I'm standing while typing this, so consider it a writer's rendition of a standing ovation.
Presumably, this standing "O” is for Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops.
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Perhaps it should be directed at OU president David Boren, or to Stoops and Boren.
Maybe athletic director Joe Castiglione is in there somewhere.
Whoever is responsible for dismissing freshman wide receiver Josh Jarboe, bravo.
Jarboe was allowed to keep his scholarship after felony gun charges were lowered to misdemeanors in Superior Court at DeKalb County, Ga. Jarboe pleaded guilty to bringing a gun to school and carrying a pistol without a license last March. Under Georgia's First Offenders Act, Judge Michael Hancock reduced the charges since Jarboe had no prior convictions.
After escaping those potentially felonious circumstances, Jarboe inexplicably found it necessary to spew expletives in a video while rapping about guns and shooting people.
Should Jarboe lose his scholarship for a misdemeanor gun possession charge? In my opinion, no.
Should Jarboe lose his scholarship for making a rap video about guns and shooting people? In my opinion, no.
Should Jarboe lose his scholarship for these two acts within a span of four months? In my opinion, yes.
Stoops didn't appear to be headed in this direction when he told The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel, "Kick a guy off the team for what he says? We're starting to talk about everything kids say and do. Now we're in people's homes, in their private spaces.”
Perhaps I misread the remark, but that tends to happen when people don't give a direct answer to a direct question.
It sounded like Jarboe was headed to the OU practice field rather than headed back to Georgia.
Stoops evidently had some sort of revelation between Thursday and Friday.
Perhaps his wife, Carol, whispered in her husband's ear, "Would you want our children going to the same school as a Josh Jarboe?”
Parents of the 28,000 or so other children enrolled at OU understandably might ask the same thing.
Dismissing Jarboe got rid of all the wondering.
Stoops doesn't truly know Jarboe, but how could he? With the continued increase of recruiting restrictions, coaches know less and less about their new players.
When he announced Jarboe was still welcome in Norman, Stoops said in a statement, "We have personal knowledge of Josh through our recruiting contact with him and from personal references from his school and individuals of authority in his life. We feel that he will be a positive contributor to our campus.
"We have already stressed to him that his citizenship is of the utmost importance. He understands that anything less than exemplary behavior will not be tolerated.”
Apparently, those who stood up for Jarboe back in Georgia don't know him very well, either.
Cedar Grove High School football coach Ray Bonner insisted Jarboe was a "good kid” who had made a "bad choice.”
"To paint that kid as an outlaw, that's not right,” Bonner told The Oklahoman back then. "He feels like he let his family down, his teammates down, but he refuses to let any of this get the best of him. I know he's learned from this.”
Cedar Grove running back Xavier Avery said of Jarboe: "He's not a gangster. He's not that type of dude. After what happened, people were saying he is a bad kid. But I know that's not true. People don't know him like I do.”
Dismissing Jarboe averts a potentially disturbing third act of the Jarboe Chronicles on the OU campus.
OU will be fine without Jarboe. There are plenty of players on campus who can run fast and catch a football. The Sooners can afford to lose Jarboe both on, and certainly off, the field.
What OU cannot afford is another incident involving a gun-toting football player.
Why take that chance?
This standing "O” is over.
Time to sit down and relax, and Stoops should feel free to do the same.
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So, we talk about the race issue...what if Jarboe was white, was caught up in some kind of bomb-making scheme he managed to "barely" wiggle out of...shows up on campus and releases a lovely heavy-metal song about "blowing this %#@$$#@ place out of the $#@!#$ heartland" on YouTube...think he's gone?
"He's not a gangster" says his friend. That's the point. If he's not a gangster why is he acting like he is? Choices, Thug or Football star? You would think that's an easy question, but for todays kids it's not. Why? Primarily because of the glamorization of criminals. For instance, in a national championship game, who did they use as the main star throughout the game? Snoop Dogg! His songs talk about killing, drugs, his flag hanging out of his pocket on the left side, that's the Crips side, etc... That's how screwed up US society is. Enjoy it while you can, cuz it's on a downhill slope. That's why I got outta there and will never go back.
Man all yall slammin rap music just go turn up yOUr heavy metal and bite the heads off of bats and puppies or something. There's a lot worse things in american society than some rap music. yOU got a criminal in the white hOUse costin us lives of soldiers and a billion dollars a month on a war waged under false pretenses, but yOU'll wanna sit up here and blame rap for society goin down the tubes. Now I am in no way a fan of the rap music that 'white controlled music distributors' choose to make readily available to the masses, but I bet Bush and his gang never listened to rap, so what's yOUr excuse for them becomin the criminals they are?
Stop with the "free speech" nonsense. Mr. Jarboe has not had his speech rights curtailed one bit. He can still speak/rap/rant/compose all he wants. There's no constitutional right to catch passes for OU (though I am open to an amendment).
why are you "people" still so racist? it is the 21st century, it has been established for some time now that we are all the same species yet you here in the so called bible belt are still clearly clinging on to the misguided traditions of your ancestors. i feel pity for all of you, evolution is going to leave you all behind.
Amen, Howard...At that very ripe age of 19 I was overseas. A poor choice could cost lives...Mine, or others. Not many second chance decisions there.. Also,g, garland....Don't even suggest racial issues here. You say Jarboe didn't commit a crime? He did, remember? Unless a felony reduced to misdemeaner charge is no longer a crime! And to make racial implications? No, rapping wasn't a crime, but a gun on school grounds? Inexcusable! You can't just site poor judgement there. But he was given a second chance. He blew it...
This spoiled brat will go to football somewhere with low standards, probably LSU. We know Lester will give good players 26 chances before the school makes him launch the "good kid". I don't care if his crimes were reduced he is a criminal. He plead guilty to crimes that makes him a criminal. Remember the end of the Switzer ear started with a "good kid" shooting his best friend. Why take a third chance on a criminal. One last thing, I am sick and tired of hearing about he's just a kid who made a mistake. This "kid" is 18 or 19 years old, the same age as a large percentage of the soldiers fighting around the world. Maybe if Jarboe wasn't babied along the way because he can catch a ball he would be half as mature as those soldiers fighting for him.
Rhode hit it on the head. The "rapping" is not the crime. Stoops gave him a second chance and the kid allows a video to be produced of him spewing violent, hateful ideas. Had this video not been published Jarboe would have continued on and perhaps been just fine in his OU career. However the gun charged was a choice that represented poor judgment on his part and this video represents another poor choice in judgment. Stoops gave a lesson in accountability and now it is up to Josh on how to apply it to his life. I hate this for him as I was excited to see how he recouped himself after the gun charge. Stoops is not asking for choir boys but he does demand personal responsibility. Kudos to Stoops on what was assuredly a difficult call to make and best wishes to Josh.
D-
This didnt ruin his career. This decision opened up the door to his new career, his rapping career. He wanted to be a rapper anyway. Now he just needs to get into the studio with kanye to lay down some beats with those lyrics and he can make more money rapping. He should be thanking ou for this great opportunity.
If this guy is a 'kid', as so many would refer to him, then it is easy to understand why he would show a disturbing lack of judgement in his past actions. If he is in fact a 'man', then the fact he doesn't know better, given the opportunities he has been given, seems to point to a long hard road ahead.
All you people are racist and love to racial profile! What a shame! Rapping is not a crime! He didnt commit a crime. Now you ruin a young mans career when he needs help and reform not rejection! Now your giving him ammo to now do bad things, like rob you! You guys dont understand urban youth! Wow i'm glad someone thought otherwise when I was young or I wouldnt be the Certified Web Architect I am now and making six figures. This world hasnt changed!
Who cares why Stoops changed his mind. Isn't it kinda like deciding to go for it on fourth and one and then after taking a time-out, decide to punt instad?
It's about time! Prisons are full of "nice kids" like Jarboe. Awesome talent, super opportunities, continuously making stupid decisions -- this is the community of Jarboe and his enabler-coach Bonner.
They just don't get it.
When the entire community and it's "teachers/coaches" continue to allow behaviour like this to flourish, then continue to make excuses for this behaviour, there's little wonder why these communities and their children suffer so.
If Jarboe's community and coaches want to allow idiots like Jarboe to flourish, then sign him and his peers to football scholarships to universities without any social conscious or respectability.
It seems like more and more college coaches are starting to take the lead from Mike Gundy and Bob Stoops in cutting out these cancers and not rewarding this behaviour from the gansta wannabes.
College football should be about positive influences with positive results.
Thank God Bob Stoops did the right thing and didn't go down the Barry Switzer path.
As for Jarboe -- he's got nothing stopping his "rappin' career" from getting started -- except for a lack of talent.
It's time to move on....Jarboe made his bad decisions & it cost him. In real life, that's the way it is. Those of you who might bring in the race issue, i.e., Dvorcek...Yes, he was given a chance & rose to the occasion. In real life, when a second chance is given, it should be appreciated & not wizzed away...As far as you Stoops Doubters; I'm very sorry, but the only shadow of doubt is that you weren't there in the decision....Did Coach Stoops flip-flop? Or does the term "taken out of context" mean anything at all to you? We, or at least I don't know how the question was posed to Coach Stoops at the time. How was the question concerning keeping Jarboe posed at that particular instant? I don't know, but if you do, give me the lottery numbers, please! It's human nature that a coach will first protect his players when asked dismissal questions without knowing all of the facts. If this is what Coach Stoops did initially, then I admire him for that. If Coach Stoops is "guilty" of being human & not jumping until he knew all of what transpired, then thanks, Coach! As far as out of context replies; until you've been a witness to the actual question or answer, don't claim that you're a fly on the wall in the Sooner's front office and know what exactly transpired. Let's move on here...
Easy to judge a man, shows character to help him. He should keep his chin up and move ahead with his life. Bravo is not my choice of words; poor journalistic taste to kick a man while he is down.
Like was once said, "we need to recruit kids with character, not recruit characters." This will open up another spot for a great wide receiver recruit for the 2009 class. Boomer Sooner!
Dismissing didnt get rid of my wondering. #1 Why did he even get a scholarship? He was convicted of 2 accounts(reductions) before he ever came #2...Stoops said the day before he wasnt kicking him off the team #3 Obviuosly someone above Stoops came to thier senses? #4 How do we know he wont go to rap rehab(with an OU counselour-not 3rd party) and be back in a month? Think of all the wasted time and paper to write about this situation when it never should have happened. Shouldnt that be the discussion..instead of patting on the backs? Dont sweep it under the rug like it was what OU wanted(while on probation). Badd badd coaching choices.
In my opinion, there's no room in Oklahoma athletics for thugs, regardless of race, color, heritage or political bent. Jarboe's excercise of freedom of speech, following his weapons conviction, made him a greater liability than an asset to a football program that must maintain a higher standard than it did back in the old "win at all costs" days. I hope Jarboe learns from this. Thank you Coach Stoops, for having the backbone to do what's right for the rest of the students and faculty of the University of Oklahoma.
It's not about race--it's about behavior. Jarboe was on an extremely short leash after his illegal possesion of a loaded, stolen gun on school grounds. He knew that he had to have "exemplary behavior." Making a video about shooting people and ramming pool cues up anal orifices is not exemplary behavior.
No one posting here knows why Bob Stoops changes his mind from Thursday to Friday. Maybe Joe C or Dr. Boren got to him, or maybe he changed his mind after talking with Jarboe. In any event, how ever he got there, he made the decision he had to make.
Good luck to Josh Jarboe in getting his head on straight. Maybe this will be the kick in the pants that will help him see the need to do so.
Its hard to know how this will turn out. I susspect the kid has too much talen to expect he will not be given another chance. He will have to wait a year before becoming eligible, but I doubt he would have made an impact this year regardless. I feel sorry for the kid, at 18 or 19 years of age, it is difficult expect a lot in the way of maturity. Thats not an excuse, its the truth. He made a bone head decision, who has not. Now there are consequences for that decision. Lets hope he will learn and move forwad. The Sooners will do fine without his services, we will never know what could have been. Its the right decision for OU, who needs another distraction? As far as Dusty, he was botted had to apply for reinstatement and walk the fine line. Pehaps if Jarboe does the same he would be given the same consideration... but why bother? He is young, has 4 to 5 years eligiblity left and all sorts of suitors in the SEC. Which, by the way, is closer to home. Race has nothing to do with this series of events; from last springs arrest to the recent rap. Grow up and get over the race issue folks... Cant wait! We are so close to the best time of the year, football season. Can't wait to be balling.
please don't attempt to make light of what you believe someone else is thinking because the fact exists that you truly have no idea what or why people feel what they may feel. nocona please shut and keep YOUR ignorant opinions to yourself
nocona, I am black and I don't think I am being mistreated. Does that make your statement false. Maybe you meant 80 percent of us think we're mistreated or ultimate victims? Do you know who is black from these entries? How many of the athletes are black, 80 percent perhaps? Do you know? You don't know. You probably just assume. You probably hear what you want, draw premature conclusions and assign arbitrary numbers to it to gain some validity. Does that make life simpler for you? Folks, we have differences. This is true. But this isn't about a young black man being booted off the team for making bad choices, it's about a young man being booted off........
why is it then that 80% of these episodes are black athletes? Is it cultural to try and be a "Gangsta". What about being responsible for your actions? Black White, Brown oe yellow. Blacks think they are the only ones being mistreated. The ultimate victims, tired of hearing it.
Billy in Kathmandu, if you think Stoops made this decision, you are extremely naive. Look what he said the day before: "Kick a guy off the team for what he says? We're starting to talk about everything kids say and do. Now we're in people's homes, in their private spaces.” Does this sound like a guy who wanted to kick the kid off or was forced to kick the kid off????
And Jeff....the public perceives him as a "gun-toting, rapping outlaw" because that is what he has shown him self to be. He was in illegal possession of a handgun (at a highschool nonetheless), and he was rapping.
Hey Jeff...this kid did get a second chance (after the illegal gun possesion). Don't bring the race issue to this. If race were such an issue, wouldn't Broyles, Granger, and Loadholt all have been kicked off the team for their legal issues?
If this kid was not black and had red hair, he would get a second chance and the public would not be brand him as this "gun-toting,rapping outlaw". Public perception would be different. Dusty Dvoracek anyone? He almost killed his best friend in a drunken range, yet after some rehab and a second (third?) chance, he is glorified by Sooner fans. Guess its different cause Dusty could not rap.
Fortunately for OU, they are loaded and deep at the receiver position. Iglesias, Manny Johnson, Q. Chaney, Adron Tennell, Ryan Broyles, Brandon Caleb, T. Stradford, C. Wilson, Jameel Owens, and Dejuan Miller. Plenty of weapons. Not to mention the best tight end in the country. And I heard they might be moving Mossis Madu to the receiver position as well. Bottom line, Jarboe's dismissal won't hurt OU at all.
Fans must support Coach Stoops, he's the CEO of OU football. Coach Stoops made the right decision regarding Mr. Jarboe as he had all the facts, we do not. The best coach in our country deserves Sooner fan continued support.
Free speech??? Yes, people have the freedom of speech. But it doesn't mean there aren't consequences when you say something your employer or boss or anyone you represent doesn't like it. I have the freedom to say whatever I want in my classroom, but it doesn't mean I can't get fired for saying it. As for the people applauding Stoops, it's obvious he was going to let it go until someone (Boren or Castiglione) made the decision for him.
Great move Coach Stoops, I was against having Mr. Jarboe on the team last spring when the loaded hand gun charges were in the news. Now lets get football practice going for the Number 4th Preseason ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
And think of it this way: if this incident straightens Jarboe out and keeps him from getting gunned down in a drive by a couple of years from now, it was worth a million times more than his scholarship. The onus is not on OU to prove he needed to be kicked out, but rather on Josh to prove that he should be allowed the privilege of playing for OU.
Agreed: the gun charges plus this rap equals GONE. For all those people crying "Free speech", what about the rights of the other players to not have a gun totin', hate-talkin' in their midst? What about other OU students? They have a right to a peaceful opportunity to complete their education. Frankly, if winning means having Josh Jarboe on this team, it would be better to lose. And truth is, OU is going to win a lot of games, maybe even the whole enchilada, without this guy. So, adios, Josh!
I agree it was a good decision. I really agree "Bravo" is a very poor choice of words in the title. We're not celebrating. There is nothing celebratory about a young man squandering a great opportunity and making poor choices. Hopefully, he will realize all this, learn from it and not blame others for it.
This video was not making Stoops' decision to let him on the team originally look good. This kid should have kept his mouth shut if he was truly excited about playing here, Stoops made the right decision.
What, did Brian and Brandon both go the same public school? You both need to go back and get your money's worth this time. You both have missed the point. Jarobonehead got kicked off the team because he had felony gun possession charge conviction reduced to a misdameanor because he played football and had a way out of the lifestyle. Strike 1. He was warned by Stoops he had to be an outstanding citizen and now he goes off and uses extremely poor judgment by posting a rap onto the internet. Its not about what he specifically said, although what hes says proves he still hasnt changed, its about what he did. Strike 2. He didnt conform to the standards outlined. He brought embarrassment to himself for continuing to perpetuate the gansta-lifesytle and then embarrassment it brought to the program and the university. There wont be a third chance. You guys need to excerise your brains occasionally rather than just big mouths, Use it or lose it.
The name of this article is pretty messed up! Bravo! No more Jarboe for Sooners. This damn paper loves kicking people when they're down. Now I really see why they say this is the worst paper in America. I know the kid had a major incident in March and barely made it on campus. He got kicked off for a rap! A Freestyle! Turn on your radio and you hear raps like that all day everday...doesn't mean that they are going to do it! I just hope Josh gets back on track and is able to one day able to make alot of money (legally) for his family
Todd asks a good question. The answer is that the risks are too high and Stoops/Boren has an image to manage. OU has run through enough issues in the past and can not afford to be branded as harboring these types of atheletes -- See mid to late 80's Switzer teams.
Good try Stoops, but even better decision. I applaud you for reaching out to players that are different from yourself and what these Oklahomans are used to. Dreads, Guns and Rap. We only had one bonafide threat and the other two were just stereotypes that drove the threat so initially I was willing to give him a chance. But after listening to the rap, he didn't appear to be someone that "got it" or understood his situation. I would predict he would have gotten in trouble again. He may not be a gangster or a thug, but he didn't look like someone worthy of playing football at OU. He looks like a young man that needs to look in the mirror and try and figure out what he wants to do and how he is going to go about it.
The impact of Jarboe's loss
Even though he was one of the top wide receiver recruits in the nation, Josh Jarboe probably would have had little impact on the outcome of this season.
That's because the Sooners already have starting senior wideouts Juaquin Iglesias (left) and Manuel Johnson, and senior Quentin Chaney and redshirt freshman Ryan Broyles are also vying for playing time.
But with so many receivers graduating after this season, Jarboe would have had a chance to be an impact player next year.
To replace him, freshmen Jameel Owens and Dejuan Miller need to live up to their billing.
By Jake Trotter
Bob Stoops boots Josh Jarboe after rap flap 08/02/2008 NORMAN — Josh Jarboe won't be getting a third chance at the University of Oklahoma. Sooner coach Bob Stoops dismissed the freshman wide receiver from the...
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Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
Yeah, me too.
This didnt ruin his career. This decision opened up the door to his new career, his rapping career. He wanted to be a rapper anyway. Now he just needs to get into the studio with kanye to lay down some beats with those lyrics and he can make more money rapping. He should be thanking ou for this great opportunity.
They just don't get it.
When the entire community and it's "teachers/coaches" continue to allow behaviour like this to flourish, then continue to make excuses for this behaviour, there's little wonder why these communities and their children suffer so.
If Jarboe's community and coaches want to allow idiots like Jarboe to flourish, then sign him and his peers to football scholarships to universities without any social conscious or respectability.
It seems like more and more college coaches are starting to take the lead from Mike Gundy and Bob Stoops in cutting out these cancers and not rewarding this behaviour from the gansta wannabes.
College football should be about positive influences with positive results.
Thank God Bob Stoops did the right thing and didn't go down the Barry Switzer path.
As for Jarboe -- he's got nothing stopping his "rappin' career" from getting started -- except for a lack of talent.
No one posting here knows why Bob Stoops changes his mind from Thursday to Friday. Maybe Joe C or Dr. Boren got to him, or maybe he changed his mind after talking with Jarboe. In any event, how ever he got there, he made the decision he had to make.
Good luck to Josh Jarboe in getting his head on straight. Maybe this will be the kick in the pants that will help him see the need to do so.