When the story broke about elite sophomore Brandon Davies being dismissed from BYU’s men’s basketball team, I said to myself ‘here we go again, another player being reprimanded for doing something stupid.’ Now when I say stupid the usual comes to mind: drugs, alcohol, etc., but never in a million years did I think it was sex. That’s right, Brandon Davies was dismissed from his college basketball team for having SEX with his girlfriend!

I’m not sure how many of you actually know the history of BYU, Brigham Young University, located in the beautiful mountains of Utah. Well the private college is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which is the largest religious university, and the third largest private university in the US. With all of that being said, there are some things that will and will not fly at BYU that would normally be okay at a ‘traditional’ university. When you enroll at BYU you’re REQUIRED to follow an honor code–yes required! I know that I’m speaking a foreign language to some of you, but the honor code mandates behavior in line with the church’s teachings such as academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol.

With all of the scandal that happens in professional sports today, is it really wrong to hold these student athletes to such a high standard?  We are so consumed with winning, being the best,  and bragging rights that we sometimes forget that a small percentage of these college athletes go to the pros or even have anything to do with that sport after they graduate. Yes, I know that college athletics is big business, but I still ask the question, is it really wrong to expect a lot of these college athletes?

For the last couple of days I have heard the rants of coaches, players, and of course the media explain how now without Davies BYU has no chance in going to the Final Four. Granted he’s a great player, and he does garner some NBA potential, but are we going to continue to set aside the morals and values of a people for the glory of the win?

Putting aside the religious beliefs of BYU, is what they are saying in their honor code any different from the general practices that we should live by in our everyday lives? Probably not, but the sex appeal of professional sports has gotten so far away from the game, that the college athletes are only living out what they see on TV. A couple weeks back at Super Bowl XLV, I heard former All-Pro Running Back Eddie George say, “When I was playing we cared about improving our craft, today’s players only care about improving their lifestyle.”

The university spokeswoman said in a press conference that an honor code review is under way in the Davies case to determine whether or not the sophomore will be allowed to remain at the school, as well as his status with the team next season.

In BYU’s first games without Davies the Cougars lost 82-64 to New Mexico.

I was really encouraged by the words of the team’s head coach, Dave Rose, after the lost. “Everybody who comes to BYU, every student if they’re an athlete or not an athlete, they make a commitment when they come.  A lot of people try to judge if this is right or wrong, but it’s a commitment they make. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about commitment.”

Whether it’s for religious, moral or general purpose, the values that these students walk away with after they leave college is what’s being taught by teachers, coaches or other students, so why not show them it’s not always about coming in first, or getting the job, or saying ‘I’m the best’; it’s about having the commitment to yourself so that when you look in the mirror you are able to say “I was true to myself”.

Your JGF,

Marcelle

Tags: Brandon Davies, BYU, Dave Rose, Final Four, jersey girl. sports, Marcelle English, Morals, NBA, NCAA Basketball, sex, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Values, women and sports, www.jerseygirlsports.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 at 9:48 am and is filed under The Sound-Off. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.