Three cheers for Robert Carothers

The recent decision by University of Rhode Island President Robert Carothers has drawn both praise and criticism.

After being informed of the involvement of 31 members of the URI football team in a mass attack on a fraternity house, Carothers invited the ire of students, players, and athletic officials by behaving as his conscience told him to.

He jeopardized his team's playoff chances by choosing to forfeit the team's Oct. 26 game against Connecticut.

On Oct. 6, six Rams football players allegedly entered the Theta Delta Chi house and proceeded to beat up three members of that fraternity, while 25 teammates stood guard outside to prevent anyone from escaping.

While the entire team did not participate in the attack, Carothers determined that the number of those who did indicated a serious lapse in team integrity.

Carothers has set a new standard of character in intercollegiate athletics. He initiated an expedited investigation, got to the root of the problem, and took a huge step toward rectifying the situation.

Carothers' action toward the team can be likened to that of a stern but loving parent who has learned that his child has misbehaved. He took command of the situation and did not allow excuses.

The fact that no legal action had yet been taken caused some to attempt to get Carothers to change his mind.

While the head honchos at many universities have been very lax when it comes to unruly behavior by athletes, Carothers is holding every student at URI up to stringent code of conduct. His is so solemn in his refusal to back away from this principle that the team's best player, Cy Butler has been dismissed. Butler was one of those. identified as having gone into the frat house. He and the other five will play no more football in Rhode Island uniforms. Their 25 accomplices sat out last week's homecoming game against Boston University.

"This is not about football," Carothers told the Los Angeles Times. "This is about community standards. This is about character."

Carothers also acted to prevent future episodes like last month's by establishing a violence awareness task force on campus.

The president's decision to forfeit the Connecticut game was not the easy or popular choice, but the right one.

Huskies coach Skip Holtz was simply shocked, and considered his team potentially robbed of a chance to compete in the playoffs.

However, many at the university and across the nation fully supported Carothers. He was given encouragement by e-mail, newspapers, and broadcasters. It's about time someone reminded the athletic world, and the world in general, of the true purpose of a university.

"Civility is everything we are all about," he told the Times.

Rodd Cayton is the Sports Editor for the Daily Forty-Niner.