Horns247 Board

If I were on the BOR I'd be concerned not just about the athletic department. This sort of issue is system wide. If Bev initiates formal discovery and demands information about all UT cases involving professor/teacher/coach/student sexual relations we may find out exactly how weird Austin is. I assure you it's there but I cannot speak to the extent of it; although I personally think it of epidemic proportions. Let's say you're in charge of the State's flagship school and you have reason to know of its extent. Uhhh, what do you do? Personally I think Major and Cleve are tiny pieces of this puzzle. Brilliant but disgusting lawyering by Bev's counsel.

I have a 13 year old daughter and contemplate a system where she's potentially a professor's consort. Wellllll. Now, that's a problem. I have a son who's offered a football scholarship. Sexist perhaps but not such a problem, don't you think?

Sadly for UT this issue is certainly not Austin specific but the stars now are badly aligned.

Sin after sin

Ugh.

This is a difficult situation that Major has placed himself in. I haven't read every post for the past 8 pages on this topic, so forgive me if what I'm about to say has already been broached. Supposedly as to why this has come up now, the individual that had the "one time affair" applied for a job with the University Athletic Department, and on the application, apparently it asks "have you ever had a previous relationship with a university employee". She answered affirmative, and then put down Major Applewhite. It is my understanding at the time of the Fiesta Bowl in '09, she was on the Aggie staff (though I have not personally verified that...just what I've been told by an aggie). When she replied as she did on the application, that set the entire process in action.

If all this is indeed true, then the differences between Bev's situation and Major's becomes very clear. She was having an affair with one of her students, providing a place to live, money to live on, and a car...all direct NCAA violations clearly. Major had an affair with a gal not connected with the University of Texas. Again, let me be clear...this is what I have heard, not what I know to be true, so do NOT take this to the bank as factual. I'm simply providing fodder for discussion, another angle that perhaps has not been openly discussed.

Regardless, this indiscretion will damage Major's career, even though it has nothing to do with University policy or his job as running backs coach or as the offensive coordinator. I have been rather verbal in stating my desire to give the head coaching position to Major if/when MB hangs it up. I love how this guy coaches with the attitude of sternness. I can only imagine how embarrassing this is for him & his wife, to have to relive something so painful, and to have it made public. We need to be very careful before we start pointing fingers at a fellow human being for an obvious misstep in life. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" comes to mind. We ALL fail, we all falter, in some form or another. It's been said that the true test of a man's character is not in being thrown off the horse, but in getting back up. Major and his wife have moved on from this horrible chapter in their life, and I personally wish them well.

I also hope that this does minimal damage to a very promising career. I hope that everyone in the decision making process will look deep into their hearts and realize they too have messed up, it just hasn't been made public on all the message boards and newspapers and TV for all the world to see, like Major's poor judgment has. Just for a moment imagine that something you do, something that no one else has a clue you do, something that is very wrong and would absolutely take your breath away like a swift kick in the balls IF it were made public, to your family, to your neighbors, to your friends, to your job peers, TO YOUR WIFE...imagine how you would be feeling this morning if it were found out...well, that is exactly what Major is going through right now this morning. I'm not condoning what he did. It is wrong on so many levels. He chose to do what he did that night. He has apologized and he has "gotten back up on that horse".

I only hope we allow him the same empathy that we would want from others if the shoe were reversed.

I too hope the young lady was not employed by UT at the time but have to wonder why Dodds would have done anything if she weren't. Every coach who has a one night stand is to be sanctioned? Really? It would seem to severely reduce the pool of available coaches. But, I hope you're right.

Incidentally it might also reduce the number of BORs.