Plancher trial winding down: Dueling doctor testimony ((UPDATE: Jury Begins Deliberation))

((ht: orlandosentinel))

The trial of a now deceased UCF Football player's family versus the University of Central Florida Athletic Association is beginning to wind down.

The trial, which in a somewhat interesting twist, was promised to be over in 3-weeks, is about to hit that magical 3-week mark. And the judge in the case is holding the attorneys for both sides to that timetable.

Wednesday's testimony included a "Medical Expert" and a Boston area "Hematologist". Both testified they did not believe Ereck Plancher's diagnosis of "Sickle Cell Trait" contributed to his death at a UCF Football practice in 2008.

That testimony contradicted the testimony of the Orange County Medical Examiner who said he believes the trait is exactly what caused Plancher's death. Testimony has also included debate as to whether or not there was water made available to players at practice as well.

The Plancher family is seeking damages from the UCFAA and this case should be over soon. Final testimony is scheduled for Thursday and the case could be sent to the jury by the end of the day.

Your re-cap, includes George O'Leary testifying, and is courtesy of our friends at the Orlando Sentinel the one Orlando media outlet that isn't all "Casey Anthony" all the time.

 

PM UPDATE: As of 1730HRS Thursday afternoon, the jury has started deliberations in the case. Steve Yerrid, the Plancher family attorney, told jurors during his closing argument the UCF Athletics Association failed to follow its own policies and do everything possible to save Plancher's life.

UCFAA attorney Kevin Taylor countered there is "no evidence based proof" sickle cell trait caused death.

More when we know more...

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.

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 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:

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:

Family Still Grieves Plancher Death One Year Later

Iliana Limon of the Orlando Sentinel continues her coverage of the death, and now subsequent lawsuit, of former University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher.

It's been a year to the day since his passing and the wounds are still fresh...

"The family continues to struggle with their grief from the loss of their son," said J.D. Dowell, the Planchers' attorney. "Their strong family and their faith have enabled them to work through their grief, but every day remains a challenge without their son. It's going to be a very difficult day, being the anniversary of his death, for everyone who knew Ereck."

The Plancher family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Thursday against the UCF board of trustees and the UCF Athletics Association. The sides remain at odds over what happened during Plancher's final workout, with the school insisting it did nothing wrong in responding to the medical emergency.While the legal questions loom, both sides say there is no doubt Plancher was a remarkable person.

"Ereck was an exceptional young man and role model," UCF spokesman Grant Heston said. "He remains in the hearts of our entire UCF family, and he will forever be a Knight."

Plancher never played a snap in a UCF game, but he spent 14 months working out with the team and formed close bonds with several of his teammates.After his death, the wide-receivers corps broke every huddle after practice by saying Plancher's initials and number — "E.P. 28."

AJ Guyton and five of his teammates weren't sure whether O'Leary will do anything unique to honor Plancher today, but they expected wide-receivers coach David Kelly to do something special during the group's position meeting today.

"If not Coach Kelly, then I'm going to get us together and have a moment of silence and just pray and just think about him," Guyton said.

Senior linebacker Cory Hogue, who also is from Naples and attended a rival high school, said the entire team will be thinking of Plancher today.

"He'll be in our prayers," he said. "I'm sure we'll have a moment of silence in our meeting. We'll talk about him because it's a day not to forget and it'll be in our thoughts."

The players said they don't think Plancher's death led to the Knights' 4-8 season. They would have much preferred to post a winning record in honor of their teammate, whose number they wore on their helmets. Plancher's initials also were painted on the field near an end zone in Bright House Networks Stadium.

Plancher did make the young players who once felt untouchable think twice about their own mortality.

Questions...We've got Questions!

More Trouble at UCF...

It appears as though the Fighting O'Leary's of Central Florida may have a problem. Another football player, freshman Running Back Brandon Davis collapsed last week during a workout where it was reported that he was severely dehydrated. Thankfully, Davis is recovering at Florida Hospital.

((photo courtesy UCF Media Guide))

This isn't something new, the program is still dealing with the loss of Ereck Plancher who collapsed and died earlier this summer.

The Orlando Sentinel as usual is all over this story...read about it here

Also the story from WESH-TV here

Changes?

There are several interesting questions that the Sentinel reporter posed in her story. Yeah, that is great the the President of the University is investigating the matter...he said that the last time this happened. And yeah, its great the workout was supposedly supervised by the Trainer and fit under NCAA rules.

If you keep reading, it's the quotes from Davis' mother which are remarkable. "He had no water in his body, due to lack of breaks and not being given water or fluids" said Donna Davis, Brandon's mother.

It sounds an awful lot like somebody's got some 'splainin' to do, but if it is anything like the Plancher investigation (please read the vaunted OSG archives for more on that), Coach George O'Leary will blame a vast media conspiracy and not talk to anyone about it.

We will keep monitoring this story as it continues.

UCF Claims They Notified Plancher of Condition

In a statement released on their university athletics website , University of Central Florida Athletic Director Keith Tribble claims that the Knights administration relayed their medical information on sickle cell trait to 19-year-old Ereck Plancher ((pictured left from Orlando Sentinel and Plancher's Facebook profile)) as he continued to participate with the UCF football program.

The Medical Examiner's report on Plancher's death was released and revealed Plancher had sickle cell trait as a pre-existing condition. He died during an off-season workout on March 18.

From Kyle Hightower's article in the Orlando Sentinel ((thanks orlandosentinel.com)):

"The analysis conducted by the Wuesthoff Reference Laboratory in Melbourne found Plancher's collapsed and died because of the "sickling" of his cells in the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands and thymus.

The toxicology analysis as well as the internal examination of all his systems showed no defects or irregularities."

Points of view on the circumstances surrounding Plancher's collapse, death, and treatment that day at practice differed from players to coaching staff. The "mat drill" Plancher and others participated in was initially reported to be 10-and-a-half minutes long, but later it was revealed to be twice that length. Players came forward telling the media that coaches yelled at Plancher since he was running last in his drill. Head Coach George O'Leary said he did not see Plancher fall at any time, but did see him get up from the ground. Offensive Coordinator Tim Salem said he did not see Plancher have any difficulty. UCF performed an internal review of the events surrounding Plancher's death and, according to Tribble:

"...we have acted compassionately toward Ereck's family and with a thorough review of the facts."

The National Athletic Trainer's Association release on sickle cell trait can be found hyah

Ereck Plancher's Report of Autopsy from Orlando is hyah

The Orlando Sentinel's full coverage of Plancher's death is hyah

David Whitley's column on the new findings is hyah

The call to UCF Police and Orange County (FL) 911

UPDATE 19 JULY: A family member tells the Sentinel that no one was aware of Ereck Plancher's medical condition. Cousin Wood Faugue says the release of information in the autopsy was a surprise to everyone close...

"None of us had any idea, and I'm sure if they did inform him of that he would have told at least one of us."

Ereck Plancher's parents are currently visiting relatives in Haiti. They have not been notified of the Medical Examiner's report. Word is they also have retained counsel and are set to return to their Florida home in the town of Naples next week.

UCF Head Coach George O'Leary released a statement Friday:

"The health of our student-athletes is our top priority, and we provide superb medical care at UCF," he said. "I am confident our medical staff will evaluate this report in detail as part of our ongoing review."

The weekend update from Iliana Limon and Kyle Hightower at the Orlando Sentinel is hyah