Nick Saban has a sophisticated view of discipline; he believes discipline is a restorative process where a player who has done wrong is gradually returned to fellowship with the team. In this view, punishment is a tool, not an end.
But sometimes players just cross the line. You can’t throw them a lifejacket. They are too far out.
Jimmy Johns is the perfect example. He has to pay the price for his sins.
In this case, his transgressions are serious. According to the Rap Sheet, Johns sold to undercover police officers five times. Johns is facing seven drug charges.
There’s no way to restore Johns. He had to go from the team and the University.
And this is the time to praise the police for their investigative efforts. While Johns is innocent until proven guilty, the police seem to have done their homework and conducted a model investigation. This is what we pay the police to do—catch major criminals.
For the latest information on the case, you can follow the developments from the best Alabama beat writer, Ian R. Rapoport.
Here’s what the TV guys are saying about the Johns’ arrest.
23 thoughts on “Johns case highlights discipline & punishment”
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So Johns is the kingpin of Tuscolumbia, Al. huh. Cap, you are right about him having to pay for his sins. This is serious. Can you imagine what potential prospects must be thinking, much less, their parents? I’t seems like it’s one thing after another with Bama. Somehow, I get the feeling Herb Winches is crying his eyes out.
So FinebaumJunkie,
What are you trying to say?
Yes, that was Saban showing his “sophisticated view of discipline.” The same one that allowed a DJ Hall to play in a game in which he was suspended. So give Saban all the credit here for his swift reaction. It’s not like he could keep the guy on scholarship while he is in jail!
All Im saying is that there could be some retraction in verbal commits. It almost seems like Bama has a curse on it, what with the continuous news stories of several people’s serious crimes. One was charged with first degree robbery, one has been charged with possession and distributing of cocaine, another was arrested for driving drunk on a road somebody we love could have been on. I have never saw anything like this.
Well Mr. Junkie – I guess you fell off the Turnip Truck in the Big City. Truth is that this is going on all around your country ass – likely at that Village on the Plains too. Do we have to review the Auburn Rap Sheet? Let’s be fair. It is scourge on every Football Program and everyday People.
Jimmy Johns Crap will not stick to the Wall.
No, Finebaum Flunkie, this is just another example of a Shula recruit with no integrity or discipline. When you see a Saban recruit selling drugs, call me. But Shula brought in one thug after another. You Aubies are so incredibly paranoid, you’ll look for anything.
Just keep battling Arkansas State and B’ham Southern for your recruits and mind your own business, fool.
Major criminal? I wouldn’t say that.
No robbery,
No beatings,
No murders.
Mutual transactions for illegal substances between him and cops (and I’m sure plenty of other buyers). Yes. You can go into about any gym in America and find those type of criminals (juice).
What? Selling cocaine is not a major offense? The law sure looks at it as a major offense. He will be looking at multiple years in prison. It is also a felony!
Also, the other excuse I am tired of hearing about is the Mike Shula’s recruits. The man has not been at Alabama for over a 1 1/2 year. He is no more responsible than Saban would be for the choices players made.
Nick Saban has a sophisticated view of discipline. It was going to be hard to suspend Johns for 1/2 of a game while he was behind bars. Saban had no choice but to kick him off. Kenny you are right. This has nothing to do with Shula. Will you blame Saban for the problems Les Miles had at LSU with Saban’s recruits? Get real guys.
Oh no!
just when we had these hear Bammers dead in air gunsights, this had to come out!
http://www.piedmontgazette.com/au_steroids_____and_stuff.html
I take absolutely no pleasure in seeing this happen. That young man’s life will be forever ruined. He has no one to blame but himself, and I have no sympathy for him. At the same time, I’m not going to sit around and revel in this horrible event just because it causes some embarrasment to Bama.
As to anyone trying to spin this garbage about this being a shining example of Saban the disciplinarian, give me a freakin’ break. What the heck was he supposed to do besides immediately kick him off the team? This excuse about “Shula’s recuits” is also getting exhausting. Kenny is right on point when he reminds everyone that Shula has been gone for 1 1/2 years. This is Saban’s team now, and the off field behavior of the players is a reflection of him for better or for worse. Before you Bammers start whining about how unfair that is, take a deep breath and ask yourself how many jokes you’ve cracked about Bowden’s Criminoles at FSU and Fulmer’s rap sheet at UT. Fair or not, the national perception is not on Bama’s stellar recruiting class right now. National perception is focused on Stabler and Johns.
Saban does have a rather thoughtful view of punishment and discipline. Unlike most morons in the general public, Saban isn’t interested in punishment for the sake of punishment. He wants it to have some real meaning and purpose.
And exactly what problem has Les Miles had with Saban’s recruits at LSU? If you are trying to insinuate Perriloux—he signed after Saban was in the NFL.
Makes me wonder if the gamblers were
into some of the players. Look at all the leads that were blown last year.
fumble by Johns La Monroe game??????
Nobody is trying to spin this. Learn how to read. I’ve written about how Saban’s view isn’t as moronic as fans, but even with his desire to “help” people there isn’t much you can do when players cross the line into real illegal/immoral behavior.
One more thing, Saban’s discipline of the team isn’t really an issue now.
But with a bad record in 2008, you can believe it will be by bowl time.
Fans are fickle like that.
Capstone- Wasn’t talking about Perriloux.. do your own research but you will find that every program has problems and to say that Shula is reponsible or anyone else but Johns himself is ridiculous. a coach can not be with his players twenty four seven and expect to know what is happening all the time..(drug dealing?? didn’t someone notice the money cars etc and wonder??) I think JJ ruined his life but I have no sympathy for someone who decides that selling drugs is more important that getting a real job or going to school or playing college football however you want to look at it but the bottom line is no one is at fault except Jimmy Johns himself. The point was that EVERY program has problems with players sometimes it is public sometimes not but to blame it on former coaches is stupid. My question was.. “Will you blame Saban for the problems Les Miles had at LSU with Saban’s recruits?” Why would you do that? That is ridiculous.
I agree that Johns was responsible for his actions. And in this case he needs punishment and not discipline. Real punishment that the judicial system hands out.
And I agree that while Shula didn’t handle discipline well at all, to blame him now is stupid. In fact, I wrote a post back during last football season saying that the discipline/performance problems weren’t Shula’s fault—sometimes the players are the ones with the problem and no amount of coaching will fix them.
Yes Saban had to kick him off…Would he though had he not had to? that is the ?
capstone, coddling is not a “sophisticated view of discipline”.
It’s ‘shula discipline’. It’s a cop out.
I will not revel in the mess that is JJ. I pity him and truly hope he can turn things around.
saban could have cut this off long ago by dismissing johns, allowing him to get things straight and then allowing him back on the team. Then JJ could’ve considered THAT being rock bottom.
Now, when JJ needs help the most and is TRULY at rock bottom, ‘the process’ turns its back on him. This should’ve been done long ago.
i don’t EVER want to hear saban and “disciplinarian” in the same sentence again. Standing by and watching someone destroy their life is deplorable. don’t spin it any other way.
I assure you, i will have the exact same view if/when tubs has the number of serious arrests. i doubt seriously it will happen.
listen here none of this can be blamed on saban or shula because the police said nobody on the team knew that johns was involved in this.thats why i blame phill phulmer!!!
This is all Tommy Tubervilles fault.
Pluto, all “my country ass” said was truth. I’m sure it happens at most football programs, but good God man, none of them are plastered all over the media like Bama. Im not saying John’s arrest, the latest in a long series of negative events, will have an effect, but it could. And as far as the falling off a “turnip truck “goes, I would rather do that than to fall off the map.