Update: It didn't take long for Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill to take further disciplinary action against linebacker Shalom Alvarez and defensive lineman Justin Atkins, who were caught on tape abusing a puppy. On Friday, Stockstill announced that both players had been dismissed from the team.
Below is a statement...
"When confronted with situations of inappropriate conduct, it is easy for a coach to simply dismiss players in trouble without taking time to study the situation. I feel it is important to consider the facts carefully, and seek input from others with information and expertise, before reaching a decision.
"After reviewing the matter further, and speaking with authorities with the appropriate expertise, I have decided to dismiss Justin Akins and Shalom Alvarez from our football team. Their actions were in violation of the values and standards of our program.
"I appreciate the work by the Rutherford County Pet Adoption and Welfare Services and Murfreesboro Police Department. Their expertise was invaluable in this process and will help educate our players."
Original story
Middle Tennessee has suspended two players indefinitely while they are being investigated by Murfreesboro Police for animal cruelty. The suspended players are linebacker Shalom Alvarez and defensive lineman Justin Atkins.
In the video, which was shot by Atkins and uploaded to Snapchat, you can see Alvarez slapping the puppy repeatedly. Atkins uploaded the video with the caption "[expletive] said you don't pay rent."
"The actions captured on this video are obviously disturbing," Middle Tennessee athletic director Chris Massaro said in a statement. "We welcome the inquiry by the Rutherford County Pet Adoption and Welfare Services. We have high expectations of conduct of our student-athletes. Coach (Rick) Stockstill has suspended these players until the inquiry is complete and they will perform community service to the benefit of local animal welfare efforts."
Stockstill also released a statement, in which he says the players were trying to discipline the puppy for peeing in the house.
"I am aware of the situation and have talked to the players involved," Stockstill said. "The players explained to me that the puppy urinated inside and they were simply spanking it as a form of discipline. They told me there was never any intent to harm the dog. This was an important teaching moment. I talked to them about other approaches that should have been considered in this situation. And I pointed out how disciplining a pet in such a manner could be misconstrued, especially with the impact of social media."
Now, as somebody who owns a dog, and loves dogs, I find myself angry about this situation for quite a few different reasons. Obviously, there's the slapping the dog part, which is not only reprehensible but also ignorant and entirely ineffective.
You know why the puppy peed in the house? Because it's a puppy. Slapping it won't change that, nor will yelling at it. Being smart enough to take the dog outside to pee would, though. Of course, if nobody's home, well, that's what the dog is going to do. Maybe put it in a crate.
If your initial reaction is to hit the dog, that says a whole lot more about you than it does anything else.
As for Stockstill's claims that a video of somebody slapping their dog and then having that video posted with a caption about it not paying rent being "misconstrued" in the world of social media, well, whatever you say, coach. It all seems pretty construed to me.
This isn't to say that either Alvarez or Atkins deserve any fate worse than their suspension and possibly losing the dog, but let's not pretend this wasn't exactly what it looked like. Two of your players were mad at their dog, and not only did they think the proper response was to hit it, but they also thought it was humorous enough to post on Snapchat. That's just idiocy, not boys being boys or whatever you want to portray it as.
You can see the video yourself below, courtesy of WSMV.
