Osborne Talks Out About Wrestlers Posing for Porn

Home · News · Weather · Sports · Grand Island · HDTV · My TV · Community · Program Schedule · Calendar · 2008 Election

Agriculture/Business · As Seen On TV · CarSoup · CBS · Classifieds · Contests · Jobs · Lottery · Restaurants · School Closings · Find A Page

Nebraska Weather
7 Day Forecast
Lincoln Currents
Grand Island Currents

On Demand

Click to Enlarge

Powerball jackpot* for 1/10/2009 is

$120 Million

Osborne Talks Out About Wrestlers Posing for Porn

Save

Lincoln, Neb.
Posted: 11:50 AM Aug 25, 2008
Last Updated: 1:20 PM Aug 25, 2008
Reporter: 10/11 News
Email Address: desk@kolnkgin.com

21 comments

A | A | A

Tom Osborne is speaking out about the two former Husker wrestlers kicked off the team for posing nude on a gay porn Web site.

Earlier this month, Paul Donahoe and Kenny Jordan were dismissed after appearing on the site fratmentv.com.

The pair violated an NCAA rule that prohibits student athletes from using their images for commercial purposes.

Athletic Director Tom Osborne was on with Jack and John on the KLIN morning show Monday talking about the incident.

"Certainly, as a general guideline, you don't want to have any behavior that would embarrass their team, the university or the athletic department, and that covers an awful lot of ground. They are role models, whether they want to be or not. It is a privilege, and not a right, to be an athlete at the University of Nebraska. They will be held at a higher standard than other students, because they are in a privileged position," Osborne said.

Osborne said he plans to meet with the university's nearly 550 athletes in September to address issues such as the wrestling case.

The athletic department said last week the two have broken NCAA rules in the past and were each suspended one match.

More Stories
Buffet's Boots to Raise Funds for Research

70 Laid Off at Nebraska Trailer Plant

Charge Refiled Against Mom of Suffocated Baby

New Year's Resolutions: Volunteering

Historic Day For Nebraska Legislature

Discussion of Nebraska's Mountain Lion Population Continues

Workshops Attempt To Answer Questions Surrounding VeraSun Bankruptcy

Lance's Journal: The Wood Cutting Mayor, Jan. 7

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: joey on Aug 29, 2008 at 07:18 AM
to chad: i don't care where you went to school. this comment has nothing to do with this story. and of course, do you think they post every comment?

Posted by: Kara Location: Lincoln on Aug 28, 2008 at 05:51 PM
John K. - Hmmm...if you review my comment, you'll see I didn't mention "God." I wrote, "sex is a gift", not "sex is a gift from God." But hey, thanks for bringing it up. I should have said that in the first place. Obviously you don't believe. That's too bad. I'll pray for you. :-) By the way why do you care about what goes on in Nebraska - you live in NJ?

Posted by: Chad Location: Des Moines, IA on Aug 27, 2008 at 07:21 PM
OK, where are my comments? You fools think that you are a news station? Are you kidding me? Your ratings prove otherwise. HAHAHA!!!!! Let's see, umm KOLN & KGIN 104.... Go back to school and find out how to REPORT and not smear....... Heck even little ole Iowa beats you out. #71 and where I went to school Daytona Beach/Orlando had ratings of #19. So I know how news is reported not just from one side and lets their viewers comment without taking out the pro comments and just keeping the smear comments. I think I have said enough. I will check back and see if my comments have been posted but I doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Chad Location: Des Moines, IA on Aug 27, 2008 at 04:59 PM
I think we should dig up some dirt on Athletic Director Tom Osborne. I know that he is not a perfect person without any skeletons in his closet. Would he take ownership when things are exposed on him. Most likely not, as that would require a real man, and that he is NOT...

Posted by: John K. Location: Glassboro, NJ on Aug 27, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Kara: Spare me the religiously-based "sex is a gift from God" talk; it's competely unpersuasive to me. You're right that these guys are in the public eye. However, these acts did not have to be in the public eye except that we are a very nosy society. Presumably, children that would see these guys wrestling for the college would not have access to the porn site for which they posed. Those children would have no idea that these men posed for such a site except for the incessant need for the media to report such irrelevant things. Again, as I said, in this particular case they violated the rule against PROFITING from their images. But if they had only done it for fun, that's their choice and it does nothing to harm the school or the wrestling team, and if reporters and society would limit their reporting and interest in these guys to things relevant to wrestling, this wouldn't even be an issue.

Posted by: John K. Location: Glassboro, NJ on Aug 27, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Charlie: I didn't say anything was a right. I simply saying if you think this is a good reason to dismiss skilled athletes from your team, you're being irrational. If you choose to exercise your obvious right to exclude someone from your team for something competely unrelated just because you don't like it, you're being irrational. Again, it's your right, but you exercise it foolishly. But hey, if you want to sacrifice the good of your team over this foolishness, go right ahead; it's your right.

Posted by: Jesi Location: NE on Aug 27, 2008 at 02:10 AM
Jeff...there is no reason to refer to tom osborne as Mr. He is a typical male just like every other guy. Just because he can coach a football team don't make him special. You people really need to learn to idolize people other than a has been football coach turned politician.

Posted by: Kara Location: Lincoln on Aug 26, 2008 at 05:30 PM
Mr. Osborne was right on the money with his comments. Athletes, whether they wish to be or not, are public figures. Young people look up to them and are influenced by their behavior. Those in the public eye need to make better choices and demonstrate greater integrity, especially in our sexually-saturated culture. Hey, John K. from NJ - sex is not evil and disgusting, it's a gift, one that needs to be treated with respect. Men and women posing nude victimize themselves by divorcing the spiritual, emotional, and psychological aspects of sex, creating a venue for others to "use" them.

Posted by: Scott Location: Lincoln on Aug 26, 2008 at 05:19 PM
First off Jeff,Tom Osborne was just a COACH, nothing more & nothing less,if they were part of the football team,they would not have been kicked off the team,I'm just curious what little Tom has to say about Andy Christensen,cause what he has done is Worse and I'm sure he will just get a slap on the forehand so what else New? Right!

Posted by: Dale Location: North Platte on Aug 26, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Way to go Dr Tom.If the boys want to do this stuff do it after they graduate so it dosent imbarass every one in the college.

Posted by: Charlie on Aug 26, 2008 at 01:05 PM
John K. - feel free to move to another country! It's not a right to be a UNL athlete but a privilege. Do something we don't like, lose the privilege. Pretty simple.

Posted by: John K. Location: Glassboro, NJ on Aug 26, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Jeff: I didn't say anything about their orientation either, so I guess you are at least equally guilty of making assumptions. What I was referring to as the sort of thing that shouldn't be embarassing in the first place is posing nude, regardless of orientation. Like I clearly said, since there is an NCAA rule that says players can't profit from their images, I agree with you that the players were in the wrong (assuming they were paid, I forget if this was specified or not). My point was that if this were a case where they were NOT paid, it should make no difference that they posed nude for their own enjoyment, again regardless of orientation.

Posted by: ha on Aug 26, 2008 at 08:19 AM
Its time for T.O. or B.O. what ever you want to call him to go retire some were and keep his mouth shut

Posted by: joey on Aug 26, 2008 at 04:42 AM
tom osborne leads and upholds a moral life, these wrestlers should do the same. i respect tom's opinion and decision.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Lincoln on Aug 26, 2008 at 12:38 AM
I thought this issue was over with. I don't really care what Osborne has to say. He was a great coach, but beyond that... he's just another guy who's opinion means just as much as anyone else's...squat.

Posted by: Jeff Location: Lincoln on Aug 25, 2008 at 09:34 PM
drh - I didn't say he was a God nor do I think he is anything close to one. I could give a care less about Nebraska football. However, I have a lot of respect for the man, because he's done a lot for the University and their programs. So bite your tongue imbecile, and show some respect.

Posted by: Jeff Location: Lincoln on Aug 25, 2008 at 05:56 PM
Thanks drh for your "intelligent" and well thought out response to my comments. I never said anything about Mr. Osborne being a God, and I am just simply saying that I expect a higher level of behavior from any athlete that is allowed to represent their team. The NCAA and every college across the U.S. has rules. It is a privelage and not a right to represent your college as an athlete, and rules are rules. I guess if you are into breaking the rules drh then I would have to give you back one of your......."eye rolls". Sad!!

Posted by: Sue Location: so lincoln on Aug 25, 2008 at 04:59 PM
AMEN JEFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: drh Location: Lincoln on Aug 25, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Tom Osborne is a Legend to Nebraska football fans ONLY. He's not a God stop acting like he is...*eye roll*.

Posted by: Jeff Location: Lincoln on Aug 25, 2008 at 01:43 PM
First off John K., 'this Osborne guy' is a legend, so refer to him as either Mr. Tom Osborne, or A.D. Osborne. Second, he did not once refer to their sexual orientation as being embarrassing. He simply referred to their behavior as being embarrassing because they posed nude on a website after specific NCAA rules specifying that they shouldn't. Case closed - these boys were in the wrong by their actions, not orientation.

Posted by: John K. Location: Glassboro, NJ on Aug 25, 2008 at 12:08 PM
You know, ok, if they violated a general rule about not being paid for their images, that's fine. However, that's not what this Osborne guy cites; he cites their "embarassing" behavior. This is the type of nonesense I can't stand in this country. If they had chosen to pose for this website for free because they like doing it, they should have every freedom to do so because it has absolutely nothing to do with their skills as athletes or ethics about amateurs profiting from their skill or image. What it comes down to is that this sort of thing shouldn't be embarassing in the first place. We make it embarassing by continuing to treat sex as though it's something evil and disgusting.