Editorial

People Close To And Within The Badgers Program Defend Erik Helland After His Resignation

(Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports - via Reuters)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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People close to and within the Badgers basketball program are defending former strength and conditioning coach Erik Helland.

Helland resigned last week after he admitted to using a racial term while telling a story from his days in the NBA. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

The story was put under a microscope after Kobe King quit the team. Now, several people tied to the team are defending Helland.

Star guard D’Mitrik Trice told the Wisconsin State Journal Helland was always “respectful” towards him and added, “We’ve never had any problems. My family has always respected him, I’ve always respected him.”

 

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Trice’s father added in part, “He has, from the Trice’s perspective, our full support and I called him to let him know that (Thursday) night. I think he’s a good man — a very, very good man.”

 

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Brad Davison told the State Journal, “He pushed me into becoming a better player in the weight room, on the court. He also pushed me to become a better person, too, and someone that I always hold dear to my heart.”

 

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This whole situation with Helland is truly beyond belief. I don’t understand how a man loses his job for repeating a story and quoting somebody else in the NBA.

It makes no sense to me. Even if what he said was inappropriate (nobody knows exactly what was said), they weren’t his words.

Helland was simply repeating a story, and now he’s off of the staff. At worst, it would seem like something that might warrant a brief suspension.

 

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In reality, it probably warranted nothing more than a talking to. It seems like the guys in the locker room and Trice’s father fully support him.

You just hate to see stuff like this happen.