Syracuse Basketball: How Will Allegations Against Bernie Fine Affect the Orange?
Heading into it 2011-12 campaign, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team will not only have opponents on the court to deal with, but it will be forced to deal with some very serious accusations off the court as well.
This week, news broke that Bernie Fine, a long time Syracuse men’s assistant coach widely considered to be head coach Jim Boeheim’s right-hand man, has been accused by two former ball boys of allegedly sexually assaulting them when they worked for the team in the 1980s.
Fine has vehemently denied the accusations, and head coach Boeheim has called them “patently false.” The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department as well as Syracuse Police Department are undertaking a full investigation, while Fine has been placed on administrative leave.
In the meantime, the Orange will continue to compete for another Big East Championship and another deep run in the NCAA Tournament come March. It’s possible they will be without Fine for an extended period of time, pending the two separate investigations.
One certainly has to wonder whether this will prove to be a distraction for Syracuse, as it must deal with far more intense media speculation in addition to their on-court opponents.
To remain focused on playing the game is sometimes easier said than done. Coverage of college basketball, especially in the Big East, is already intense as is. To heap extra scrutiny on these players is asking a lot, especially considering these guys are not that far removed from their teenage years. What’s a team to do when such controversy seems to engulf it and its university?
“We can’t think about it right now,” center Fab Melo said in response to questions surrounding such the allegations. “There’s a season going on, so we just gotta play.”
Ultimately, that’s what it comes down to. The Orange still have to take the court, be it at the Carrier Dome or on the road, and it’s the responsibility of not just the players to focus on basketball, but of Jim Boeheim and the coaching staff to ensure the players are not distracted by a storm of controversy that does not involve them in any way.
Unfortunately, the media scrutiny won’t end until some kind of closure is reached. The university and the county will no doubt complete their investigations, but due to the statute of limitations both being long passed for both civil and criminal lawsuits against Fine, these allegations may have no definite resolution.
In the end, Fine will likely stand by his denial, and the two individuals may very well stand by their accusations. At this point, long after the incidents were alleged to have occurred, only those involved will know the full truth.
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Abuse allegations shock former Syracuse players
Former Syracuse players have reacted with disbelief over the charges that assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine, sexually abused two boys.
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Syracuse Basketball Allegations: Bernie Fine in a Mess
I went through last week with a chip on my shoulder.
I was angry about the news circulating regarding the grand jury findings and subsequent charges against former Penn State defensive coach Jerry Sandusky.
I was mad as hell and I wasn’t going to take it anymore.
Even with some of the rumors circulating about what people knew or didn’t know, I felt I said my piece and had no inclination to revisit Sandusky or any other molestation story. It’s not exactly what sports writers dream about writing and the whole vocabulary needed to write such columns churns my stomach.
With the unpleasantness out of my system, I decided it was time to start writing about the upcoming matchup between the much-heralded Syracuse Orange and its once and future conference rival, Virginia Tech, in next week’s NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals in Madison Square Garden.
Then I read this headline…Syracuse coach Fine in molestation inquiry. I was shocked.
I feel the world has desensitized me somewhat.
Mass media has evolved into a beast that spews every factoid a person wanted to know was out there but was afraid to ask.
We also get everything we never cared to know.
We used to get our news from just three major networks.
If something crazy happened in the world, it had to be important and shocking enough that it would make the 6:30 news or it wasn’t getting broadcast.
We were rationed our crazy world with a 19” pixelated sippy cup.
Today, anything and everything that happens in the world from Kardashian to Kazakhstan is a click or a pop-up away and nothing shocks me anymore, or at least I thought.
The Sandusky story shocks me. Not Sandusky’s alleged acts, but that a perceived good man such as Joe Paterno could make such terrible decisions for what seems to be either loyalty or school pride.
As far as Sandusky is concerned, the charges aren’t as shocking as they are sickening, but that is because I haven’t been familiar with the man other than him being a name in passing over the years at Penn State.
Syracuse men’s basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine, on the other hand, is someone who I’ve been familiar with since I was a lad.
Again, I’m shocked at a time when I didn’t think it was possible.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Coach Fine a few times. Nothing more than a handshake or two, and I won’t ever claim to know the man, but something about this story just isn’t sitting right with me.
He didn’t come off creepy like Sandusky. He just seemed to be a guy who, like his longtime coaching partner Jim Boeheim, bleeds orange and loves the game of basketball.
So what’s different?
I had to look deep into my own psyche and figure out if I was just in denial.
I’ve been following Syracuse Basketball since before I could spell Seikaly.
We never really know our sports idols intimately, save a few sound bites here and there, but when we put our time, treasure and hearts into our sports teams, they feel like family.
We fight and argue, all in the name of being a good fan.
The problem is that even if it’s family, there are some things that can’t be overlooked.
The allegations against Bernie Fine are just alleged at the present, but they can’t be overlooked nor dismissed just because he seems like a good guy.
When the Sandusky story broke, I wondered how I would feel if one of the beloved teams I root for went through a similar allegation.
I’ve been through New Jersey Net Jayson Williams killing his limo driver, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry’s cocaine problems and Mike Tyson…well, take your pick with Tyson. But molestation is something I’m not familiar with and it makes me uncomfortable and angry, as it should.
I would now, unfortunately, get the answer to my inquiring mind.
It’s far too early in the process to pass judgment, but if Jim Boeheim’s word is worth anything, he vehemently claimed that Fine’s accuser, Bobby Davis, is lying about statements involving seeing Jim Boeheim in Fine’s hotel rooms at various locations.
I’d like to take Boeheim at his word.
If Davis is lying about this detail; what else could he be lying about?
Everything will come out in the wash, but the once-clean image of a man whose development of Syracuse’s big men has been almost as significant as the implementation of the 2-3 zone at the Carrier Dome, is forever tarnished.
If Davis is telling the truth, then may Fine be damned.
If Davis turns out to have made up a story to ruin a man’s career, well, I guess I’ll just be shocked again.
This time around, I would welcome the shock.
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Bernie Fine Scandal: Why Caution Should Be Shown with Syracuse Allegations
Syracuse University has placed assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine on probation after a former ball boy, Bobby Davis, accused him of sex abuse.
While the obvious similarities are going to jump to the forefront with the Penn State scandal—which is currently shaking State College, where another former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, is accused of sex abuse—caution needs to be exercised before making judgments based on those similarities.
Davis alleges that over a period of time from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, Fine had “initiated sexual contact with him” until Davis “begin to push him away” at the age of 28.
It was at this time that Davis reported the incident to the police, to the university and to the media.
There are the surface similarities, but there are also some major differences between the two cases. Perhaps the most evident differences that Syracuse handled the allegations differently. At the same time, there are disturbing similarities which bear investigation in their own right.
Like Joe Paterno in FBS football, the head coach of Syracuse University, Jim Boeheim, is the longest tenured head coach in the nation. However, unlike the case in Penn State, it appears that Syracuse University did actually have a thorough investigation.
According to Boeheim:
This matter was fully investigated by the university in 2005 and it was determined that the allegations were unfounded. I have known Bernie Fine for more than 40 years. I have never seen or witnessed anything to suggest that he would been involved in any of the activities alleged. Had I seen or suspected anything, I would have taken action. Bernie has my full support.
The actual investigation is more reassuring than what happened at Penn State, where everything looks to be more of a cover up than an investigation. According to SportsCenter, a number of names by the ball boy were given, and Syracuse interviewed every one of them. None corroborated the boy’s story.
Furthermore, the Syracuse Post-Standard also investigated the report.
The Post-Standard’s investigation did not turn up any witnesses who corroborated Davis’ allegations. The Post-Standard interviewed other men, some of whom like Davis lived in the Fine family home for periods of time as children, and at least one who also said he stayed with Fine in his hotel room at the Big East Tournament.
All of these men, including one of Davis’ brothers, said Fine did not have sexual contact with them.
According to the Post-Standard article, both ESPN and the police had also been notified by Davis at the time, but neither ESPN nor the police were able to find any evidence to back Davis’ story.
Now, reportedly, Davis stepbrother has given testimony that he, too, was molested by Fine. According to Police Chief Frank Fowler:
Information was brought to our attention that warranted an investigation. Once we’re done with what we’re doing, we’re going to turn it over to the district attorney.
It is worth noting that the allegations Davis is making would be beyond the statute of limitations. Therefore, the implication is that whatever “information” was brought to their attention is not related to Davis.
This is a delicate matter for all parties. Fine has been investigated before, and nothing came of it. There were no corroborating witnesses, which is a very different situation from the Sandusky case, where, to date, at least 18 children have come forward.
Also, it appears this was investigated by both the police and the university extensively. There was no effort to cover this up or protect the school.
There also needs to be a measure of caution in rushing to judge Davis as a “liar” or someone out to make a quick buck off the Penn State allegations. He first came forward years before the name “Jerry Sandusky” became a universally recognized one.
It’s possible that the other alleged victims at the time were intimidated and just did not come forward. It’s also possible that they weren’t actually victims.
Still, there is ample reason to believe that Fine may be innocent of the charges. The university acted appropriately, and the police investigated the allegations. All these things make it very different from the Penn State scandal. People should exercise caution before trying to draw parallels.
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Bernie Fine: Syracuse Is Making All the Right Moves in Response to Allegations
With the sporting world still reeling from the Penn State Scandal, similar charges are now being leveled on the Syracuse basketball program.
ESPN’s Mark Schwarz and Arty Berko detail two different charges that are being leveled against Bernie Fine, who is a long-standing assistant coach for the Orangemen basketball program.
As a result of these charges, Fine has been placed on administrative leave, which is the same fate that Penn State Mike McQueary is presently experiencing.
Unlike Penn State, these charges are being disputed by the people at the university. Head coach Jim Boeheim had this to say in the report cited above:
We spoke to the people (Davis) asked the university to talk to. Not one person would corroborate his story.
Why wouldn’t he come to the police (first this time)? Why would he go to ESPN? What are people looking for here? I believe they are looking for money. I believe they saw what happened at Penn State and they are using ESPN to get money. That is what I believe. You want to put that on the air? Put that on the air.
Now, I am not going to pass judgment on this story and the charges. Obviously, these charges are quite serious and some action needed to be taken.
Does Fine need to be fired? Well, obviously, if these charges are true, then being fired is the least of his worries.
But for now, there’s really no problem putting him on leave. Honestly, I would have said the same thing about Sandusky at Penn State if he was still a coach at Penn State.
But that story had far more detailed witnesses, as you can read in the Grand Jury testimony linked above.
This is certainly not saying that the allegations against Fine are or aren’t true. Time will tell if that’s the case.
Realistically, Fine couldn’t stay on the sideline with these charges pending. This is a matter that needs to be cleared before he’s ever back on the sideline. But for right now, Fine being placed on leave works well. The university is doing everything in its power that can realistically be done.
While they would certainly be within their rights to do so, firing Fine is not necessary now.
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Bernie Fine Scandal: Twitter Reacts to Shocking Syracuse Allegations
The allegations hitting Syracuse’s longtime assistant coach Bernie Fine are no doubt unsettling. As reactions come flooding in, one thing is certain: This is no Penn State.
I am of course talking about how this story is being received. There is no measure for how awful these crimes are if they are indeed proven to be true. But it is impossible to separate this scandal from the one that still has glowing embers from the past couple weeks in Penn State.
Now for the differences. These are key as we wade through the tweets that are coming in from those with very strong opinions about the matter.
First off, and most importantly, we have an investigation here that took place years ago and nothing was found. There is also the fact that the new investigation is in its very early stages and no charges have been filed.
Lastly, we have a staunch backing from Jim Boeheim clearly showing that he is 100 percent confident that Fine will be cleared. Still, we can’t help but dig deeper through a story that, if true, would be just as sickening as the one destroying State College right now.
This tweet seems to be the sentiment that is going around. Whereas in Penn State the thought that something dark was going on for years, this is coming as an absolute surprise to everyone involved.
Dan Levy drops some truth in this tweet. While the media has been using extreme caution in their tone, there is no doubt that they will pounce on all involved the second these allegations are found to have any weight.
There is nothing good that can come from the Penn State scandal. If there is anything that can be gained, however, it may be the victims will find the strength to tell their tale as this tweet asserts.
Prior to writing the New York Times piece that was cited here, Pete Thamel tweeted this.
The word vehement is important here. Boeheim is sticking his neck out and wouldn’t do so unless he was completely absolved of knowing anything and if he knew without a shred of doubt that Fine was innocent.
No such certainty ever came in regards to Sandusky in the days following the news that broke in Penn State.
Finally, there is this tweet from Steve Krakauer a senior digital producer at CNN.
It is, again, far too early in the investigation to know if ESPN did the proper vetting, or if Boeheim had no idea who his longtime coach and friend really was. At the end of it all, one of these entities is going to look very foolish.
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Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine denies abuse allegations
Statement through law firm says, “Simply put, these allegations are patently false in every aspect.”
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Syracuse’s Fine denies abuse allegations (AP)
Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine says allegations that he molested two former ball boys for years are “patently false.” The school placed Fine on administrative leave Thursday “in light of the new allegations” and an investigation by the Syracuse City Police. In a statement released by one of his attorneys Friday, Fine said the allegations have been thoroughly…
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Bernie Fine: How Penn State Scandal Led to Syracuse Molestation Allegations
Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine has been accused of molesting a former ball boy hundreds of times, according to The New York Times.
These allegations come far too close to the Penn State scandal to be a coincidence, but is it a result of victims gaining the courage to speak out against this sort of injustice, or as head coach Jim Boeheim suggests, is it “a little suspicious”?
Both may be true, but the notion that these allegations are coming absolutely out of nowhere is inaccurate.
The former ball boy, now 39-year-old Bobby Davis, reported the allegations all the way back in 2003, but says he was told that the statute of limitations had run out.
No cover-up story here. If the police had already been involved, Boeheim is at least immune to a Joe Paterno-esque fate.
That doesn’t change the fact that rehashing these allegations comes immediately following the Penn State scandal though. Even though Boeheim contends that these allegations have no merit, if programs should have learned anything from the Penn State scandal, it’s that matters like this need to be taken care of and handled, as burying their head in the sand crippled Penn State’s program.
Nobody wants to see this turn into the Salem witch trials, but it’s also hard to believe that Jerry Sandusky’s victims are the only ones not speaking out.
It’s unfair to assume Fine is guilty at this point, but it’s also unfair to completely write off the possibility that the victim is telling the truth.
Given the magnitude of the Penn State allegations, we can expect to see more and more victims speaking out. This may be the first instance, but it certainly won’t be the last.
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Bernie Fine: Jim Boeheim Must Not Overreact to Allegations Against Assistant
Just a couple weeks after charges of sexual abuse against children filed against Jerry Sandusky rocked Penn State, allegations have been made that Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine sexually abused two ball boys from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Former Syracuse ball boy Bobby Davis and his step brother Mike Lang, also a former Syracuse ball boy, allege that Fine, who has been placed on administrative leave, molested them on multiple occasions, including in his hotel room on road trips, such as the 1987 Final Four.
Fine has denied these allegations, and Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has been defiant. Boeheim is adamant that Fine could never have done such a thing, and he believes Davis and Lang are trying to cash in on the heels of the Penn State scandal.
I’ve known Bernie Fine for 45 years, and there’s absolutely no way that I believe any of this could possibly have happened, he said. That’s the bottom line.
Boeheim told ESPN: I believe they are looking for money. I believe they saw what happened at Penn State, and they are using ESPN to get money. That is what I believe.
While Boeheim could certainly be correct in his assumptions, he needs to be completely cooperative during the investigation. While Penn State officials apparently knew of Sandusky’s conduct beforehand, I’m sure there were many within the university that were shocked by the findings.
There is nothing wrong with Boeheim defending Fine, but he can’t allow his bias to get in the way of giving 100 percent truthful information to authorities. He is adamant that Fine is innocent, but he seems to be overreacting a bit to the charges.
It is already clear that either Boeheim or Davis are lying at this point because Davis said Boeheim saw him in Fine’s hotel room on numerous occasions.
Despite Davis’ claims, Boeheim denies ever seeing Davis in Fine’s hotel room. In fact, Boeheim said that he has never been in Fine’s hotel room, which comes off as a bit curious seeing as Fine has been his assistant for 35 years.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in Bernie Fine’s hotel room, ever, Boeheim said. He added that he knew Davis because he was around all the time, but did not recall Davis being on trips with the team.
This is certainly a tricky situation since the Sandusky case very well could have inspired Davis to come forward. At the same time, you can’t rule out that it could be a fabricated story in order to get attention as Boeheim suggested.
Davis did attempt to report the abuse all the way back in 2003, though, but was told the statute of limitations had run out. Whether his story is factual or not, Boeheim and anyone with knowledge of the dynamics of the relationship between Fine and Davis need to be forthcoming.
If Boeheim has been telling the truth to this point, then he is complying sufficiently. If he is trying to cover things up, though, Syracuse could find itself in a Penn State situation. Had Sandusky’s alleged abuse been reported to police immediately, then the scandal wouldn’t have been so massive.
The same can be said for Syracuse if anyone knows of any type of sexual abuse that occurred. As long as Boeheim and co. are cooperative and helpful in the investigation against Fine, though, it won’t reach the level of Penn State.
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