U-CO Football Coach Placed on Leave After Comments re: Rapes by Players

[DemBones DemBones]

"CBS/AP) University of Colorado football coach Gary Barnett was placed on paid administrative leave late Wednesday over comments he made after a woman who was on the CU team in 1999 came forward to say that she was raped by a teammate.

University president Betsy Hoffman said Barnett had made "unacceptable" comments about former Colorado backup placekicker Katie Hnida after she said she was raped by another football player.

"They were extremely inappropriate and insensitive. Rape is a horrific allegation and it should be taken seriously," Hoffman said Wednesday.

Barnett will remain on leave until the university completes its investigation by the end of April, reports Rick Sallinger of CBS station KCNC. "

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/18/national/main600863.shtml?cmp=EM8705


The rest of this lengthy post recaps what was shown on CNN yesterday morning. (I have TiVo, so it's possible to replay live TV and get quotations.)

Yesterday, the University of Colorado's head football coach, Gary Barnett, made incredibly insensitive comments regarding the rape accusations that have been brought against Colorado football players. Three women have filed charges stating that they were raped at a recruiting party. Barnett said there "was no evidence and never will be any evidence."

As a result of the charges being made, former Colorado place kicker Katie Hnida decided to come forward and discuss the abuse she endured there.

Hnida told Sports Illustrated senior writer Rick Reilly that she was harassed and abused throughout the season. Her first day at practice, she was surrounded by five huge players (her teammates) who "threatened her sexually, propositioned her in a vulgar manner." She was groped in huddles and called vulgar names on the practice field, and players exposed themselves to her. Teammates also threw balls at her head when she was kicking.

Katie Hnida also told Rick Reilly that after the season ended, she was raped by a teammate. She didn't report the rape to Coach Barnett because she didn't think it would do any good, which makes sense to me since he managed to turn a blind eye to what his players were doing to the one female on the team at practice. She has been dealing with the trauma of Colorado for years now and decided she had to go public with it as part of her healing process. She has not filed any charges. Rick Reilly had gone to see her and found her changed (less outgoing) from when he talked with her in the past. He seems to believe her charges about the harassment and abuse at Colorado.

Interviewed yesterday about the problems at Colorado, including Katie Hnida's , Barnett said:

"Well, it was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful. OK? And you know what guys do, they respect your ability. You can be 90 years old, but if you can go out and play, they respect you. Well, Katie was, Katie was a girl. Not only was she a girl, but she was terrible."

Barnett said nothing indicating any concern about whether or not Katie Hnida was abused and ultimately raped by his players. He just wanted everyone to know that "Katie was a girl. Not only was she a girl, but she was terrible."

Did he realize that he was implying that Katie was only groped, called names, propositioned, and raped because she wasn't a good enough player? Did her realize that he was implying that he thought it was perfectly alright for a player to rape an inferior player?

In fact, high school senior Katie Hnida was one of the 50 top place kickers in the nation and as another DUer stated yesterday:

"She kicked well enough to make the U COL team.
NCAA Division 1 football teams do not have open rosters for any student to sign their name on a sheet of paper to become a member of the football team. She had to earn her place as a walk-on on that team with excellent performance. "

After transferring to the University of New Mexico, she also became the first female place kicker to kick an extra point (or field goal, not sure) for a major college team.

As Sports Illustrate writer Reilly pointed out yesterday, "kicking is largely mental" (isn't everything?!)

I think a MALE kicker who was treated the way Katie Hnida was just might have had a bad season, too.

Barnett's comments yesterday were the most blatant example of sexism I've heard in years, sounding like something that would have been said back in the sixties.

University president Hoffman was on CNN yesterday morning and said she would be having a long talk with Barnett. She was calm while saying that his comments were inappropriate. I'm glad she acted to place him on leave, hope he loses his job over this. There's just no excuse for anyone to talk this way, but a man in a position of power and influence certainly shouldn't do it. It's reminiscent of Rush Limbaugh's "black quarterbacks" comments that got him fired.

[Westegg]

1. I watched this coach deliver his "remarks"...

...on Katie Hnida the other day. Truly the most stunning display of stupidity in front of a microphone that I've seen in a very long time. Hell, even Bobby Knight ain't that obnoxious. And yeah, as has been pointed out many times, kicking is VERY much a mental process, so it's hardly surprising she might have been a bit off her game. I hope the university does the right thing and cuts this creep loose. It's a no-brainer in my book.

[DemBones DemBones]

2. It was simply amazing, wasn't it?

A real "Where did he leave his brain this morning?" moment.

[CPschem]

3. He deserves to be fired.

What a shameful moment. What an asshole.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. And there's MORE!!! A FIFTH case of a

woman saying she was raped by a Colorado football player. (What's the team name, anyway? The Rutting Horndogs?)

From the CBS/ AP report linked to in my initial post:

"Earlier Wednesday, a fifth woman, who worked in some capacity in the athletic department, said she was raped Sept. 28, 2001, by a football player in her home while the two were watching a movie. The names of both individuals were blacked out in the police report.

Barnett and athletic director Dick Tharp were informed of the allegation, according to the police report. The woman says she was told Barnett would back his player if criminal charges were pursued, the report said. The case was closed in October 2001 after the woman decided not to press charges."

If she worked in the athletic department and Barnett said he'd back his player, I can see why she decided not to press charges. It's always hard for a woman to press rape charges, but going against an employer makes it worse.

Such a bad story -- looks like President Hoffman needs to do some house cleaning in the Athletic Department, beginning with Coach Barnett.

:spank: :spank: :spank:

[Skidmore]

5. Administrative leave with pay

is NOT punishment. I'm sorry, but that's vacation. Now administrative leave WITHOUT pay might have been a good starting point with some real world repercussions.

[Rich Hunt]

6. not surprised

...always disliked that man.

Hopefully he will be gone for good - it will give me great pleasure.

[skippysmom]

7. excellent analysis! nt

[Az_lefty]

8. I watched this and

that coach is a total idiot.:mad:

[DemLikr]

9. Any proof of any of these allegations? Just asking.

Why so eager and quick to ASSUME the factuality of these charges?

Why is an accusation treated as verifiable proof?

Again, just asking. :)

[Rich Hunt]

10. this isn't about that

...it's about Barnett's arrogant and insensitive response.

[DemBones DemBones]

11. None of the cases have been tried as yet.

But there is now a sixth woman who has made similar charges.

As already suggested, though, the issue is that Barnett expressed no concern for the well-being of the women involved, and attacked Katie Hnida's performance as a freshman place kicker, implying that the guys didn't respect her because she wasn't playing well, and that their disrespect for her explained and validated anything they did to her.

Should male players be allowed to yell at a female player on the field? Sure.

Should they throw footballs at her head when she's practicing her place kick?
This seems like a No to me. Do they do this to other guys on the team?

Should they call her names meant to debase her as a woman? No.

Should they make crude propositions to her? No.

Should they expose themselves to her? No.

Should they grope her in huddles? No.

All this happened in the context of team activity. Katie Hnida also says a teammate raped her.

And Coach Barnett says Katie was a girl, and not only was she a girl, but she was terrible.

The man's a sexist moron.