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From todays Fargo Forum:
My comment: This is an unfortunate situation, and having been plagued with alchohol problems in my own life, I hope this young man will seek some help in dealing with this problem. He needs more than a lawyer here. Good counseling about the legal drug alchohol is also needed.
I think its easy to write this incident off as having too much to drink and gee he just turned 21. I am willing to lay odds that everytime this young man picks up a drink, one drink it will not be enough, and a keg will be too much. Some people can not control alchohol intake and suffer from the disease of alchoholism.
Alchohol affects people differently. Some can have 2 or 3 beers daily and have no affect on their lives. Others such as this young man find themselves drinking too much and soon become a problem to themselves, the law or those family members close to them. Sad but true, I know.
I dont see this as an isolated incident in this young man's life. I dont have the facts, but I would lay odds that there is a pattern of alchohol abuse here.
Also I give Kudos to the Fargo Forum for outlining the process for dealing with these student athlete problems. Too bad the Argus could not have done the same with the recent incidents at SDSU.
Bison suspend Vartanian
By Jeff Kolpack,The Forum
Published Tuesday, October 19, 2004
North Dakota State kicker Cory Vartanian was suspended indefinitely after being charged with criminal trespassing early Sunday morning.
The Bison junior wandered into two houses on Seventh Avenue South around 1 a.m., Fargo police said.
"Officers said he was very intoxicated," said Lt. Tod Dahle. "He didn't have a clear idea of where he was. He thought he was at a party."
Vartanian turned 21 years old on Saturday. NDSU defeated Southern Utah 27-21 earlier in the day, a game where Vartanian's two field goals played a big role.
Bison head coach Craig Bohl said Vartanian will not play Saturday when NDSU hosts Division I-AA football's sixth-ranked team in California Poly.
"First of all, I'm disappointed for our team and for Cory," Bohl said. "He made some poor choices. Hopefully, he'll move forward from that."
Kyle Wilcox, a freshman walk-on from Ramsey, Minn., will be the starting kicker. He was 52 of 56 on extra points and 3 of 8 on field goals in his career at Anoka High School.
Bohl said the suspension hinges on Vartanian being accountable within the legal system and the NDSU student code of behavior.
Bohl said Vartanian is also accountable under a student-athlete code of conduct but "until he clears up the first two issues, he will be suspended."
Wilcox has not played in a game, nor has he gotten much practical experience in practice.
"It's very rare that you have a kicker who isn't able to play but that's where we're at right now," Bohl said. "You don't appreciate kickers until you don't have one. Very rarely do teams carry two kickers on scholarship."
Vartanian has made 4 of 7 field goals and 32 of 32 extra points this season. His deep kickoffs have been a big reason the Bison kickoff coverage team has been outstanding.
"That's had an impact," Bohl said. "Many times, they're starting drives inside the 20-yard line."
Asked what the impact Vartanian's absence will have on the team, Bohl said both players and coaches will move forward.
"This is what we have right now," he said. "We have a system in place. As a coach, you don't rant and rave about it. We're going to coach the guys that we have available."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546
Forum Communications Company
©2004 Forum Communications Co. Fargo, ND 58102 —
My comment: This is an unfortunate situation, and having been plagued with alchohol problems in my own life, I hope this young man will seek some help in dealing with this problem. He needs more than a lawyer here. Good counseling about the legal drug alchohol is also needed.
I think its easy to write this incident off as having too much to drink and gee he just turned 21. I am willing to lay odds that everytime this young man picks up a drink, one drink it will not be enough, and a keg will be too much. Some people can not control alchohol intake and suffer from the disease of alchoholism.
Alchohol affects people differently. Some can have 2 or 3 beers daily and have no affect on their lives. Others such as this young man find themselves drinking too much and soon become a problem to themselves, the law or those family members close to them. Sad but true, I know.
I dont see this as an isolated incident in this young man's life. I dont have the facts, but I would lay odds that there is a pattern of alchohol abuse here.
Also I give Kudos to the Fargo Forum for outlining the process for dealing with these student athlete problems. Too bad the Argus could not have done the same with the recent incidents at SDSU.
Bison suspend Vartanian
By Jeff Kolpack,The Forum
Published Tuesday, October 19, 2004
North Dakota State kicker Cory Vartanian was suspended indefinitely after being charged with criminal trespassing early Sunday morning.
The Bison junior wandered into two houses on Seventh Avenue South around 1 a.m., Fargo police said.
"Officers said he was very intoxicated," said Lt. Tod Dahle. "He didn't have a clear idea of where he was. He thought he was at a party."
Vartanian turned 21 years old on Saturday. NDSU defeated Southern Utah 27-21 earlier in the day, a game where Vartanian's two field goals played a big role.
Bison head coach Craig Bohl said Vartanian will not play Saturday when NDSU hosts Division I-AA football's sixth-ranked team in California Poly.
"First of all, I'm disappointed for our team and for Cory," Bohl said. "He made some poor choices. Hopefully, he'll move forward from that."
Kyle Wilcox, a freshman walk-on from Ramsey, Minn., will be the starting kicker. He was 52 of 56 on extra points and 3 of 8 on field goals in his career at Anoka High School.
Bohl said the suspension hinges on Vartanian being accountable within the legal system and the NDSU student code of behavior.
Bohl said Vartanian is also accountable under a student-athlete code of conduct but "until he clears up the first two issues, he will be suspended."
Wilcox has not played in a game, nor has he gotten much practical experience in practice.
"It's very rare that you have a kicker who isn't able to play but that's where we're at right now," Bohl said. "You don't appreciate kickers until you don't have one. Very rarely do teams carry two kickers on scholarship."
Vartanian has made 4 of 7 field goals and 32 of 32 extra points this season. His deep kickoffs have been a big reason the Bison kickoff coverage team has been outstanding.
"That's had an impact," Bohl said. "Many times, they're starting drives inside the 20-yard line."
Asked what the impact Vartanian's absence will have on the team, Bohl said both players and coaches will move forward.
"This is what we have right now," he said. "We have a system in place. As a coach, you don't rant and rave about it. We're going to coach the guys that we have available."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546
Forum Communications Company
©2004 Forum Communications Co. Fargo, ND 58102 —
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