Oregon & Willie T Sued for $100 Million

[CANEMC]

“Swasey teaches speed” is still one of the consistently dumbest things posted on these boards

I miss those days kinda

 

[CANEMC]

Remember when he allegedly wasn't allowed in the weight room and had to coach behind glass? That had to be made up but still funny

I can see the plexiglass here. He's spotting through it.

 

[AlexCane]

I don't know if they'll get that $100 million or even half of that. However, after reading the article, it appears to be gross negligence by the University of Oregon because the Plaintiff and 2 other players were hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis as a result of first few days of the team's Sping conditioning where players were passing out. The medical staff DIDN'T recommend a modification to the conditioning. They just supplied oxygen tanks.

NOT GOOD.

All I read was the ESPN article, but I'd guess it's not a $10 million case and maybe not even a $1 million case. Generally speaking, the more permanent the injury the better the chance of a recovery. Unless I am reading the article wrong, he played that season. I am not sure what permanent injuries arose after the season that didn't manifest itself after the controversial workouts? There may be some negligence but you still have to prove you've been harmed; I suspect that's where the difficulty may lie with the former player's case.

 

[Number1CanesFan]

All I read was the ESPN article, but I'd guess it's not a $10 million case and maybe not even a $1 million case. Generally speaking, the more permanent the injury the better the chance of a recovery. Unless I am reading the article wrong, he played that season. I am not sure what permanent injuries arose after the season that didn't manifest itself after the controversial workouts? There may be some negligence but you still have to prove you've been harmed; I suspect that's where the difficulty may lie with the former player's case.

I hear you, but I don't think the lawyers would take his case unless there are damages related to those practices.

 

[OriginalGatorHater]

“Swasey teaches speed” is still one of the consistently dumbest things posted on these boards

I miss those days kinda

I wasn't here for that, but you 100% can teach speed. You can't turn Bard Kaayak into Usain Bolt, but you can get faster. Otherwise 100m dash guys wouldn't bother training anything besides reaction time and coming off the blocks.

 

[TitansHope]

gotta say it's nice to know we won't have to worry about this stuff with a guy like feld running the show.

 

[PSU Cane]

But why would anyone bring up certifications when they know Swasey was at UM over 15 years including the S&C Coach for the 2001 ’GOAT‘ team. He has a ton of success with individuals he trained and trains.

The proper thing to do would be to reference the Head Coach that he was just an assistant under. Al Golden came in with certifications, degrees, pillars, binders, Dead Sea scrolls, Waynai Bibles, Codex gigas, Kuthodaw Pagodas, Bhagavad Gitas, Ramayanas, Torahs, Tripitakas, Kojikis, Tao-Te-Chings, the Quran & the Koran and still couldn’t coach worth a ****.

Every sorry coach we ever had was just a certified loser - certs ain’t worth toilet paper if you can’t produce results.

Because if you can't pass simple training certifications, it's a HUGE red flag. Some may think certifications are meaningless and results are the end all be all.....but i disagree. Certifications are a foundation of knowledge and show you can learn/retain concepts needed in your field of expertise. What you do with it at that point defines the individual, in this case the difference between a good strength coach vs an average one.

Guys may still get stronger/faster working out with someone who's not certified, but it doesn't mean you truly comprehend every movement you are teaching, the impacts of that movement (short-term or long-term), understand all the details of the human body or how to prevent injuries, current or future. And just because someone IS certified doesn't mean they won't teach you stupid/dangerous/pointless exercises either. It's just they SHOULD have better knowledge of exercise in general. I was friends with a lot of meatheads back in college.....powerlifters, body-builders, weekend warriors......and only 1 of them is now a certified trainer. Back in the day, i listened to each of them bc they were freakin' huge and strong. Guys all around campus worked out with them, including football players. The result? Lower back injury due to bad form they taught. They also taught other movements but put the shoulder joints in bad positions. The movements the personal trainer teaches now are nothing compared to movements he used back in the day. Did he get bigger with them? Absolutely. He won bodybuilding shows with their movements. Was their training safe or correct? Absolutely not. This guy got lucky. I did not.

 

[JHallCanes]

I wasn't here for that, but you 100% can teach speed. You can't turn Bard Kaayak into Usain Bolt, but you can get faster. Otherwise 100m dash guys wouldn't bother training anything besides reaction time and coming off the blocks.

I agree with you of course. It’s a very basic skill that any coach worth his salt has in his bag

It was just a little blurb of the absurdity of the S&C debates that went on for years (and still do)

 

[GojiraCane]

sorry but this a dumbazz lawsuit. what's this kid trying to prove?

he played the following year and graduated and now 4 years later he wants 100 million? L.O.L.

The question is, was his overall performance degraded by the condition he suffered during those workouts? Like having a serious knee injury...yes, he still played but he may have only been a shadow of what he once was.

 

[GojiraCane]

Man, that kid is gonna need a "legal army" if he's suing Taggart and the University of Oregon.

Oh wait, just heard a rumor that he's being represented by Morgan and Morgan -- for the people!! (Probably means they'll put out another commercial.)

The serious aspects of this story aside, what if this guy turned up as part of the representation?

 

[Cane47]

The serious aspects of this story aside, what if this guy turned up as part of the representation?

LOL !! Good one. Is he still practicing law? I used to see those ads on TV years ago. Think his office is or was on US 1 in Hollywood. If that light is still on, it must be an LED.

 

[GojiraCane]

LOL !! Good one. Is he still practicing law? I used to see those ads on TV years ago. Think his office is or was on US 1 in Hollywood. If that light is still on, it must be an LED.

Likewise. As a kid I would see those ads all the time on Channel 29, 33, and 39 watching movies on syndication. A woman asking "is that David Singer working late AGAIN?!"

The ads worked - never forgot him.

 

[Lance Roffers]

sorry but this a dumbazz lawsuit. what's this kid trying to prove?

he played the following year and graduated and now 4 years later he wants 100 million? L.O.L.

If he legitimately had his life expectancy reduced from a workout that had a lack of oversight and proper care, he absolutely is entitled to damages.

The fact that it has gotten this far means he will get something most likely. I personally read that and thought it was pretty damaging to Oregon.

 

[UMinati]

I’m dealing with lawyers every single day, not just corporate lawyers, but outside counsel and business partner lawyers. So I’m there for every lawyer joke you can think of.

A man went to a lawyer and asked what his fee was.
“$100 for three questions,” answered the lawyer.
“Isn’t that a little steep?” said the man.
“Yes,” said the lawyer. “Now, what’s your third question?”

An attorney was working late one night in his office when, suddenly, Satan appeared before him.
The Devil made him an offer. “I will make it so you win every case that you try for the rest of your life.
Your clients will worship you, your colleagues will be in awe, and you will make enormous amounts of money.
But, in return, you must give me your soul, your wife’s soul, the souls of your children,
your parents, grandparents, and those of all the your friends.”
The lawyer thought about it for a moment, then asked, “But what’s the catch?”

 

[CanesLifer2]

What a scumbag Willie T is! Didn’t do his due diligence on his hires. He also didn’t protect his players. I hope this blows up to the point he never works again and loses everything he has in civil court. *** hole

Agreed… and many FAU players I know feel
the same way…

 

[AlphaMarshan]

@AlphaMarshan your thoughts?

@AlphaMarshan is there a State/Federal licensure board function for fitness trainers at that level?

Late to the party here.

You'll be interested to know that Strength & Conditioning, Personal Training, and "Nutrition" are not licensed by any governing body. Whereas @AlexCane would have to pass the bar exam to practice law in any given state, there is no licensure for these 3 allied health professions. Oddly enough, Athletic Training actually does, and one must pass the state Athletic Training exam to practice AT within that state. Same with Massage Therapy.

Because there is no governing body, a multitude of organizations are out there to provide certifications for S&C and personal training. Certifications are different than a license, but it's at least something. You could literally start your own company, issue a S&C certification, give it to yourself, and then tell people you are a "Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach" and most people would be none the wiser. That's why the important question is, "Which organization are you certified through?"

Currently, the "best" or "most reputable" organizations that provide S&C-related certifications are the NSCA, CSCCa, and NCSF, among others.

But why would anyone bring up certifications when they know Swasey was at UM over 15 years including the S&C Coach for the 2001 ’GOAT‘ team. He has a ton of success with individuals he trained and trains.

The proper thing to do would be to reference the Head Coach that he was just an assistant under. Al Golden came in with certifications, degrees, pillars, binders, Dead Sea scrolls, Waynai Bibles, Codex gigas, Kuthodaw Pagodas, Bhagavad Gitas, Ramayanas, Torahs, Tripitakas, Kojikis, Tao-Te-Chings, the Quran & the Koran and still couldn’t coach worth a ****.

Every sorry coach we ever had was just a certified loser - certs ain’t worth toilet paper if you can’t produce results.

I'm actually shocked at how I'm no longer shocked to see the same horrible take regarding S&C over and over and over. Someone "doing something" for 15 years doesn't make them good at it, you get that right? You can be really bad at a job for 15 years and brag to people you've been doing it for 15 years, so what?

The point of the lawsuit you appear to be missing was in regards to an incident where multiple players suffered from rhabdomyolysis due to the "training session" - if you can even call it that - Oderinde administered. Rhabdo is when there is such severe acute muscle breakdown that myoglobin leaks out of the muscle into the blood but can't be filtered by the kidneys. This can cause dark/brown urine and can literally be fatal without medical attention.

A certification doesn't make you a good coach, but it provides an aptitude that the coach isn't going to kill people. Any experienced and NSCA-certified S&C coach would be able to tell that the workout was approaching dangerous levels of exertion. And that's already like 9 steps beyond what a certified coach would do preparation-wise. What he did was absolutely negligent and I would have sued his balls off too.

Swasey was an EXCELLENT S&C Coach...Ask ANY player that worked out under him (and alot till this day)....So much BS about his qualifications....After Moffitt left, UM didn't skip a beat with him at the helm....

I already know nothing I say will change your mind, you just like to argue about how much better things used to be.

Unfortunately, that's what happens when you allow morally bankrupt Shysters who have Shticks to porst on this forum without checks & filters.

If he cared to do even a base level of research he would've realized that lack of qualifications is not the problem with strength & conditioning as it relates to college athletics. The issue is lack of oversight & accountability by administration officials, because the strength coach is ultimately tied to the HC that hired him. This creates a conflict of interest. This is why former MD football player Jordan McNair ended up losing his life, because the strength coach at the time Rick Court, was essentially allowed carte blanche control, and the freedom to create a toxic & abusive team culture. At the time, Court had attained the highest recognition, master strength and conditioning coach, from the collegiate strength and conditioning coaches association. You can have the highest qualified & brightest individuals working in a field, but if there's no one to police the culture, then bad outcomes will continue to happen.

The inside story of a toxic culture at Maryland football

Current Maryland players describe a culture of fear and intimidation within the football program in the run-up to offensive lineman Jordan McNair's death.

www.espn.com

Though, Swasey wasn't as qualified as Court, he did help to produce over 100 NFL draft picks during his career as strength coach. More importantly no one ever died or got Rhabdomyolysis under his watch. Could it be then that actually caring for your players is just as important as credentials & qualifications?

It's definitely a little bit of both - the lack of qualifications is a huge issue but the lack of oversight is also a big deal and I agree often overlooked. The S&C coach should essentially be able to work autonomously but can't because of their ties to the HC, who may or may not have their noses in his business all the time.

big IF, but IF Oregon is found to be liable for damages for failing to make sure an athletic trainer was properly certified, it will be worth a whole **** of a lot of toilet paper wether there are results or not for the trainer.

big IF, but IF the precedent of a player that is years removed from college, trained by an uncertified staff member that is no longer employed there, under a coach that is no longer employed there can expose a university to liability, a few schools will probably be clenching their cheeks for a while.

I don't really give a **** what anyone says about swasey, separating the man from the scenario, it is wildly irresponsible to have someone that is not up to date and current in industry standards for certification for a bunch of fields in life, health and fitness included, and while individuals can choose to take that risk privately, universities should not be.


All that said, I expect this to settle for a fraction, and for it to go away.

Just a quick caveat that Athletic Trainers are different than S&C coaches. Athletic Trainers are actually licensed and deal more with injuries.

I have mentioned dozens of times in this forum that I won't attack Swasey's character, as I very briefly met him and most people speak highly of him. However, it was known when I was at UM that he was unable to pass the NSCA's CSCS ("gold standard" for S&C), which outlines the latest exercise science and the proper way to train individuals to maximize performance while also minimizing injury.

I completely agree that while he may be a great guy, the standard is the standard, and those standards must be enforced as it reduces risk not just to the athletes but to the university as well.

Because if you can't pass simple training certifications, it's a HUGE red flag. Some may think certifications are meaningless and results are the end all be all.....but i disagree. Certifications are a foundation of knowledge and show you can learn/retain concepts needed in your field of expertise. What you do with it at that point defines the individual, in this case the difference between a good strength coach vs an average one.

Guys may still get stronger/faster working out with someone who's not certified, but it doesn't mean you truly comprehend every movement you are teaching, the impacts of that movement (short-term or long-term), understand all the details of the human body or how to prevent injuries, current or future. And just because someone IS certified doesn't mean they won't teach you stupid/dangerous/pointless exercises either. It's just they SHOULD have better knowledge of exercise in general. I was friends with a lot of meatheads back in college.....powerlifters, body-builders, weekend warriors......and only 1 of them is now a certified trainer. Back in the day, i listened to each of them bc they were freakin' huge and strong. Guys all around campus worked out with them, including football players. The result? Lower back injury due to bad form they taught. They also taught other movements but put the shoulder joints in bad positions. The movements the personal trainer teaches now are nothing compared to movements he used back in the day. Did he get bigger with them? Absolutely. He won bodybuilding shows with their movements. Was their training safe or correct? Absolutely not. This guy got lucky. I did not.

Facts.

The science of this stuff was practically non-existent in the 80's and has grown exponentially to where we are now. Effective S&C coaches know exactly how long they have to train, the types of athletes they're training, the biomechanics of all their movement patterns, and the optimal way to design a periodized program to train them in a way that maximizes performance and limits the risk of injury.

This isn't guesswork anymore. The certifications cover the aptitude required to implement these programs optimally. And you know, not kill people during summer workouts.

 

[TheOriginalCane]

You can sue a ham sandwich if it has assets.

The cheese? The mayo?

 

[Empirical Cane]

Late to the party here.

You'll be interested to know that Strength & Conditioning, Personal Training, and "Nutrition" are not licensed by any governing body. Whereas @AlexCane would have to pass the bar exam to practice law in any given state, there is no licensure for these 3 allied health professions. Oddly enough, Athletic Training actually does, and one must pass the state Athletic Training exam to practice AT within that state. Same with Massage Therapy.

Because there is no governing body, a multitude of organizations are out there to provide certifications for S&C and personal training. Certifications are different than a license, but it's at least something. You could literally start your own company, issue a S&C certification, give it to yourself, and then tell people you are a "Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach" and most people would be none the wiser. That's why the important question is, "Which organization are you certified through?"

Currently, the "best" or "most reputable" organizations that provide S&C-related certifications are the NSCA, CSCCa, and NCSF, among others.


I'm actually shocked at how I'm no longer shocked to see the same horrible take regarding S&C over and over and over. Someone "doing something" for 15 years doesn't make them good at it, you get that right? You can be really bad at a job for 15 years and brag to people you've been doing it for 15 years, so what?

The point of the lawsuit you appear to be missing was in regards to an incident where multiple players suffered from rhabdomyolysis due to the "training session" - if you can even call it that - Oderinde administered. Rhabdo is when there is such severe acute muscle breakdown that myoglobin leaks out of the muscle into the blood but can't be filtered by the kidneys. This can cause dark/brown urine and can literally be fatal without medical attention.

A certification doesn't make you a good coach, but it provides an aptitude that the coach isn't going to kill people. Any experienced and NSCA-certified S&C coach would be able to tell that the workout was approaching dangerous levels of exertion. And that's already like 9 steps beyond what a certified coach would do preparation-wise. What he did was absolutely negligent and I would have sued his balls off too.


I already know nothing I say will change your mind, you just like to argue about how much better things used to be.


It's definitely a little bit of both - the lack of qualifications is a huge issue but the lack of oversight is also a big deal and I agree often overlooked. The S&C coach should essentially be able to work autonomously but can't because of their ties to the HC, who may or may not have their noses in his business all the time.


Just a quick caveat that Athletic Trainers are different than S&C coaches. Athletic Trainers are actually licensed and deal more with injuries.

I have mentioned dozens of times in this forum that I won't attack Swasey's character, as I very briefly met him and most people speak highly of him. However, it was known when I was at UM that he was unable to pass the NSCA's CSCS ("gold standard" for S&C), which outlines the latest exercise science and the proper way to train individuals to maximize performance while also minimizing injury.

I completely agree that while he may be a great guy, the standard is the standard, and those standards must be enforced as it reduces risk not just to the athletes but to the university as well.


Facts.

The science of this stuff was practically non-existent in the 80's and has grown exponentially to where we are now. Effective S&C coaches know exactly how long they have to train, the types of athletes they're training, the biomechanics of all their movement patterns, and the optimal way to design a periodized program to train them in a way that maximizes performance and limits the risk of injury.

This isn't guesswork anymore. The certifications cover the aptitude required to implement these programs optimally. And you know, not kill people during summer workouts.

LOVE your use of Allied Health.

I had never considered that portion of healthcare delivery under Allied Health product lines.

 

[SWFLHurricane]

To say Swasey isn't a quali

Late to the party here.

You'll be interested to know that Strength & Conditioning, Personal Training, and "Nutrition" are not licensed by any governing body. Whereas @AlexCane would have to pass the bar exam to practice law in any given state, there is no licensure for these 3 allied health professions. Oddly enough, Athletic Training actually does, and one must pass the state Athletic Training exam to practice AT within that state. Same with Massage Therapy.

Because there is no governing body, a multitude of organizations are out there to provide certifications for S&C and personal training. Certifications are different than a license, but it's at least something. You could literally start your own company, issue a S&C certification, give it to yourself, and then tell people you are a "Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach" and most people would be none the wiser. That's why the important question is, "Which organization are you certified through?"

Currently, the "best" or "most reputable" organizations that provide S&C-related certifications are the NSCA, CSCCa, and NCSF, among others.


I'm actually shocked at how I'm no longer shocked to see the same horrible take regarding S&C over and over and over. Someone "doing something" for 15 years doesn't make them good at it, you get that right? You can be really bad at a job for 15 years and brag to people you've been doing it for 15 years, so what?

The point of the lawsuit you appear to be missing was in regards to an incident where multiple players suffered from rhabdomyolysis due to the "training session" - if you can even call it that - Oderinde administered. Rhabdo is when there is such severe acute muscle breakdown that myoglobin leaks out of the muscle into the blood but can't be filtered by the kidneys. This can cause dark/brown urine and can literally be fatal without medical attention.

A certification doesn't make you a good coach, but it provides an aptitude that the coach isn't going to kill people. Any experienced and NSCA-certified S&C coach would be able to tell that the workout was approaching dangerous levels of exertion. And that's already like 9 steps beyond what a certified coach would do preparation-wise. What he did was absolutely negligent and I would have sued his balls off too.


I already know nothing I say will change your mind, you just like to argue about how much better things used to be.


It's definitely a little bit of both - the lack of qualifications is a huge issue but the lack of oversight is also a big deal and I agree often overlooked. The S&C coach should essentially be able to work autonomously but can't because of their ties to the HC, who may or may not have their noses in his business all the time.


Just a quick caveat that Athletic Trainers are different than S&C coaches. Athletic Trainers are actually licensed and deal more with injuries.

I have mentioned dozens of times in this forum that I won't attack Swasey's character, as I very briefly met him and most people speak highly of him. However, it was known when I was at UM that he was unable to pass the NSCA's CSCS ("gold standard" for S&C), which outlines the latest exercise science and the proper way to train individuals to maximize performance while also minimizing injury.

I completely agree that while he may be a great guy, the standard is the standard, and those standards must be enforced as it reduces risk not just to the athletes but to the university as well.


Facts.

The science of this stuff was practically non-existent in the 80's and has grown exponentially to where we are now. Effective S&C coaches know exactly how long they have to train, the types of athletes they're training, the biomechanics of all their movement patterns, and the optimal way to design a periodized program to train them in a way that maximizes performance and limits the risk of injury.

This isn't guesswork anymore. The certifications cover the aptitude required to implement these programs optimally. And you know, not kill people during summer workouts.

To say Swasey isn't a quality S&C coach is just being disingenuous. I'll leave it at that. I was friends with Moffitt for 6yrs...so I have an idea what I'm talking about. If you count how many Great former Canes trained under Swasey, it'd be a Who's Who of AAs and HOFers....