Sports

LSU Down and Out a Week before Season Opener

I’ll start my annual Saturday blogging on college football in earnest next week. But I thought it might be worth making at least one early post today in light of the situation in Baton Rouge.

The news broke yesterday (see above) that two LSU players turned themselves in to the police after a warrant had been issued for their arrest. At issue was a recent bar-brawl in which one witness alleged that LSU’s starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson had kicked someone in the face. We don’t know yet exactly what happened here, but LSU head coach Les Miles is encouraging Jefferson to defend himself (see below). Perhaps Coach Miles is convinced of Jefferson’s innocence in the whole matter. That’s the impression that he gave in the press conference, and I hope that proves to be true.

Even though we don’t know the whole story yet about this bar brawl, we do know that stories like this one are far too common among college athletes. So I will make just one general comment that may or may not apply in this case. College football programs ought never to coddle thuggery. The desire to field the best athletes should never be used as an excuse to cover-up or paper-over bad conduct among players. I don’t care what team it is—even the ones I pull for.

The Advocate – “LSU’s Jefferson, Johns arrested in fight case”

NY Times – “As Suspensions Add Up, Luster Is Leaving a College Football Showcase”

ESPN.com – “LSU players face felony charges”

6 Comments

  • Matt

    and soon an NCAA investigation will begin trying to answer the question… “How did Jefferson afford 49 pairs of shoes?”

    Jefferson wasnt good anyway… Lee gives them a better chance to be successful. With that said, I put them at 3 losses this year.

    • kevin

      @Denny: This happens on a nightly basis around LSU and other colleges. Doesn’t make it right, but it is what it is. There’s a lot of uncertainty and allegations of grandstanding and a possible vendetta by the BRPD due to one of the alleged victims having a relative in Baton Rouge law enforcement. There are a lot of problems with this investigation, such as BRPD neglecting to interview eyewitnesses who corroborated the players’ version of events. The AP had to come along later and find them. If this ever goes to trial, the defense will tear the prosecution’s case to pieces.

      @Matt: LSU has a contract with Nike. The players are issued tons of shoes. Whether LSU will be better under Lee is a matter or conjecture. Miles and the coaching staff didn’t think so. Nevertheless, I wish him well.

  • Scott

    I love how SEC fans brush everything under the rug. If this had gone on at any Big 12 or Pac 10 school, you would have a fit. Why don’t you guys just call off the academic side of things and end the charade anyway?

    Joke of the week: The beauty of Texas A & M going to the SEC? It raises the GPA of both conferences.

  • Kevin C

    Scott,

    What are you talking about? What is there to have a fit about exactly and what is it people are brushing under the rug? I watched too many college guys make dumb decisions and start trouble with football players. It NEVER ended up good for them. I watched a guy start trouble with my roommate once, a 6-4, 350 lb starting center on an SEC team. My roomie picked the guy up by his neck, punched him in the face once and then walked outside the bar and lay his unconscious body down on the sidewalk. This guy earned every bit of that punch.

    Granted, did the LSU players go too far, definitely. But this guy needed to grow a brain and don’t pick a fight that you have no chance of winning. Most fans of any conference would say the same thing.

    One last thing, and I mean this in the nicest way possible…..your comment about SEC academics being a charade makes you sound like a moron.

    • Scott

      Kevin,

      Thanks for proving my point! Gotta love the good ‘ole SEC – hey, “he deserved it!”

      The SEC has exactly one top tier academic school, Vanderbilt.

  • Kevin C

    I’m really not trying to sound like a jerk. I am trying to understand you:

    I proved your point? From what I can tell your 2 points were that SEC academics are a joke and we would be mad if somebody at a Pac 11 school got beaten up. I said that someone shouldn’t start a fight that he can’t win, no matter what school he attends but that the LSU players went too far. I don’t see how I proved either of your points….unless you are saying I have a bad education because I think that….which I have no problems if you think that.

    I suppose you disagree that someone shouldn’t start a fight that he can’t win? Is that the argument? I didn’t go to Vandy so I must be confused.

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