Mohler-Washington Incident - a Critical Juncture

For an old Bison fan...this is deja vu all over again. Although the charges are different, it brings me back to the early 90s when the public perception of the Bison football program was that 'discipline' had gone out the window.

I recall sitting at an Augustana game down in Sioux Falls, when fans from Auggie were yelling out the word 'felon.' The same happened at SDSU. This was a period of time when my family and I lived in Brookings, SD. Hearing those cries from the crowd were gut-wrenching. You could almost hear the air coming out of the dynasty.

To me...there were four things that brought the dynasty down to a certain level of mediocrity in the 90s. 1. The discipline problems. 2. The departure of Rocky Hager 3. A complete change in the offensive philosophy 4. Moving to indoor football.

Rocky Hager was fired...IMO...as a sacrificial lamb for the perception...when the administration and A.D. should have been dealing with the bigger problems. I don't want to revisit the 'what' or 'who' as it pertains to the player(s) involved...but one thing is clear...there was at least one felony involved...and eventually, the player was back on the field.

And now...NDSU again has another perception problem. DUI has become a much more serious issue over the years. As we just experienced in Southern California with an Angels pitcher...driving under the influence can be extremely serious. As I grew up in the Mayville area...driving and drinking was mostly a joke...one for bragging rights in many circles. That era has passed. Obviously, a lot of people still drink and drive, but the public's attitude about it has changed.

While I don't want any student or player to be dealt with unjustly...this time around, I want the president of the university and the athletic director to take the responsibility. Coach Bohl has a reputation for being a strong disciplinarian and a great teacher in this regard...but the Mohler-Washington incident has gone beyond his jurisdiction. My hunch is that President Chapman has this on the top of his to-do list right now...and that he knows how important it is. Mohler and Washington will be dealt with harshly.