Just a little more on Gillenwater, Joyner and Menzies

Marvin Menzies doesn't need any advice regarding the Troy Gillenwater and Terrance Joyner imbroglios. Plus, it's not like he's reading blogs and message boards in order to determine his next courses of action anyway. Regardless, none of us know the full extent of what actually took place in either situation.

With this in mind...

We thought it was interesting that in Jason Groves' July 5 blog titled Joyner and Utah State was this line: "I was chatting with McKinley Boston and he said that the first phone [call] he makes in situations like this is to compliance in terms of the APR implications should a player leave the university."

Granted, there's obviously a need to know the APR implications so maybe this is nothing but compliance first? We imagine Boston meant after he received an explanation of what took place and also after he talked with the head coach.

It's not that the allegations/charges against Joyner are heinous -- they aren't. We view them more as a tale we might hear from Bill Engvall or at a Larry the Cable Guy concert. But think about it: does Joyner's name now goes on a no fly list? Hey, stranger things have happened.

Maybe Terrance Joyner is actually a pretty good kid although it's difficult to believe someone attending college wouldn't understand the precariousness of what he attempted to do and the possible ramifications as a NMSU student-athlete representative. It will be fascinating how this one turns out.

As for the Gillenwater scenario, we actually take confronting a coach as a more serious matter even though no law was broken nor arrest warranted. Again, no one knows what truly happened and in what manner but this is not the first time Gillenwater has acted out since his arrival in Las Cruces. But aAngrily 'getting in the face' of an authority figure -- if true -- is crossing an unwritten line.

For some intrguing history on Gillenwater, go here and here. The articles are lengthy but worth your time.

The kid desperately needs some discipline in his life and also to learn how to acceptably express disagreement. Otherwise, he will succeed at nothing in life -- this matter extends beyond the basketball court.

The key line is Jason Groves' article today was this: "There are some big picture things here that have to get crystallized in these young men's minds and if we can do that, things will move forward and if not, we will move in another direction," Menzies said. It seems that if brought back, both Joyner and Gillenwater have no more 'strikes' to use. The next time a line is crossed will certainly be the last time.

These situations need to be solely Menzies' call. A coach has to be in charge on his own terms or a 'team' will simply turn into a flimsy house of cards and fail. In our book, it's better to be unsuccessful alongside what you believe in rather than let the so-called inmates run the asylum and go down that way -- which will be inevitable.

For Menzies' sake, it must be a situation of making his decisions with an 'APR be damned' framework. Hopefully for all involved, Joyner and Gillenwater are quickly doing their best sackcloth and ashes bit.