Pitarresi: Devendorf must get the message

So, more than likely, Eric Devendorf will miss two to six games, then be back with the Syracuse University basketball team.

 

That’s good for the Orange. He is an extremely important player for SU. I hope it is good for Devendorf. Like many young men, he needs more discipline. We’ll probably never know the full truth of the incident that got him suspended in the first place, and I feel badly for the young woman he is accused of hitting. Maybe you can hit a woman if she is wielding a weapon. Otherwise, you just can’t. You can’t.

 

Whatever happened, I don’t think Devendorf is a bad guy. Rough around the edges? Way too excitable? Undisciplined? Bad decision maker? Yes. But I’ve never had a bad moment with him, and I love his fearless style and like the way he plays his butt off every second.

 

Does that excuse bad, even dangerous behavior? Certainly not. It starts with this – 3 a.m. and, quite possibly, alcohol. Not good. Bad decision making.

 

Part of Devendorf’s punishment is 40 hours of community service. I hope that service involves real physical labor or having to help out elderly, disadvantaged or handicapped people. A reality check is in order – we all need one now and then – and maybe that will get the message across to him.

 

On SU football:

 

Did new head coach Doug Marrone make a good choice in picking Rob Spence as his offensive coordinator?

 

Depending on who you check with, Spence is either brilliant or an stuck-in-the-mud, predictable play caller. We’ll see. To me, a good play is a play that works. A bad play is a play that doesn’t work. Much of the time, there are a lot of plays will work … if you have good players. I would loved to have been the offensive coordinator at SU in 1998 – Donovan McNabb, Kevin Johnson, Rob Konrad, three drafted or free agent offensive linemen. I would not have wanted to be the offensive coordinator this season, with one terrific running back – Curtis Brinkley – few other options and only sporadically good work from the other skill players.

 

Spence will be a good offensive coordinator if SU can recruit well the next couple of years and if a big stable of young running backs and a developing offensive line are as good as they shown shown in flashes.