Hardbodies
In an almost copycat fashion, CSU is now a part of the
University of Colorado’s not-so-elite club of athletic departments
targeted for using strippers as a means for recruitment.
CSU’s main focus has been to investigate the allegations and
take the proper and appropriate action if necessary.
“These allegations made Tuesday have been taken very seriously,”
said senior assistant athletic director Gary Ozello. “We’re not
going to be ignorant and try to argue that something of this nature
could never happen here. We will investigate the situation and
handle these claims promptly and with integrity.”
The allegations Tuesday were made by Hardbodies Entertainment
Inc. President Steve Lower, who was quoted as saying, “I just
thought it was kind of stupid that CU was taking all of the heat
and was under the microscope. My point is that this is done all
over the country. The public would be ignorant if it didn’t realize
that this is a tradition. It’s kind of like ordering a stripper for
a bachelor party.” Lower admitted he didn’t remember anything
specific in terms of CSU’s involvement with the stripper service
and admitted that, “CSU hasn’t had as many parties, by any
means.”
In a recent staff meeting, head football coach Sonny Lubick
said, “I’ve never heard of anything like that, and if we had, we
would have taken action to make sure it didn’t happen again. If it
did happen, I don’t want it in my program.”
The allegations come as a surprise to the athletic department
and leaves first year athletic director Mark Driscoll baffled.
“Obviously, if this is true, it is completely unacceptable. We
don’t condone anything like that,” Driscoll said at a team meeting.
“It just seems to me that (Lower) is saying a lot of things, and I
don’t know how much credibility he has. This took us all by
surprise. We know of no issues like that at all in our
program.”
Recently at CU, program officials have made revision and
clarified the universities policy and stance on these kinds of
activities. At CSU similar actions have been made, however there
were already specific rules on type of behavior.
“These things are stated in the player’s code of conduct rule
book as inappropriate and unacceptable behavior, the players know
that there are consequences for their actions,” Ozello said.
In hindsight, with the national attention of the CU recruitment
scandals it seems as though every football program is now under the
microscope. Even Division I-AA Northern Colorado was recently cited
as allegedly having ties to strippers entertaining recruits as a
means to entice and have an advantage over other schools.
Though surprising, immorality in collegiate sports is not a new
phenomena.
Last season a wave of collegiate coaches were being pinned for
inappropriate and immoral behavior, including then-Alabama football
coach Mike Price, who was allegedly involved with strippers and
prostitution and ex-Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy, whose drinking
at a party in a sorority house led to his dismissal. With knowledge
of such recruiting tactics in the open, the Athletic Department at
CSU is preparing to quell fears of future recruits while
maintaining the integrity of the program; time will tell if they
succeed.
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