Nancy Armour

USA TODAY Sports

There is a fine line between supporting a player and enabling him, and Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher keeps crossing it.

Jameis Winston bears responsibility for a seemingly endless string of misdeeds ranging from juvenile antics to criminal acts, no question. At 20, he is old enough to know better and, if not, one misdeed should have been enough to educate him.

But Fisher's equally endless capacity to not only absolve his star quarterback but discount or belittle anyone who would dare hold him accountable has only served to embolden Winston. How can we expect Winston to realize that his actions have consequences when his own coach, the guy who is supposed to be the adult in the room, displays his own stunning immaturity?

On Monday, Fisher cut short an interview after a reporter had the audacity to ask if the coach's reputation is being damaged due to all of Winston's troubles. That wasn't enough, though. Fisher chastised the reporter and glared at the cameraman who filmed the exchange.

"Why is my reputation taking a hit? For backing a kid who's done nothing wrong?" Fisher asked, incredulous. "I don't want to get into this."

As the reporter stumbled over himself apologizing, Fisher's annoyance grew.

"The questions weren't supposed to be asked today," he fumed, taking off his mic. "No, I'm done. I'm done."

No, coach. You're not.

When the star of the defending national champion, and current No. 2 team in the country, has a rap sheet to match his list of accolades, it's a legitimate topic for question and discussion. When his coach and university have essentially turned a blind eye to all of it, that's fair game, too.

Yet Fisher acts as if Winston is the victim of a media witch hunt. Because it was the media that forced Winston to shoplift crab legs. And take part in a BB gun battle with teammates at his apartment complex. And climb on a table and shout vulgar comments about women.

But it is Fisher's defense of Winston in the sexual assault case that has been truly distasteful.

Asked last week about the university disciplinary hearing Winston is facing over an alleged sexual assault in December 2012, Fisher had the audacity to say, "There is not a victim."

Yes, you read that right.

"There is not a victim because there was no crime," Fisher said. "We're convicting a guy over things that are not true, based on evidence."

Never mind that the investigation was so badly botched that the public will never know exactly what happened. The woman who filed the complaint maintains she was raped, which makes Fisher's comments not only insensitive but inappropriate.

That Fisher would stick up for Winston is understandable. He's the reason Florida State won the national title last year, and might very well win another. Without Winston and his "Did you just see that?" abilities, Florida State would have been run off the field by Notre Dame on Saturday night.

But Fisher is more credible if he defends his star without disparaging a woman who says she's a rape victim. Or portraying Winston as a much-maligned altar boy.

Perhaps that's why his pep talk to Winston following Saturday night's victory came off as more for appearances than heartwarming.

"Here's what you gotta do. Calm down, don't give them that over-exuberant look," Fisher told Winston. "Act very passive right here and get people back on your side. You understand what I'm telling you? Humble. Humble pie."

The advice is sage. But telling Winston to "act very passive" so he could "get people back on your side" smacked of being disingenuous – especially since it was done in full view of the cameras rather than in the privacy of Florida State's locker room.

After Winston left the field, Fisher gushed about his team's character and integrity. Too bad it doesn't start at the top.