Students content with Boeheim’s statements regarding Fine allegations

Statements made by Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim after Tuesday's game against Eastern Michigan left students impressed by the way Boeheim is handling the allegations against Bernie Fine.

Regina Burke, a freshman sport management major, said she enjoyed the press conference because she thought Boeheim was taking the situation seriously and handled it well.

"I thought it was very fair," Burke said. "Jim Boeheim did a good job getting across the point that he really didn't know what was going on."

Burke said she thought Boeheim has remained consistent throughout the ordeal, staying true to his usual brutally honest self. This consistency led Burke to believe Boeheim won't lose his job as head coach.

Burke said Boeheim has faith in the school and in Bernie Fine, who worked with Boeheim for more than 30 years. If Boeheim suspected anything, he would have come forth and said something, she said.

"Just judging by the way he's acted in the past and how he acted last night, I think he's a pretty good judge of character," Burke said.

Despite her thoughts that Boeheim made his original statement too quickly after the allegations arose, Burke said it showed that he has good loyalty.

Connor Dunne, a sophomore Spanish major, said he thought Boeheim was upfront at the press conference, but stood by what he believes in — something Dunne doesn't see a problem with.

Dunne said he thinks Boeheim is handling the situation well because he is more concerned with keeping the players' mindsets than the allegations surrounding Fine.

But Dunne said he thought Boeheim should have waited to make such a bold statement when the allegations first arose. Although Dunne thought it was the right thing to say at the time, it was too soon to do so.

Dunne also said Boeheim shouldn't have to take the blame for something he didn't take part in.

"It wasn't his fault that Bernie Fine did any of that," he said. "If he actually didn't know what was going on and he was honest through the whole thing, then he shouldn't be fired."

Josh Schneider-Weiler, a senior broadcast journalism major, said it was good to see Boeheim joking around at the press conference, adding some brevity to the situation. With everyone watching Boeheim during the past few days, Schneider-Weiler said the coach couldn't be his old, jovial self. The press conference was the first time he appeared to be in lighter spirits, Schneider-Weiler said.

Though Schneider-Weiler didn't think Boeheim handled the allegations as well initially, he said he doesn't think there is anything wrong with standing by a longtime friend.

"Everything that I've heard, everything that he's said, has led me to believe that he didn't know what was going on," Schneider-Weiler said. "Unless he knew about it, I don't know why he would be fired."

But Schneider-Weiler said he didn't have a problem with SU firing Fine.

"Bernie is a 60-year-old man," he said. "(Boeheim) can't be policing his assistants all the time. They're grown men. They should be able to take care of themselves."

mjberner@syr.edu