Ok,1.) I don't feel bad for posting this because there are only about 12 random people who check this blog daily anyway (I'm looking at you, Englewood, CO. Thanks.), and
2.) It was gonna get out there anyway.
Still, I somehow still feel like I'm contributing to the demise of a very good coach by letting you know about Andy Kennedy's latest bit of assholery. This could be really, really messy, gang. Make no bones about it: he could get fired over this. I certainly hope not, but the University of Mississippi, when it comes to racism, lives in a fishbowl. I'm very busy at work today, but I'll do my best to stay on top of this situation and keep you posted.
Honestly though, before I get back to work here, is there anybody who is really surprised to see the news after clicking that link? If I had a nickel for everytime Andy Kennedy was just wrecked, bellied up at the Sports Bar, hitting on some 20 year old girl, I wouldn't have to be working right now. I know this is a knee-jerk reaction, but its hard for me to have sympathy for someone who has great talent and great opportunity, but wants to throw it all away to put a buzz on and look at college girls. Why in the hell was he out until the wee hours of the morning, anyway?
Further, I find it ironic that the one place his whole "I don't give a shit, I'm Billy Badass" charade caught up to him was back in Cincinatti. I mean, I would imagine that somebody could reasonable expect to get away with these antics in a major city, where its easier to get lost in the crowd. Its when he brought that show to Oxford, where literally 98% of the population could recognize him as he's barfing behind a dumpster, that he could've easily be penalized for acting like a lush. Somehow though, it took a return trip to Cincy for that to happen. You can't make this stuff up.
By the way, Lousiville is liable to beat us by 40 tonight. Oh boy, indeed.
- Update # 1: POSTED: 8:18 am EST December 18, 2008
UPDATED: 9:38 am EST December 18, 2008
CINCINNATI -- A former interim University of Cincinnati's head men's basketball coach was arrested early Thursday on an assault charge.
A complaint filed in Hamilton County Municipal Court states that Andy Kennedy "punched (the) victim with a closed fist while shouting racial slurs," at 550 Walnut Street at about 1 a.m.
The victim is listed as cab driver Mohammed Jiddou.
No other information has been released so far.
Stream of consciousness thoughts as this thing plays out:
This is not going away. The more I hear about this, the worse it gets for Kennedy. Yes, he went to jail sometime around 1:00 this morning. I did that once. I was 18 years old and it was my birthday and the University Police Department thought I'd had a few too many to be in public. Not exemplary behavior, but... I was 18 year old.
Andy Kennedy is a grown ass man, but more importantly an ambassador of the University of Mississippi, which is completely different than being an ambassador to any other school in the nation on this one little issue: race. We are the only school in the nation that had a riot in the 60's...FROM THE RIGHT. We have been in a perpetual state of damage control for the past 46 years because people from all over the south decided to infiltrate our campus and make us their battle ground. We have apologized, and damage controlled, and media relationed and statue erected until we were blue in the face. All of us, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, take the blame for things like this. I have told myself that I was going to try and quit using curse words on this blog but I am sorry I cannot because I cannot, for the life of me, quit trying to figure out just WHAT IN THE MOTHERFUCK WERE YOU THINKING, Andy? Why? I am so tired of having to defend the University against ignorant assholes who think we're all backwards and what do you do but hand them a fresh arsenal of ammunition. This is literally making me sick - like nauseated sick.
I will not be surprised, nor saddened, if Kennedy is gone by tip-off tonight. By the time the ESPN crew talks about Ole Miss' tumultuous past for the first 20 minutes, by the time we've all seen the Meredith footage coming out of commercial break, by the time I finish my fourth bourbon drink and am ready to punch a hole in the wall, I think most every one will agree with me: Kennedy needs to be gone. Yesterday. Good riddance.
More updates to follow.
- Update # 2: From Cincinatti.com Posted at 9:38 a.m.
Kennedy has hired attorney Mike Allen to represent him. Allen pleaded
not guilty on behalf of his client this morning. He said Kennedy "emphatically denies this and emphatically denies making any racial slurs.
So I think paying attention to the comments section on news sights is just an exercise in stupidity, as any dummy with a keyboard can weigh in. All the morons come out of the woodwork. Check any comment section on a youtube video for proof. The reason I say as much is because the Hotty Toddy Blog is urging people to notice all of the comments in the above link claiming that Cincinatti's troubled racial makeup has produced other "false alarm" race card pullings in the past. Take that for what its worth. Personally, I don't think its worth much at all.
Maybe I am being a bit reactionary here. But listen: even if Kennedy never said a word during this altercation, even if he never threw the first punch, why in the world is he out at 1:00 a.m. in Cincinatti the night before his struggling team plays its biggest game of the year on national television? Shouldn't he be thinking about Ole Miss basketball? At the very least, this shows a propensity for terrible, terrible judgement.
- Update #3: From this website. Posted at 9:59 a.m.
The police report states that there was an unrelated witness who saw the incident.Kennedy is charged with misdemeanor assault. He has a court appearance set for 12:30 today but he will not have to appear if an attorney makes an appearance and enters a written plea on his behalf.
This is not "he said" vs. "he said". There's a witness. Also, in the first quasi-silver lining news of the day, Deadspin has the story as "Mississippi State's Coach Arrested." Sure that won't be the last time that happens today. So we got that going for us.
- Update #4: Details steadily emerging:
Also arrested was William Armstrong, the director of operations at Mississippi, on a charge of disorderly conduct, reports show.
Reports state Armstrong, 31, was drunk and thrown out of the Lodge Bar downtown early this morning.
After that, he and Kennedy got a cab. A report says Armstrong taunted the driver “in which his conduct was likely to cause a violent response.”A separate report says Kennedy “was the aggressor” and punched the driver, Mohammed Ould Jiddou. During the attack Kennedy used “racial slurs.”
Kennedy has hired former Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen to represent him. Allen entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client this morning. He said Kennedy "emphatically denies this and emphatically denies making any racial slurs."Police say a person standing nearby witnessed the assault and that Armstrong was so intoxicated he refused to calm down when asked and requested that he be taken to jail.
Mitchell Diggs, the assistant director of media at Mississippi, said the school's athletic director and chancellor are meeting about the situation. No decision has been made about whether Kennedy will coach tonight.
This keeps getting worse for the University. Now, not only is the coach suspected of being a backwards, militant lush, but so is someone from inside the University's current administration. Again, Kennedy is emphatically denying everything - except that he was housed at 1:00 a.m. the morning of the biggest game of the season. It will be interesting to see if he's on the sideline tonight. I've got to get to work, but will post updates periodically. What. A. Shitshow.
BTW, this here is Bill Armstrong.
- Update #'s 5 and 6, collectively:
First, legit Cincinatti Journalist Paul Dougherty blogs a little hope into the situation.
"Yep, actually talked to Someone Who Would Know just a few minutes ago. He said the cabbie dropped a racial slur on a member of Andy's party as they got into the cab... AK and his four companions, all his assistant coaches, got out of the cab and hailed another. As they were on their way back to their hotel, cops pulled them over and charged AK with assault. My source said AK assaulted no one and has 4 eyewitnesses to swear to it. Given what I know of Kennedy from having covered him as a head coach and as Huggins' top assistant, I believe this account."
So there's that. Maybe Kennedy didn't do anything at all. Maybe this is why the other blogs were with-holding their knee-jerk reactions. Still, guy was out at 1:00 a.m. and also, we're still dealing with crap like being on the front page of espn.com:
10 to 1 odds ESPN doesn't post a follow up story if Kennedy is found innocent. Theoretically, if this was all like a big hoax and the real Andy Kennedy is just now finding out about all this and laughing because some other tall bald white guy named Andy Kennedy got arrested last night, and everyone was just totally wrong about this entire thing...I still give ESPN 4 to 1 odds of posting a retraction. Eff ESPN.
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