SEC Sports—Florida Gators, Shooting Guns, Jail Time

By Jay Holgate
SEC Sports Report

ESPN is reporting that the University of Florida has suspended two players who were recently arrested for off campus incidents. A story like this is normally just passed through the system and life goes on. But there needs to be a look at the facts, the timeline, and then we can all make a logical conclusion.

Shooting an AK-47 Assault Weapon in the Air. Ronnie Wilson was arrested for firing a weapon into the air after an incident that carried over from a local bar. Wilson weighs over 300 lbs and is a football player for a national championship team. Why would a guy like this, need to carry a Russian assault weapon? Has the Gainesville bar scene turned into Iraq where a man needs to carry a gun to get his taste of some pretzels and a beer?
His Punishment: Suspended for one year. You got to be kidding. You mean, Meyer thinks this gun toting soldier of fortune deserves to be on the roster after he sits out one year?

Busted in a Police Sting Operation. On June 11, Brandon James was unfortunate enough to buy marijuana from a police informant. His partner in crime was Brandon Powell, a basketball player that has decided to transfer because he is not getting enough playing time. James was arrested, spent the night in jail and will see a judge in the near future.
His Punishment: Suspended for 1 game, Western Kentucky.

Don’t Rush to Judgment. James was just arrested less than 3 weeks ago. We will give him the benefit of the doubt that he was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. If that story doesn’t pan out, he must have told Coach Meyer that it would never happen again. So Coach Meyer determined that since Brandon James is his top kick returner from last year, we have to give him some grace. After all, every body deserves a second chance.

Wake up and Smell the Roses. The NFL recently determined by watching the NBA that men of bad character are bad for the institution. When the institution looks bad, ticket sales go down, tv ratings evaporate, concessions dry up, owners make less money and on and on it goes. Florida isn’t worried about ticket sales but they do know than men of bad character typically are not “team” players which will bring chaos to an organization. A fine institution like the University of Florida will be weakened by a discipline policy that allows criminals to exist on a team with student athletes. Or maybe, Florida is just in a league of their own. Time will tell.


Jay Holgate is an analyst and writer for www.secsportsreport.com He can be reached at editor@secsportsreport.com