Lacking Toolbox Screwed Phillips

Lawrence Phillips

Last week, former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips, already serving a sentence of 25 years, is suspected in the death of a cellmate in Kern Valley prison in California.

The saga of Phillips has left the wonderful folks in Nebraska with a stain that will not go away.  Phillips brought a lot of joy to Nebraska fans displaying his immense talent on the gridiron. LP was brilliant on the field, with physical talent that potentially could have have led him to be one of the top running backs of all time.

However, his actions off the field, most notably after he left Nebraska for the National Football League, have left nothing but sadness and a series of victims.

One tackle Lawrence could not avoid was his troubled upbringing, where he was abandoned and abused among other negative things. Phillips, who was smart and personable on occasion, was and is infested with demons he is ill-equipped to escape from.

1620 The Zone Sharp & Benning co-host Damon Benning, a former 'Husker tailback who once roomed with Phillips, shared his conflicted thoughts on Phillips with an extremely sincere, emotional and eye opening reflection of sad series of events which led to the position this gifted but troubled individual finds himself in.

This was as powerful of thirty minutes of radio I have heard in many of moon, and I salute Damon Benning for sharing his heartfelt thoughts on this difficult situation as his perspective as a media member, former teammate and friend from back in the day.  POWERFUL STUFF!

Dr. Tom Osborne, who was coach at Nebraska during the time Phillips played at UN, caught tremendous flak from the media when after suspension, Osborne re-instated Phillips before a Fiesta Bowl matchup with Florida, which Nebraska won easily 62-24.  As Benning noted, there was more to this story, and Osborne needs to make no apologies, and deserves respect.

Phillips needs to be held accountable for his own actions; and he is.  But his story is sadly not unique, as the list of many young athletes, and normal youngsters, with bright futures have for whatever reason taken the wrong path and derailed if not terminated the opportunities presented them. Like many others, with an individual like Phillips, blessed with charm, intelligence and incredible physical abilities, failing to be adequately equipped to withstand the pressures of life, the potential of that individual to be a thriving member of society is lost.

Although the reasons behind these failures are voluminous and worthy of a few semesters of sociology classes, the decline of marriage and the family unit with the number of children being raised by one parent, grandparents or others, seems a root cause.  The divorce rate, particularly among blacks, has increased dramatically since the mid sixties, seemingly related to the policies of The Great Society.  The demise of the family has directly had a negative impact on the children, with children raised by single parents much more likely to live in poverty having their future success significantly threatened.

We have got to fix this, and as Benning pointed out, get folks back to having concern for others, with confidence and pride to respect themselves in effort to maximize the wonderful opportunities we are presented with.

Timing is everything, and two candidates have announced their intent to win the presidency.  One, Hillary Clinton, seeks to continue and increase the role government plays in our lives, thinking they can better dictate the path our young people take to success.  Marco Rubio makes the case that the government cannot and should not take the place of the family, and that we need to reclaim the family supporting marriage with parents raising children with responsibility and accountability, thus allowing youngsters the freedom to pursue their dream no matter where the lead.

Having taken an incredible path reaching high levels inclusive of a career in the National Football League, at the end of the day, Phillips could not escape the demons of his past.  As Benning so appropriately noted, he did not have the tools in his toolbox, for which we are all saddened.

The investigation into the death of Phillips cellmate remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed as of yet reports The Omaha World Herald.  However, the death has been ruled a homicide by strangulation.

Range of Emotions in The Good Life

 

As Gary Sharp of Sharp & Benning in the Morning on 1620 The Zone in Omaha accurately summarized, on a day when sports, politics and life came together on a Tuesday in Nebraska, a "full range of emotions" littered the landscape from the Harper-Schramm residence halls on 14th Street in Lincoln up to Leavenworth Street in Omaha.

With voters heading to the polls from Sydney to Bellevue, a puzzling story surfaced involving a pair of University of Nebraska athletes. NU long-distance runner Lucas Keifer and starting linebacker Josh Banderas were arrested and charged with felony theft as evidence appears to indicate they stole approximately seven locked bikes from the UNL campus.

Keifer and Banderas both attended Lincoln Southeast HS.  Banderas is the son of Tom Banderas, an outstanding tight end in the mid eighties for the Big Red.

By all accounts, testified to by Zone co-host Damon Benning, Banderas would be among the last of the football roster to be suspected of such activity.  However, as one of the culprits stated, it was a bonehead move.

No kidding.  If only they had stopped for some crab legs.

Meanwhile, the proclamation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R:KY, that every Tea Party candidate would be "crushed everywhere" went down in flames.

Ben Sasse, a candidate backed by Tea Party stalwarts such as Sarah Palin, Sen, Ted Cruz, R:TX, Club for Growth, Sen. Mike Lee, R:UT, and Glenn Beck, won going away.  Shane Osborn, no relation to famed Nebraska football coach and politician Dr. Tom Osborne, seemed like a decent candidate, but had some issues with regard to his Navy past and informed the audience of The Glenn Beck Program on radio of his involvement with Grover Norquist of Americans For Tax Reform, whose cozy relationship with Muslim interests give many cause for concern.

While we are at it, Pete Ricketts,  President and Director of Platte Institute for Economic Research, won the GOP primary in a close one over Jon Bruning, who had just lost a Senate race to now Senator Deb Fischer.  Ricketts, son of J. Joseph Ricketts, Founder of Ameritrade and owner of The Chicago Cubs, a fiscal and social conservative, won the endorsement of Sarah Palin.  Ricketts is almost assured of victory in the general, with a substantial lead in recent polling.

So, it was a big win for The Tea Party, much to the dismay of Senator McConnell, who should know better than to mess with Sarah Palin.  The Tea Party victories are just beginning. 

Some good folks, who stuck their neck out, lost races but can hold their heads high as we certainly appreciate their participation in the debate.  We listen to voices rather than attempt to quiet them.

Maybe those living The Good Life could have closed this day with some baseball at TD Ameritrade Park, where I am told hamburgers were two for one.  But, this is not a food show.

Sadly, those hopes ended with the wheel of a bus going round and round. The college baseball game with Nebraska facing Creighton scheduled for Tuesday night at TD Ameritrade Park was canceled due to travel issues.  After having their flight canceled after defeating Michigan State in East Lansing, the Big Red baseball team traveled back by bus.  However, they were unable to arrive in Omaha in time for the first pitch.

A fitting closing for a day which encompassed a wide range of emotions; mixing life, politics and sports.  Don't Tread On Me and GBR!