More Questions in Philly

" We'll certainly have a discussion with John about how he feels about going forward. When we get a chance to get what his views are, then we'll make a decision."

Thus spake Temple University President David Adamany about the prospects for John Chaney returning as Temple's coach after last week's fracas with the St. Joseph's Hawks. In case you have been on life support the past couple of days or otherwise just don't care, a recap is in order.

Prior to the game (and not afterwards as was erroneously stated in this space. Our bad.) John Chaney complained of upcoming opponent St. Joseph's apparent penchant of setting moving screens with impunity against his Owls. Perhaps this would explain why Temple hasn't won a game against the Hawks in three years. In any event, Chaney said that if the officials didn't crack down, he would send a "goon" into the game to take matters into his own hands.

Said goon, seldom-used Nehemiah Ingram, was sent into the game in the second half and ordered to commit fouls. Which he did with gusto, racking up 5 fouls in 4 minutes. His last hard foul broke the arm of the foulee thereby ending his season and career with St. Joseph's. Chaney was suspended by Temple for the rest of the regular season. He subsequently suspended himself for the post-season Atlantic 10 Tournament.

A couple of questions have been bandied about in the media and the sports call-in shows. Let's address them:

Should Nehemiah Ingram be suspended as well? We say no. You can't impute to a player his coach's failure to act in an ethical manner. Secondly, you cannot expose a kid to liability or punishment because he followed his coach's instructions, reprehensible as they were. Let us apply the balm of perspective here. What happened was, in Chaney's own words, reprehensible. A player was injured because of what happened. And appropriate punishment should be meted out.

But last time we looked no one had died. These acts, disgusting as they are, did not alter the outcome or otherwise affect the integrity of the contest. Ingram did not shave points. He was not on performance enhancing drugs. And thank God for that. Otherwise he might have killed someone.

We hope Nehemiah Ingram goes on to discover the cure for cancer or rescues someone from a burning building. Otherwise his name will go down in history as John Chaney's goon. And we say that is punishment enough.

Should Chaney be fired? We say "Why not?" After all, he has exposed his employer to liability as Temple cannot be heard to say that it was not on notice that Chaney is a hot head. After all, back in 1994 or so, he busted in on John Calipari's (then at UMASS) post-game interview and threatened to "kill him" in front of the rolling cameras. He got suspended a game for that outburst which we feel was just. After all, nobody believed that Chaney really wanted to kill anybody. That and it was John Calipari.

Why shouldn't he be fired? His actions caused an injury to an opposing player and caused the name of Nehemiah Ingram to be writ in sports history's immortal scrolls alongside Bill Laimbeer, Conrad Dobler and other cheap shot artists. His acts raised a spirited rivalry with a neighboring school to what we predict will be almost incandescent enmity. He has brought shame to a storied program as Temple basketball will forever be synonymous with that night. All in all, not a bad day's work. People have been fired for less. Ask Jim Donham. Or Matt Doherty. Or Ty Willingham.

But we say that Chaney will skate. Re-read the quote from Temple's President that graces the beginning of this piece. One does not solicit the views of an employee one is about to terminate. Chaney will be allowed to play out the string. We will be reminded that he has never been penalized by the NCAA and that his players graduate. Nowhere will we be reminded that it is precisely his job to do these things.

But you could make a case for showing him the door. You really could.

But here is one question that comes to our mind, one that we haven't heard much discussed. Or at all really.

Where the hell were the referees when all of this was going on?

The refs had to know that something like this was a remote possibility. After all, Chaney said he was gonna do it. We have seen the footage of Ingram's rampage. We have not seen such nonstop mayhem on the basketball court since Dennis Rodman was throwing elbows and kneeing groins in the NBA. Why weren't any flagrant fouls called? Why wasn't Ingram tossed. And most amazing to us, why didn't St. Joe's Phil Martelli not give John Chaney a knuckle sandwich? Say what you will about Nolan Richardson but can you imagine his reaction if he thought Rick Pitino was trying to hurt one of his players?

Temple should have come down swifter and harder on Chaney. It did not. Chaney should not have forced a kid to fight his cowardly war for him and he shouldn't have slandered the young man in the process. But he did. And the referees should have reacted more swiftly to restore order and protect the players. They did not.

Like we said. Not a bad night's work.