The John Chaney Donnybrook

Upset by what he thought were illegal screens by Saint Joseph's that were not being called by the officials, Temple head coach John Chaney resorted to thugery by sending into the game seldom-used Nehemiah Ingram to "send a message." Ingram started throwing his arms around and tossing elbows, once connecting hard to the chin of Hawks center Dwayne Jones, and had a hard foul on John Bryant that left him sprawled on the court for several minutes with what x-rays later revealed as a broken arm. (From ESPN)

Chaney has since issued several apologies (to Jones' family and university of Saint Joseph) and has pulled himself from the bench for at least the duration of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

Is it enough? Time for a donnybrook with Spork Boy and Harper.

Harper says:
He should be fired.

Spork Boy says:
I think he needs to go. But let him have one final year. Call it the "Anger Management Tour."

Harper says:
Why give him another year? Why take the chance that some other college player might have his season curtailed if Chaney gets a little hot under the collar? No, he was the reason Bryant’s arm is broken. Can him.

Spork Boy says:
The only thing that keeps me from screaming "fire him" is the fact that Chaney admitted wrong-doing, keeps apologizing, keeps increasing his punishment, and keeps showing remorse. Harper says: That’s called CYA, Sporkie. It’s the I-Don’t-Want-to-Lose-My-Million-Dollar-a-Year-Job dribble. It's one thing to send someone out to act like a goon, but when it gets to the point that an opposing player receives a season-ending injury--that coach has to go.

Spork Boy says:
He did a stupid, dirty deed, but he admitted as much. Rarely does anybody apologize anymore. But the broken bone was technically not Chaney's fault. He didn't actually break the bone. He didn't commit the foul.

Harper says:
So, I can go break your kneecap and as long as I apologize and punish myself by not going for tortilla soup for three months, everything would be okay? He sent in a goon—whether or not he fully considered the consequences of this action (i.e., a broken bone) doesn’t matter. He was the one with the premeditated thought to send in the goon to rough things up…and something worse than he expected happened. He’s responsible for that.

Spork Boy says:
But according to your logic, it would be okay if you smacked my kneecap and it didn't break.

Harper says:
I never said that.

Spork Boy says:
“It's one thing to send someone out to act like a goon, but when it gets to the point that a player is hurt--a broken bone that causes him to miss the rest of the season--that coach has to go.” So if the arm was not broken, just a bunch of really hard fouls, Chaney can keep his job?

Harper says:
No, Mr.-I-Want-to-Get-into-an-Argument-So-I-Can-Post-This. Nowhere in that statement does it condone sending in the goon. Bottom line: He should receive a lengthy suspension for sending in the goon; he should be fired for sending in a goon, the result of which was a season-ending injury to another player.

Spork Boy says:
I'm going with intent on Chaney. He didn't intend for any bone to be broken. He just wanted to send a message. His player just happened to do too good of a job. Besides, Chaney simply got caught doing what most coaches and teams do anyway.

Harper says:
Intent to harm, Sporkie! I hope the NCAA sends it own message to these over-the-top coaches who think they can get away with anything these days. You think John Wooden never got pissed off over the officiating? Of course, he did. But the man never took it out on an opposing player.

Spork Boy says:
Suspended, yes. Fired, no. But I think Chaney needs to step down at the end of next year. He's had too long a history of being an angry, angry man. He needs to take an anger management course and give lectures on the subject. He's traditionally been a man who doesn't shy away from issues. Well, here is one issue he shouldn't shy away from. Thus, the “John Chaney Anger Management Farewell Season.”

Harper says:
May it end in March 2005.
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What are your thoughts? Suspend John Chaney? Fire him? Dip him in a vat of molten toffee and roll him in nuts? Click on the comments link and join the donnybrook!