Big Time or Big House?

[moytoy12]

He has worked hard to assemble a team of QUALITY student-athletes that don't rob banks.

Sorry, not to take away from your post MM, but this made me laugh pretty hard.

[moytoy12]

Is the kid even part werewolf?

If so, then this offer makes a little sense.

[Hawk]

It's not like we are talking about a DeMarcus Cousin's type talent here.

Would that change anything?

[Majerus Magic]

Sorry, not to take away from your post MM, but this made me laugh pretty hard.

I do what I can.

[Majerus Magic]

Would that change anything?

No, but at least on SOME level I could see where he is coming from. For example, he's a great talent and worth the risk, if any problems arise just dispatch some extra security to the US Bank in the BSC.

In this case I feel he is just setting himself up for a lose-lose situation. There is no winning. I think it's an idiotic move that has absolutely no benefit. Do we need an extra big? Maybe, but hell, let's not risk losing all our credibility by giving a whole new meaning to "that F'er from Minnesota."

[slu72]

No, but at least on SOME level I could see where he is coming from. For example, he's a great talent and worth the risk, if any problems arise just dispatch some extra security to the US Bank in the BSC.

In this case I feel he is just setting himself up for a lose-lose situation. There is no winning. I think it's an idiotic move that has absolutely no benefit. Do we need an extra big? Maybe, but hell, let's not risk losing all our credibility by giving a whole new meaning to "that F'er from Minnesota."

I can't believe this is true. Yes, everyone deserves a second chance. But robbing a bank with a sawed off shotgun and being 7' tall? No.... if for no other reason than he'll never qualify academically.

[DoctorB]

I REMEMBER A COUPLE YEARS AGO -- when the US Bank in the BSC actually DID get robbed --

The suspect WALKED across the big fields east of the BSC just after the robbery, and his lady friend was waiting for him on Compton.

The only reason I'm bringing this up is this: I've heard the guy has one helluva crossover, and can really handle the rock. Plus he can rebound.

just sayin' . . . . .

this must be the all-time bonehead story of SLU basketball in my tenure here --by far the worst since the alleged scandals of about a decade back ..... sorry, I could tell you but I'd have to kill ya... possibly some folks on here know to what I am referring !??

[davidnark]

It just doesn't make any sense. Maybe there is more to the story than we know.

[TheA_Bomb]

Victims of armed robberies even if they aren't shot often suffer from emotional distress. These could be as strong as PTSD or as mild as loss of sleep. This is a serious crime and a serious lapse in judgement. As a parent I would not want my child attending a University that not only allowed Felons in the Dorms but rewarded them with Full Ride Scholarships to represent the University.

The shootings at Virginia Tech and in Chicago show us how vulnerable our nation's colleges can be. I'm not advocating that this felon would go on a shooting spree but our campus is not secure enough to protect the other students from a similar lapse in judgement by this felon.

I was hoping there would be a retraction on CBS Sports this morning and this would all go away. There isn't I am about to start calling the School to voice my concerns.

[slulaw09]

Come on...this guy isn't John Dillinger with a baseline jump shot. If he can play, he can play, as Amanda Wurlitzer said about renegade Little Leaguer Kelly Leak.

[flyerhawk]

This makes me lose respect for Majerus and the program-- and for SLU more generally since Biondi had to approve this--or could have stopped this.

[slulaw09]

There are plenty of "problem" student-athletes scattered all over the collegiate landscape. Even picture-perfect WNBA player Diana Turasi got a DUI and was suspended a couple of games. Our society is, or at least should be, a forgiving society. We let Mike Tyson make cameo appearances in movies, we are easing Michael Vick back into the NFL...the problems will persist, but we can't error Majerus for spotting and evaluating talent, only to find that the kid has some skeletons in the closet.

Where was the criticism of Majerus when he, as the coach at a "Jesuit, Catholic University" proclaimed his support for pro-choicer Hillary Rodham Clinton in the '08 primaries? Was this not on par with your criticism of him now?

Aren't the Jesuits known for building "Men and Women for Others?" I see a bunch of Roman Collared guys looking over DiLoreto saying "We can rebuild him. We have the technology..."

[Guest BillikenReport]

It just doesn't make any sense. Maybe there is more to the story than we know.

Of course there is more to this story.

[moytoy12]

Where was the criticism of Majerus when he, as the coach at a "Jesuit, Catholic University" proclaimed his support for pro-choicer Hillary Rodham Clinton in the '08 primaries? Was this not on par with your criticism of him now?

There was a fair amount of discussion and criticism when this happened.

[Clock_Tower]

There was a fair amount of discussion and criticism when this happened.

Absolutely there was a lot of discussion/criticism when this happened. Did RM get fired? No, but neither did most of SLU's faculty who have similar beliefs and have made similar statements. Same with the Jesuit community.

[Clock_Tower]

Of course there is more to this story.

Nate. What can you tell us? Is the story on your Board?

[TheA_Bomb]

There are plenty of "problem" student-athletes scattered all over the collegiate landscape. Even picture-perfect WNBA player Diana Turasi got a DUI and was suspended a couple of games. Our society is, or at least should be, a forgiving society. We let Mike Tyson make cameo appearances in movies, we are easing Michael Vick back into the NFL...the problems will persist, but we can't error Majerus for spotting and evaluating talent, only to find that the kid has some skeletons in the closet.

Where was the criticism of Majerus when he, as the coach at a "Jesuit, Catholic University" proclaimed his support for pro-choicer Hillary Rodham Clinton in the '08 primaries? Was this not on par with your criticism of him now?

Aren't the Jesuits known for building "Men and Women for Others?" I see a bunch of Roman Collared guys looking over DiLoreto saying "We can rebuild him. We have the technology..."

Conducting Armed Robbery with a sawed off shotgun is a little more than a problem. It is a seriously grave error. This is not a crime of passion it was a meticulous planned execution of a crime. They drove 125 miles, DiLoreto went into the bank to "inquire about an account" ie casing the bank. His friend then went into the bank with a sawed off shotgun which DiLoreto owned. This is from multiple reports about the incident which could be flawed but most likely aren't because the court documents would be a matter of public record and easily obtained.

I understand that the Church is forgiving and there to reform sinners. This goes beyond reforming and repenting it is rewarding someone with a full ride scholarhsip making them one of the most visible representatives of our University. I do not want a felon representing my University. Scholarships are given based on a 360 view of a player: character, talent, potential, work ethic. This player may have the other parts nailed but has serious character issues.

Michael Vick was convicted of animal cruelty his crime did not involve humans. DiLoreto planned and executed an armed robbery during which people could have been hurt and killed. In my eyes this is more serious. I won't even compare armed robbery with a DUI.

A few things to keep in mind for the University when making a decision:

1. Can they legally do this? It seems so.

2. Can they in good conscience do this? Well if the point is to reform a person then they could, but what about the safety of the other students? That must be considered.

3. How does this decision look to the world? It looks terrible and it is an embarrassment to me as a Graduate and current Grad Student. It would be an embarrassment to the entire school.

[mcglotherirvin]

This might be one of the most ridiculous posts I've seen in a while. Are you really comparing supporting an armed robber with supporting a pro-choice politician?

I don't see a bunch of Roman collared guys looking over this guy saying they can rebuild him. What I see is a p-o'd Father Biondi if there is any truth to the claim he was offered a scholarship, which there very well may not be.

"Skeletons in the closet" that I could overlook might be cheating on a test, a DUI, or maybe even drug possession. What I can't overlook (and Majerus shouldn't either) is anyone involved with guns, felonies, or felonies involving guns. Those are not "skeletons in the closet."

There are plenty of "problem" student-athletes scattered all over the collegiate landscape. Even picture-perfect WNBA player Diana Turasi got a DUI and was suspended a couple of games. Our society is, or at least should be, a forgiving society. We let Mike Tyson make cameo appearances in movies, we are easing Michael Vick back into the NFL...the problems will persist, but we can't error Majerus for spotting and evaluating talent, only to find that the kid has some skeletons in the closet.

Where was the criticism of Majerus when he, as the coach at a "Jesuit, Catholic University" proclaimed his support for pro-choicer Hillary Rodham Clinton in the '08 primaries? Was this not on par with your criticism of him now?

Aren't the Jesuits known for building "Men and Women for Others?" I see a bunch of Roman Collared guys looking over DiLoreto saying "We can rebuild him. We have the technology..."

[jimbofive]

Conducting Armed Robbery with a sawed off shotgun is a little more than a problem. It is a seriously grave error. This is not a crime of passion it was a meticulous planned execution of a crime. They drove 125 miles, DiLoreto went into the bank to "inquire about an account" ie casing the bank. His friend then went into the bank with a sawed off shotgun which DiLoreto owned. This is from multiple reports about the incident which could be flawed but most likely aren't because the court documents would be a matter of public record and easily obtained.

I understand that the Church is forgiving and there to reform sinners. This goes beyond reforming and repenting it is rewarding someone with a full ride scholarhsip making them one of the most visible representatives of our University. I do not want a felon representing my University. Scholarships are given based on a 360 view of a player: character, talent, potential, work ethic. This player may have the other parts nailed but has serious character issues.

Michael Vick was convicted of animal cruelty his crime did not involve humans. DiLoreto planned and executed an armed robbery during which people could have been hurt and killed. In my eyes this is more serious. I won't even compare armed robbery with a DUI.

A few things to keep in mind for the University when making a decision:

1. Can they legally do this? It seems so.

2. Can they in good conscience do this? Well if the point is to reform a person then they could, but what about the safety of the other students? That must be considered.

3. How does this decision look to the world? It looks terrible and it is an embarrassment to me as a Graduate and current Grad Student. It would be an embarrassment to the entire school.

This is a very good argument. However, I know that SLU has made controversial decisions like this in the past, although regarding a much less visible "position" within the university. I had a professor several years ago that was incarcerated for over a decade for armed robbery/assault. I don't remember the exact details of his education, but I know he started studying while in prison and eventually obtained his PhD and taught criminal justice and sociology classes at SLU. His name was Chuck Terry and I took his Intro to Sociology course. I see that he's no longer with the university but that's neither here nor there. The main differences I can deduce between these two scenarios is that a full scholarship basketball player is much more publicly visible than a professor and that Chuck's problems were well in his past and this kid's are very much in the present, whether he is shown to be guilty or not.

I guess I'm just pointing out that SLU hasn't been afraid to give people a second chance in the past, though, as I stated, it's potentially awful soon for a second chance for the DiLoreto kid.

[GOSLU68]

This is a very good argument. However, I know that SLU has made controversial decisions like this in the past, although regarding a much less visible "position" within the university. I had a professor several years ago that was incarcerated for over a decade for armed robbery/assault. I don't remember the exact details of his education, but I know he started studying while in prison and eventually obtained his PhD and taught criminal justice and sociology classes at SLU. His name was Chuck Terry and I took his Intro to Sociology course. I see that he's no longer with the university but that's neither here nor there. The main differences I can deduce between these two scenarios is that a full scholarship basketball player is much more publicly visible than a professor and that Chuck's problems were well in his past and this kid's are very much in the present, whether he is shown to be guilty or not.

I guess I'm just pointing out that SLU hasn't been afraid to give people a second chance in the past, though, as I stated, it's potentially awful soon for a second chance for the DiLoreto kid.

If I had a child or grandchild going to SLU then I would prefer that it not be in an environment that fosters people with anti-social behavior.

I am sure the people at Virgina Tech (I think that is where the mass murderer Kim killed them and himself) would have preferred his prior mental problems could have somehow eliminated him from acceptance to a somewhat serene campus life. When I went to SLU we had one or

two security guards-I have heard now there is a force of nearly 100. Does anyone know what we spend on security per year at SLU? Could it

ever be enough if the stresses of maturing cause some people to whig out and harm others or themselves? Surely if we could do without BT

because he was to docile we could do without this particular werewolf.

[jimbofive]

If I had a child or grandchild going to SLU then I would prefer that it not be in an environment that fosters people with anti-social behavior.

I am sure the people at Virgina Tech (I think that is where the mass murderer Kim killed them and himself) would have preferred his prior mental problems could have somehow eliminated him from acceptance to a somewhat serene campus life. When I went to SLU we had one or

two security guards-I have heard now there is a force of nearly 100. Does anyone know what we spend on security per year at SLU? Could it

ever be enough if the stresses of maturing cause some people to whig out and harm others or themselves? Surely if we could do without BT

because he was to docile we could do without this particular werewolf.

Regardless of what else is known about this kid, he is most certainly not a werewolf. No muscle. No hair. No black. Werewolves are primarily recruited for their muscles and their hair and their blackness. This kid is probably just a human.

A werewolf typically looks something like this:

Also, a werewolf would have robbed that place UNASSISTED at night IF a werewolf needed anything besides power and the blood of virgins.

[Box and Won]

And if there's something to be said about werewolves, they would never leave a fellow werewolf behind like this kid did.

Team players, those werewolves. That's why they're so freaking coveted.

[TheA_Bomb]

This whole issue has me very upset. I don't want to stop being a fan but I will if this happens. I have been a very dedicated fan for a long time. I can't abide with having a felon of a violent crime representing my school.

B-Roy and Box check your PMs

[DeSmetBilliken]

Has anyone here voiced their concerns to the Athletic Department? The way I see it, the coaching staff is making an egregious mistake even associating themselves with this kid, so shouldn't we relay those concerns to the Athletic Department? The department website has a phone and e-mail directory of department staffers. We should let those individuals know of our displeasure, rather than count on someone from the athletic department to notice our displeasure by checking this board.

[willie]

Has anyone here voiced their concerns to the Athletic Department? The way I see it, the coaching staff is making an egregious mistake even associating themselves with this kid, so shouldn't we relay those concerns to the Athletic Department? The department website has a phone and e-mail directory of department staffers. We should let those individuals know of our displeasure, rather than count on someone from the athletic department to notice our displeasure by checking this board.

I think this board needs to take a deep breath and see what transpires. We don't know what's going on. I don't believe Rick would put the schools reputation at risk. He knows what type of school we are. Let this play out before we start a revolution.