All valid points Bill. Kids will be kids. I smoked all kinds of Pot in HS, tried coke, speed, drank and drank and drank. Obviously I wasn't clearly focused on success. My fault. Kinda mom and dad's, but mostly mine. Ahhhh...if life only had a rewind button we could use just once. My focus here is the FREE RIDE ATHLETE. IMHO, you are now expected to toe the line harder, better, and face more scrutiny than the other guy. You worked hard to get to be a scholarship lotto winner, and you were rewarded!! I don't condone the walk-on athlete abusing his body with drugs either, but if they don't give a ****, me neither. FREE RIDE ATHLETES piss on the honor and privilege of their scholarships when they commit these selfish acts. It makes no sense to me, and I cannot justify it one IOTA, even with a Colorado physicians note.
I'm for the legalization of narcotics. It's a ******** boogeyman created by people who want to manipulate you, the market as a whole and society. The same people who wanted to regulate alcohol, and what size coca cola you drink are the same ones who want weed illegal. If you don't see that, you're blind. That doesn't mean I don't love you and respect your opinion, but you're not looking at this issue wisely... That being said, these kids enter into a VOLUNTARY MUTUAL agreement between 2 parties, the school and themselves. When you sign up/on for this free education (because that's what you're getting and don't act like that doesn't mean anything) you swear that you're not going to do things like break the law... Sadly, idiotically, the law still says that marijuana is illegal.. You aren't living up to your end of the bargain.. You're a slug. Do better until society gets smarter.. It doesn't make the kid a bad kid. Smoking weed while driving around town though will and should be illegal. If he tossed a bottle of beer out the window in front of a cop, you'd be singing a different story and should be.. That being said.. it isn't the end of the world. Hopefully he'll learn from it and not risk human lives in the future. Give Florida their Fulmer Cup points and move on.
And that's my main point...you were given one hell of a gift...with strings attached, and we all understand that, but YOU control the strings. I don't either. I agree every situation is unique. Apply the whole person concept, check for honest remorse, put back on the road to success... And that will happen, if the spanking doesn't really hurt the first time. Strike 3 is for baseball.
I am still waiting to meet that person. You know the one. The one who stands tall and says proudly that they are a better student because they smoke pot. Or a better athlete because they abuse Oxy. A better spouse because they shoot heroin or a better employee because they smoke crack. Maybe a better boss becasuse they take hallucinogenics. I know that person must exist.
I can name a few. One thing is for sure, if you want kids to drink booze and take drugs.. make it illegal and taboo. Your position is one I respect. Just the same way I respect the vegan hippie who tells me not to consume sugar, salt, caffeine or any other item that is bad for me because they don't think it is fair their tax dollars go to paying for my future health costs.. (how is that going to work with Obamacare anyway?).. But I digress.. I respect both of your opinions.. that doesn't mean either are valid in relation to my life or are ones that I will listen to.. but you're entitled to them. I see them as being the exact same. That being said.. I don't use drugs other than whiskey and vodka.. even then, I haven't had either in quite some time.
Ok George, again did you live up to your own standards during your teenage and early 20 years? No booze, no pot, always doing everything legal, never crossing the line? Just curious.
Ok Bill. Yes, I smoked pot a handful of times as a young man and drank my share of cheap beer and rotgut wine as well. At that point in time I was a slug just like this kid. I got a grip on myself as far as illegal drugs go after my pot experience. I still drink in moderation to this day. My sons have seen me inebriated one time in my life, at my 40th birthday party. I have never been like that since. It haunts me to this day. Drugs and alcohol have devasted me twice in my Immediate family. Have you ever seen anyone with a gunshot wound to the head, point blank? Now imagine that it is your father and you are the first one on the scene. That is what alcohol fueled depression and self doubt will drive you to do. And now my youngest son has developed a heroin addiction which started with pot and progressed to Oxy and on to heroin. At the end he was shooting. He committed petty thefts and went to jail. While there he learned that he had contracted Hep C from I.V drug use. He lost his job( with me ), his freedom, his reputation, his Friends And his health. He is serving a five year drug court probation and pisses in a bottle five times per week. I'm his best friend; his only friend. His troubles have cost us our financial security. You guys read this and think that you would have thrown his ass out long ago and turned your back. Would you? So now you know all about me, Bill. I hope that none of you have similar experiences. But don't ever ask me to look at some dopey kid rolling a joint with a blind eye . Never. Because the kid in question is just a few short steps behind my son.
Uh oh....foreshadowing?....future news at 6 stuff?... Now this has me really curious....what exactly does he want to speak to the rest of the B1G coaches about recruiting wise?.....lessons learned?....the importance of recruiting?...here's how I do it?... I've got an idea....how about this...you at least take the top 100 ranked prospects in America, a kid that everybody's after, rent out Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy, Invite the top 30 CFB schools in the land (that's who's gettin' them anyway) and have a committee style presentation that everybody gets to see and hear (Parents, friends, reporters, NCAA, etc.,) and let the kid make up his own mind, unless the kid has his heart set out to play for somebody in particular. Cuts down down on travel costs to and fro, keeps everybody honest, and if there's any illegal suggestions, swaying, insinuations going on, the committee chairman throws a flag, and a call gets made. And if you record it, you can use it for recruit #'s 101- 100,000 to show them that they can or can't offer you this...or can they?
Wow! I leave for several hours and the fur flies. IMO, this is a clear case of overreaction..........by Bill. Bill, I'm guessing most of us did stupid and crazy thngs when we were this kid's age. Guess what? We all were slugs and f----heads when we did those things because of our disregard for our own safety and health and that of others. The posts on this topic have nothing to do with the kid's school. I can guarantee that George's posts would be exactly the same if the kid was an ND student-athlete. Also, no one said anything about dumping the kid for his first offense or, as you said, "throwing him under the bus." All AJ and George said was that he was a slug and a f----head for doing what he did. Period. You seeemed to think they were condemning him to a life of shame, which clearly was not the case. I agree with George and AJ. I also believe that the kid deserves a second chance after reasonable discipline. Who among us might be in a different place in our life if not for having been given a second chance somewhere along the way? (Raising my hand) I think we all, Bill included, are close to being on the same page regarding this matter. It looks like the only difference is how we describe the kid's conduct. I would prefer the term dumbass, but that's just me.
I am starting to feel like a dud....No Marijuana, no narcotics, no booze until I was 25 and never smoked a cigarette in my life, damn did I miss out.... :wink:
And spoken like a true gentleman.....I agree that there were a thousand other words I could have utilized in my classification of his actions....I will however blame my lack of gentleman Verbs due directly to my 23 year long exposure to the teachings of Naval terms and Definitions training I experienced...
George, I can't imagine the pain caused byf every letter you typed in that last post. The rest of this post deleted due to non-interest.
George I did not mean to push you for those kind of details. I think that we just have different ways to use words. But I do understand why you might react the way you did. But I also think that we need to be very careful about not over reacting. And in this case the player was in the back seat and there were three people in the car. I doubt much is going to come of it except he best not get arrested again or as I said Muschamp will likely send him packing. I think at this time it is probably best if I just quit discussing it. But I would assure you that I would not feel any different if it was a player for another school and not the Gators.
Nah, never missed it really, besides my father who was a police sergeant with arms bigger than most men legs would have broke me in half... Besides, letting him down would have been worse than any punishment he would have given... I seem to be enjoying the art of fine whiskey at this stage of life so nothing missed then or now...