Plancher Trial Day 10: Former UCF Player Contradicts O'Leary

((HT: Orlando Sentinel/Limon))

Iliana Limon's must read of the Ereck Plancher trial continues with Day 10 disclosing another former University of Central Florida saying head coach George O'Leary would pull water from certain drills for what was termed "mental toughness."

Former wideout Brian Watters was one of five to testify on Day 10. Robert Jackson, the only certified athletic trainer on duty that day, said that he could not testify with certainty if water was inside the fieldhouse or not that day. Members of the Plancher family also testified on the emotional distress of the family.

Here's the O'Leary greatest hits from Day 9...
 

The trial is supposed to resume Monday morning with a tour of the UCF facility...

Plancher Trial Day 9: O'Leary Grilled...

((HT: Orlando Sentinel/Limon))

The Ereck Plancher trial continues in Orlando, and on Day 9 UCF Head Coach George O'Leary was ((pretty much)) ordered to take the stand despite the school's insistence that the coach's need to be present for his on-campus clinic superseded the trial and the judge's wishes...

So much for that idea...

O'Leary maintained that he did not order both water and training staff out of the training facility on the day that Ereck Plancher collapsed and eventually died.

The Orange County ME and two football players have said the opposite in open court and O'Leary was questioned for more than three hours on the stand Thursday.

Here's Limon's recap for Day 9...
 

The UCF approach seems to be to create enough confusion among the important personnel on campus to diffuse the Plancher family's case. Part of the testimony today was to create a "Yes, they did- No, they didn't" know among the training staff as to whether or not they all knew Plancher was diagnosed with sickle cell trait.

The Plancher family attorneys seem confident that their side of the case will wrap up Friday...

Plancher trial continues: UCF tries discrediting M.E and O'Leary to testify Thursday morning

UCF Football Coach George O'Leary

((ht: orlandosentinel))

The Ereck Plancher wrongful death suit/trial continues and at times has gotten to be a bit contentious.

Wednesday, University of Central Florida's Athletic Association attorney's tried to discredit testimony by Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany who testified Plancher died because of complications from sickle cell trait. Stephany explained how it caused problems with red blood cells and under stress could become very harmful. UCF's attorney's argue that Plancher died from an undisclosed heart conditions.

Read more from the Orlando Sentinel RIGHT HERE

Testimony is expected to continue Thursday morning with the testimony of UCF Football coach George O'Leary. However, O'Leary was originally scheduled to testify on Wednesday, but Plancher's attorney's did not get to him. UCF's attorney's say they don't know if O'Leary will be available because he's scheduled to be at his "Coaching Clinic". The judge didn't buy that as a reason not to be there.

We'll continue following this trial in part because of the tremendous implications of the verdict. There is a lot of evidence that can hurt UCF here and if they lose, it could be a precedent setting trial.

We'd give you a look at local coverage of this, but the Orlando local TV stations don't do stories on anything unless Casey Anthony's name is attached.

Plancher Trial Day 6: Teammate Testifies

((HT: Orlando Sentinel/Limon))

Week 2 of the Ereck Plancher trial had an ex-teammate on the stand relaying the events of the day Plancher dies from his perspective.

Wide receiver Anthony Davis testified that he recalled head coach George O'Leary telling trainers to leave the training facility and take water with them as they left. This was before Plancher collapsed during, what was termed by other UCF ex-players as "extra" workouts during a normal workout rotation...

From Limon:

Davis responded that O'Leary told the players before they gave their sworn statements "these people don't care about you" and to "keep it simple." Davis said Manny Messengeur, who currently works as O'Leary's personal assistant, was in the room while the attorney was taking the sworn statement. Davis said he didn't know Messengeur's exact role with the team at the time, but he recalled that he was friends with O'Leary. Davis said he was concerned anything he said during the sworn statements would be relayed to O'Leary.

"I had a stranger looking at me, monitoring what I am saying," Davis said.

He added that he never lied during any of his sworn statements.

Here's Limon's update...
 

The HQ thinks UCF is in so much trouble...

Plancher Trial Day 4: Cardiologist Says "Sickle Cell Trait" Killed Plancher

((HT: Orlando Sentinel, Limon))

A cardiologist and expert in sudden deaths testified that Ereck Plancher died from complications of sickle cell trait and could not have died from a heart problem.

Dr. Barry J. Maron said that there is no evidence that a cardiac problem killed the 19-year-old after a preseason workout.

Attorneys for the UCF Athletics Association are arguing that the undetected heart problem, fibromuscular dysplasia, caused Plancher's death on March 18, 2008. Attorneys for Plancher's parents say the athletics association is responsible for his death, thus the wrongful death suit...

"The death event is not only sudden, it's virtually instantaneous or within a few seconds because it's due to an arrhythmia," Maron said in testimony. "… [It] ends life right then. That's how it works."

Here's UCF spokesman Grant Heston on the day...
 

UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble was also on the stand getting the standard amount of grilling from Plancher family attorney Steve Yerrid. They were the only two to testify on the day due to the contentious nature of the dueling legal teams.

Here's Yerrid's soundbite on the day...
 

Plancher Trial Day 2: Opening Statements

Any juror in a certain Orlando, Florida courtroom gets to figure out whether University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher died during a workout because coaches pushed him too hard knowing he had a medical condition diagnosed as sickle cell trait or whether it was from an unknown heart defect.

Attorneys for the Plancher family claim the university never told their son that he tested positive for sickle cell. They also say coaches and trainers didn't follow proper emergency procedures after Plancher collapsed at practice.

An attorney for UCF said he would show that Plancher died from a congenital heart defect following a "moderate practice."

Here was UCF head coach George O'Leary addressing the early questions brought about by investigations- specifically, one by Mark Fainaru-Wada at ESPN...
((HT: ESPN))


Fainaru-Wada's necessary reading indicated that the school was aware of the condition Plancher had. Those results are here...

He also interviewed two players who were present at the morning workout where Plancher collapsed. James Jamison described two additional drills that the team had never done previously- including a form of gassers wedged in the normal conditioning drills. It was during that section that Plancher collapsed.

A lab report picked up by Fainaru-Wada and the "Outside The Lines" folks confirmed that Plancher was diagnosed with sickle cell trait. Plancher was tested again, and again he tested positive.

The HQ would really like to know where in the blue hell the University of Central Florida thinks they're going to win this case. The HQ also hopes the Planchers get their pound of flesh...

Ereck Plancher trial begins

Ereck Plancher

((ht: orlando sentinel))

Lost in all the bloated, over-indulgent, idiotic press blathering about Casey Anthony in Orlando is a tragic story that we at OSG Sports have covered since it happened.

The death of Ereck Plancher.

Plancher was a 19-year old wide receiver at the University of Central Florida who died after a practice/workout in March of 2008. His autopsy revealed he had sickle cell trait that could help trigger "vascular distress", something the coroner said attributed to his death.

Plancher's parents filed a wrongful death suit against UCF saying the football staff didn't take proper care of their son. That suit is about to go to trial.

Jury selection starts today in Orlando and among those on the firing line here, most of the UCF Athletic Organization and football coach George O'Leary in particular. The trial is expected to begin this week and if UCF has a lot on the line.

Read your primer from the Orlando Sentinel RIGHT HERE

We'll try and keep you updated on the progress of this trial. Depending on the outcome, there could be a lot of repercussions. The family claims O'Leary and trainers withheld water and wouldn't help players struggling through practice in the brutal Orlando summer heat. The coaches and trainers say they did everything possible to help and had no idea about the "Sickle Cell" trait.

Plancher Hearing: Ex-UCF FB Player Says Water Withheld At Practice

The Ereck Plancher hearing is going gangbusters in Orlando at present...

The Orlando Sentinel's Iliana Limon, who has covered this from its regrettable beginnings, says that former WR Anthony Dixon claims in a deposition that there weren't any athletic trainers assisting ((or allowed to assist)) Plancher at the time where it looked like he was having physical problems dealing with an assigned activity by his coaches.

Davis also says in his deposition that UCF head coach George O'Leary cussed at Plancher when he was having problems keeping up with his teammates.

UCF's lawyers, naturally, are questioning Davis' statements, saying that they're inconsistent with statements made by other teammates who say they were present during the same workout where Plancher collapsed and eventually died back in 2008. The lawyers also say Davis is contradicting himself from previous testimony...

The judge in the case is giving UCF a week to cross examine Davis and his words...

Here's Plancher attorney Stephen Yerrid after Friday's work...
((HT: Orlando Sentinel))
 

TWTW Bowling: UCF Reinforces UGA's Mediocrity In Liberty Bowl

Latavius Murray scored on a 10-yard touchdown run with a little more than nine minutes left, and UCF beat Georgia 10-6 in the Liberty Bowl. The win gives the Knights the best season in school history and the program's first postseason victory.

The Knights (now 11-3) had never won more than 10 games in a season and had lost their first three bowl games, including their last visit to Memphis three years ago.

Georgia (now 6-7) snapped a four-game bowl winning streak with their first loss since the 2006 Sugar Bowl. They also have first losing season since going 5-6 in 1996.

Here's the last play, shot on someone's I-Phone with reaction from Orlando...
((HT: Youtube))

Plancher depositions released...O'Leary describes the fateful day

We've been following this story for some two years now. The story of Ereck Plancher, a then 19-year old freshman wide reciever on the UCF Football team who died in a workout on campus in March of 2008.

The story of what happened has at times been very contentious in the Orlando area and eventually ended up with Plancher's family suing the UCF Athletic Association and the UCF board of trustees saying that they were negligent in treating him.

The Orlando Sentinel has stayed on top of this story with some excellent investigative reporting from Illiana Limon.

Read Limon's story on the testimony in the Sentinel RIGHT HERE

Based on the information in this story, O'Leary and the folks at UCF might have a bit of a problem. It seems as though there may have been a communication issue in play for starters, but it still doesn't explain why Plancher was pressed during the workout despite indications there may be a problem.

The case has yet to be settled and there is no indication that is coming anytime soon. O'Leary has had some other issues to deal with this week and adding this one should make the daily post-practice sessions a lot of fun to be at.

Here's George speaking to the assembled media after the 1st day of Fall Practice. Thanks TSRUCF and YouTube:

UCF allows steamy photo shoot: O'Leary confused....

((ht: fanhouse.com/orlando sentinel))

Shanna McLaughlin/aXis magazine

Sorry, we have to stifle a laugh or two here. Apparently, UCF Head Football Coach George O'Leary gave permission for Axis magazine to do a photo shoot in the teams locker room recently and...well...let's just say the steaminess of the photoshoot is matched only by the heat that O'Leary is now facing.

You see, AXIS is a laddie magazine/website in the Orlando area. For those wanting to know what that is...think Maxim. The folks from Axis, asked permission to use the facilities/locker room for a photo shoot and apparently, Coach O'Leary agreed to it.

Hang on...we're giggling again.

So, anyway, if you want to read more about this, the Orlando Sentinel has the story RIGHT HERE

To say that the shoot was a bit steamy, would be like saying that Coach O'Leary is facing only mild heat. It did feature a UCF alum, Shanna Marie McLaughlin, who by the way...is also Miss July 2010...in Playboy.

O'Leary, to his credit, is taking full responsibility for this, however, there is some question as to whether he had the ability to authorize such an event. O'Leary says that he was told the shoot was for a UCF alum, who had an MBA from the school as well and that may actually be true. However, that won't help his case.

We suspect that the initial furor from this will die down...eventually. It's not the first PR misstep for O'Leary and it probably won't be the last. We really do believe that he didn't know the "Magazine" that was doing the shoot or Ms. McLaughlin. He's pretty much a 24-7 Football guy, it would be out of character if he was familiar with one, the other or both.

Normally, we steer clear of this type of stuff here on the OSG Sports website, but since the video is germane to the story, we feel obligated to post it. So, this would be video of the aforementioned photo shoot, because of our striving to show and tell...the full story.

Thanks aXis Magazine and YouTube, for the video:

TWTW: Orlando Is Not A Cougar Town...

((HT: CFN13/Orlando))

So much for that idea of Case Keenum being in everyone's poser-trophy top fives...

The 37-32 loss by the Cougars to UCF pretty much flushed that down the toilet.

UCF is now bowl eligible...

“I think it’s outstanding” said UCF Head coach George O’Leary afterward, “I think that you use that to catapult your program and school, and that’s great. You go in thinking you win them all. I didn’t realize they were 12th in the country (AP Poll). I think it’s a great win for the program, it was a well fought win, and all three phases played well at times in the game.”

Those of us at OSG HQ doubt for a second that O'Leary didn't know Houston was ranked... we call shenanigans...

So, what do you do covering a story but not involving game video of any type...???
Send CFNews13's Emily Lampa to campus to do a post-game fan piece...

George O'Leary says It's all Your Fault!

Stumbled across a story from Orlando and in particular the Orlando Sentinel. It seems as though UCF Football Coach George O'Leary thinks that a reporter cost them the game against Texas on Saturday for releasing the status of an injured player before the game. Strangely, he was the only one who felt that, totally disregarding the fact that his team was playing a vastly superior opponent on their home field.

After the game, O'Leary tried to get the reporter; from BrightHouse Networks, tossed from his post game presser. When asked for his assesment of the game, he started with "Yeah, but he's out of here" pointing towards the reporter.

((George O'Leary blames someone else//Photo Courtesy--under the photo))

Here is the story, reported by the Orlando Sentinel IN THIS LINK.

Here is the audio from the presser. also from the Sentinel IN THIS LINK.

Having dealt with O'Leary when he was the coach at Georgia Tech, he's not exactly the easiest guy to deal with. He's very distrustful of the media....and this was before the Notre Dame fiasco. So to hear him go off on this reporter is pretty laughable. Did it impact the game? No. Did it impact the trust level? Yeah, probably. Was the reporter wrong? No, he was doing his job, which is to get information to let fans know what to expect prior to a game.

Football Coaches, particularly college coaches are an incredibly paranoid lot, they are convinced that everyone is out to sabotage them somehow. In some cases, it's probably deserved, but in this one...no. The status of those two players weren't going to make a difference, they weren't going to change what happened. Was O'Leary justified for calling the reporter out. NO. Whether he agrees with it or not, it's really easy to handle this George. Wait until the presser is over...away from the others and talk to the reporter. Tell him what your "Procedure" is and request that it be honored. But NEVER, call a reporter out in a presser because no matter what your intention, you will end up looking bad.

Sticking with the Sabotage theme, enjoy the Beastie's with their best song (IMO) , live from our friends at The You Tube:

UCF Reviews Their Own Training For Football

((HT: CBSSports))

UCF's football program's conditioning activities are rigorous "but within the range normal to other Division I football programs," according to a review ordered after a player died and another collapsed last year.

The review released Friday was done by an attorney hired by the university and recommended better communication between team physicians and the athletics department administration, an extra athletic trainer for football and an increased exposure to a nutritionist for players among other things.

UCF President John Hitt ordered the review after the death of receiver Ereck Plancher last spring and the collapse of running back Brandon Davis in December.

Attorney Mike Glazier, a former NCAA investigator, conducted the inquiry. The review did not investigate Plancher's death nor Davis' collapse, only the current state of the football program.

"I will take the recommendations that Mike did make and speak with the administration and see how we can improve ourselves," UCF coach George O'Leary said, reading from a prepared statement.

Plancher died after taking part in the team's "mat drills" during an offseason conditioning workout last March on the UCF campus. The workout was supervised by O'Leary and his staff.

Hitt said he was pleased with the results of the review and again stood by the practices of the football program.

A report from the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office showed Plancher had a sickle cell trait that caused problems with his red blood cells during physical exertion. The examination showed Plancher's heart began beating abnormally, and blood flow to the wide receiver's muscles and organs slowed or stopped.

Plancher's parents filed a lawsuit earlier this month seeking damages in excess of $15,000, not including interest, costs and attorney's fees. The UCF Board of Trustees and the UCF Athletics Association are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

"We'll answer their lawsuit," Hitt said.

The report compared UCF's football program to other schools, reviewed workout and training activities and had complete access to the university's records, Glazier said. Coaches and football players were interviewed for the report, including Davis, but Glazier declined to disclose what the running back said.

Glazier said he recommended going from three to four athletic trainers dedicated solely to football, which he noted is the national average for a program UCF's size. He also recommended more frequent meetings with local paramedics.

"Our overall findings of the university's football practices and conditioning programs, sports medicine policies, procedures and practices are more than adequate and are within industry standards," Glazier said.

O'Leary has a 26-36 record in five seasons at UCF, including a 4-8 record this past season. He signed a 10-year contract extension in May 2006 that pays him $1 million annually. He also has a buyout clause that would cost UCF $5 million to change coaches unless there was just cause.

UCF athletic director Keith Tribble again stood by the coach.

"This is just a report that confirms what we already knew," Tribble said.

Those of us at OSG HQ are wholly unimpressed with the self-survey.
We would much rather see some self-actualization and self-analysis within the UCF adminstration and coaching staff that results in a positive and not just popping your shoulder out-of-joint from patting oneself on the back...

Plancher Family Looking Into Previous Collapses

Iliana Limon's coverage of the death of University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher continues in the Orlando Sentinel.

The attorney for the Plancher family, J.D. Dowell, is looking in to filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against the school. Word out of Orlando this weekend is that the family is reinforcing their opinion that Ereck never told his parents or any oither family members that he knew of, or had, sickle-cell trait- the diagnosed cause of his death during a practice in March.

Plancher collapsed during an off-season workout under the supervision of UCF coaches, including Knights Head Coach George O'Leary.

Limon also divulges that the family knew of two other times Plancher collapsed during his practices on the UCF campus. UCF officials maintain that Plancher tested positive for sickle-cell trait during an examination, but privacy laws keep the university from telling anyone, family included, those results at any time.

Central Florida officials initially said that there were no issues where Plancher was concerned. They changed those statements when the autopsy results revealed the sickle cell issue.

"I haven't seen anything that would indicate Ereck knew he had sickle-cell trait," Dowell said in the Sentinel article. "I'm not suggesting UCF or someone else did not tell him. The forms that he filled out when a student-athlete first arrives at UCF actually had that question. He was asked if he had sickle-cell trait and he checked no when he first entered the school."

Dowell said he does not have Plancher's complete medical records from UCF and there may be other documentation indicating the school told Plancher about the trait.

"I am hopeful that we can find the person who actually told Ereck he had sickle-cell trait and find exactly what he was told about it," Dowell said.

In independent interviews during the past seven months, Plancher's former high school coach, two of his cousins and five friends told the Sentinel that the 19-year-old collapsed twice during workouts at UCF in the year before his death.

They said one severe episode required him to be transported to a hospital by ambulance for treatment.

Several people close to Ereck Plancher and the Plancher family have been interviewed by Mark Fainaru-Wada and the TV types at the four-letter.

The Fainaru-Wada "Outside The Lines" piece is below...
((HT: ESPN/ESPN.com))

A Different Kind of Conference Call...

As is the way, usually after any kind of football game, there is a conference call for writers from far and wide to catch up on all issues past and present.

The most recent attempt at a George O'Leary conference call at the University of Central Florida resulted in a different kind of analysis... Get it...? We said anal-ysis...

If you followed along for the UCF go-round, anyone who dialed in was one number off- thanks to a misprint in the release from Sports Communications. Here's where the Orlando Sentinel's Iliana Limon takes over:

"When I dialed in, the voice on the other line said, "Hi sexy, you've reached the one-on-one fantasy line." I gasped, hung up and figured I must have dialed the wrong number. So, I checked the UCF news release and dialed again, but I got the same phone sex hotline complete with offers I can't really post on this blog."

There's another conference call with O'Leary set for Wednesday...
We assume the telephone numbers will be corrected by then...

St. Pete Times' writer Greg Auman ran in to the same issues Limon did

Plancher Family Intends To File Suit Against UCF

To no one's surprise, really, the family of University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher ((pictured, thanks orlando sentinel.com)) plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the school.

Paperwork was sent via registered letter from Plancher's counsel to the Board of Trustees and to Alex Sink, Chief Financial Officer for the Florida Department of Financial Services.

In the Orlando Sentinel piece from Iliana Limon the suit alleges;

"As a direct and proximate result of the University of Central Florida's negligence, Ereck Plancher collapsed and died. "Please be advised that Enock Plancher, as personal representative of the Estate of Ereck Plancher, intends to pursue all claims and damages entitled to the survivors and the Estate pursuant of to the Florida Wrongful Death Act."

Grant Heston, the spokesman for the University of Central Florida, gave the customary and anticipated non-responsive response...

"The health of our student-athletes is our top priority, and we provide superb medical care at UCF," Heston said. "Per university policy, we do not comment on matters that are in pending litigation."

The Plancher family cannot file suit against the state until either UCF denies the negligence charge or six months have passed. The family can be awarded or given any amount of money by the state, but any amount exceeding $200,000 has to be approved by the state legislature in Tallahassee.

The filing from the Planchers to the school is here
The Sentinel's Mike Bianchi doesn't think it will make it to court
And, guess what...? UCF Head Coach George O'Leary has ended an apparent boycott, and even talked to the Sentinel during the Golden Knights' Media Day and practices