Duke LaCrosse

[Thad]

I'm still trying to figure out why Duke's coach quit.

But anyways, I'm glad all these guys have gotten cleared. Should Duke's AD restart the season? It'd be a nice escape for the boys now, even if they stink. But of course, everyone down here hates lacrosse now.

Even at school we get comments about being "racist horndogs"

[NJTank]

I think the email and the teams behavior surrounding this led to him being asked to quit from on high (AD or University Pres.) The DNA has cleared them and now I think if they had only coperated with investigators not acted so arrogant they may have avoided all of this and kepth their coach and their season.

[WSU151]

Coach was gone once the story broke, IMO. There was no way he was going to stay even though the team is innocent because recruiting would have been destroyed, the community would always be suspicious, he'd be on a tight tight leash (no matter if he deserved it), and so on. There was no way life would be the same for the guy although his team did nothing wrong. So he moved on...

[Avenger]

I think the email and the teams behavior surrounding this led to him being asked to quit from on high (AD or University Pres.) The DNA has cleared them and now I think if they had only coperated with investigators not acted so arrogant they may have avoided all of this and kepth their coach and their season.

How did they not cooperate with the investigation, Tnak? They provided DNA samples and they denied knowing what happened, which the evidence currently suggests is very possible, if not likely. Just because nobody came forward and said, "I raped her!" while your prejudice was otherwise doesn't mean they didn't cooporate. It just means your opinion was formed prematurely on happenstance and media reports that were less than impartial, which frankly, doesn't suprise me at all.

[HurricaneDavid]

It just means your opinion was formed prematurely on happenstance and media reports that were less than unpartial, which frankly, doesn't suprise me at all.

EXACTLY. The media attention that this "case" has gotten is downright ludicrous. It infuriates me to no end how certain media outlets focus on particular "stories" purely for the sensationalism. It LOOKS like this woman MAY NOT have been raped at all - now let's think about how many HUNDREDS of other rapes have happened since this Duke "story" broke, which have received no public outcry. The media is solely responsible for the outcry that has surrounded this "case," and the fact that they are ruining lives of potentially innocent people in the process doesn't seem to be of concern to them. The one woman on MSNBC who has really been harping on this, Rita Cosby, is at the top of my most-hated list. Every freaking night she leads off her show talking about either the Duke "rape" or Natalee freaking Holloway as if they are the only rapes and missing person cases this century. How Keith Olbermann can stand introducing her show every night I'll NEVER understand.

</RANT>

[Seadragon76]

Boy, this whole thing has gone to hell in a hand basket, I tell you.

I personally think this story might as well be dead. DNA evidence has cleared the entire Lacrosse team from possibly raping this girl. Unless there is something else that the police don't know about, this case is probably closed.

Oh, and how about the supposed 'rape victim'? How much you wanna bet that she is laughing her ass off because we all fell for the old 'Boy who cried Wolf' bit. That is pathetic, if you ask me. We fell for it, hook line and sinker, folks.

[NJTank]

Well they said they were rude and stone walling and at a bar mocking the stripper, but then that could have all been medi overbown attention becuase they convicted them already.

[winters in buffalo]

No names have been released, but apparently two players have been indicted.

[WSU151]

Well they said they were rude and stone walling and at a bar mocking the stripper, but then that could have all been medi overbown attention becuase they convicted them already.

Convicted??

[Mac the Knife]

I'm still trying to figure out why Duke's coach quit.

I can answer that. Though it hasn't been reported really, he was asked to step down.

This incident is simply the latest in a long string of incidents involving the law and Duke's lacrosse team. Guilty or innocent, this was basically the straw that broke the coach's back, as he's been seen as someone incapable of controlling his team.

[Jigga]

I love how everyone rushes to judgement then flip-flops like John Kerry when some new news comes out. I agree the media have sensationalized the hell out of this story (you've got rape, men vs. women, black vs. white, affluent vs. working-class, athletics vs. academe, am I missing any?), but who amongst us knows a damn thing? Let the thing run its course. It's called 'due process' for a reason.

[HedleyLamarr]

Looks like "The Reverend" will be paying for the victim's tuition.

[NJTank]

They will have a hard time winning this case No DNA rumors of her being drunk and possibly having bruises before she arrived at the party. The Duke players do come off as spoiled arrogant kids who runied their team and gave their UNiversity a bad name, but I really dont know if they can be convicted unless they have some real good evidence that can overcome all this doubt.

As for Jesse Jackson good for him paying the College Tuition he should do it more often more victims of violent crimes, and do it when their is no press, that way you know its real and not away to get his name in the paper.

[Jigga]

They will have a hard time winning this case No DNA rumors of her being drunk and possibly having bruises before she arrived at the party. The Duke players do come off as spoiled arrogant kids who runied their team and gave their UNiversity a bad name, but I really dont know if they can be convicted unless they have some real good evidence that can overcome all this doubt.

As for Jesse Jackson good for him paying the College Tuition he should do it more often more victims of violent crimes, and do it when their is no press, that way you know its real and not away to get his name in the paper.

Tnak, we all know that nothing JJ does is real, and everything he does is to get his name out in the press. His middle name is publicity stunt...Well, it's actually Louis, but you know what I meant.

You don't know what kind of evidence anyone has, so don't rush to judgement. All we know is what has been leaked. People leak information when they have an agenda. Both sides have an agenda and have used the media to advance it.

[Seadragon76]

Well, it looks like they finally might have some suspects in this wild and crazy case...

2 Duke LaCrosse players arrested

[Sodboy13]

Okay, trying to cover all the bases in one post...

The more that details get revealed about this case, the more it seems that this whole thing is the result of an overzealous prosection. Alleged time-stamped digital photos showing bruising well before the stated time of the rape. Police arriving on scene and reporting no signs of assault - just a drunken woman passed out. 46 players tested for DNA, and not a single one matched. Assuming that a full rape kit was performed on the woman when she made the allegations, the only way someone who raped her would not leave any DNA on her person would be if he was wearing one of those full body condoms from the original "Naked Gun" film. Now, I know that not all of the details have come to light in this case. But at this point, with what's out there, this stinks of a witchhunt.

Jesse Jackson is a transparent fraud, and I don't understand why many in the African-American community view him as some sort of shining beacon, other than his speaking voice is so damn engaging, and that he was hooked on to MLK like a remora about 40 years ago. Here's how Jesse constructs his ethical principles and belief system:

*ring ring*

"Operation PUSH, this is the Reverend Jackson speaking."

"Hi, reverend, this is Fred Housentoofer from NAMBLA, the North American Man-Boy Love Association. You know, our organization has receivied a lot of bad publicity lately, and we'd like you to come to our next national convention, just to set the record straight on what we're all about, you know, show people the brighter side of NAMBLA."

"Sir, I cannot believe that you would actually call me to make such an outlandish request. Your organization and your kind disgust me, and there is no way I would ever speak on behalf of a group of such despicable..."

"We'll give you 50 grand up front and guarantee high-profile coverage from all the broadcast and cable news networks."

"As I was saying, when and where would you like me to show up?"

*scene*

"Live and Direct" is trashy sensationalist journalism hosted by a horrendous she-beast with a terrifying man voice. I can only hope that the ratings drop from "Countdown" to "Live" is a precipitous one. It's gotta pain Olbermann every night to have to throw it to her, which is probably why interaction in that crosstalk opportunity is so minimal.

[EatSleepJeep]

The timeline?illuminated by photos from one partygoer's digital camera that NEWSWEEK has viewed?offers a preview of the defense strategy should indictments come as expected early this week. Robert Ekstrand, who represents 33 of the players, used a forensics expert to establish the photo times.

11:02 p.m.

March 13, a group of partygoers, sitting on couches around the edge of the room awaiting the arrival of two strippers, smile for the camera. They're holding plastic cups. Above their heads, a Duke lacrosse poster on the wall reads it's hard to beat a team that never gives up.

11:45

The accuser is dropped off at about 11:45, about a half hour after the other (second) stripper arrived. By midnight, according to a photo, the two are almost naked on the beige carpet in front of their visibly happy audience.

12:03 a.m.

The mood has turned: in a photo, the women are standing and the second stripper appears to be reaching toward the guys, all of whom have lost their smiles. She slaps one of them for suggesting the alleged victim use a broom as a sex toy, according to Ekstrand. Then both women lock themselves in the bathroom, Ekstrand details. The partygoers get nervous about what the women are up to and start slipping money under the door asking them to leave, says Bill Thomas, a lawyer who represents one of the captains.

12:20

The women go out to the second stripper's car, but the accuser has left her purse behind; she goes back inside to get it, according to Ekstrand.

12:30

A photo shows the alleged victim standing outside the back door of the house looking down into two bags with what appears to be a smile. She's wearing only her scant red-and-white outfit and one shoe. By the time she realizes she's missing a shoe?a few minutes later?the guys have locked the door to keep her out, say the attorneys.

12:37

A photo shows she's lying on the back stoop; she fell, according to Ekstrand. Her elbow is dusted and scraped, and her ankle is cut and bleeding.

12:41

She gets into the car, and one of the partygoers appears to be helping her.

1:30

In a call to a police dispatcher made public last week, one of the first officers to see the accuser, in a parking lot, said she was "passed-out drunk" but "not in distress."

[NJTank]

This case stinks to me their is too much against the case to get any conviction I mean everywhere you turn there is reasonable doubt and at trial all you need is just alittle doubt and you are found Not Guilty.

However this prosecutor is up for reelection and because of the early press coverage taht had the whole team looking bad the public wanted their to be Indictments and he had to deliver to get reelected.

I wonder if he would have Indicted them if he was not facing an election.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

this reminds me of the Kobe Bryant case, where you had a local whore sleep with KB, brag about his manhood, then claimed raped, and then nearly ruined the mans life. The overzealous DA wanted to prosecute KB based on flimsy at best evidence and the media aready had him convicted before even going to a jury. it was a similar guilty until proven innocent case.

Similar case here, you have a overzealous prosecution wanting to prosecute these guys based on virtually no evidence except on the word of a local whore who claims rape and he is doing this mainly for political reasons, he's up for re-election for this year.

we all knows what needs to happen to the DA, so i won't get in to that. I'll let the court deal with their guilt or innocence.

What I want to talk about is the media coverage. During the Kobe Bryant case, the media ran his name through the mud and had him already convicted guilty. For a while, i tried to figure out why the same media who drops stories of minorities as the aggressors and whites as the victoms, and the media blows up stories of white aggressors and minorities as victoms(as in the Duke case), why did they run the story of a black perpetrator and white victom? Then i figured, it was because he was a wealthy black man and since he didn't fit the animal farm story line of 4 legs good and 2 legs bad, the media decided to try to ruin the man. Same thing whenever a minority of some sorts doesn't fit '4 legs good, 2 legs bad', they no longer get the same treatment as someone that fits '4 legs good, 2 legs bad'.

Now in this case, you have the perfect situation - a black victom, and a white perpetrator. According to the media, these guys are guilty until proven innocent, even though the evidence suggest the local whore made it up, they have already convicted the man with out even going to a trial.

last i check, american jurisprudence was innocent until proven guilty, not soviet style guilty until proven innocent

[Seadragon76]

You forget how the media works here, Coast2Coast. They get everyone to buy into the idea that they are gulity until proven innocent.

Personally, the DA must have something we don't know about. If every player submitted a DNA test and passed it, how the hell did she get 'raped' outside of just saying it to an officer much like the boy who cried 'wolf'.

It doesn't make sense!