I thought the treatment of Mekhi Brown was a mistake. He should have been booted off the sideline instantly, and sent home on a bus that night.
You could look at Brown’s treatment as a precedent, or you could look at it as a mistake. I wouldn’t be in favor of perpetuating a mistake simply because it‘s a misguided precedent.
Side note: If I remember correctly, Brown transferred out during the offseason after his sideline misconduct.
I don’t know for sure what Burroughs did. Only things I’ve seen confirmed are (1) it was conduct detrimental to the team, and (2) it didn’t involve any legal issues.
While getting physical with a coach would fit those criteria, I don’t know whether he actually did that or not. But if he did, he should be booted immediately, permanently, and without recourse.
We all agree that the team culture got a bit soft in the last few years, and we’re all glad to see the return of mental and physical toughness. You can’t restore that mentality only when it’s convenient and relatively painless. It has to be consistently reinforced across all players, whether they’re a returning All-American or a true freshman walk-on.
Right now, we’re talking the talk. If you allow a player to get physical with a coach, you’re not walking the walk. It just sends a horrible message that if we need you bad enough, you can do anything — up to and including striking a coach — and we’ll find a way to keep you on.
IOW, all that stuff about a return to mental discipline and physical toughness is just off-season yammering for the fans.
The fact that Burroughs would find a landing place (maybe with a rival) within days if not hours of entering the portal can’t influence the decision.
