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Coach Out Of Bounds

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2009

Recently Tampa native Robert Marve chose to end his 1.5-year stay at the University of Miami. UM Coach Randy Shannon granted him a release, with stipulations that he could not attend ACC, SEC or in-state schools. Since that time, Plant Head Coach Robert Weiner has undertaken to assault the character of Shannon using any media outlet that will listen. His actions are immature, if not despicable.

Weiner has a problem with Marve being suspended for the first game this season due to Marve being arrested eight months prior. The first game this season was the first game since the arrest in which Marve could have played, and Weiner finds this problematic? I suppose Weiner advocates that players lucky enough to be arrested during a red-shirt year should suffer no consequences in the form of game suspensions?

Robert Marve was given every opportunity to succeed at UM; he started 11 games this season. Instead of taking advantage of opportunities, Marve got arrested, he skipped class, and was generally derelict with his responsibilities as a student-athlete. Instead of using this as a life lesson to get a young man on the right track, Weiner chose to assault the integrity of one of college football's most well-respected coaches. In the process he did nothing but show Marve, and young men like him, that if you are good at football, you shouldn't have to take responsibility for your own actions.

Weiner says he will never let one of his players go to the University of Miami again. Well, Coach Weiner, if I was a parent of a high-school-aged football player in Hillsborough County, I would have serious concerns about letting my son go to Plant as well.

DON C. DONELSON III, J.D.

Miami

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