Keeping Score: One year later, Amherst College lacrosse situation still unsettled
Published: 3/5/2021 5:38:49 PM
Good morning!
This weekend is the first anniversary of the lacrosse meltdown at Amherst College, an ugly chain of events that continues to wreak havoc on the program.
It began with a 25-15 loss at Tufts on March 7, followed by a night of commiserating at Jenkins Hall. An early-morning dustup ensued, and one of the combatants was Black. The student newspaper called it a racial incident and media outlets ran with the story. On March 21, the school announced it had fired men’s lacrosse coach Jon Thompson.
Keeping Score: One year later, Amherst College lacrosse situation still unsettled
Published: 3/5/2021 5:38:57 PM
Modified: 3/5/2021 5:38:52 PM
Good morning!
This weekend is the first anniversary of the lacrosse meltdown at Amherst College, an ugly chain of events that continues to wreak havoc on the program.
It began with a 25-15 loss at Tufts on March 7, followed by a night of commiserating at Jenkins Hall. An early-morning dustup ensued, and one of the combatants was Black. The student newspaper called it a racial incident and media outlets ran with the story. On March 21, the school announced it had fired men’s lacrosse coach Jon Thompson.
Brian James
1943-January 10, 2020
A high-quality winger for South Sydney who represented Australia at the 1968 World Cup before retiring at the age of 26.
The son of former Cootamundra Maher Cup prop Jack Swifty James, he came to rugby league via rugby union after attending Newington College and playing a season of first grade with the St George rugby club.
He switched to rugby league with St George in 1961 where he played centre and wing but top-grade opportunities were scarce in the Dragons’ star-studded backline, so he made the decision to transfer to South Sydney in 1966.
He was quickly vindicated, playing more first-grade games in his first season with Souths (18) then he did in four years at St George (16). A winger of above average pace (he pursued professional sprinting in the off-season), James earned his first representative jersey with City Seconds in 1967 before making City Firsts the following year.