Patrick Kinahan: Everybody loses in Emery scandal


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SALT LAKE CITY — The Nick Emery scandal has no winners; not the basketball player or anyone else connected to him ranging from his family and friends to the BYU team.

Amid an NCAA investigation and individual personal crisis, Emery has decided to withdraw from BYU and will not play this season. His intention is to return next year.

In an unusual situation, Emery’s divorce after a brief marriage has become public knowledge. Not many college students have to deal with the embarrassment of a failed marriage blasted all over the local media.

More than most will ever know, Emery is going through struggles as his complicated personal life has been played out in public fashion. Those close to him have been deeply concerned about his literal well-being.

To date, his only public comments came in the form of a press release issued by the BYU athletic department one day before the season started last week. Emery, who indicated he is not mentally prepared to focus on basketball and school, has made mistakes.

“As it has been made known, I went through a divorce this year and it has been really difficult for me,” the statement read. “I have confidence that I will come back stronger and better. I have every intention on coming back to BYU and representing Cougar nation on the basketball floor. I thank everyone for their love and support, especially my teammates, coaches and the BYU administration that have been an incredible support system.”

Critics note the press release only mentions the marital issues and does not reference the NCAA ongoing investigation that centers on Emery receiving benefits that are outside of the rules. Press releases often fall into a spin mode.

But we’re still talking about an amateur athlete. A 23-year-old college student not accused of a crime, even one with a high profile, should have some form of privacy despite not being a victim nor blameless.

“He’s going through a very difficult time,” BYU coach Dave Rose said in a statement, “and we’ve had a lot of discussions about what he needs to do to be able to move forward. We both feel like the best thing for him is to take time off before continuing with this basketball career.”

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While BYU has known about the NCAA investigation for some time, the situation became public after the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the organization has been reviewing whether a booster paid for travel to concerts and an amusement park in addition to letting him use a new car. Brandon Tyndall, a 40-year-old member of BYU’s Cougar Club, told the Tribune the two are friends and Emery paid for everything. NCAA rules allow for certain exceptions for boosters who have longstanding relationships with an athlete.

BYU officials are aware Emery, who was suspended by Rose for punching a Utah basketball player during a game two years ago, has brought some of these problems on himself. But they also believe certain people, who provided the newspaper with documentation involving NCAA infractions, want to see Emery suffer.

The estranged relationship between Emery and former family members has been going on for several months. The divorce, news of which quickly became widespread in the relatively small Utah basketball circles, was filed in May and finalized last month.

After the investigation became public, Emery’s older brother, former BYU basketball player Jackson Emery, sent out the following tweet: “When they go low, you go high Don’t let anyone bring you down. Truth and positivity always prevail!”

He followed it up with a longer statement last week, saying: “I want everyone to know that rumors can be very harmful and to be careful with what is circulated. Nick made this decision himself and even though BYU cannot comment, I will. It has nothing to do with the honor code. In these situations, all you can do is hold you head up high and move forward.”

But in the end, there are no winners. Everybody loses. *- - - - - -

About the Author: Patrick Kinahan \---------------------------------

Patrick is a radio host for 97.5/1280 The Zone and the Zone Sports Network. He, along with David James, are on the air Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

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Patrick is a radio host for 97.5/1280 The Zone and the Zone Sports Network. He, along with David James, are on the air Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

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