J Rob

[Barou]

Been mentioned in some posts so thought I'd post an article for anyone interested.  I know it doesn't fall into "UW Badger Wrestling" but some might might want to check it out.

Hope it doesn't end for J Rob this way but I'm thinking we will be seeing a resignation or dismissal within a couple weeks.  Loyal to a fault on this one. 


Souhan: Making, breaking rules is Robinson's charm — and downfall
The story that might bring down one of Minnesota's best coaches is uglier than anyone would have guessed, but J Robinson's handling of it is utterly predictable.
MAY 27, 2016 — 7:02AM

DAVID BREWSTER, DML - STAR TRIBUNE

It was always likely to end this way for J Robinson. The Gophers wrestling coach took pride in his image as a rugged individualist. He sparred with superiors and shunned political correctness on a modern college campus. He always was going to be vulnerable if he stopped winning or kept talking.

The story that might bring down one of Minnesota's best coaches is uglier than anyone would have guessed, but Robinson's handling of it is utterly predictable. It turns out that the man without punctuation after his first initial might have applied a period to his career by keeping his own counsel and trying to protect his athletes and his program.

In this case, as he so often did, Robinson made his own rules. He did what he thought was right and what his superiors are sure to see as wrong. This was as grooved to happen as a Joe Mauer groundout.

A source with the wrestling program told the Star Tribune's Joe Christensen that Robinson learned this season that his athletes were using and selling large amounts of Xanax. Robinson, according to the source, tried to handle the crisis internally. He reportedly did not tell his superiors.

According to the terms of his contract, Robinson can be dismissed for exactly this kind of behavior. With a contract that runs through 2020, Robinson could have protected himself and his future earnings by immediately reporting the problem to his bosses. His reputation and résumé are strong enough that he could have survived those losses. He would have rebuilt his program eventually with another wave of excellent recruits.

Instead, Robinson stayed true to his nature instead of his contract, and he gave new athletic director Mark Coyle a batting-practice pitch down the middle. Coyle can fire a 69-year-old coach coming off a mediocre season who directly violated the language of his contract.

Coyle can look strong while making his first high-profile decision, and use this case to send a shot across the bow of the men's basketball program, which has frequently embarrassed itself under coach Richard Pitino.

J is one of those people with whom I can amicably disagree. I like him. I appreciate that he has the guts to say what he believes even when it is politically unwise. I admire the bond he builds with his athletes.

When he celebrated his 25th season as the Gophers coach in 2011, I spent more than an hour with him in his campus office. He told stories, offered quotes from dozens of the books that surrounded him, and repeated his life philosophies so often I felt like he was trying to tattoo them on my forehead.

I felt like I was talking to the Jack Nicholson character from "A Few Good Men." And until now, I did want him on that wall.

"Conflict is good," he said that day. "Conflict is how you grow."

He was an Army Ranger and a champion wrestler. He would drop 40 pounds in a week to win a bet. He protested during Vietnam — that he wasn't getting enough combat time. "That was where the action was, for our generation," he said that day. "That was, for us, the Wild West of the 1850s. That's why you wanted to go there."

He's a fascinating character and Hall of Fame coach, but even those who like J shouldn't deify him. He seemed quite willing to bend rules. The Minnesota Daily once portrayed him in a well-researched article as a University slumlord. And there is no escaping the exact nature of his current troubles.

He appears to have covered up a felony.

I have no doubt he thought he was doing right by his program and his wrestlers, but he did wrong by his university and under the terms of his contract.

I hate to see him go.

But it's probably time for him to go.



Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at MalePatternPodcasts.com. On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. jsouhan@startribune.com

[leg turk]

Coming Soon!  Ben Askren, to the University of Minnesota!

[DocWrestling]

It is fair to say that they have gone through numerous administrations at Minnesota in last 30 years and not one of them ever cared for JROB.  \He has always done his own thing and listened to no one.  That has made him successful but not popular (except with most wrestling fans) and everyone always assumed eventually it would be his downfall.  Most will be honest with you and will tell you they are extremely surprised that he has made it as long as he has

[Barou]

Coming Soon!  Ben Askren, to the University of Minnesota!

That would be a perfect arrangement!

[BOURNE]

Somehow I always like seeing J sitting across from the Badgers at home meets way more than Brands...  just sayin'

[dad 2 5]

Is Marko coming back to UW or does he go PSU or Iowa?

[Ghetto]

Is Marko coming back to UW or does he go PSU or Iowa?

I would guess that would depend on who the next head coach at Minnesota is, and whether the administration would add additional sanctions to the program.  Would Brandon Paulsen be interested in the job?

I'm not sure Marko would go to either Penn State or Iowa.

[wrestlemania]

The media in the Twin Cities is calling for his resignation, he has nobody to defend him now. If the U wants to get rid of him now's their chance. They basically put up with him because he teams won and never did anything so totally embarrassing that forced the school's hand. Until now...

He basically covered-up a drug ring on the team. That's what he did. He thought he could, as one media member put it "be the sheriff". Not in this day and age.

This isn't the first time his program has come under scrutiny for less-than-ethical practices, especially when it came to real estate. One gets the impression scheming for money to kick back to the program was something that was part of the culture of the program, so why should be a surprise that some team members thought selling drugs would be a more lucrative operation?

Say what you want about the Badger program but if the choice presented to me was mediocrity or shame and disgrace I'll take mediocrity every time. If winning means selling your soul go be a fan some other program.

[MNbadger]

This appears to be legit and a very serious issue.  The rel estate stuff was utter nonsense.  Trust me, if that had been legit you would have seen it result in J being gone.

[3wrestle]

The media in the Twin Cities is calling for his resignation, he has nobody to defend him now. If the U wants to get rid of him now's their chance. They basically put up with him because he teams won and never did anything so totally embarrassing that forced the school's hand. Until now...

He basically covered-up a drug ring on the team. That's what he did. He thought he could, as one media member put it "be the sheriff". Not in this day and age.

This isn't the first time his program has come under scrutiny for less-than-ethical practices, especially when it came to real estate. One gets the impression scheming for money to kick back to the program was something that was part of the culture of the program, so why should be a surprise that some team members thought selling drugs would be a more lucrative operation?

Say what you want about the Badger program but if the choice presented to me was mediocrity or shame and disgrace I'll take mediocrity every time. If winning means selling your soul go be a fan some other program.

Except what if the coach did let the administration know and the coach can't comment while pending investigations are going on.

[imnofish]

The media in the Twin Cities is calling for his resignation, he has nobody to defend him now. If the U wants to get rid of him now's their chance. They basically put up with him because he teams won and never did anything so totally embarrassing that forced the school's hand. Until now...

He basically covered-up a drug ring on the team. That's what he did. He thought he could, as one media member put it "be the sheriff". Not in this day and age.

This isn't the first time his program has come under scrutiny for less-than-ethical practices, especially when it came to real estate. One gets the impression scheming for money to kick back to the program was something that was part of the culture of the program, so why should be a surprise that some team members thought selling drugs would be a more lucrative operation?

Say what you want about the Badger program but if the choice presented to me was mediocrity or shame and disgrace I'll take mediocrity every time. If winning means selling your soul go be a fan some other program.

Except what if the coach did let the administration know and the coach can't comment while pending investigations are going on.

Then, we would once again be reminded of how irresponsible it is to draw conclusions without knowing all the facts.

[bigoil]

The media in the Twin Cities is calling for his resignation, he has nobody to defend him now. If the U wants to get rid of him now's their chance. They basically put up with him because he teams won and never did anything so totally embarrassing that forced the school's hand. Until now...

He basically covered-up a drug ring on the team. That's what he did. He thought he could, as one media member put it "be the sheriff". Not in this day and age.

This isn't the first time his program has come under scrutiny for less-than-ethical practices, especially when it came to real estate. One gets the impression scheming for money to kick back to the program was something that was part of the culture of the program, so why should be a surprise that some team members thought selling drugs would be a more lucrative operation?

Say what you want about the Badger program but if the choice presented to me was mediocrity or shame and disgrace I'll take mediocrity every time. If winning means selling your soul go be a fan some other program.

Except what if the coach did let the administration know and the coach can't comment while pending investigations are going on.

Then there would have been dismissals and arrests for felony trafficking of prescription drugs.

[3wrestle]

The media in the Twin Cities is calling for his resignation, he has nobody to defend him now. If the U wants to get rid of him now's their chance. They basically put up with him because he teams won and never did anything so totally embarrassing that forced the school's hand. Until now...

He basically covered-up a drug ring on the team. That's what he did. He thought he could, as one media member put it "be the sheriff". Not in this day and age.

This isn't the first time his program has come under scrutiny for less-than-ethical practices, especially when it came to real estate. One gets the impression scheming for money to kick back to the program was something that was part of the culture of the program, so why should be a surprise that some team members thought selling drugs would be a more lucrative operation?

Say what you want about the Badger program but if the choice presented to me was mediocrity or shame and disgrace I'll take mediocrity every time. If winning means selling your soul go be a fan some other program.

Except what if the coach did let the administration know and the coach can't comment while pending investigations are going on.

Then there would have been dismissals and arrests for felony trafficking of prescription drugs.

That's why there is an investigation. To get to the bottom of what was and was not done.

[bulldog]

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2016/May/31/Statement-about-J-Robinson-from-his-agent

More regarding the Minnesota wrestling case....

[TomM]

RE: University of Minnesota Head Wrestling Coach J Paul Robinson from his agent James C. W. Bock, Esq.
By James C. W. Bock, Esq., of JCWB ESQ LLC | May 31, 2016, 11:47 a.m. (ET)

From: James C. W. Bock, Esq., of JCWB ESQ LLC
Date May 30, 2016
RE: University of Minnesota Head Wrestling Coach J Paul Robinson

Last Tuesday, May 24th, KMSP aired during their late evening news a report concerning University of Minnesota wrestlers' alleged drug use and alleged drug sales.

On Thursday, May 26th, a number of newspaper stories picked up the television report advancing more specific allegations against Coach Robinson.

The media coverage to date appears to be a self-circulating story based on one, anonymous source; blather from anonymous sources and a media environment that disperses what it wants to be true rather than what actually is true is troubling.

In late February / early March, Coach Robinson became suspicious members of the University of Minnesota wrestling team were using drugs.

Pursuant to University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics policy Coach Robinson notified his direct supervisor within the Athletic Department of his concerns. Coach Robinson specifically notified the interim Athletic Department Director as well, and of his desire to have specific wrestlers tested.

Coach Robinson was instructed he needed to complete a 'testing form' (i.e., The University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Alcohol and Drug Testing Reasonable Suspicion Reporting Form) before requesting the testing of student athletes.

The 'reasonable suspicion' form was completed, and testing of student athletes took place on or about Monday, March 21st.

It was on March 25th the interim Athletic Director sent Coach Robinson the 2016 University of Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Policy in twenty pages via email.

The 'Drug and Alcohol Policy' states: "Any student-athlete who identifies him/herself as having a substance abuse problem may self-refer to the Department of Athletic Medicine to be entered into a Safe Harbor program pending approval of the Review Board."

Coach Robinson specifically informed the University through multiple channels of his knowledge of the situation. The University did not test the student athletes for Xanax.

Coach Robinson informed University staff of his specific concerns. As a result there are electronic communications between University employees within the University's control on these issues.

The University has now been placed on written notice the communications and electronically stored data in its control may not be damaged, altered and/or destroyed and must be available for future dissemination.

As of this date no specific person or identifiable employee of the University has made a statement of fact that can be corroborated.

The University has been asked to test athletes, has tested athletes and has not disclosed this fact or seemingly instructed its employee on how to deal with the consequences of its testing results and/or the serious allegations being advanced in the media by an anonymous wrestler.

Coach Robinson has earned respect over the past thirty years as one of the most honorable, loyal and successful coaches in University history.

Coach Robinson's accomplishments and loyalty to the University, to his teams, to the hundreds of student athletes he has coached, and to his fans, and detractors, would seem to be lost at this time. Fairness and appropriate disclosures by the University are at issue, and balanced coverage by the media of all facts is required.