BY RANDY ECONOMY
http://www.economy4abc.blogspot.com/
August 20, 2010
5:30 p.m.
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Say it ain't so, Coach A.
Many of us are in a state of shock tonight....
Legendary St. Paul Catholic High School Football Coach Marion Ancich and other members of his famed staff have been placed on an "administrative leave" after a hazing scandal that involves "several current players" as possible "victims."
NBC 4 News in LA is reporting that the beloved iconic "Coach A" is in a heap of trouble.
Here are some of the charges being levied against Ancich and only being reported on NBC 4 News tonight:
- "Severe" hazing and harassment incidents against several current freshman/incoming players.
- Incoming varsity players were allegedly forced to run a "gauntlet" while objects were thrown at them by returning varsity players.
- Complaints of paddling or spanking taking place
- At least two coaches have been reinstated because it was determined they were not present when the alleged hazing occurred.
Generations have played for Coach Ancich over the decades.
He began coaching 50 years ago in 1961. He also coached at my Alma Mater of Cerritos College. Heck, we all know Coach A.
There has to be more to this story....
St. Paul's principal Kate Aceves sent the following letter to parents of football players on Thursday:
I am trying to get a copy of that letter. If you have it, please email me a copy to RREconomy@aol.com.
Also, the St. Paul High School website does not mention the incident tonight.
If you want to "sound off" on this news, hit my comment section.
19 comments:
I use to be on Coach A's team at St. Paul in the 80's. Heck yeah he is tough as nails. We need MORE coaches like him in our schools. This guy MAKES MEN out of LITTLE BOYS!
I will defend Coach A 1000 PERCENT!
Saw the report. More to this story. Lot's more. Coach is a legend around here. Don't believe it.
Agree with EX comment. We need TOUGH COACHES in our SCHOOLS. He WINS and is LOVED BY THOUSANDS OF HIS PAST PLAYERS!
I caught this on the news. Come on. Are you kidding. OF COURSE he is a tough SOB. We need more like him. We would have less gangbangers running around Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs if it wasn't for COACH A!
This is interesting.
I went to the St. Paul High School Web site tonight and they have literally "disabled" all of their site links and uploaded information for the "next two weeks."
What a crock of crap.
What is this Principal trying to prove.
They run Coach Ancich up a flag pole and then pull down their web site....
To St. Paul Mega Booster:
I know. I checked the website at www.stpaulhs.org and you can't get past the front page.
Strange, ain't it?
Randy
player
at saint paul theres is no such thing as ha+zing in our voccabulary all we know is tradition and family all of this is unneeded
It's interesting that as a current parent at the school, I was able to access the website about a week ago.
I wonder who leaked this? This should have been taken care of "in house". Enough already with all the P.C.C. (politically correct crap).
I wonder why the St. Paul HS web site is "down" for the next two weeks. School just began. I think this is a bunch of bull shit. How come this isn't on the Whittier Daily News or the LA TIMES?
í played football there in the mid 90's hazing always has and always will be a part of that program . they try to convince you that it builds character makes you stronger and brings you into the "family" . funny, thats what gangs say after they jump in a new member
In 1975, during hell week, as soon as the coaches all went home for the night, practically the entire varsity team went into the gym. We got out a film projector, pulled down the BIG movie screen that hangs over the high school stage and watched porn until midnight. Then we divided up into teams and ran around half naked all night bombing each from the roof of the gym with 40lb bags of field chalk.
There were a few guys who had some beer, and, when the Principal at the time, Father Ryan, saw a beer can in the trash the next day, he got pissed and mentioned it to Coach Ancich. Ancich mentioned it to our team captains, and, well, if you were there, it was the most wonderful example of a team policing itself that I ever saw.
Nobody got in trouble for the adult films, but, given the justice meted out by the team captains and by the coaches after practice the next night, this hazing incident needs to be dismissed.
I speculate no coaches had anything to do with it, weren't there, did not condone it, and did not know it was going to happen.
So, let me get this straight. There are SPHS students accused of "hazing" other SPHS students, so the principal put the coaches on suspension. This sounds like a CYA move by the Principal, the LA Archdiocese and their attorneys.
I'm glad I grew up when I did. It was such a blast. I sure don't want anyone to get hurt, but I hate the PC bullshit that limits everybody's fun today. It's like growing up with your mother watching your every move.
I've been reading other blogs and one of the speculations is that the football player who said he got hazed is the nephew of a former employee fired. Apparently this former employee was hired by then Principal Lori Barr as a football liason for a reported 70k. Oubviously an exhorbant amount.
She was fired a week before graduation, her personal and school computer were confiscated and soon afterwards, this person was fired. Suspicious? You be the judge. Some are saying that this may be a ploy to plot revenge against the football program and the school.
Ultimately, we'll probably never know what really happened. Did inappropriate and over the line behavior take place by a couple of players? Did real abuse occur? Perhaps some kids aren't able to face difficult challenges and they have a need to blame...? Or is there something more sinister taking place?
I was a player in the 70's and Coach Ancich is a great Coach, motivator and a maker of men. In over 30 years of coaching he has never been accused of anything. We had many traditions at SPHS, and I believe that is why Coach was so successful. Times have definitely changed and I certainly would not want to be a Coach or Teacher or any authority figure working with young people today, because our youth is taught to sue and defame these figures today, and careers and reputations are destroyed in an instant as well as lives, with false allegations. These traditions were used to form discipline, as well as a concept called "TEAM", which we all know is seriously lacking in sports today. I am all for " Traditions"' or hazing as our sue happy society calls it so long as NO one is hurt or injured.
Player doesn't like it, then go to a public school. Too many Liberan PANSY parents fighting battles for their kids. Run home to momma and cry your eyes out!
SPHS Alum here. This does not even remotely surprise me. The mentality of the SPHS Football players is, in a word, moronic. This whole thing does not surprise me in the slightest. Hazing is a right of passage? Hazing builds character? No, it doesn't. It promotes bullying. I have no use for bullies. Never have, never will.
Oh and before you bash me, I played football at St. Paul. I was hazed. I didn't like it. It didn't make me a man. My father made me the man I am today. Not Ancich, not St. Paul football. When the time came for me to haze, I refrained. I was more of man for NOT hazing.
Hazing is out right wrong. You attend a catholic high school with every intention of applying all your catholic core values into everything that you do. Hazing breaks away from that. You can't pray every day in school, attend monthly mass, receive the Eucharist, brush up on social justice and then start hazing when it's hell week. It's senseless. Hazing might be a right of passage for the win! win!, but is an absolute loss in terms of respect, and honoring one's dignity. It goes against everything that Christ taught us.
I played sports (including football) for four years at St. Paul from 1972-1976 and never once observed, participated in, or was subjected to any hazing whatsoever. I threw an interception during one game and Coach Ancich made me sweep the locker room...I would not classify that as hazing. I am a volunteer coach currently and realize society and parents are very different than 30+ years ago but the methods used by Coach Ancich have always been above board. By the way, I was on the 1975 football team and do not recall anything close to the after hours activities posted previously. Maybe I was home doing my homework, that helped me get into a four year college on a full academic scholarship. I am a successful businessman and CEO of a large healthcare organization and don't feel scared at all by my St. Paul experience, in fact, I am here because of my St. Paul experience.
I went to SPHS from 74-78. We did a lot of stupid things and enjoyed all of it. I remember the incident in the gym but it was a year or two ahead of me. I somehow remember the '75 seniors being more rowdy than us. We did things and people got hurt and sometimes we got caught and punished. But I don't remember any initiation or hazing or any team related stuff. We were pretty good at doing things to ourselves.
I'll float something that I havent heard discussed. I noticed after the first time Ancich left, things changed. We had a lot more tradition, handholding, praying, singing, yelling, chanting and crying. That stuff only goes so far. There are a lot of big boys playing football in the LA area. I don't think we had the rituals back then that they have now.
The coaches never had anything to do with the so.called hazing....if u call shaving your head hazing if it wasn't cut short enough before hell week..there was nothing else going on. (1981).....bunch of pu$$ies now days...
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