Friday, April 04, 2008

RichRod's Legal Jacknut

Oh. No. He. Didn't.

I know this is more within The Flim Geek's jurisdiction than mine, but I couldn't let it pass. During a court hearing in the WVU/Rich Rodriguez case, RichRod's lawyer . . . well, he engaged in some hyperbole:

Lawyers for football Coach Rich Rodriguez have won the right to argue he was fraudulently induced into signing a contract at West Virginia University last year.

Their next goal is to reduce or eliminate the $4 million buyout WVU is suing Rodriguez to collect after he resigned in December to coach at Michigan.

'It's like back before the Civil War when slaves had the right to buy their freedom,' said Marv Robon, one of Rodriguez's lawyers. 'A penalty of $4 million is almost like a slave from Africa trying to buy his freedom in America. I think it's an outrageous amount. It's just not fair and it's not related to any damages the university is suffering.'
Look, law is all about argument by analogy and I know what it's like to have to think quickly on your feet in court. But, c'mon - a contract dispute between a well-paid white football coach and the large land-grand university of an overwhelmingly white state simply doesn't bear any resemblance to the American history of slavery.

I wouldn't make that analogy with one my clients and they are actually, you know, locked in chains and stuff.

2 comments:

The Film Geek said...

It was complete jacknuttery, and I'm glad you called him on it. And I don't corner the market on calling jacknut, man. He who sees it can call it. :)

jedijawa said...

That reminds me of what Sarah Vowell wrote about in "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" chastising so many white people for comparing themselves to Rosa Parks.