Ike and Wally Fought Each Other and the Law Won
There will be no redemption for Ike Davis, Brett Wallace or Pat Murphy. The NCAA is quite steadfast in its belief that they’ve been naughty little boys and deserve the public admonishment they received.
“What’d you say ’bout my mama?”
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An ugly chapter in Arizona State’s baseball history was put to rest yesterday when the NCAA decided to uphold the “public admonishment penalty” levied against Pat Murphy, Ike Davis and Brett Wallace after Davis and Wallace staged a pregame fight in last year’s tournament.
We thought the chapter had been put to rest months ago. Davis and Wallace are on the fast track to the big leagues after big minor league seasons, Murphy just tied a bow around the best recruiting class in the nation, and Fresno State doesn’t seem to be complaining about its fate.
But after ASU asked for the NCAA to take back its public wrist-slapping, the NCAA balked and insisted that the Sun Devils in question not be let off the hook for their bush league shenanigans on that painfully toasty Monday afternoon last June. They were, after all, quite naughty.
Quoth NCAA suit Jeff Schemmel: “The decision to uphold the penalty was the result of the serious nature of the actions on the field during pregame activities. There is no question that the actions of the three individuals constitute misconduct as defined in the NCAA bylaws. In addition, the public nature of the incident justifies the assessment of a public reprimand.”
In all honesty, we got over the pregame tomfoolery long ago. But we’re still a bit perturbed over what happened in the six hours after the faux-fracas. As you may recall, the Sun Devils were upset by Fresno State, 12-9, to end their College World Series bid one game shy of Omaha.
The Bulldogs went on to win the whole thing, and we went on to rank the loss as one of the five most stunning in ASU history. We now wash our hands of the whole sordid affair.
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Good riddance to both of them. Wallace, in particular, was “Mr. May”. Unfortunately for ASU, the important games are all played in June.
So what’s the punishment? That the NCAA gets to proclaim that they’ve been bad boys?
As if they don’t do enough meddling…now there’s one less way to fire up the team? Oh for Petey’s sake!
I am not sure how many people actually saw the fight, but I was there. I am also a Fresno State player parent — not here to bash — ASU was the best team we played, including those in the CWS. But I saw the fight fairly close up and what is not being said is that it was a real fight and not the fake being reported. Who in the history of Div I college sports has ever staged a fake fight within their own team to motivate them? The “fake” has to be a cover for a real problem that occurred between two kids — now that I can understand and buy into without judgment.
Mark, to answer your question, former ASU stars Travis Buck and Jeff Larish. This is where Ike and Wallace got the idea from. Buck and Larish did it and the team went on to finish 3rd in the CWS that year.
Mark, I must say that I don’t completely discount your assessment. The official line was that the fight was staged and that Brett and Ike are good friends. I’ve always been skeptical of the former but completely in agreement with the latter.
Even good friends sometimes tussle. AK-47 and I have rolled around in the dirt many times in our day.
I believe the Matt/AK-47 incident was known as a “Throwdown in the thoroughfare”
There was also the Casey Moore’s Incident. I was forced to punch Matt in the abdomen after he soiled by shorts with beer.