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No. 3 BYU loses after dismissing player for honor code violation
Sticking to principles appears to carry a steep cost for the nation's third-ranked college basketball team.
A day after Brigham Young University dismissed center Brandon Davies from the team for violating the school's strict honor code, the No. 3-ranked Cougars were throttled Wednesday by unranked New Mexico.
"The honor code really reflects who we are as a university. It defines us and it does make us different," BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkins told CNN affiliate KSTU-TV.
Davies, a 6-9 sophomore from Provo, was the team's top rebounder and third-leading scorer. He received the Cougars' Academic Excellence award last season, according to an online profile.
BYU had been gunning for a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, but the team's fortunes took a tumble with Wednesday night's 82-64 loss to New Mexico.
University officials said Davies admitted violating the honor code at BYU, which is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church.
The honor code requires all faculty, staff and students to:
- Be honest;
- Live a chaste and virtuous life;
- Obey the law and all campus policies;
- Use clean language;
- Respect others;
- Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse;
- Participate regularly in church services;
- Observe dress and grooming standards;
- Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the honor code.
The code forbids homosexual behavior and bars members of the opposite sex from going beyond the lobby of the school's single-sex dormitories.
The dress and grooming standards forbid beards, tattoos and piercings for men and short or form-fitting clothes or bare feet in public for women.
The university did not say which part of the code Davies violated, but it did say he had not committed a crime. Davies' future as a student at BYU and his status for next season have yet to be determined.
I for one applaud BYU for its integrity. BYU was on the its way to winning the National Championship but suspended this player for breaking the Honor Code. Regardless of how you feel about BYU's honor code it's impressive that BYU didn't give this player a pass. I wish that the makers of Two and a Half Men had that type of moral courage.
National championship? Really? On the basis of their outstanding play within the nation's 8th best league? I guess you're having some of what what Charlie Sheen is having.
I can't wait to see BYU choke in round one when they have to play against real conference teams.
If BYU's fathers applied this "code" to every student, faculty member or employee in their system nobody would be left. Nobody leads a perfect life... nobody.
I agree with you Zach in that BYU was a legitimate national championship contender before they lost Davies. As far as Reallity goes the Mountain West is the fourth best league in the nation...do a little homework before you sound off on here and in case you did not realize BYU has the number one RPI in the country as well!! I do not think BYU will be as good in the NCAA tournament without Davies but I believe they can still have a good run. My guess is that Reallity and Ryan are both from the east coast and dismiss any legitimate contenders from a conference on the west coast.
to REALLITY. 8th best? With two teams in the top 10, and look at their RPI, it's one of the best in the league? You sure like just making stuff up don't you. Come back to "reality" btw-that is the correct spelling.
To Hypocrite- so in your definition someone who does not fornicate, smoke pot, or wear daisy dukes is "perfect"? Really? You don't feel you can expect that from someone? WOW. Nobody is perfect, but the honor code in no way requires "perfection".
@"Can you spell" It's called the "honor code", not the "perfect code". You can have honor without being perfect. One example is living by rules you agree to live by. He agreed to the rules, but didn't live by them. Period.
I think it's safe to say everyone who agrees with BYU is Mormon or follows a religion close to it. Everyone who disagrees, is not Mormon. What a joke. Let the man play. I am willing to bet that if his parents or family writes large checks to the school or church, he wouldn't have been suspended. Their future recruiting class is no more.
Mark says "I think it's safe to say everyone who agrees with BYU is Mormon or follows a religion close to it. Everyone who disagrees, is not Mormon. What a joke. Let the man play." Well Mark, I agree with BYU and I'm an agnostic. I applaud BYU for standing up for their beliefs. Maybe if more of the big time college programs would live up to the standards of their founders, we wouldn't have so much hypocrisy and corruption in college sports today.
Who would ever want to go to this school with strict codes like that? NO TEA? NO CIGS? screw this place and all the idiots that attend, sounds more like a concentration camp then a school.
Maybe some of these people would like BYU more if they had live in-classroom Female Eaculation demonstrations like Northwestern University...
You may not agree with their strictness, but the athletes did agree to it.
Respect people's choices.
To Mark:
I'm not a Mormon and I agree with BYU. I salute them for standing for their principles. It would be hypocitical for them not to. Ethical standards are more important than winning games; this should set an example for others as well.
Wow, you must be as much a moron as the Moron Church!
BYU sports are officially done! Try to recruit for football and basketball now. Every other coach in the country is giong to paint this kid as a victim when they are recruiting against BYU.
Throughout history, those that come up with "honor codes" and unrelastic expectations are usually the worst offenders. Don't trust anyone that claims to adhere to this code.
Don't talk about deep tournament runs until you can beat New Mexico.
@ "can you spell"
Hypocrites? Well, they told a player when he came that if he did not commit to certain lifestyle choices that he would potentially forfeit his ability to play. He chose to act in a certain way contrary to that commitment, and the school dismissed him from the team. At great personal cost to their athletic department at a critical time in the season.
Doesn't sound hypocritical to me. Just the opposite in fact.
Ii also applaud byu for making this decision its nice to know people still stand up for what they believe is right.
yeah, i know. let's hope he didn't have that sinful cup of hot tea.
Excellent point alex.....god forbid he hit a Starbucks either....
You're probably kidding, but I'm taking the bait anyways. If you break most of the honor code rules, they would give you several warnings before they kicked you out. Mormons also believe in forgiveness.
To clarify because most people don't know, BYU is really cheap compared to other schools. But in return for a cheap education, they expect us to abide by these codes. If you don't do so, you break a contract. If I went to another university and signed a contract to pay money, but failed to do so they would also kick me out. In my mind I see them as comparable.
I was going to give a retort to the BYU people, but some of you guys are mean. I know a few mormons, and they all are really nice. All the mormon women I know are very strong in their standards. This probably just reflects the trash you hang out with.
@surfdog11...."fornicator. That's the definition of the human species"....what dictionary are you using?!? All the responses on here just prove why the people from Jersey Shore are now millionaires, everyone loves a train wreck and refuses to take responsibility for their actions. You break a rule you pay the price. You act like BYU just made up these rules yesterday.
God hates anyone who drinks Tea, anyone who drinks tea is going to hell. I love mormons.
jared and the rest of you
can you live up to just one of those standards, namely "don't lie". don't say you do because research shows clearly that most people lie at least several times A DAY. Lies of commission, of omission, smiling when feeling otherwise. Admit it. You do not live up to the standard, so let's not applaud too loudly. This young man is an honor student, an honor athlete, and now he will live with the shame and guilt of letting his team down for breaking an honor code that you can bet the administrators of BYU cannot live up to either. Way to go BYU. Your example of Christ's teachings and plain old common sense and decency is deplorable, and that's no lie.
as for Jared and the other supporters of this decision – you don't know any details. Maybe he did something really not okay, and maybe he did something a little not okay, like you and I and the rest of humanity do on a regular basis. But one thing he did do, which you probably cannot claim to do 100% in your life, is he admitted "yes. I broke the code." And for this, he and the others are punished by an unrealistic, unkind, unmerciful, hypocritical administration, all of whom have accepted Jesus into their hearts but not into their real lives. Shame on BYU!!!!! For Shame!!!
It defines them as 'self-deluded and have not yet been caught'. Yet another group trying to put out a false message. Personal responsibility is a matter of personal act, not one of an honor code to hide behind.
@skeptic
The irony in your statement kills me. Brandon Davies voluntarily agreed to live by a standard, knowing full well the consequences if he failed. It was his personal responsibility to live by the honor code because he knowingly agreed.
skeptic: The Honor Code creates a certain atmosphere at the University. It is a personal act to sign it and accept the consequences for breaking it. There is no "hiding" behind it. Every student signs it of their own free will. If they don't like it, they go to a different school. Many students prefer it. In fact, students, not the University) started the Honor Code in the first place. They enjoy the atmosphere of a community that lives up to a set of standards.
Every BYU student signs the Honor Code. If you don't like it or can't follow it, go to a different school. It is as simple as that. This isn't about anyone's 'message' it is about commitment. It has been an amazing basketball season and regardless of whether we win or lose, in the end it doesn't really matter because there are more important things in life.
His "Personal responsibility" was to abide by HIS promise when HE agreed to join their organization. Sorry – no simpathy here.
I actually would assume that the kid just wanted to play basketball for a good program. He probably didn't think the honor code was so stringent, who would think that a school would do that to it's basketball program? I laud them for their integrity, but I could see this making it harder for them to recruit...
I guess you can't criticize the administration for holding ALL students to the same standards.......but damn. this is a dagger
http://spungos.wordpress.com/
While its good the school stood by its standards, they are ridiculous standards. This is probably a good kid whose issues probably don't even compare to what players at other schools get away with.
not the issue. He knew what the standards were. If he felt they were ridiculus, he could have gone elsewhere.If he is such a good player, I'm sure other schools would have accepted him. He chose to play at BYU, and by doing so, accepted thier standards. It does not matter AT ALL what players at other schools "get away with"
I agree with Me. The Honor Code itself isn't the issue. Each student signs it. Most students keep it. Someone else doing something worse doesn't excuse this incident. That sounds like a child: "but he was doing it, too!"
If you're ignorant enough to believe that drinking coffee, tea, or having a beard is 'dishonorable,' then your concept of 'honor' is inaccurate.
Should be called the 'behavior control code.'
It's actually pretty sad.
Fred Evil. It doesn't matter what the rules are. If Harvard or Princeton said "Everyone has to wear a clown suit to class", you can bet everyone would. Look at Univ. of Oregon football team. Their uniforms are like clown suits and they are willing to play in them.
Fred evil: It's not sad, it's a set of standards, and if you don't agree with them, then fine. Some people don't consider smoking opium to be bad because they grew up in a culture that doesn't label it as bad. Caffiene is a drug, believe it or not, and some people don't want it in their system, so they don't drink coffee or tea. If you voluntarily go to a school and sign a contract saying you'll abide by their rules, and then you break them, then you deserve to be kicked out. Doesn't matter what they are or how "ridiculous" they are.
Bravo, BYU.
Bible beaters. It's 2011 – get out of the stone age
@Jersey George
The Mormon church does not support polygamy anymore. It is against what the church now believes. that is a different church, the FLDS.. not the LDS.... get your facts straight.
Hey Webb, if they are bible beaters, what exactly do you beat?
"Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
I Timothy 2:11-12
Polygamy anyone????? Gotta love Mormonism...look how it has transformed Glen Beck!
Ignorance anyone???? Polygamy was banned by the official Mormon church over 100 years ago. Anyone who identifies today as a polygamous Mormon has no affiliation with the official church. There are nearly 14 million members of the official Mormon church, and less than 20,000 self-identified polygamists living in polygamous households. Even if you counted polygamists as "Mormons", which they're not, they would make up less than 0.2% of the entire Mormon population. But don't let information and knowledge influence your opinion.
Yes...and anyone who lives in Utah knows that polygamists are protected by authorities and LDS leaders. The LDS doesn't participate in polygamy, but it is still a holy grail in the eyes of the LDS and they pretend to ignore that it happens, even if it is blatant. There are communities of polygamists EVERYWHERE in Utah – and they go about their business of suppressing and abusing women and children; and participating in fraud to receive social security and AUTHORITIES WILL NOT TOUCH THEM! Every mormon I know, or have ever known (and that is quite a few) is nothing but a hypocrite.
Kristi- Really? Every mormon knows that polygamy is the holy grail? It's nice that you spew what some anti-mormon preacher told you in a back alley, but boy are you in left field. Saying that to a member of the LDS church is like saying we all have horns on our head- you are so in left field you sound like a whack job. Get your facts straight before you spew hate
Yes, polygamy was officially banned 100 years ago, although commonly practiced by members and church leaders for quite some time afterwards. They did that so they could help Utah achieve statehood, so they could now control a state instate of just a territory. But it wasn't until 1978 that they stopped preaching that black people were an inferior race, unfit for full church membership or priesthood, and that their appearance was the "mark of Cain" and a sign of evil. That was when they were expanding into Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Coincidence I'm sure.
Jared – I'm looking forward to your reply to ShaggyDogs comment. Eagerly.
To shaggy dogg- again you are spewing what you have been told, not what the facts are. Although some people preached that Blacks were inferior (as many people of the time- Even Abraham Lincoln), your facts are incorrect. We had a general authority (highest church leader) who was black and was ordained to that office by the Church's founder Joseph Smith (who by the way, often said if you give a black man the same upbringing and opportunities as a white man, they will be equal. This was twenty years before Abraham Lincoln was saying blacks are inferior, however they should not be slaves. With the real facts you see things differently don't you. Go tell whoever told you that lie the truth now.
The one black dude was treated well way back when excuse is nice. But that was while Joseph Smith was in charge. Joe Smith also wanted to free all the slaves and ship them back to Africa, which was nice of him. But the great Brigham Young, after whom the University in question was named, was the one who banned blacks and talked about their inferiority, all that jazz. And from the 1850's until the late 1970's this was the Churches official policy. So no lying there.
Of course the world should believe those who banter us with their insufferable word vomit that they heard from a friend of a friend of a friend once a few years back, not the people who actually know what they're talking about.
You're not going to win with as little information as you've heard, not when you're arguing with people who have lived their whole lives with the actual doctrine being taught to us.
Everyone has their dirty laundry, except we learn new things and clean it. The polygamy fiasco came about when husbands and fathers were lost and their families needed to be taken care of, and then things got out of hand with some. The practice was almost immediately addressed with something as simple as "hey, don't do that anymore", but the church's official stance on it was a bit delayed due to, you know, walking around the entire country trying to find a place where they wouldn't be killed. And sure, 1978 was a bit overdue to treat black people more equally, but 2000 was a bit overdue for the state of Missouri to finally lift the execution order on all Mormons in the state.
You want to talk about Hypocrites? Discriminating a religion for being so closed-minded, and then trashing "doctrine" with your own closed-mined garbage.
The kid knew what he was getting himself into.
(by the way, I haven't been to church in 6 years, not a fan of organized religion myself, but i will defend the principles on which i was raised until the day i die).
When I first heard about this suspension, I thought that maybe he had dared to look at a white girl.
@shaggydog....not only did the church stop using slaves before the us BUT they also ban polygamy...read a book! if you want info on LDS church then get it from the lds church....www.lds.org
I don't think this is an issue of opinion. Or a rumor, or hearsay. The Mormon church didn't allow black people to be full members or priests from 1852 to 1978. And Brigham Young stated they have the "mark of Cain" on them. I don't think you can dispute those facts. You can make up excuses if you want. Which you have. But these are facts, not rumors. And not even disputable facts, the Church has openly admitted them. That Elijah Abel is your religion's "Black friend" is great. (I'm not racist, I have a black friend!)
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, p. 266).
Also, "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 269).
I forgot to add that these words were written by the Mormon prophet Brigham Young:
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, p. 266).
Also, "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p. 269).
Jaredlives- Nice way to take words out of context. Have you read the rest of that comment from Brigham Young? I have. I can tell you have not because there is a word in your quote that is not contained in the original notes written by Parley P. Pratt. The word in your quote started as a simple typing mistake on an anti-mormon web site, so it is obvious you are just copying some web site (probably that copied their info from the erroneous site). You have no idea what you are talking about or where that came from, if you did, you would understand what every other mormon on this site is saying. One of the fundamental tenants of our religion is we are all brothers and sisters. Equal. That we are punished for our own sins not those of our fathers. It is and always has been a major point in our religion. You just don't get it.
He knew what the honor code requirements were going in. If he didn't want to be held to them, he had the option of not attending BYU. I applaud the university for insisting thier rules be followed, even at the cost of winning games. At least some people have thier priorities straight.
I heard he had a sip of Snapple, in direct violation of the ordinance against drinking tea. I applaud BYU for standing up to mild caffeine products, but I wish they would take an equally tough stance against carbonated beverages, or as I like to call them, "The Devil's Fizz."
The NBA should think about applying standards like BYU's to their players. Good for BYU.
After reading this article and looking at the official BYU honor code. I find a flaw within the honor system. BYU has a dress code that is suppose to be applied to all students in a parts of their life. How is it that the BYU cheerleaders uniforms don't abide by those rules. I see that there is more to this then BYU is letting be known.
OHHHH very true how is it that they would provide cheerleader uniforms that directly violate the code
Richard: The Honor Code office gives exceptions across the athletic groups, because some style of dress is necessary for each event.
For example, male swimmers don't wear shirts. Basketball players wear sleeveless jerseys so they can still play. Cheerleaders are doing a lot of cheers that require them to jump high, kick their legs, etc. Their uniforms are the most modest in the Nation, but they allow the cheers to be completed safely.
All the sports you listed can have the athelets wear the proper clothing and compete at the same level, yet there is an exception to the rule which shouldn't occur is we are going to stay completely within the honor code
exceptions is the key word. exception for this...exception for that. While yes as a unniveristy they have the right to make their own rules, essentially they are digging themselves a hole. I commend the university for their high standard but at the same time if they make exceptions to their standards then certainly why cant they in this case?
The honor code tells us to use good judgment. Some people interpret many rules to an extremity. As a mormon, I believe in moderation and rationale. I find it perfectly acceptable when participating in sports to wear clothes that are less restrictive, which often means they don't fit in the modest category. But it doesn't have to mean you are immodest. It's ironic it's a bigger deal to people not following it than it is to most of the people who are following it.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/5664/byu-alters-hoopsters-photo-to-hide-tattoos
Well, this has officially scared off their recruiting class for the next 5 years.
Trust me when I say BYU does not have a problem recruiting students. It is actually fairly difficult to get into.
byustudent you are crazy if you think that athletes that BYU recruit go through the same applicaiton process as a regular student. I am sure they "push through" who they want!
Honor Code? #1 Be Honest...I live in Idaho where we have a significant Mormon population. Honesty is by far not their strong suit. I actually have heard that Utah is one of the leading states for fraud with Mormons preying upon Mormons. Also, considering their past history of racism, I wonder if this were Jimmer would the same action be taken. Just some food for thought.
I am a student at BYU and I have yet to meet someone on campus who does not support the University's decision to suspend Brandon Davies. However, there is still an incredible amount of support for him as he hopefully tries to move past it. Yew we have an Honor Code. The Honor Code is one of the main reasons why we choose to come here. I am a die hard college basketball fan (you're gonna have to take my word for it), and March is the best time of the year but I would never sacrifice my standards or my morals for the sake of a basketball game. I know I will get criticism for it but we all know what we sign when we come here and we have to resign it every year if we want to come back.
How about the military academies? They have some of the most stringent Honor Codes. Let's have them drop their standards to better their sports programs. Ah, No thanks.
What I appreciate about this is that the player (Davies) himself went and confessed the violation. It must've killed him to do it, but shows he believed in being honest.
Good point. I applaud him for that, too. Most players in the past "get caught" and leave the school. Davies has shown that he accepted his responsibility in this issue.
Well, at least he can bang his girlfriend without feeling guilty.... sucks when that inner child with the halo gets in the way of "finishing"...
Did he go confess to the Honor Code Office (HCO), or did his girlfriend's roommate go to the HCO after she walked in on them while in the act and then he admitted his guilt when questioned by the HCO? If he had confessed to his bishop, I think it would have stayed between the bishop and the him- at least that was the impression I got of how first-time offenses were handeled when confessed to the bishop.
good for BYU. While at many other schools, the easy thing would be to look the other way, cater to the boosters, put winning ahead of values and make up a "story" that absolved the player of self-responsibility. Players know what they're signing up for. It's a choice. Don't blame the standards-that's a cop-out..
Not the first. I'm not sure how many time this has happened over the years, but one of the really good scholarship swimmers on our team in 1968 got kicked out for violating the code.
So, is it ok for the kids to mastrubate and think dirty thoughts while they do it? Can the Dean read minds too?
Why? Are you thinking of enrolling? 😉