Alcoa High School football standout Brian Sommer was dismissed from the team after he was arrested at school Tuesday after marijuana was allegedly found in his car on school property. He was charged with simple possession of a controlled substance. The senior wide receiver has been offered scholarships by Tennessee, Alabama, Colorado, South Carolina and informally by Kentucky.
Now on the flipside, check out this outrageous decision by a school superintendant. She's catching some deserved flack. http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/09/flint_schools_chief_rescinds_s.html
Very interesting ....... that a kid can be tossed from a public HS football team because a K-9 search of autos in the school parking lot turned up some weed - apparently a small amount - in a "black Cadillac" driven by the guy. Who knows how the weed ended up "all over the front and rear seats" and if the kid ever smoked any. And seemingly, this was the first time the kid was in trouble with respect to MJ. Yet, college players can fail multiple drug tests - weed and perhaps other "illegal" substances - and remain on the team, keep their scholarships, and receive "free" help for their medical condition. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/sep/11/alcoas-sommer-arrested-drug-charge/ Why so much help and consideration for the college players yet nothing for the kid in HS????
While he won't play his senior season, fear not Gaterz he will get his opportunity to play college football and maybe even on an elite level team. Oklahoma has several times taken kids who had a drug bust, Willie Williams plays for Louisville, I'm sure there are more incidences like this where the kid just moves on to the next level someplace.
TO I'm not worry for thw kid and hope he gets a chance to play. I just think its sad so much time and money is wasted on the inconsistent, and many times subjective, enforcement of these ridiculous laws. And it's a joke that treatment of this and other HS players differs so dramatically from how the college athlete is treated. Really, who thinks this is the only kid on that HS foorball team possessing and probably smoking weed? How many kids on that team are breaking the law by possessing and consuming alcohol? Heck, how many are committing statutory rape on Friday nights after their games? Wonder if that dumbass coach quoted in the article has local LEOs after those miscreants? And ..... I gotta wonder why the writer of the article had to be so specific as to the color and make of the kid's car? Hmmmmmmm.
Aw, give the kid another chance. He already had one? Well, give him another. Hey, Alcoa's a high school town. Sincerely, Brandon James Brandon Powell Ronnie Wilson Dorian Munroe Jacques Rickerson Dustin Doe John Curtis Kenneth Tookes Andre Caldwell Reggie Lewis Dee Webb Marcus Thomas Louis Murphy Jonathan Phillips
And Terry, what's even worse is adults demonize these kids for doing the very same thing those adults were doing at 17-18 years of age. Heck, many of those hyper-judgemental "adults" were, and are still, doing much worse. Many of those "adults" regularly consume too much of the "last legal drug dispensed by (a) moron(s)" [Jack Nicholson in "As Good As It Gets"] at football games then endanger (and sometimes kill) others by driving home.
Well said Gaterz. There is some real hypocrisy that goes on at times with some people. Otherwise there are a few oldsters out there that grew up in our time who were intolerant then and remain so today.
Nothing profound in your post, GaterzFan. You resorted to a personal insult, something this board strives to rise above. :?
Actually ... no insult intended. Interesting that you see one where one doesn't exist. But alas ... perceptions and opinions differ ..... so be it. To eliminate any chance for a misunderstanding and/or ill will, I will remove my posts. And BD be happy and chuckle at your own "name calling".
Obviously he was the only one stupid enough to have it in his car, or stupid enough to leave his car unlocked so he could be framed with it. It was found after school officials brought a police unit with a drug sniffing dog to sniff around all cars in the parking lot. http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2007/sep/11/alcoas-sommer-arrested-drug-charge/
Tom I don't think I opined as to the kid's intelligence or common sense. Again my point is this kid is treated differently that most kids who commit the same penalty while in college. Further, some/most of those athletes who are caught using MJ while in college are given "additional benefits" in the form of free medical assistance and "rehab treatments". Why should this kid be tossed from the team when others aren't? I guess the direct question is .... why should this kid be thrown off the HS team when UT, UF, and other universities allow guys who fail drug tests to play? He had MJ in his car? Big deal. There are far worse crimes that go unpunished ..... especially underage drinking and driving. How many kids on that same team are committing that crime on a regular basis but still get to play because they are not caught?
Yes, let's keep relaxing the laws. Let's look the other way just one more time. What's one more exception to the rules? What a strange thread of comments this topic has :shock:
I agree with George Krebs here... Listen to another George, George Carlin in a skit he did on "words you can't say on TV." That was written in the 60's and I would say that a large portion of that list no longer applies. It is the "law" of "Give them an inch and they will take a mile." The more we as a society allow, the more they will do. The time is now to act upon the laws on the books. Before I make this next statement, I in no way think this is true most of the time. However, failing a drug test is not proof positive that the person took drugs. One example: You will test positive for opiates after eating poppy (sp? ) seed rolls. Being caught with the drugs in hand IS proof positive. Before you go off on this paragraph, answer which one would be more positive proof if you were on trial: Drugs in your possession or a failed drug test. With a good attorney, this kid can probably prove illegal search and seizure due to lack of probable cause. I’m not sure that he will be convicted of possession since the drugs were no on his person and the fact that he could say that the car was unlocked when he left it. This could be enough to swing reasonable doubt in his favor. Especially if he can prove that there are lesser players ready to fill his position. I had not thought of that possibility when I posted this. To summarize, in my opinion, if a kid is convicted of having drugs in his/her possession, they go down. It matters not whether they are in high school or college. As for the latter, it also matters not which college.
"Before I make this next statement, I in no way think this is true most of the time. However, failing a drug test is not proof positive that the person took drugs." Okay given this position, if a college kid fails a drug test or two, why should he be suspended from participating in a game or two? And, why should he be required to attend some form of drug training or rehab? "To summarize, in my opinion, if a kid is convicted of having drugs in his/her possession, they go down." Remember, possession of a small amount of MJ is a misdemeanor .... much like a traffic violation (eg wreckless driving) or an open container violation or a minor in possession of alcohol ... and not nearly as serious as say assault resulting in injury to another student. It's not really a big deal. A kid convicted of minor possession of MJ most likely gets probation and a fine. Why should he be kept from playing football at a public school? What would this school and coach do if some rich kid was racing around in his parents' SRX with a car load of friends and got busted for excessive speed? Oh say 75 in a 55. Would he get tossed from the squad? He's violating a long standing law .... and endangering the lives of his friends.
I think most schools have adopted the position that extracurricular activities are a privilidge and parents don't want kids who are smoking dope to have access to that privlidge. Zero tolerance. It's not an obscure rule that they spring on the kids, if a kid doesn't know that 1)MJ is illegal and 2)that he will not only have legal consequences but that he will lose the privlidge of participating in extracuricular activities then he's living in a dream world.