40 Acres Sports

Feel free to have your own opinion of what Buck Burnette’s punishment should have been and whether a mistake that destroys a team is worse than other criminal offenses, but at least don’t base it on “facts” that you made up yourself.

Read the story below from SI.com, no link because they don’t deserve it:

Crime and punishment at Texas
Bill Trocchi

Sorry if I’m late on this topic, but let me get this straight.

Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle was arrested for driving while intoxicated in the summer of 2007 and got a three-game suspension.

Texas defensive end Henry Melton was arrested for driving while intoxicated in the summer of 2007 and got a three-game suspension.

Texas defensive tackle Lamarr Houston was arrested for driving while intoxicated in September and got a one-game suspension. Here’s a link on all three arrests.

Texas center Buck Burnette posted a text message he received from a friend that contained a racial slur directed at Barack Obama on his Facebook page and was dismissed from the team.

Huh?

Ah, now I see. Look at the depth chart. Kindle, Melton and Houston all start. Burnette was a backup. Hmmmm.

Clearly, discipline needed to be handed out in all four cases. But the Facebook incident is by far the least punishable. Offensive? Yes. Stupid? Yes. Endangering the lives of others? No.

You can’t suspend a guy for one game after a DWI arrest and dismiss another for a Facebook racial slur. It is an insincere attempt to show you run such a clean and virtuous a program that you boot (backup) players when they post stupid, racially insensitive remarks on a Facebook page.

And then you hope nobody notices you start three drunk drivers on defense.

Let’s review those facts…

• Melton, Kindle, and Houston received lighter punishments because they’re starters. - Actually only Houston was a starter at the time of his arrest. Kindle was a second stringer who mainly saw time on special teams while Melton was buried on the depth chart after switching to defense from running back.
• “The Facebook incident is by far the least punishable.” - Actually, threatening the life of the President is a federal offense, but it doesn’t sound like he knew what Burnette actually said. Just today a Spring man was sentenced to 30 months in jail for threatening George W. Bush and another man faces up to 35 years in jail for threats he made on Internet message boards. Sounds pretty serious to me. The first DWI offense in Texas is punishable with up to 180 days in jail.
• Backups don’t matter so it’s okay to punish them. - With the injury this week to starting center Chris Hall the importance of backups is even more clear. Texas will be starting a true freshman at center against Kansas instead of Burnette.

I can see that he’s easily confused.

I’m not sure what fact checking Sports Illustrated does of their FanNation blog, but this article should have never gone up. Despite repeated corrections to the article being posted by commenters the original story still hasn’t been updated or corrected.

Two separate grand juries Thursday ruled there was not enough evidence against former Longhorn and former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson to proceed to trial. All charges against Benson stemming from his two alcohol-related arrests early this summer have now been dropped. Travis County Attorney David Escamilla told the Austin American-Statesman that both cases had weaknesses. “The boating while intoxicating case lacked a field-sobriety test,” Escamilla said. “The second one, in the video on the DWI, he appeared very good on the video.”

Benson has not commented today but Sam Bassett, Benson’s Austin-based attorney did speak to several media outlets. “I hope that this situation reminds us all that not every person who is arrested for a crime is guilty,” Bassett said. “This means that there was a finding by the grand juries that there was no probable cause to believe that Cedric Benson was guilty of a crime.”

Now that his legal matters are behind him Cedric will continue to try to get back into the NFL. He has worked out for several teams over the last several weeks but with two sets of criminal charges hanging over him NFL GMs were appropriately cautious. He hasn’t lived up to his billing so far, but he’ll get his second chance somewhere to make the most of his career and more importantly his life.

Texas starting defensive tackle Lamarr Houston was arrested and charged with drunken driving early Sunday morning. He was involved in a minor traffic accident at 3am in Austin and failed a field sobriety test given to him by police officers on the scene. Houston was taken to the Travis County Jail and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Mack Brown released an official statement on Houston’s arrest earlier today:

“We’re aware of Lamarr’s situation and are disappointed anytime one of our players is accused of wrongdoing. We take a strong stance against drinking and driving and will thoroughly investigate this situation,” said coach Mack Brown . “Following the completion of the legal process, we will do what’s best for the university, Lamarr and the team. One thing we have really prided ourselves on in our program is our family atmosphere, and this will be handled within our family.”

Since that statement word has come down that Houston will miss at least next week’s game with UTEP. No official information yet on if Houston will miss additional games. Lamarr is a young man with no previous issues and has twice been on the AD’s Honor Roll. Last year Sergio Kindle and Henry Melton were each given three game suspensions under similar circumstance, so the depending on the situation Houston would likely be back by the start of conference play against Colorado at the latest.

Let’s hope Lamarr has learned from his mistake and never gets behind the wheel drunk again. An arrest and a suspension are a light punishment considering the chances you’re taking with your own life and others when you drink and drive.

Source

Andre Jones, suspended from Texas football team, will transfer to UTEP. I hope he earns the second chance he’s getting.

Andre Jones sentenced, wants back on team. I hope he finds a place to restart his life, I’m not sure that’s at Texas.

Robert Joseph and Andre Jones plead guilty to felony charges. Joseph gets time served and probation. Jones will serve 30 days in jail.

Cedric Benson ordered to get breathalyzer device on car. Since Cedric can’t make good decisions, now a device will help do it for him.

Thoughts later, here’s the story from ESPN.com:

After his boating DUI charge, Cedric Benson remained a starting running back in the eyes of coach Lovie Smith and the Chicago Bears.

His weekend DUI charge while in a car in Austin, Texas, has led to his release, however. The Bears placed Benson on waivers Monday, two years before the end of his contract and three years into a disappointing career with the team.

“Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate,” Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said in a statement. “As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions. When individual priorities overshadow team goals, we suffer the consequences as a team. Those who fail to understand the importance of ‘team’ will not play for the Chicago Bears.”

Benson wasn’t present at the Bears organized practice Monday. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on its Web site that Benson showed up and was sent home by Smith.

Reporters waited for a statement from Angelo as he walked off the field on Monday, but he said the team might have a statement later in the day.

The statement turned out to be an action. Benson’s name appeared on the NFL’s waiver wire Monday afternoon, ending the three-year relationship.

Though the 5-foot-10, 220-pound runner claimed his innocence on both DUI charges, the team apparently lost faith in him. Because he’s only been in the league for three seasons, Benson does not have his contract automatically terminated. He can be claimed by any other interested team on waivers.

Before his release, Benson made one last ditch effort to repair the situation, issuing an apology on Monday afternoon.

“I apologize for making the poor decision to drink and drive during the early morning of Saturday, June 7th,” he said in a statement. “Given the incident last month, it was a particularly bad decision. I have no excuse for this lack of judgment.

“Though I strongly believe that I am not guilty of any crime, I realize that the public and the Bears organization hold me to higher standard. Though my local attorneys will continue to work hard to prove my innocence, I confess to using poor judgment. Please accept my deepest apology.”

Tarell Brown gets six months probation for gun offense. Plea includes 20 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine.

Again, video of Cedric Benson looking about as cooperative as you can look when being arrested:

I know I’m a UT homer but every single bit of new news and information I get supports Benson more and more. I have a feeling this gets thrown out at his hearing on May 19th.

We now have another account of this weekend’s events on Lake Travis from a friend of Cedric Benson. Elizabeth Cartwright, a senior English major at Texas, corroborates Benson’s version of the events and also questions why he was pepper sprayed.

Notes on Cartwright’s interview from the Chicago Tribune below:

Cartwright, an English major at the University of Texas who is to graduate later this month, estimated she and her fiance had been boating with Benson six times this spring and each time a Lower Colorado River Authority boat pulled them over for a safety check.

There were about 15 people on the boat, including Benson’s mother, Jackie, who had spent much of the evening swimming in a part of the lake known as Devil’s Cove. Just when the group had decided to head back to shore around 9:30 p.m. and go out to dinner, a patrol boat stopped to conduct a random check.

According to Cartwright, she had consumed one beer and Benson had two drinks.

“I know Cedric and I don’t think he was drunk,” Cartwright said.

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

When Benson’s boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

“We were all like, ‘Why?’ ” she said.

After an officer led Benson to the LCRA boat for the test, the second officer left behind on Benson’s boat assured a nervous Jackie Benson that her son would be fine, Cartwright recalled.

A few minutes later, Cartwright said she heard Benson begin to scream after the officer pepper-sprayed him in the eye. By the time Benson was in handcuffs, he was screaming, “Please stop, Mom, make them please stop.”

Cartwright disputed that Benson was resisting arrest.

Panicked, Cartwright called her father, Jeff, to give him a description of the physical way she saw her friend being treated and told him to call 911.

Unaware the friend in question was Benson, Jeff Cartwright called 911 and told the dispatcher that police “were beating up a black kid on Lake Travis.”

The biggest thing that stands out from her statement is that she had been out on the lake with Benson six times this year and every single time they have been stopped for “random safety inspections.” Doesn’t seem so random anymore does it? If that is true, there’s something clearly wrong here.

Ex-Longhorn running back Cedric Benson was arrested over the weekend on Lake Travis for boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. According to police, Saturday night he failed a sobriety test and resisted arrest strongly enough that officers had to use pepper spray and drag him ashore.

Benson’s side of the story is very different and according to his lawyer he is going to fight the charges. He claims he was not drunk, did not resist arrest, and was pepper sprayed unnecessarily:

“They gave me a field sobriety test, told me to say my ABCs and told me to count from 1 to 4 up and down,” Benson told the Chicago Tribune. “I’m thinking, I passed all the tests, did everything right. Then the officer told me we needed to go to land to take more tests. I politely asked him why we needed to go to land to take more tests when I took every test. Then he sprayed me with mace, on his boat.

“I’m not handcuffed. I’m not under arrest. I’m not threatening him. I’m not pushing him. I’m not touching him. And he sprays me right in my eye.”

Cedric believes he not only passed the sobriety test but was also cooperative with the police when his boat was stopped for a “random safety inspection.” That sure sounds like a possible BWB (boating while black) issue.

Not a good situation and even worse timing for Cedric as he was already going to spend training camp fighting for his starting gig in Chicago. These are pretty serious charges and a conviction could possibly even mean jail time. The Austin Police Department doesn’t exactly have the best track record and things here don’t seem exactly right, so hopefully Ced is innocent and things are cleared up as quickly as possible.

Note: Some people (including notoriously incorrect blowhard Colin Cowherd) have commented on Cedric’s mugshot as evidence he was drunk. I imagine being pepper sprayed in the face might have something to do with his bloodshot eyes in the photo.

Oklahoma recruit Josh Jarboe was arrested Thursday for receiving stolen property and having a weapon on campus. What the heck are these kids thinking?

Gun halts deposition in Reggie Bush case. Looks like a member of Reggie’s crew thought it was a good idea to try to intimidate witnesses.

Two Texas A&M football players have been arrested for an alleged armed robbery in College Station on November 29th. Less than a week after their upset of the Longhorns, offensive lineman Yemi Babalola and defensive end Brandon Joiner (allegedly) decided it would be a good idea to break into an apartment, wave a gun around, and (allegedly) steal pot from a drug dealer. Seriously.

From the DMN…

According to a College Station police report, officers responded to an armed robbery call at the Callaway Villas Apartments. A resident said two black men entered the apartment and struck the person who opened the door.

A second resident ran upstairs and escaped through a window. The first resident and a friend were bound with tape while one of the assailants pointed a semi-automatic handgun in their faces.

Babalola was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana. Joiner’s charges include marijuana possession, possession of Ecstasy, and possession of hydrocodone. (Purple drank?)

No, this isn’t a case of the pot calling the kettle black. This is a case of the kettle calling the pot black because the pot wouldn’t shut up the last time the kettle had some guys arrested.

This is not a UT or Texas A&M problem, this is a problem in programs across the country. I’m not sure what’s causing young men to give up very promising futures, but this arrest and the Andre Jones/Robert Joseph/James Henry garbage definitely appear directly tied to drugs. Babalola had actually become a very solid player the last two seasons and was likely just a year away from being a mid-round NFL draft pick and a very rich young man.

These kids are giving it all away to get high.

Andre Jones and James Henry are indicted for their alleged roles in a July robbery. There had been persistent rumors Jones would be cleared, doesn’t look like that’s happening.

UT President William Powers responds to latest Longhorn arrest. Supports Mack Brown & says playing at Texas is a privilege.

I can’t tell you how tired I am of reporting news like this. But yes, you guessed it, yet another Longhorn was arrested last night, charged with two felony counts of obstruction and tampering with evidence. Don’t have any details on what exactly this could be, but it sure doesn’t sound good.

This makes it the 6th Longhorn arrested since June, officially making Texas the new Miami. Seriously though, how hard can it be to stay out of trouble, especially when you know what has been going on in the program. The last thing I want to do is make a new category for this type of stuff, but I think that is exactly what I might have to do. We will have more details once they come in.

OBSTRUCT OR RETALIATION
3RD DEGREE FELONY — Cause Number: D1DC07302254
Bond:$20,000.00 ANY TYPE OF BOND

TAMPER OR FABRICATING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
3RD DEGREE FELONY — Cause Number: D1DC07302252
Bond:$10,000.00 ANY TYPE OF BOND

Source

Senior safety/wide reciever Tyrell Gatewood was arrested again last night on reckless driving and two counts of misdemeanor possession of a dangerous drug. A “dangerous drug” usually refers to prescription medication that he did not have a legal prescription for. The range of drugs that includes is huge and could be something silly or very, very serious.

The booking information from the Travis County Sheriff Inmate Population Reporting System is below:

GATEWOOD, TYRELL ANTWAIN

Date of Birth: 9/27/1984
Booking Number: 0744322 Booked: 9/13/2007 00:36
Facility: CENTRAL BOOKING
Charges (3)

POSSESSION DANGEROUS DRUG
CLASS A MISDEMEANOR — Cause Number: C1CR07218651
Bond:$2,500.00 ANY TYPE OF BOND

POSSESSION DANGEROUS DRUG
CLASS A MISDEMEANOR — Cause Number: C1CR07218652
Bond:$2,500.00 ANY TYPE OF BOND

OUT OF COUNTY MISDEMEANOR
CLASS A MISDEMEANOR –
Bond:$500.00 ANY TYPE OF BOND

I’ll try to withhold judgment until we learn more about the charges, but this is not Gatewood’s first run-in with the law and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s gone before the weekend. With the other recent off field incidents, his history, and Mack Brown’s new tougher stance on these issues the punishment will likely be swift and severe.

We’ll have more on Gatewood’s status as details are released.

Update: Gatewood has been suspended indefinitely by Mack Brown.

Freshman defensive tackle Andre Jones has turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued for a felony aggravated robbery charge. The charge stems from a July 27th robbery involving former teammate Robert Joseph, who was kicked off the team last month. According to the Austin PD, Joseph and Jones entered an apartment in east Austin last Friday. Joseph waved his gun at residents, including a 14 year old boy. Jones never flashed his gun, but made threats to indicate he was carrying a weapon.

Things are getting out of control this summer with 5 arrests in the last 2 months. I think it is clear that Mack Brown needs to take some serious action. Obviously Andre Jones should be kicked off the team, but Mack needs to find another way to prevent things like this from happening in the future. Recruiting efforts need to change. Discipline policies need to be more severe. Something needs to happen.

One thing I don’t understand about all of this is how some of these players can be so dumb. Do they not watch ESPN? Do they not see Pacman Jones losing millions of dollars because of his actions. Do they not see Michael Vick throwing away $100 million? I just can’t understand what makes you think you can pull a gun on people, steal their possessions, and then expect to still be able to play football. Frustrated just doesn’t express how I feel right now.

Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle was arrested Saturday morning by the Austin PD and charged with driving while intoxicated. Kindle was pulled over for swerving lanes in downtown and arrested around 2:30 am after he failed a field sobriety test. He was later released from Travis County Jail. Coach Mack Brown released the following statement on Kindle’s arrest:

“We’re aware of Sergio’s situation and are disappointed anytime one of our players is accused of wrongdoing. We take a strong stance against drinking and driving and will thoroughly investigate this situation.’”

Kindle, probably the defense’s most promising young player and a possible future superstar, is the second Longhorn to be charged with a DWI this summer. Defensive end Henry Melton was arrested on June 1st.

College students drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. They also get into the occasional scuffle. I can let those types of transgressions go, but this is different. Drunk driving kills innocent people and ruins families. It only takes a second to change lives forever. This is not a “boys will be boys” situation. It’s time for Mack to put a stop to this kind of behavior.

Kindle and Melton may not be bad kids and these may just be isolated mistakes, but they must be punished severely. You can’t (and shouldn’t) stop players from having the occasional good time, but you can make them realize there will be consequences for their actions. The two players must miss playing time, suspend them both for at least the season’s first three games. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to make an example of someone. The next time a player goes out to party maybe he’ll think twice before he gets behind the wheel under the influence.

Promising true sophomore safety Robert Joseph is no longer a Texas Longhorn. Joseph was arrested Saturday morning for apparently breaking into two cars outside the Omni Hotel in Austin. It doesn’t sound like he was trying to steal the cars or anything in them, he was just sitting there. Pretty strange behavior combined with the fact that it was the wee hours of the morning makes me wonder if he was completely in his right mind. Either way, the young man may be in serious trouble.

Head coach Mack Brown wasted absolutely no time in suspending Joseph indefinitely from the team. That indefinite period ended Monday as Joseph announced he would be leaving the University of Texas. He is officially transferring, but I’m guessing just like with a few other former Horns it might not have exactly been his idea to transfer. Either way, the arrest combined with already rumored academic issues have prematurely ended Joseph’s Longhorn career.

As a true freshman Joseph made a quick impact early in the season. He was getting playing time as a backup safety and nickel defensive back. He saw the field in crunch time against Ohio State so you know the Texas coaches trusted him. A shoulder injury ended his season early and I think the secondary suffered. He was going to have a big role in this season’s defense and likely would have been the starter in 2008 and 2009.

Best of luck to Robert wherever he ends up. He’s got enough talent that some school will give him a second chance, hopefully he’ll earn it.