Lalich–suspension/released from team. Correct move.
Olander–community service. Wrong move.
Riley keeps the clown on the roster because it’s a position of need. If Olander were a third string safety he’d be gone. Four offenses and not even a one game suspension? Are you kidding me?
As a fan I am thrilled. I want victories. Olander is a pretty good college DT at this point and a viable starter.
But, as a human being, I’m in awe. I’ve heard of “three strikes and you’re out”, but never “four strikes and you’re in…as our starting defensive tackle!” That seems like an idiotic idiom. Is that like how a double negative don’t mean nothing but a positive? The Beavers will pay for this somewhere down the line, either in Riley losing players’ respect or Olander striking again. Bank on it.
From Cliff Kirkpatrick:
Riley said due to his good behavior between the two incidents there was no reason to consider the first one in the punishment for this situation.
Oh really, Mike? What about Lalich? He was “good” for two years between the Virginia and Shasta incident. The logic used in doling out these penalties is inconsistent. Where is the media? Why aren’t they asking difficult questions? Why aren’t they pointing out the hypocrisy?
And Beaver fan: are you going to try to justify this by using the “degree” of the crime? I have a feeling that will be the retort. “But, Angry, theft isn’t as bad as a DUI!” Go ahead, I encourage you to try that argument on me.
—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Moving forward…
With Lalich out of the mix, the three best QBs now have opportunity. Notice I said QBs, not best arm, tallest, or strongest. Lalich is a “measurable” guy. He received 4-stars based on his look, not his ability to man the position. Jack Lomax and Cody Vaz are better actual quarterbacks. Our team upgraded by attrition today. This seems to be a common trend.
Here’s to hoping Vaz is allowed to compete in August. He’s a natural at the position–a decent arm, good accuracy, and feisty leadership. Katz is good, but the reports out of spring have me concerned he might suffer from Farve-itis.
I really like the Lalich move because at least Vaz won’t transfer now.
Exactly.
One step closer to Mannion starting.
Mannion starting? He’s not even in camp until August.
Are you his dad or something?
Angry,
I think you’re missing a key quote from Riley. I’m too lazy to actually go and get the real quote, so here’s a paraphrased quote, “Lalich would serve a 3 game suspension and lose his #2 spot and may never recover from that and in turn he would benefit from transferring. He would miss out on playing this year if he transfers to a D-II AA squad or play immediately if he transfers to D-III AAA squad.”
So my point in bringing this up is, would Riley have okayed his release if he was say, a sophomore or even a Freshman at this point? The answer is probably not. He would probably serve a season suspension unofficially because then he could still practice with the team.
As far as Olander, I think that the joy ride was a prank/fun time gone wrong. I really don’t know how that should be dealt with. High school is over and it’s time to grow up, but I mean, you can’t resist a golf cart with the keys in the ignition. I bet if they had recognized it was the Athletic cart, then I’m sure they would have had the sense to return it and say, hey we found this at such and such place and brought it back. We didn’t take it, we just brought it back. But they didn’t so he gets 65 hours of community service that has to be completed by August 6th or 8th? That’s a lot of community service time. He doesn’t get that completed, he will be reprimanded for it.
Why would Lalich lose is #2 spot and never recover? It’s just three games…Canfield/Lyle missed huge chunks and came back. Injuries happen, lights turn on (e.g. Matt Moore). That is a dumb comment. Riley should have said he doesn’t think Lalich fits in and Vaz is better. Those are both the truth. This nonsense about not being able to recover…
Ps. You make two huge assumptions about the golf cart. 1. That they didn’t know. 2. They if they did know, they’d return it.
Why??!
I was paraphrasing. Riley didn’t say directly that Lalich wouldn’t be able to be #2, but think about it from a programs stand point. With Lalich serving a 3 game minimum suspension due to NCAA rules not including how many games Riley would add to that. My point was that the new QB order would be the order of the first 3 games and Katz would rightfully earn the #1 spot and then it would be a battle for #2 again without Lalich having reps, in practice, he would be behind, so he would probably drop to #3 or 4 at QB.
The “assumptions” are not fact, nor are they presumed to be accurate. I was merely looking at different points of view that no one has talked about. The golf cart is used by football players and staff right? Well, wouldn’t they have seen it since they were Athletes. The bottom line of my point was this: 1 out 3 should have recognized the cart and IF this was the case, they SHOULD have returned it back to the AD. The fact they returned it where they found it meant they knew they were guilty and tried to act innocent.
The bottom line: it rubs me the wrong way that one guy got suspended (and subsequently kicked off the team) and the other guy won’t miss a single game, and according to Riley it’s because Oldander was “good” between incidents. So was Lalich. To compound the ridiculousness of it, the head coach is practically justifying Olander’s behavior.
Hence, an angry Angry.
When people are inconsistent like this is means they’re lying. Riley should have just said Lalich does not fit in, there’s a log jam, and he wants Vaz to move up. If he didn’t want to do that, then he has to suspend Olander to be consistent. This is the exact problem Chip Kelly faced, and he lost respect.
he can’t come out and say it directly though.
“However, after Riley and Lalich talked, it became clear that suspension ended the quarterback competition.”
“Lalich, a third-year junior who transferred from Virginia in 2008 after two alcohol-related incidents forced him off that team, would be relegated to backup status the rest of his career.”
“The decision was made for Lalich to explore his opportunities elsewhere, Riley said.”
“I’ve delayed this decision because I’ve been thinking about this a long time,” Riley said. “What avenue will we have for Pete to continue football and his education? What we have in place, it wasn’t going to work here. I talked to him about it. The summary was he wasn’t going to have an opportunity to play at Oregon State.”
“Riley looked at the two incidents – buying a stolen bike and jumping on a back of a golf cart -as dumb mistakes with no bad intentions.”
Found this nugget on the Gazette Times’ online article.
http://www.gazettetimes.com/sports/beavers-sports/article_35e8ca86-69cd-11df-a35e-001cc4c03286.html
I thought I would save you some time in reading the entire article when I could just quote my point to you.
Regarding Olander: Haven’t you heard of giving someone a “Steve Howe kind of second chance”? That’s basically what Riley did….
Give me a break!! The whole “theft” charges is a bunch of bull. Olander bought a bike off of Craigslist, not knowing that the bike was stolen.
Snore. Wrong.
“That incident involved a bike that had been reported stolen and was later found in Olander’s possession. Olander told authorities he had purchased the bike from a transient for $50.”
Even if that’s how it “actually” went down, it still doesn’t mean he “stole” it.
You’re right, it doesn’t mean he stole it, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t steal it, and he hasn’t exactly *earned* the benefit of the doubt.
That’s what I love about fans: they seem to think they KNOW everything that’s going on with program. LMAO!!
I know Olander has four offenses because they’re on the record.
It’s sooooo hard for me to get upset about Olander except for the fact that stupid might be contagious. The reason he didn’t just get 10 hours of community service was because he has had prior problems. But the judge had a hard time giving him a penalty as well.
How about this…
If Olander drives his car into a ditch a couple blocks from his home in broad daylight and completely sober… and he realizes he left his cell phone at home… so he walks home to call the police… and the police meet him at the scene and arrest him for leaving the scene of an accident…
… then I’ll be more upset with the kid than I am now.
And I don’t know about Lalich leaving after Riley decides that would be the case. Shouldn’t it be Lalich’s decision after being notified of the three games?
It tells me one of two things. One is that the rumors that Lalich has a serious alcohol problem may be true. Two is that the rumors that Jake Gelakoska might finally show up MUST be true.
I like the moves from a football standpoint for sure. It is a bit of a double standard though. Although it does kind of come down to whether or not you believe Orlander. If you believe his side of the story it seems to me that he got a pretty stiff penalty for the crime and therefore does not need an additional penalty on the field. One thing is for sure (I don’t know if it makes the decision more right or wrong) is that any D1 coach would have done the exact same thing (LaMicheal James). When you are limited to 85 scholarships you are always looking to free up the unproductive ones and keep the ones on the field that are contributing. It is messed up but it is also a business.
+1000 on this post. This person gets it.
Only thing I disagree with is that even if I believe Olander (why would I, given his track record?), he still has 3 other incidents including drug possession. At my high school, we had kids kicked out of school (forever) for one drug possession charge. That is a life-changing banishment. This is simply a game.
To put it succinctly, Riley sold out.
Angry Beaver is an idiot!
I think I’ll just check in briefly and post that from now on. It’s a fact, simple, and to the point! Since, you don’t like things surgar coated, might as well give it to you straight.
Cool, thanks.
Can I get some surgar? You know… since, I like it.
angry – you are a little to full of yourself, and your opinions…. I think Riley was fair…. You don’t know all the details, you just think you do…..
“You don’t know all the details”
Were you saying this when Chip Kelly was “waiting for all the facts”?
I highly doubt it.
You’re biased; I’m objective. Therefore, the chance of me being right are much greater than the chance of you being right.
Angry,
I think your line of thinking is becoming clouded. IMO, I think you’re ready to watch some college football and stop talking about the pre-season woes before the season truly begins.
Second of all, your reasoning is as follows: Lalich ARRESTED for BUII or DUII and is for sure suspended for 3 games. He is off the team for whatever reason. Be it by the hand of Riley kicking him off the team or Lalich and Riley discussing it with each other and Riley signing his release so he can get things in order for himself.
Then we have a guy who was CITED for improper use of a motor vehicle. That was it! He is sent before a judge with 2 former teammates. They pleaded not guilty then changed their plead to guilty for a lesser offense. So the judge sentences Olander to 65 hours of Community service.
Have you ever done community service before? I have. I was a search and Rescue Explorer for my county when I was in high school. I did 186 hours of volunteer training that took me 3-4 months to complete over the weekends. Imagine being a college student having to do finals then stick around afterwards to do community service while trying to prepare for a football season as well. This will take him more than 2 weeks to complete. He will most likely spend about 2-3 days a week doing community service IF that’s 8 hours a day….it might be less than that.
This is why Riley gave Olander a date it must be completed by because if he doesn’t do it, then Riley will add punishment for not complying with his rule he created. I agree with this punishment because I bet if the judge thought Riley was going to add punishment he may have made the community service less or the same. It’s hard to say exactly.
I normally don’t have problems with your logic, but here I think you’re wrong and my reasons are stated as above.
I haven’t done community service, but I have interned for $1.50/hr, 40 hours a week, for 6 months, while taking 18 credit terms.
I guess I’m a bit of a hardass, huh? I think 4 strikes is enough. Sorry. I don’t see anything clouded in that.
At first I was thinking it was pretty fair of the decision to release Lalich and go lite on Olander. Based on there latest offenses. A D-1 team should have a zero tolerance for substance abuse. But as I have read here that Olander had previous drug possession charges. (Unless he was unwittingly holding the drugs for a friend and they weren’t really his). I guess after hearing for the past 20 plus years about “drug free” and “zero tolerance” you just presume the same would hold for a college team. I have a great deal of respect for Riley and the team. I hope in the future Lalich is the example and Riley puts the credibility of the team in the community above the choices made by a player. How many kids around the state are watching, wearing jerseys and hoping some day to be a part of the dream. They need to tell new recruits from day one “zero tolerance” and stick to it. I think there needs to be policy in place. Someone crosses the line and there is a set consequence. How arbitrary is it if you run a red light with a camera. You get a consequence. Its no wonder there are so many thugs in the NFL, they are taught in college if you are good there are no consequences to your actions.
Welp, Mr. Riley just added a player charged with DUI after removing a player who was charged with DUI. Bravo!
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/05/former_byu_safety_who_was_kick.html
Good move with Lalich. Don’t read more into it that what it is. He transfered to Oregon State for playing time. Frankly he was not dominate in the Spring competition. His suspension was 3 games. Apropriate for reparking a house boat with a beer in hand.
With Katz starting first 3 and Vaz getting backup rotations for those games, Lalich would be deficent in comparision. Having lost the job in Spring, and now this, his hope to play at OSU became based on injury.
Therefore he could not help the team, and his scholarship was needed elsewhere. So now that this was no longer a team issue, it became a Lalich issue. Is it best for him to stay, pretty much give up on football, and pay to finish his degree? Or to take his talent and Riley blessing elsewhere for a continued free education and a chance to play D2 ball?
This decision was in the best interest for Lalich. Its a shame that such a high prospect high school player couldn’t work for OSU. But hey, isn’t OSU based on non-blue chip talent anyway! I like where this leaves the QB situation. The addition of Mr Te’o should do well to help Ryan Katz’s scout team game prep. This is a great OoC schedule- Go BEAVS!!
*Again Thank you Mr Lalich for helping OS scout team in USC ’08 prep and best wishes elsewhere… AND For god’s sake stay off the bottle!!!
Probably somewhere around 15-20% of the roster will never see the field or have a realistic shot at seeing the field. Are you saying they should all transfer? Should Riley encourage them to look for playing time somewhere else?
Sounds like Riley’s policy on DUI has changed. Wasn’t key starter Al Alfalava only suspended for one game? Lalich headed for third string suspended for three games? One has to be very naive to think that d1 college football is anything but a business and decisions are going to be made to keep the business has strong as possible without causing an avalanch of bad PR.
Here’s another business example (and I know it is going to make Angry’s blood boil). Olander’s issues as a minor would not even be know to me as his employer, applications only ask for felony convictions. Have his misdemeanors caused him to miss work (his job being a football player) or do his job less effeciently, I don’t think so. Therefore as his employer I could care less! Final example…what happens to CEO’s when they can’t get the company to perform…surprise, surprise…the exact same thing that happens to college foortball coaches.
The blog looks at things from the “cynical side”. I am a little surprised at the outrage. I would expect a little more cynicism!!! Companies do as much as they can to protect their profits while maintaining a decent public perception. College football is no different…please spare me the student experience, personal developement and education arguments.
Yeah, I am not Naive. My outrage here is at Beaver fan for burying their head in the sand and canonizing Mike Riley rather than scrutinizing him. He punishments are inconsistent. He is lying about the reasons why. In short, he basically sold out. In fact, I am going to change this blog title to “Mike Riley Sells Out”
Not saying you are naive personally, just some tone of that in the thread from other’s justifying actions. It is a business. As a businessman, Riley made a decision to protect the assets of the company. I guess Beaver Nation won’t accept the fact that Riley can be as ruthless as the next “CEO”. Here is my outrageous take, from a short term business angle Riley made a great decision…but I don’t pretend it is anything else but that.
“I guess Beaver Nation won’t accept the fact that Riley can be as ruthless as the next “CEO””
This is what pisses me off. And how they hopped on the high-horse and canonized Riley during Chip Kelly’s mess. “Our coach would have done the *right* thing!” and “Isn’t it great to have a head coach with integrity”, etc. It’s embarrassing.
It’s also a dangerous message to send. I worry about “future growth” of this “company” and the coach losing his players.
I am getting older, so I do not profess to know what 18-22 years olds think anymore. Do the players understand it is a business in the end or do they have different expectations? I think Kelly and Riley pretty much did the same thing. Stayed quiet at first, assessed fall out/public opinion and then tried to save as much profit as possible (sorry you are probably getting sick of the business analogy). Anyway, thought provoking topic!
When I heard about this, this was the exact ruling I was hoping for, the ruling I would have made as coach.
Partially because of pragmatism, I won’t lie…but I honestly think that was the appropriate thing to do. I could have seen a 1-game suspension, but not much beyond that.
You can talk about consistency and ethics, but at the end of the day you absolutely have to see a difference between a prank and a freakin’ DUI. One is innocent, archetypal college fun, one endangers lives.
I got a 3.87 in chemical engineering, didn’t drink, never partied, was the quintessential “good kid”…but geez, I could have swiped a golf cart with the keys in the ignition and cruised it around a parking lot with some buddies and left it there. This would never have been a story- and never would have reached the courts- if the guys weren’t already in the public eye.
And you call Olander a “thief” with marginal evidence. All we really know is he bought a stolen bike. His crime could be just stupidity in thinking a good deal was legit- and I suspect that’s Riley’s take on the matter. And then there’s the golf cart- I’ve never stolen so much as a candy bar but like I said I did crap like that in college.
So you see a thief, I see a brain fart and a prank.
Just curious. How do you justify the dope having “dope” in his possession? You can justify any behavior. People do it with everything from clowns stealing things to capital murder. The common theme is the person doing the justification always has a bias or motive. Objective people probably don’t see it the same way as you.
No excuse for the dope, it is what it is and he deserved punishment for it. Not saying he’s a saint. But I don’t believe that by itself should get him kicked off the team, and I don’t see the other two incidents as joining the dope to form a “pattern of behavior.” But mainly I disagree with the “thief” moniker, for reasons stated above.
By the way, I do agree with a lot of your thoughts. One simple question though – and this is an honest question – why are you a Beaver? You seem to hate the fans, hate the coaches, and hate the majority of the players…what’s left to like?
I think it’s the same disease a guy like Michael Moore suffers from. People assume he must hate his country because he criticizes it, when in fact the opposite is probably closer to the truth–a lot of times you criticize things you love because you think they can be better. I do that, and it’s my temperament to criticize according to the Meyers-Briggs test.