Tough love isn’t as easy as it looks.

I’ll probably regret wading into the societal implications here and I know it’s simply the knee-jerkiest of knee-jerk reactions to last night’s unfortunate news, but still, this kind of armchair quarterbacking drives me crazy:

In the offseason we already faced suspensions from Sanders Commings and Branden Smith and Richt made the comment that he did not believe that UGA had a discipline problem.  Now with the suspensions of Alec Ogletree and Bacarri Rambo, Coach Richt, it is obvious that UGA has a discipline problem.  I used to chalk up the occasional suspension to kids being kids but the problem at UGA is much bigger than that.  These young men simply don’t fear Coach Richt and respect him as a disciplinarian.  If they did we would not have these problems.

I mean, I read or hear stuff like this all the time and my immediate reaction is always the same:  oh yeah, what would you do differently?

These are young men.  Young men often have a bad habit of ignoring consequences to their actions.  (It’s pertinent to note that this is Rambo’s second offense – obviously that first suspension didn’t have a dramatic impact on his thinking.)  That’s why young men do things we all agree are truly dumb.  It’s part of growing up.  That’s not an excuse, merely an explanation.

Keep in mind that Rambo’s and Ogletree’s behavior comes after a period in which players at Georgia haven’t just been suspended for breaking rules, but have been shown the exit door for not being willing to following Richt’s guidelines.  Clearly, the thought processes in play here (assuming anyone’s thinking at all, which I admit might be a stretch) aren’t so much “Coach Richt is a soft touch” as they are some variation of “I can get away with this without being caught”.

Which means the solution doesn’t lie in generating more fear/respect from the kids (let’s not forget that Georgia already has the toughest substance abuse policy in the conference), but in taking more control of 100+ players’ everyday lives.  How much responsibility does a coaching staff want for that, assuming it would even be allowed to do so in the first place?

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UPDATE:  Weiszer has a bunch more details on Rambo’s story.

Rambo tested positive after eating some brownies that he did not realize contained marijuana during a spring break trip with friends to Panama City, Fla., according to Ingram, who has talked to Rambo.

“Some kids had them that were staying with him and he said he got high,” Rambo said. “He thought the things had marijuana in them. He sat there a couple of hours and didn’t know what to do. He said he if he turned himself in he’d get a four-game suspension for a second offense.”

Rambo was suspended for the season-opener last year against Boise State. He tied for second in the nation in interceptions.

“He said he was tested five or six times last year and came back clean,” Ingram said. “He said, ‘Coach, I’m not stupid. I came back to the University of Georgia to be an All-American two years in a row. I could have went in the NFL.’”

No question there is a certain logic to that.  I guess a real disciplinarian would impose rules against receiving brownies.

I’m drawing a blank on what more punishment should have been doled out for this, though.

Ingram said Rambo ran afoul of Georgia’s drug policy last year on a trip home when he was stopped for speeding and one of his passengers had a marijuana joint. Rambo wasn’t charged, but informed coach Mark Richt about the incident and was suspended a game.

If Rambo didn’t know his friend was carrying, that’s a pretty stiff response by Richt.

By the way, assuming the accuracy of this, I owe Bacarri an apology.  He was upfront on the first matter and is clearly aware of his future with regard to the second.  That’s not the sign of a thoughtless young man.  Which again draws me back to my original question:  what would you do if you were in Richt’s shoes?

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UPDATE #2:  By the way, I hope you caught the punchline in Weiszer’s article.

Rambo is appealing his suspension, which would cost him games against Buffalo, Missouri, Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt. The rising senior also is considering entering the NFL supplemental draft.  [Emphasis added.]

Your tough love won’t save you now.

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UPDATE #3:  Vandy fans weigh in.