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Football players steal copies of campus newspaper, coach says 'I'm proud they did that'

Mar 2, 2010, 5:00 PM EDT

43 Comments

If you were on the campus of Texas A&M-Commerce last week looking for a copy of the student newspaper, well, no soup for you. It seems that members of the football team stole them all. Look at this sad, empty news rack. The ones on the bottom are a week old! (Cries). The thefts occurred because the jocks didn’t like what the nerds wrote about them in the lead article: Detailing the arrest of two A&M-Commerce football players in a drug bust. It’s a logical thing: If you don’t like what’s written about you, steal all copies of the paper. But here’s the best part: When asked about the thefts, A&M-Commerce head football coach Guy Morriss said:

“I am proud of my players for doing that. This was the best team building exercise we have ever done.”

Now we have a controversy, folks.


From the East Texan:

President Dan Jones said he met with Morris a few days later on Mar. 1. During the meeting, Jones said he and Morriss discussed disciplinary actions for the football players involved. Morriss said he would not make any apologies for the team, and they would suffer the consequences as a team, since the team committed the action.

Bone said he met with Athletic Director Carlton Cooper about the thefts. Cooper said he did not think the players involved could have planned the theft.

“I don’t think they are smart enough to do this on their own,” Cooper said.

Ha. Another hilarious excerpt from the story:

On Feb. 26, Bone said he was asked by Assistant Chief of the University Police Department Bryan Vaughn to come to his office. When he arrived, Bone said he saw Morriss in Vaughn’s office. Bone asked Morris if he had seen the most recent issue of the paper. Morris replied with negative comments regarding The East Texan.

“I don’t read that crap,” he said.

Bone said he then showed Morriss the top headline on the front page of the edition, which read, “Football players arrested in drug bust.” To this Morriss responded he did not pay any attention to that crap. Morriss then asked for clarification on how taking a free paper was considered theft.

Attorney Advocate for the Student Press Law Center Adam Goldstein said the actions taken by members of the football team are illegal. He said he did not think it would be a legal violation if they had a legitimate purpose for taking more than one.

“I think the problem comes when they try to take so many that it interferes with the basic purpose for why a newspaper exists,” he said. “Publications can limit it to one. Certainly one is a rational number.”

Bone said he told Morriss inside the paper there is a statement explaining that the first issue is free, but every issue after that costs 25 cents. Morriss said he was not in agreement with the policy stated in The East Texan.

“I guess I will be the first one out of the door in handcuffs then,” Morriss said.

Because you see kids, lashing out at the press for your misdeeds is now the American way. A free press is not important as long as your Div. II football team feels that they are bonding. It’s important to handle things like this the way that Stalin or Goebbels would.
One other thing I should point out: The East Texan rakes in dozens of journalism awards annually, and in 2006 was named the best small collegiate weekly newspaper in Texas by the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. Last season the football team was 5-5 overall, including a 41-7 loss to Southeastern Louisiana.
Perhaps, Mr. Morriss, instead of stealing the papers, your players should be reading them for tips on how to succeed.
***
Football Coach Proud That His Players Stole Newspapers [AOL Fanhouse]
Morriss: ‘I’m proud of my players for doing that’ [The East Texan]

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  1. Christina - Mar 3, 2010 at 9:35 AM

    As a student of TAMU-Commerce, I think the coach’s and the players actions are disgusting. We have all been guilty of taking more than one newspaper, but the intent was to share a story written about a group that we are in or a story that we have written. This was only about trying to cover up a story about a football player getting busted in a drug bust. That is a restriction on free press.

  2. Really? - Mar 3, 2010 at 10:29 AM

    Maybe if the players weren’t getting busted for drugs they wouldn’t have to worry about stealing newspapers to cover it up. They ****** up and they should deal with it. Apparently the coach doesn’t care if they are busted with drugs so why hide it in the first place.
    A team-bonding experience??? Seems like they should just keep messing around with drugs since their coach dismisses anything the paper prints anyway. If they want to bond as a team, they should just cut the players involved in the drug situation and show some integrity.

  3. Otis - Mar 3, 2010 at 10:36 AM

    >>Just nuke texas and get it over with. It’ll raise the nation’s average IQ by 30 points.

  4. Paul in KY - Mar 3, 2010 at 10:59 AM

    If you don’t want to be in the effing paper, then don’t get arrested for dealing drugs, etc. The coach & players are stupid. Their theft has made those players (who were in story) and the whole team get alot more bad publicity than if they’d just left them alone.
    What ever happened to ‘man up & admit your mistakes’?!
    I wonder if the coach is smart enough to run a college program.

  5. Adam Sparks - Mar 3, 2010 at 1:24 PM

    I am a student at Texas A&M Commerce and I’m appalled by the actions taken by our new coach. I believe he is under probation for being a new coach and his job may be in jeopardy. It is under investigation right now, but I fully support the newspaper. I read that news paper each week and they are very fair and balanced. Its idiotic of our football team to do something this stupid!

  6. Illinifan - Mar 3, 2010 at 1:54 PM

    Those papers are not “free”, the school paper is paid for by fees that the students pay. By depriving the students of what they have paid for, the football team has committed theft. Maybe the idiot football team shouldn’t be getting caught with drugs?

  7. R - Mar 3, 2010 at 2:46 PM

    Your right about where the money would be left…anyone that has been on campus whether student, faculty or staff knows that the papers are in an open display rack and not in stand which requires a monetary deposit. Now does that give them the right to remove ALL the papers no, but to say they stole them is a little much.
    Besides, the paper is online as well as the Banner and the drug bust was reported online so if anyone was interested they would have read it there anyway.
    I am not condoning bad behavior, but I sure as heck don’t believe we need to broadcast our dirty laundry to the entire world. Fox 4 News…did we really have to go there?

  8. NJ - Mar 3, 2010 at 2:51 PM

    You really have a way with words, don’t you? Flawless logic like: paper makes football team feel bad, so paper should be stolen.
    Who needs to grow up and stop crying in this story? Gee…let me think…….nope, too much work. Easier to just mindlessly bitch about journalism.

  9. Dan Alexander - Mar 3, 2010 at 4:41 PM

    Although the college newspaper is distributed for free, removing all of the issues from the racks is actually a crime, according to the Student Press Law Center.
    From the Student Press Law Center Website…
    Criminal prosecution:
    Possible charges include: larceny, petty theft, criminal mischief or destruction of property. Though not necessary to prosecute a theft, Maryland and Colorado have a specific state law making the taking of a free distribution newspaper a crime. Ultimately the decision to pursue criminal charges is up to the local prosecutor.
    Campus disciplinary action:
    Even if there is insufficient evidence or grounds for criminal prosecution, newspaper thieves can be punished by campus officials for their misbehavior. While pursuing such punishment is also up to those issuing the discipline, student media can keep pressure on campus officials to take appropriate action and then follow up on the outcome.
    Civil lawsuit for damages:
    This type of claim is solely in your hands and can be a way to recover financial losses suffered by the newspaper. Depending on the amount of loss (frequently a maximum of $2,500), student media may be able to pursue this claim on their own in small claims court for minimum cost and without the expense of an attorney. You will need to have carefully documented evidence of your losses. If small claims court is not an option, you will probably need to hire an attorney. The SPLC can discuss this option with you in more detail.
    First Amendment claim:
    Newspaper theft is censorship. And if the perpertrator is a government official — which would include any public school administrator, employee or faculty member — he or she has likely violated the First Amendment and can be sued under applicable civil rights laws. That’s exactly what happened when former San Francisco police chief Richard Hongisto and two of his officers were successfully sued in 1994 for having seized approximately 2,000 copies of The Bay Times, a free weekly publication that had criticized Hongisto. Coming Up, Inc. v. San Francisco County, 92-CV-3714 (N.D. Calif. Sept. 16, 1994).
    Texas A&M’s coach (Guy Morriss) should be fired (whether he instigated the theft or not). Based solely upon his comments, this man has shown ignorance and contempt for the law. He has admitted to encouraging this illegal/unethical behavior and therefore should lose the privilege of (1.) representing any institution of higher learning, and (2.) the privilege of mentoring students. Furthermore, if the administration at Texas A&M does not fire coach Morriss from his position, they are then complacent in the illegal/unethical behavior. What kind of message would that send to our youth? They might as well allow their students to cheat on tests and plagiarize.
    The sad thing is that this coach seems to be too ignorant to be ashamed.

  10. Danielle - Mar 3, 2010 at 5:44 PM

    This is incredible! I can’t believe the jocks would think this was an acceptable thing to do … Er, maybe I can.

  11. Jordan - Mar 3, 2010 at 7:20 PM

    Why would the team’s performance be relevant in article about the team’s off-field discipline issues? Are you saying winning excuses drug use and theft/illegal censorship?

  12. Tim - Mar 3, 2010 at 9:25 PM

    As a student and staff member of Texas A & M University- Commerce I can tell you that the school paper usually has nothing but good things to say about the football team, both in triumph and in failure throughout the year. However, the issue here is whether we the students and public deserved to know what was going on both at and around the university and to be denied that basic fundamental right is absurd. Freedom of the Press…. one of our basic First Amendment rights as guaranteed under the Bill of Rights attached to the United States Constitution. This, I believe, is a violation of the First Amendment, and a criminal act of theft, especially if it is listed that you get only one free.
    The issue in general is not so much the money as the denial of a free press to communicate to the public issues which affect us and that we should be informed about. We still have students just now finding out that these students were arrested for drugs and that is unfortunate. I myself had heard about it and was asked about it while away at a conference over the past weekend and can tell you it is embarrassing and it would have been much more so had I not heard about it. We need to guarantee and defend our First Amendment rights instead of simply brushing them aside when it is expedient. We have a right to know this information, it is not national security top secret worthy information it should be in the public domain.

  13. Lucky Lion - Mar 4, 2010 at 12:31 AM

    I attend TAMU-Commerce and on campus it was really no big deal that the football players took the newspapers. Honestly only a few people read them and the copies stay in the racks until they finally get thrown away This is really not as big as it seems because they did not steal them because they are free!!! and out in the OPEN!!! it does not say how many to take it just says take one with a big FREE sign above them

  14. Tim - Mar 4, 2010 at 12:57 AM

    To keep events such as this happening they state in the paper that after one free issue they cost money (though it is only 25 cents). Normally, its no big deal if you take 2 or 3 because as you stated not everyone reads it and its hard to enforce. However, some of us actually do read the paper and to censor the flow of information to the students is still outrageous. I’m not the biggest fan of The East Texan, but I see them as a good resource to stay atop of what’ going on around campus. Sometimes they get hitting stories like this that we should know about, especially after a new $10 per semester credit hour fee was approved for the athletic department specifically and because we’re spending a lot of money to improve our football stadium, etc. We increase funding and then the football players go and censor our own paper and the coach approves of it. Outrageous, of course nothing will happen from this, it will get brushed quietly under the rug after the national attention wanes the punishment will be light and we’ll all forget about it for the sake of football. At times it seems sports and those who play or coach them are somehow elevated above the other students, academics, and our even our basic rights and citizens of the United States, but that could just be my opinion from my own observations.

  15. opinionated old fart - Mar 8, 2010 at 11:55 AM

    I am a previously proud alumnus of A&M Commerce back when it was East Texas State. They once had a great football program and produced players like Harvey Martin (super bowl MVP), and Dwight White (two time pro bowler), and NFL QB Wade Wilson. Now this fool Morriss brings nothing but ridicule to the school. Some idiots will always do dope, some football players will always think they are above the law, and some fans will always pretend that it’s no big deal since they think athletes should be above the law. We should, however, be able to expect more from alleged grown ups like Moron Morriss.

  16. football player - Apr 1, 2010 at 9:04 AM

    “If you CAN then DO, if you CAN’T then Report on it”. How often do the geeks in the press take shots at those they are jealous of?
    The author of thi article suggests the players read the paper to learn how thy can win more? You don’t have the guts or mental strength to make it through a football season, so quit hiding behind your laptop criticising others.
    I hate you all, I hope you die!

  17. Chris H. - Apr 1, 2010 at 12:49 PM

    Bottom line. Never mind if the paper is free, was the decision to take all the papers to cover up an unflattering article ethical. I would say a resounding NO.

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