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Rudy Giuliani's Son Sues Over Dismissal From Duke's Golf Team

Harry Longshanks

bow-chicka-bow-wow
Jul 20, 2008
718
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ESPN - Giuliani's son sues Duke, says he was wrongfully kicked off golf team - College Sports

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The son of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is suing Duke University, claiming his golf coach manufactured accusations against him to justify kicking him off the team to whittle the squad.

Andrew Giuliani, a 22-year-old who will be a senior this fall, contends he had dreams of becoming a professional golfer and was dismissed without cause from the golf team in February without a chance to defend himself. He said in a statement Thursday that he sued "to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else at Duke."

Duke spokesman Michael J. Schoenfeld said the university would "vigorously defend this lawsuit" and insisted on fairness for all participants in its sports programs.

Giuliani was dismissed because coach O.D. Vincent III wanted to cut the team from 13 players to about half its size, the lawsuit said. He claims a breach of contract because he was recruited by Duke's previous coaching staff.

"This has been heartbreaking," Giuliani's mother, Donna Hanover, said in a statement. "We tried for many months to convince members of the Duke administration that this situation should be corrected and we are sad that we have now had to turn to the court."

The coach said Giuliani "flipped his putter a few feet to his golf bag" and drove fast while leaving a golf course parking lot, according to the lawsuit. Giuliani also was accused of playing a team football game harder than the other players liked and of being disrespectful to a trainer.

But Giuliani says that conduct wasn't grounds for dismissal. Instead, he said, the allegations were fabricated during the coach's "rush to shrink the size of the men's golf team. ... The termination of Andrew's eligibility would mean less competition for the few spots available," the lawsuit says.

Last season, when there were 14 players on the Blue Devils men's golf team, Giuliani was among the nine players who competed in only one or two tournaments. The team's top five golfers competed in at least nine tournaments.

Giuliani's best finish was a tie for 36th at the Fighting Illini Invitational in Olympia Fields, Ill. His season competition average was 74.5, good for 12th best on the team.

He finished tied for 60th at 7-over-par (73-77-73--223) at the Coca Cola Duke Golf Classic in Durham on Oct. 7-8, and tied for 36th at 14-over-par (73-75-76--224) at the Fighting Illini Invitational, on Sept. 30-Oct. 1.

At the Calloway Collegiate Match Play Championship in Greensboro, Ga., on Oct. 27-29, he lost to Will Strickler of Florida, 2 and 1, and beat Charlotte's Trevor Murphy, 1-up.

The 198-page lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court by Durham attorney Robert Ekstrand. Ekstrand did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Rudy Giuliani's spokeswoman, Sunny Mindel, said the former mayor had no comment.

"This is a private matter," Mindel said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory damages and the right to use the state-of-the-art Duke golf center while he is in school and after he graduates. It also seeks a jury trial.

The lawsuit said the coach created a "Lord of the Flies scheme" under which Giuliani might be reinstated. The reference was to the novel in which schoolboys trapped on an island tried to govern themselves.

Vincent said Giuliani could rejoin the team if each member wrote a letter that satisfied the coach in support of Giuliani, but if one member declined the suspension was permanent, the lawsuit said.

The coach then told players who expressed support to refrain until they talked more to Giuliani, and at the same time told Giuliani not to contact team members, the lawsuit said. Five players later wrote an e-mail stating that Giuliani should be removed from the team.

And in case you don't remember Andrew Giuliani . . .

agraphics8.nytimes.com_images_2007_03_02_us_politics_giuliani_andrew1.jpg
 

bluebledthesea

Only Drinking AFTER Golf
Jul 22, 2008
65
0
Not that I can say the guy deserves to be on the team, but why should a college golf team be so small? With over 6,000 undergraduates, you'd think they could make room for 10-15. Take Giuliani out of the picture and a bunch of other kids got shafted too. Even if they don't all get to play in competitions and tournaments, you'd think they could still practice, like bench players.
 
OP
Harry Longshanks

Harry Longshanks

bow-chicka-bow-wow
Jul 20, 2008
718
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Anytime I think about this kid I remember the SNL skit with Chris Farley.


Yeah, pretty accurate:

Andrew Giuliani is seen in a handout photo released Thursday, July 24 2008 ... - Golf - Yahoo! Sports
capte02c5a32777d416da5b2a1cd7606426.jpg

Andrew Giuliani is seen in a handout photo released Thursday, July 24 2008 by Duke University Sports Information. Andrew Giuliani, a 22-year-old rising senior, said in a statement Thursday, July 24, 2008, that he is suing Duke University, claiming his golf coach manufactured accusations against him to justify kicking him off the team in February to whittle the squad.
(AP Photo/via Duke Sports Information)


Not that I can say the guy deserves to be on the team, but why should a college golf team be so small? With over 6,000 undergraduates, you'd think they could make room for 10-15. Take Giuliani out of the picture and a bunch of other kids got shafted too. Even if they don't all get to play in competitions and tournaments, you'd think they could still practice, like bench players.

Limited scholarships (7, I think?) and funding most likely. Easier to stretch the budget with a smaller team, and more scholarship money to offer to better recruits.
 

cabinessence

Never Say Die
Jul 28, 2005
534
0
What an idiot. He sounds like a complete brat who should have been kicked off ages ago.

A D-I golf team gets 4.5 scholarships. That is usually spread around to 7 or 8 players. IMHO there's no need to have more than 10 or 11 guys. It decreases the amount of time a coach can spend with the players who deserve the attention and makes managing the team unwieldy. You should have enough to field two teams for the home tournament and maybe 1 or 2 more.
 
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Harry Longshanks

Harry Longshanks

bow-chicka-bow-wow
Jul 20, 2008
718
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What an idiot. He sounds like a complete brat who should have been kicked off ages ago.

A D-I golf team gets 4.5 scholarships. That is usually spread around to 7 or 8 players. IMHO there's no need to have more than 10 or 11 guys. It decreases the amount of time a coach can spend with the players who deserve the attention and makes managing the team unwieldy. You should have enough to field two teams for the home tournament and maybe 1 or 2 more.

Yes, 4.5. That's right. I can't believe I forgot that because I thought 1/2 a scholarship was such an arbitrary number.

I'm not sure about the "be able to field 2 teams plus extra" though, because teams are usually 5 players. 5 + 5 + 2 = 12. I know my alma mater (huge D-1 school w/ big golf program) only has 10 players on its team.
 

Nikonut

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2008
1,105
197
N. Texas
Country
United States United States
Not that I can say the guy deserves to be on the team, but why should a college golf team be so small? With over 6,000 undergraduates, you'd think they could make room for 10-15. Take Giuliani out of the picture and a bunch of other kids got shafted too. Even if they don't all get to play in competitions and tournaments, you'd think they could still practice, like bench players.


"cause Golf is not a Sport" :laugh: j/k
 

Nikonut

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2008
1,105
197
N. Texas
Country
United States United States
Yeah, pretty accurate:

Andrew Giuliani is seen in a handout photo released Thursday, July 24 2008 ... - Golf - Yahoo! Sports




Limited scholarships (7, I think?) and funding most likely. Easier to stretch the budget with a smaller team, and more scholarship money to offer to better recruits.


WAY to much dead (negative) space above the head. rule of thirds violated. shirt wrinkles. lighting ok, nothing special.
hope they did not pay much for the photo.

some photo shop work take out that chubby neck/cheek area, LOL.
 

Nikonut

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2008
1,105
197
N. Texas
Country
United States United States
SOB, there's actually sensor-dirt spots in that picture.

What the hell, must have been a craigslist "photographer".

you'd think someone like this would have a kick arse portrait.
 
OP
Harry Longshanks

Harry Longshanks

bow-chicka-bow-wow
Jul 20, 2008
718
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And for those of you who are wondering "who does he remind me of?"

It's the idiot "O-Face" guy from Office Space:

drew1.jpg
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
16
He should have dumped the cash on some lessons with Butch then transferred to NC and whipped a$$ on Duke next year.
 

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