Frank Howard Suspended

[CUSEMODE]

Good post overall, but I completely disagree with the bolded part.

This is a senior. A multi-year starter. "Smoked a little weed" leading up to the NCAA tournament is a massive mistake, and a huge lapse of judgement, and piss-poor leadership.

I couldn't care less about 10 random kids -- I do care about the starting guard on a team that won three games in the NCAA tournament last year, who knows that he is going to be subjected to mandatory drug testing. With apologies, I can't chalk that up to "college students will be college students."

Unfortunately, this will be Frank's long term legacy in our program's history, which is unfortunate.

Good point but he still is a 21 year old kid, a big man on campus, with just a few weeks left of college. Just because he is an amateur athlete at a high major program with a key starting role doesnt mean that he has the maturity at that age to make all the right decisions. I know I did not have that reasoning (still may not have it) when I was a senior at Cuse.

If it was weed, I am sure he thinks as a senior he has figured out how to beat the test. Again, poor judgement from a 21 year old kid that didnt fully understand the consequences until he got the failed test I am sure.

If it was a PED, I am sure it is injury related and he may have not known whatever substance he was taking was banned by the NCAA. This could have been an honest mistake and this would be an awful way to end it for him.

Either scenario, I feel really bad for him. I just hope he learns from it and moves on. He still had an incredible career and to me I will always root for him on Boeheim's Army someday.

 

[MikeDamone]

Heard it’s not weed fwiw

Did Vijay hook him up with some deer antler spray?

 

[Newhouser]

Am I the only one who doesn't care that he's not playing?

You are not alone - and frankly the bigger picture is making me apathetic. From the style of play, to what seems like the annual soap opera. The wash rinse repeat of these seasons is weighing me down.

 

[FrancoPizza]

You are not alone - and frankly the bigger picture is making me apathetic. From the style of play, to what seems like the annual soap opera. The wash rinse repeat of these seasons is weighing me down.

It's not a good trend when we think we're getting addition by subtraction.

 

[upperdeck]

frank and Battle were 7-29 the 2nd duke game that we almost won. I think buddy helps a bit there.

 

[lskul60]

There's (more than) a few things that are troubling. If it is in fact, as we hear, a failed drug test. Either dope or PED's.

why are his teammates supporting him? He broke rules, acted selfishly and screwed the team and the fans. I can see the players saying, "we are going to win this for Frank," if frank got injured or got a screwy suspension for something that was not clearly his own fault. In this case, the rest of the team should be pi**ed at him.

Why does it seem that the athletic department is hoping that he maybe could have it dissipate from his system and thus have him re-instated for a game further down the road? It's over. failed test. There should be no waiting for maybe a better result from a B sample, or whatever.

 

[RF2044]

Good point but he still is a 21 year old kid, a big man on campus, with just a few weeks left of college. Just because he is an amateur athlete at a high major program with a key starting role doesnt mean that he has the maturity at that age to make all the right decisions. I know I did not have that reasoning (still may not have it) when I was a senior at Cuse.

If it was weed, I am sure he thinks as a senior he has figured out how to beat the test. Again, poor judgement from a 21 year old kid that didnt fully understand the consequences until he got the failed test I am sure.

If it was a PED, I am sure it is injury related and he may have not known whatever substance he was taking was banned by the NCAA. This could have been an honest mistake and this would be an awful way to end it for him.

Either scenario, I feel really bad for him. I just hope he learns from it and moves on. He still had an incredible career and to me I will always root for him on Boeheim's Army someday.

He's been a college athlete for four years. That in fact means he should understand the burden of responsiblity that comes with drug use. ESPECIALLY prior to the postseason.

This is well beyond poor judgement, IMO.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

If we win Frank will play again

Yeah, if we make it to the Final Four.

 

[longislandcuse]

There's (more than) a few things that are troubling. If it is in fact, as we hear, a failed drug test. Either dope or PED's.

why are his teammates supporting him? He broke rules, acted selfishly and screwed the team and the fans. I can see the players saying, "we are going to win this for Frank," if frank got injured or got a screwy suspension for something that was not clearly his own fault. In this case, the rest of the team should be pi**ed at him.

Why does it seem that the athletic department is hoping that he maybe could have it dissipate from his system and thus have him re-instated for a game further down the road? It's over. failed test. There should be no waiting for maybe a better result from a B sample, or whatever.

I would always support someone I poured blood, sweat and tears into something with. People make mistakes, that’s still my brother.

 

[Day2]

Only with our drama-filled 'Cuse can a gameday thread for the first round of the NCAA Tournament get buried amongst the latest scandal - At times it's a trying lot to be Orange...

Tell that to LSU. Tell that to Mizzou last year. Tell that to Cal, Michigan and numerous teams from tournaments past.

 

[Ryand877]

If we win Frank will play again

Like play again on Saturday?

 

[Newhouser]

There's (more than) a few things that are troubling. If it is in fact, as we hear, a failed drug test. Either dope or PED's.

why are his teammates supporting him? He broke rules, acted selfishly and screwed the team and the fans. I can see the players saying, "we are going to win this for Frank," if frank got injured or got a screwy suspension for something that was not clearly his own fault. In this case, the rest of the team should be pi**ed at him.

Why does it seem that the athletic department is hoping that he maybe could have it dissipate from his system and thus have him re-instated for a game further down the road? It's over. failed test. There should be no waiting for maybe a better result from a B sample, or whatever.

My only other guess is he took something that was given to him by someone associated with the school (trainer, etc) and it contained something that was considered PED. No intent - professional screw up. I'm not saying this happened but could be a way to explain a test. I'm sure the players have a weed connection but I don't know how PED connections work.

 

[CUSEMODE]

My only other guess is he took something that was given to him by someone associated with the school (trainer, etc) and it contained something that was considered PED. No intent - professional screw up. I'm not saying this happened but could be a way to explain a test. I'm sure the players have a weed connection but I don't know how PED connections work.

If that was the case, if it was a mistake from the staff, would he still have been suspended?

 

[Orangello]

You are not alone - and frankly the bigger picture is making me apathetic. From the style of play, to what seems like the annual soap opera. The wash rinse repeat of these seasons is weighing me down.

I see what you did there. Well played.

 

[Ryand877]

If that was the case, if it was a mistake from the staff, would he still have been suspended?

Yes.

 

[MGP]

Tell that to LSU. Tell that to Mizzou last year. Tell that to Cal, Michigan and numerous teams from tournaments past.

Point taken, but many of those were one-time things. Seems with us, the road goes on forever...

 

[br801]

Maybe PEDs were why he finally turned the corner?

Maybe his bad play this year truly was because of the injury that he never got over?

maybe if he did take peds and the last couple of games were how he wouldve played all year had he not been injured?

Maybe he knew that he wouldn't get to where he would need to be by the time of the tourney and decided to roll the dice with drugs b/c otherwise he knew he wouldve not been where he needed to be make a mark?

maybe the team knew and battle let him have the ACCT as his swan song?

New conspiracy theories are always welcome here. Let's go for the record!

 

[Alsacs]

To think Frank failed a drug test and the AD would risk him next week or two weeks later to take a NCAA drug test is pretty ballsy.
If he failed a drug test no way you risk him ever taking an NCAA test this year.

 

[lskul60]

My only other guess is he took something that was given to him by someone associated with the school (trainer, etc) and it contained something that was considered PED. No intent - professional screw up. I'm not saying this happened but could be a way to explain a test. I'm sure the players have a weed connection but I don't know how PED connections work.

That would be a very bad scenario. That a trainer gave it to him. Yes, I agree that would be something that is not his fault, and therefore you would support him. But geeze, this is 2019, and it's abundantly clear what is allowed and what is not, in terms of supplements, etc.

 

[djorange1989]

Point taken, but many of those were one-time things. Seems with us, the road goes on forever...

at some point, maybe we need to look in the mirror, and then we will see a head coach who has run a loose ship since he has been here and who has brought in plenty of questionable kids. It isn't just an act of God that we get hit with these issues. JB is going to have a two fold legacy. One is the hall of fame coach with over 1000 wins, 5 final fours, a national title, a ton of community work. The other is a coach who turned a blind eye to all sorts of transgressions, leading to two major sanctions from the NCAA, and who sent a message to a lot of kids that they can get away with these transgressions.

 

[GoCuse14]

That would be a very bad scenario. That a trainer gave it to him. Yes, I agree that would be something that is not his fault, and therefore you would support him. But geeze, this is 2019, and it's abundantly clear what is allowed and what is not, in terms of supplements, etc.

The issue with this is that is isnt always abundantly clear what is TRULY in the supplements taken. There is really good reason to believe that there have been tainted samples from athletes who have taken approved supplements.

 

[lskul60]

If that was the case, if it was a mistake from the staff, would he still have been suspended?

of course he would be.

They ALL claim it was unknowingly. How would you ever determine true intent ?

 

[BuffOrange]

Am I the only one who doesn't care that he's not playing?

Just you, Vegas, and anyone with a clue.

 

[AZOrange]

If that was the case, if it was a mistake from the staff, would he still have been suspended?

Yes

 

[Noexcuse]

My only other guess is he took something that was given to him by someone associated with the school (trainer, etc) and it contained something that was considered PED. No intent - professional screw up. I'm not saying this happened but could be a way to explain a test. I'm sure the players have a weed connection but I don't know how PED connections work.

If that's the case, it has larger implications for the Program. I can't imagine it's just a one off, even if it's an honest mistake. And by one off I mean not just Frank, but other athletes as well.