FanPost

Family More Important Than Brotherhood: Dirk Koetter

To Mr. Blank, Mr. McKay & Mr. Dimitroff

I would like to start by saying how grateful I am for the two of you turning an otherwise downtrodden franchise into something we all can be proud of. Your dedication and decision making in the front office has resulted in a clear vision that has poured into the football side of operations. For that I am incredibly grateful.

My father always said that great people never shy away from difficult questions. And I have one that has nothing to do with football and everything to do with something far more important: family. And family trumps brotherhood every single time in my humble opinion.

I’ve never met Dirk Koetter. From everything I have read he is a wonderful person. But even wonderful people are not exempt from repercussions for poor choices, especially when those choices show a wonton disregard for the well being and safety of the community as a whole.

Over several years at Arizona State University, Dirk Koetter made a series of poor choices that directly led to murder, rape, sexual assault and an overall environment that demonstrated little to no respect for women.

I suspect you, like myself, have zero tolerance for such behavior in the real world. But you’ve done your due diligence on Koetter twice and twice turned a blind eye. If I am missing pertinent information, please say so and I’ll trust your judgment. But from an outsider’s perspective, this is simply not acceptable. Here are the things that have me upset

Please be aware, I’ll always love and support the Falcons. They are my team. But the Koetter dilemma has me far less proud of my team because of the message it sends. Children look up to players and coaches. It’s why I have little respect for the Browns, who trot out Jim Brown as a role model for children. Brown is a serial abuser of women who threw his fiancé off a 3rd story balcony. Five times accused of rape and when asked if he had a problem with women he said "no, cause I hit men too."

Brotherhood is not more important than family.

Respectfully,

A Falcons Fan

Incident 1 - Koetter was aware that Wade had threatened to kill a female gymnast, that a women's soccer coach told Koetter that her players were terrified of Wade because he had a gun, and that Wade had threatened his ex-girlfriend's life and possessions, prompting her to call the police twice in six days. He wasn't suspended or punished for any of that behavior, nor was it reported to any authorities. A few days later Wade shot and killed a student who was talking to his girlfriend

Incident 2 - When confronted over his misconduct, Henderson told an ASU official that he wanted women to fear him and that it was important for him to "show them their place."

Upon hearing this, Steve Rippon, the ASU director of academic success, expelled Henderson from the transition program. But Koetter, the head football coach, persuaded school officials to allow Henderson to return to the campus under a zero tolerance policy.

Despite his previous difficulties, Henderson was permitted to live in a dorm when he came back. On March 11, 2004, according to police reports and lawsuit documents, he began openly stalking his victim, talking to her about the Kobe Bryant rape case and calling her repeatedly on her cell phone.

Early on the morning of March 12, Henderson entered the victim's dorm room through an unlocked door. The victim had been drinking and was asleep. As Henderson attacked her, police say, she awakened and recognized Henderson. Emergency room records show injuries that could not have occurred in consensual sex.

After Henderson was finally expelled from ASU, Koetter tried to help him obtain a scholarship at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and other programs, according to a later university investigation.

<em>This FanPost was written by one of The Falcoholic's talented readers. It does not necessarily reflect the views of The Falcoholic.</em>