OPINION

Guiliani's Son Channels Kramer, Sues Duke University

Written by Gary D. Benz
Published July 30, 2008
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Giuliani, for instance, was asked to sign an agreement setting forth the requirements for reinstatement. It was an agreement not in the legal sense but in the "take responsibility for your actions, you punk" sense. On the advice of his step-father, Ed Oster, also as the complaint notes, a "practicing attorney," Giuliani twice refused to sign, essentially sealing his fate. Interestingly, the complaint contains no allegations of malpractice against Oster, though it probably could have since it seems more than likely had Giuliani just signed this very innocuous "agreement" he'd probably still be on the team. Perhaps the North Carolina bar also might wonder whether Oster was practicing in their state without a license, but that's for another day.

The great thing about conspiracy lawsuits such as this one is that any bad fact for the plaintiff can be immediately turned on its ear. Giuliani references the fact that four of his teammates wrote him an email expressing their desire that his affiliation with the golf team be terminated. Of course, this email was supposedly masterminded by the coach. Strangely, this is just one spot that the complaint is short on specifics as to how that supposedly occurred.

There were the two university investigations into Giuliani's complaints that are likewise acknowledged. But these were just shams, don't you know? There's also the fact that the beleaguered coach put Giuliani's fate in the hands of his teammates and they, not surprisingly, nixed him.

Actually, this may be one area where Giuliani has a point about a cover-up, assuming you believe that team success takes a back seat to rampant self-interest. College kids have an undeveloped sense of right, but it's also worth noting that completely missing from the lawsuit are any allegations that Giuliani was one of the better players on the team. He wasn't.

Indeed, according to the New York Times, Giuliani was averaging around 74.5 strokes per round, which put him in the bottom half of the team anyway. Not to get all technical or anything, but Andrew Kim, who just turned 23 (the same age as Giuliani) is averaging just under 71 strokes per round, on the toughest courses and under the most difficult conditions. For the non-golfers out there, these 3.5 strokes per round is roughly the difference between a PGA Tour pro and the guy who finishes first or second in the scratch flight at his local club championship. In other words, Giuliani better have a back-up plan because the Tour isn't in his future.

We live in a society where parents live so vicariously through the perceived successes of their children so litigation hardly surprises. What is interesting to note is that Giuliani was specific in news reports that his more famous dad wasn't involved in this lawsuit. Little surprise there. The guess is that the older Giuliani, a big personal responsibility type who probably chafed at the idea of this lawsuit, told him to get over it by offering the golf version of the "how do you get to Carnegie Hall?" joke. Practice.

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Gary is writer based in Akron, OH. His take on the long-suffering fans of Cleveland sports can be found at Wait 'Til Next Year, Again (nextyearagain.blogspot.com) or The Cleveland Fan (www.TheClevelandFan.com). Please feel free to send your questions, comments, concerns or criticisms to GDBenz@roadrunner.com.
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Guiliani's Son Channels Kramer, Sues Duke University
Published: July 30, 2008
Type: Opinion
Section: Sports
Filed Under: Sports: College, Culture: Crime and Court, Culture: Celebrity, Sports: Golf
Writer: Gary D. Benz
Gary D. Benz's BC Writer page
Gary D. Benz's personal site
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#1 — July 31, 2008 @ 03:20AM — Marny

Your ability to make me laugh will always be your saving grace.

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