about Maddox to Gillespie. Spurrier said five running backs — Rank, Davis, Maddox, freshman Eric Baker and senior Bobby Wallace — will dress for Thursday's game. That likely indicates that freshman Kenny Miles is a candidate for a redshirt. Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the new South Carolina blog at charleston.net/blogs/gamecocks. |
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Comments
This article has 21 comment(s)
Posted by theronce on August 27, 2008 at 7:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Interesting but so tiresome. Let the games begin.
Posted by 843allday on August 27, 2008 at 7:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
C'mon Mike, you are a Senior, act like it!
Posted by bigriver1 on August 27, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The THUG was thirsty. LOL.
Posted by Clemson1979 on August 27, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who is shocked to hear this? add it to the list.
Posted by notafan on August 27, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Notice bigriver never comments on his beloved Tigers. Just a typical bombthrower. At least Carolina players are actually suspended for games. Clemson players get charged with DUI and assaultig women and still play. No wonder Clemson gets all the top recruits. How can you not go to a school where you can break the law at will with no consequences whatsoever?
Bigriver and his selective memory. What a jerk. I feel sorry for his wife and kids. Can you imagine having to put up with his nonstop ignorant comments on a daily basis. His kids must be really proud of him.
Bigriver- it must be really hard for you to walk and chew gum at the same time. Do you ever have anything else to say??
Posted by notafan on August 27, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Davis does not start for breaking into a frig to get a drink but Clemson players beat up on girls and get no punishment whatsoever.
I guess Clemson1979 and bigriver overlooked that one. It must be that selective memory kicking in again... Must be a nice trait to have.
Posted by TRich on August 27, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
notafan,
pot...meet kettle.
Nice personal attack....stay classy South Carolina fans.
Posted by Boogity8 on August 27, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh good Lord. Is this the best you can come up with on the eve of the first college football game of the season?? This is just funny, actually.
Posted by mcfadden00 on August 27, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is just bizarre. I know that Clemson has a fully stocked "power station" located in the weight room with various supplements, energy drinks and protein bars available at all times to athletes. If they needed surveillance video to determine who broke in to a fridge, it sounds like it was done after hours or in a back room somewhere. Why couldn't Davis just ask the staff to get him a Gatorade??? Bizzare...
Posted by Clemson1979 on August 27, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So Davis can not play the first series? Wow. Serious punishment.
Posted by JRob on August 27, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, Clemson1979, let's throw him in jail instead. This is such a serious offense.
Posted by spur_dawg on August 27, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You Clemson fans tickle me. You get self-righteous over a guy forcing a refrigerator open to get a sports drink after a workout but defend Courtney Vincent who admittedly beat up his girlfriend.
Davis' crime was breaking the fridge door. Athletes have access to all the Gatorade they want, so he didn't "steal" the drink. I don't know why the fridge door was locked or where the staff was who could have opened it, and I'm disappointed in Mike for not coming forward, if Haney's story is accurate.
Assuming Haney does have the facts outlined properly, Mike deserves to be benched for the start of the NC State game.
What, then, do you Tigers think Vincent deserves in the way of a suspension? Should he miss the Bama game? Should he miss the season? Should he be kicked off the team?
For that matter, do you think his "brief" suspension during the bowl game was fair punishment for the crime of DUI? Consider that Mike Davis apparently will get the same suspension Vincent did, when Mike bent a fridge door and Courtney endangered the lives of everyone on the road that night last winter.
Posted by topix on August 27, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The problem is not the type of infraction or the punishment, but that players like Davis seem to cause repeated problems for their teams. (other schools are not immune to this behavior despite what some say) The question should be, "How many times is enough?" and this question can only be answered by the guy in charge. In this case, not only did Davis violate the trust of his team, coaches and school, but then he lied about it and this isn't the first time there have been problems with him. If he acts this way towards those close to him, beware to strangers. We can can no longer condemn the actions of younger players (ie. Garcia) when "leaders", both players and coaches, are not setting the example.
Posted by sptiger on August 27, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
couple of things -
1) courtney vincent was the dui player and he was kicked off the team
2) mcdaniel was the assailant in the girlfriend case and there will never be a verdict in said case due the the fact he's enrolled in PTI in leui of going to court. PTI is neither an admission of guilt nor a dropping of charges. it is an alternative for first time offenders to avoid court. in this case there are two viable reasons for avoiding court - 1) mcdaniel did in fact commit said actions and PTI allows him to get around a guilty verdict. 2) mcdaniel opted for PTI due to the cost comparison of going to court vs. PTI. PTI costs approx. $500 while lawyers fees will surpass that with one day's work in court. any rational fan/person/being can see that both of the above are the most logical reasons for PTI in this case.
If in fact mcdaniel is guilty, i along with any logical even keeled tiger fan would want him off the team and behind bars. however, there will never be a ruling on this case and in our country, you are innocent until proven guilty.
Posted by notafan on August 27, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So PTI means no crime was committed? I wonder what your post would have been if McDaniel played for the Gamecocks.
And did Vincent play in the bowl game AFTER his arrest??? Just checking.
TRich- you obviously have never read anything bigriver has posted here. You really ought to get the whole story before you go spouting off at the mouth.
Posted by mcfadden00 on August 27, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
notafan...
Go back and read sptigers post again. He gave 2 possible options for taking PTI (guilty and not guilty).
Bowden's discipline procedure is not that complicated to figure out. If a guy professes innocence and their isn't obvious evidence against him, TB will usually refrain from punishment until it's settled in court or damning evidence comes forward showing probable guilt. Vincent professed himself innocent of DUI but admitted that he'd had at least one drink that night, thus he was at least guilty of breaking a team rule and WAS suspended for half the bowl game. The prior year, Duane Coleman ADMITTED to a cop that he had smoke marijuana while driving and was quickly suspended for that game (the last game of his career might I add.) It's pretty easy to trace Bowden's procedures.
Bowden factors in severity of offense and previous infractions whether they were internal team rules (missing class) or legal stuff when deciding on punishment. McDaniel has professed his innocence, has 3 witnesses that say the girl wasn't hurt but was claiming she could work the system, now the solicitor has decided, based on the evidence, that he won't prosecute. McDaniel also has had no prior problems with the law or team rules. Even after all that Bowden and our AD have met with the solicitor to review the evidence so that they can determine whether it points to any wrong doing by McDaniel.
This could all be explained a million times to you Gamecocks and you still won't get it. Their is a procedure that is followed every single time.
This Davis incident and the numerous times Garcia has snubbed his nose at Spurrier's rules are separate types of offenses. They are a matter of disrespecting the university and coach which is usually a big no no with most head coaches.
Posted by bigriver1 on August 27, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Times must be hard at THUG u if they have to keep the fridge locked. I guess all the $$$ was diverted to the bail bond fund. Garcia is back on campus you know. LOL.
Posted by Gamecockfan1214 on August 27, 2008 at 8:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I cant believe clemson fans. Davis took a gatorade out of the fridge that he would have gotten for free i guess he just didnt want to wait haha. Your guy beats his gf enrolls in pti and get no suspension. Yea hes enrolled in PTI but any respectfull coach would still discipline a player for such an act. Have fun with Tammy.
........Waiting on Clemson to play so everyone can see that they are the most overated team in college football.
Posted by sptiger on August 27, 2008 at 11:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yardchickenfan -
you mean overrated kind of like a certain team that coasted to 6-1 and a #6 ranking last year only to fall flat on their face once again??? remind us again what bowl game the yard chickens were in...
clemson may not be much on a national scale but they damn sure are more than the fine feathered friends from the armpit of the state.
Posted by ashleyriver on August 27, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The troubling aspect of this entire situation---and I hope gamecock and Tiger fans can agree on this point----is not that Davis took the drink and damaged the fridge; its that he wouldn't admit it-a grown man, a senior and the starting back on the team. When everyone was questioned all he had to say was that he over-reacted in a moment of pique and he'd probably just been assessed sprints as a penalty and none of this minor crap would've been made public.
I also question Spurrier's attempt to spin it and make it sound as if Davis was being benched because a back-up had been outperforming him. A simple "violation of team rules" would've sufficed.
Posted by spur_dawg on August 28, 2008 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So, are you Clemson fans suggesting that you believe Vincent is innocent. The police chief up there made up the story? The young lady threw herself down the stairs?
As for McDaniel, did he not play in the bowl game after he admitted to DUI? Wasn't he "kicked off the team" after a subsequent screw up?
I don't claim our guys are choir boys all the time at Carolina. You Clemson guys seem to think yours are at Clemson. Yours are NO BETTER than ours. And, in my humble opinion, Spurrier is a MUCH tougher disciplinarian than Bowden. Bowden never seems to dole out any suspensions to key players for key games. Why is that?
Is Spurrier perfect? No way. I question his decisions from time to time. But, I prefer his approach over that of Bowden, who seems to make discplinary decisions solely based on what he thinks will help the W-L record.