Daddy, please don't cry over damaged fields

Kimberly Houghton, Union Leader:

Dad sues school district after son suspended from playing football. A father is suing the Nashua School District after it suspended his son from playing football because he damaged a local athletic field with his truck this past summer.

Lisa Gingras, director of athletics and wellness for the school district, suspended Vincent Priore for the fall athletic season after he was charged with criminal mischief for vandalizing school property when he, along with several other students, drove on a Nashua High School North athletic field with his vehicle.

Vincent, 16, of 75 Lock St., a student at North, received his athletic suspension on July 31, according to court documents. Appeals made to Gingras and the Board of Education were ultimately denied.

Vincent’s father, Christopher J. Priore, filed a subsequent appeal with Superintendent Jahmal Mosley in August. Mosley upheld the one-season athletic suspension.

“Ms. Gingras could have suspended Vincent for three seasons, however Vincent took responsibility for his actions and we commend him for taking ownership for this poor decision,” Mosley wrote in his decision.

Mosley went on to state that Vincent is a student athlete, and behavior expectations for athletes are clearly outlined in the school district’s policy for extracurricular activity eligibility.

According to the policy, violations of the student behavior standards policy that result in a suspension, which include vandalism and destruction of property, will cause a student to be suspended from extracurricular activities, Mosley said.

“Immediate action is needed because football season ends in November. We have gone through three appeals with school board,” the elder Priore writes in court documents filed at Hillsborough County Superior Court. “He continues to miss the season ... every day that passes is another day of missed sports, which is not fair to the student athlete.”

North is 3-3 and has three games remaining in the regular season. Priore is asking the court to reverse his son’s athletic suspension and issue an immediate injunction that would allow Vincent to return to the football field.

“We have been served unjust by the school district contradicting their own policy and basing decisions on emotions instead of facts,” Priore claims in court records. “I spent my last $260 to fight for this ex-parte order. Cannot afford an attorney.”

Vincent’s father told the Union Leader that because the incident took place over the summer, the school district should not be permitted to punish him for something that took place outside of the normal school year.

“The school has no authority to give them suspension during non-enrollment time. My son has been punished more than you can believe,” he said on Monday. “The Nashua High School North (football) team has suffered because he is not there to protect the quarterback.”

Priore said Vincent, 16, was ordered to pay $1,200 in restitution, and that he made his son perform 36 hours of community service at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and took his truck away for a month.

Christopher Priore watched the wrong football movie. He would have learned something if he observed, Remember the Titans.

What a difference a generation makes. When Keith Hendricks and Jeff Christopher ripped up the golf course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio in the fall of 1970, they took their punishment like men. When the judge gave the young boys the option of jail time or the Armed Services, they joined the United States Navy for four years. The judge had the draft board on speed dial.

Keith - “I was young, drunk, dumb and stupid.”
Jeff - “Same here.”

Their Daddy's didn't go to court to plead for a reduced sentence. They promised the judge that the boys would be on time for the induction ceremony.

The judge had Uncle Sam on speed dial, too.



Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

NFL needs to take back the night

Michael McCann, Sports Illustrated:

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis has been charged with felonies for his alleged role in an altercation that took place in Pittsburgh last Sunday. Revis has been charged with robbery, terroristic threats, conspiracy and aggravated assault.

Conspiracy is a similarly worrisome charge for Revis. Conspiracy entails that Revis and his associate planned to commit a crime—in this case, knocking out the 21- and 22-year old men. Witnesses told the police that the two men were unconscious for about 10 minutes. They were both hospitalized and one of them suffered a serious facial injury.

A crucial piece of evidence was left behind: the 22-year-old’s cellphone and its video contents. An officer reviewed the video and confirmed that Revis was present at the scene.

The New York Jets could attempt to void his contract and thus nullify any obligation to pay him guaranteed money. If successful, such a move would relieve the Jets of having to pay Revis $6 million in guaranteed money in 2017.

Shore patrol are service members who are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy while on shore. They are often temporarily assigned personnel who receive limited training in law enforcement and are commonly armed with a baton. Their primary function is to make certain that sailors on liberty do not become too rowdy. They will also provide assistance for sailors in relations with the civilian courts and police.

I was a 19 year old Seaman in the United States Navy assigned to Shore Patrol in Naples, Italy while aboard the USS FDR(CVA-42). The normal rule for assigning sailors to Shore Patrol is to select from a list of veterans who had served at least two years in the service. I had only been in the Navy for six months, but I was chosen so I showed up for duty.

We took the liberty boat from the carrier and met at the dock at noon. I was matched up with a 6 ft. 6" 240 lb. 12 year veteran. The assignment consisted of walking the streets, checking in at bars and whorehouses, and having a presence in the area where the sailors would congregate. The shift would run until midnight.

It was a hot summer day and the first day in port after two weeks at sea. I carried a walkie talkie and a black nightstick. It was fun to watch everybody enjoying themselves as I walked the beat. I couldn't wait for my chance to see the world. We stopped around 6PM(1800) for dinner. The meal was 'on the house' at a streetside stand, two chicken shish kabobs, french fries and a coke.

The relatively uneventful evening took a turn for the worse around eight when a fight broke out between two sailors from our ship. One lay unconscious on the sidewalk while the other guy was kicking him in the head. As we ran to the scene, I radioed for assistance. He was handcuffed and taken away. I went to the hospital with the sailor who was seriously injured. My pants were torn, my shirt bloodied and my hat was gone, and I was uninjured. Welcome to the real world.

At Captains's Mast the next morning at 0700, we were all dressed in our white uniforms. We had filled out reports as to what had transpired the previous evening. The combatant had spent the night in the brig, and had but 27 days to go before he would finish his four year enlistment. The Captain wasted no time in delivering his verdict. The sentence for jail time would be three months plus the 27 days.

" I am not wasting one cent of the government's money to send you home when you can't behave. My job is to ensure the safety of all my men, and I can't do my job if you are stomping and kicking them. That boy has a mother who expects me to hold up my end of the bargain."

The NFL wasted two years of our time over pressure in a football. According to Rovell, the estimated cost of Deflategate has bled all parties involved a combined $22.5 million. That means $14.7 million from the NFL (the largest financial loser in this equation), $7.1 million from the NFL Players Association and $750,000 from the Patriots.

Here is hoping the NFL and New York Jets act like the military and put a stop to this outlandish behavior. Our Navy Captain would have thrown away the key.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy