Laurie Fine's Phone Call with Bobby Davis Shows Syracuse Made Right Decision

Syracuse University has made some quick decisions after authorities reopened the case against associate head basketball coach Bernie Fine, including relieving him from his duties. Based on the phone call between his wife, Laurie Fine, and accuser Bobby Davis, the school made a smart decision.

Fine admits to knowing her husband had some issues and tells Davis he trusted the wrong person. The pair goes on to discuss details about Davis' encounters with the former coach.

In a world of money-hungry lawyers looking for the spotlight, other establishments might not have viewed that as enough evidence to fire an employee, but Syracuse is obviously trying to avoid a full-blown scandal by distancing itself from Fine.

There is plenty of smoke starting to billow and Chancellor Nancy Cantor wanted to eliminate the problem before a fire broke out. It's hard to blame her.

The public has a heightened awareness concerning sex abuse after the Jerry Sandusky allegations at Penn State. Syracuse would have endured similar outrage if it didn't act quickly and make some tough decisions.

Head coach Jim Boeheim was Fine's staunchest defender when the claims against Fine were brought back into the public eye, but even he's toned down his rhetoric as more information has come to light. He claims to be unaware of any incidents, which is why the legendary coach still employed.

The university has done a terrific job of damage control so far, showing other schools how to handle a potential crisis. What onlookers want to see if swift action and transparency throughout the process. Syracuse has proved both.

It's important to remember Fine will still receive his day in court, so the job is far from over. Syracuse just needs to hope more accusers don't come forward and implicate other staff members.

That's the big difference between the scandals at Penn State and Syracuse. One case appears to be a wide-ranging failure, which could have been stopped by a number of people had the alleged abuse been reported. Fine's apparent transgressions appear to be more isolated.

Syracuse made the right decision to let Fine go based on available information, but school officials must remain ready to act at a moment's notice should more problems arise. The case isn't closed yet.