|
Sidelines Kalani Simpson |
UH distances itself
from Keli‘ikipiTHE University of Hawaii has suspended West Keli'ikipi from its football team. Let's talk about that.
No doubt by now you've heard of the hot water Keli'ikipi -- the most exciting and arguably most effective option in last season's UH offense -- finds himself in.
He's pled not guilty to second-degree theft. He's apparently claiming to have been an unwitting pawn in what our paper called "an alleged scheme to defraud Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. of $162,000." The big fullback is one of seven people accused of having had a hand in the alleged crime.
This was when he was not playing ball, but pumping gas. His lawyer said he thought he was getting a loan.
If found guilty, he could go to prison for up to five years.
The whole thing comes as a shock.
So, fine. It will sort itself out. Keli'ikipi is innocent until proven guilty, in court -- and in this space, too.
Meanwhile, he's suspended. Indicted, arrested (he turned himself in), suspended.
Innocent until proven guilty? Yes. But how did we get to suspended until proven innocent?
Now, before we get all crazy, we should realize that this is standard operating procedure among many if not most college athletic departments in the country. UH was just going by the code of conduct set by its Student-Athlete Handbook.
Black and white. No decision to make.
That's the rule.
And it's good that this is an athletic department thing not a coach thing. That's what athletic directors are for, sometimes, they serve as the bad guy. Coaches would tend to believe in their players, to back them to the end. That is what is good about coaches.
But that's also why they can't be allowed to make these decisions.
On paper, it's a good system.
OK, now for getting all crazy.
What is the purpose to this? What is he being suspended from?
Spring practice is over (and Keli'ikipi is injured, anyway). Reporting date is about two months away. There are no games, no practices. He's suspended from nothing.
And yet he's still suspended. Publicly branded.
Suspended until proven innocent.
There are times (and the name Kobe Bryant comes to mind) when that would be a good way to go. I guess that's why they write it down, make these rules -- to take the choices away, take emotion out of it. To keep favorites from being played. To say that policy is policy.
But this one doesn't seem to make sense. No games. No practices. Nothing to be suspended from. A trial is set for this summer -- we'll know if he's innocent or not before being suspended matters.
If there's bad news when that gavel slams down, he'll have more to worry about than not playing football. He'll be suspended, all right.
So this is what this does, suspension for suspension's sake: It makes Keli'ikipi look bad. It lets UH distance itself from the whole thing. I guess it has to.
But we'll know if he's playing or not soon enough. This suspension has nothing to do with it. What matters is what's said when that gavel slams.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com