Sunday, March 04, 2007

Inmates Running the DIA Asylum?

Well folks, I am angry.I am NOT talking about yesterday's debacle at iowa.

I am talking about the disturbing number of off-field criminal incidents involving Illini athletes. Yesterday, WRs Derrick McPhearson (who was supposed to be a top recruit when Zook signed him) and Jody Ellis (blame Ron Turner, he recruited him) got arrested after a hit and run accident for allegedly possessing stolen property, which included an iPod and laptop computers. Ron Zook immediately suspended them indefinitely. I wonder what Bruce Weber would have done? Taken away their post-game milk and cookies?

People, this is yet another incident under the watch of the best athletic director in the country over the past few years.

Here are the ones that I recall: Football: Matt Sinclair & Ryan Matha (bar fight at Joe's, pled guilty); Derrick McPhearson and Jody Ellis (see above) ; E.B. Halsey (arrested in Ohio for not having paperwork related to rental of an automobile); Derrick Strong (arrested for allegedly stealing a bar sign from R&R's bar) Men's basketball: Shaun Pruitt (arrested for allegedly slapping a bouncer at a bar) Richard McBride, Luther Head, Aaron Spears (never charged, but rumored to have participated in an apartment burglary); Richard McBride (pled guilty to DUI); Jamar Smith (charged with felony DUI for leaving the scene of an accident involving his teammate Brian Carlwell).

What will Ronnie do? Bury his head in the Champaign-Urbana sand like an ostrich? He may be finally forced to institute some sort of code of conduct for student-athletes like Barry Alvarez did at Wisconsin. Or will he ignore the matter and give Theresa Grentz a lifetime contract?

Moreover, I have talked to several big-time donors who are fed up with this lawless conduct and are also mad about the death of Chief Illiniwek and the way the Board of Trustees secretly (a few of them anyhow) killed the Chief. This could spell trouble for donations in the future.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Don't forget about McBride's run in with a softball player...hhhmmm...

5:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You left Frank Williams' many campus exploits off the list.

5:53 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home