Priorities In Order
Frank Vitovitch
October 23, 1999

Notre Dame, Ind - As mant people may have heard, Tony Driver will not be playing anymore football this year for the Irish.  Irish Eyes reported this last night.  Rumor has it that he was caught with a girl in his room, which is against Notre Dame rules - but as far as I have heard it's just a rumor.   Even so, if it is true and it is a university rule that was broken, punishment needs to be given out.

Many people may think missing 5 games is a bit harsh, and maybe it is, but I still applaud Notre Dame for taking action and giving out a punishment to its players for wrongs they commit.  Unlike some other universities, and yes Florida State fans I am reffering specific to Florida State, Notre Dame has shown once again that they have their priorities straight, and for the Irish football is not #1 on that list.

Many people seem to forget that these kids are in school and are there to learn not to play football.  So what if getting suspended hurts a players chances in the NFL or wherever, college is meant for people to get a higher education.

Earlier in the year Brock Williams was also kicked off the team for what some people may see as a lesser offense.  The exact details of why he was kicked off the team where never really made 100% clear by the university, but if it were something along the lines of hmm... I don't know - lets say getting someone to give you like $300 in cloths for say $5 (or whatever the exact numbers are), it would have been in the media.

Many people are looking at Notre Dame and saying how horrible it is because of this whole Kim Dunbar saga, but what people fail to mention in the media is the Notre Dame players that get suspended for offenses like these.  For example, did anyone hear about Lee Lafayette sitting out the rest of the season to concentrate on school on Sports Center?  No - you heard about trips to Vegas and other gifts given by Dunbar.

Let's take a look at some other happens in college football lately, and compare them to Notre Dame and the Dunbar mess.  Sports Illustrated reported how Ohio State basically got Andy Katzenmoyer through school even though he should not have been able to play with his grades.  Oh, I'm sorry - those A.I.D.S. awareness classes may have brought them back up to standard.

Two Michigan players were caught in a scheme similar to Peter Warrick's with a local K-Mart.  Did the two receive any punishment from their university? No, and in fact they played in week 1 against Notre Dame.

Now, to all you people out there who are calling for Notre Dame's head on a silver platter from the NCAA Infractions committee, look at the facts.   Notre Dame establishes itself as a institute of learning not football.   Education comes first and when incidents are discovered, they are investigated and people get punished.

It sickens me to think that even though Warrick commited a felony which should be punishable by at least 1 year in jail according to our country's crimal justice system, he will be playing on Saturday against Clemson.  I have to give FSU's president credit however for rasing the question as to whether he should play or not.  When I read the article in USA Today yesterday about FSU's atheletic director storming out of the presidents office because he was told there were stipulations that had to be meet for Warrick to be allowed to play it made me sick.

Bottom line, Notre Dame has its priorities set straight, and they are #1.) education/learning and then athletics, not vise versa like some other places.

(Florida State, Michigan, and Ohio State fans - don't bother sending any emails)