Yes, these are isolated incidents. When it happens at other schools, it reveals a deeper rooted problem of overall thuggery. But since Lord Saybinz continues to have success on the field....Move along. There's nothing to see here. Says Mike Herndon over at the dot I am a gay twerker that has no balls!!!! I also have no idea how to use the quote function to post stories, so I annoy the piss out of others. I like male genatalia in and around my mouth. of the al
The Tuscaloosa police have been busy in the last few months. That's not to say they aren't always busy, but their work has increasingly involved the University of Alabama football team this spring.
Cornerback Cyrus Jones became the fourth Crimson Tide player arrested since late March when he was charged with domestic violence late Tuesday night. Details of his situation are still coming out -- and apparently involve him damaging a woman's cell phone and threatening her.
Four arrests in less than two months leads us to the question: At what point do the arrests accumulate to the point where becomes indicative of a larger problem?
It happened in Auburn, where a robbery at a trailer park in 2011 ended up revealing the depths of an issue with spice within the program. LSU, Georgia and Florida have all had offseasons that turned into a series of arrests and incidents with the police, spawning similar questions.
In Tuscaloosa, there doesn't appear to be any defining connection between any of the incidents. Jones' arrest was the second involving domestic violence, with the first involving a player, Jonathan Taylor, who had a history with such incidents. The other arrests were for DUI and marijuana possession.
It's easy to say these young men need to be made to understand what is and isn't acceptable. But they are made to understand that. Every program in the SEC -- probably every program in the country -- takes steps to ensure that its athletes understand what's expected of them and how to avoid trouble.
But trouble finds some of them anyway. In that, they are no different than any other 18-, 19-, 20- and 21-year-olds. News broke this week that two other 20-somethings, Shane Ray and La'El Collins, may cost themselves millions in the NFL draft due to legal entanglements this week -- although Collins' situation may be through no fault of his own.
Alabama isn't the only SEC program having legal issues this spring, either. Walk-on Deshun Dixon became the third Mississippi State player arrested since mid-March when he was charged with DUI this week.
With Nick Saban's run of continued success on the field, it'd be slightly ridiculous to think there's been any "loss of control" in the program. Two of the four arrested are no longer with the program.
But now is the time for a strong leader to strengthen his grip.