As many of know by now, UGA RB Washaun Ealey was arrested early this morning for hit-and-run. He hit a parked car and then took off. Not that this a major offense, a misdemeanor actually, but this kind of crap is becoming the norm for teams. Ealey just joins a long line of other athletes who are showing either major lapses in judgement or downright stupidity these days.
We all read the news and see those involved. So much was recently made of Coach Houston Nutt at Ole Miss taking a chance of Jeremiah Masoli from Oregon. Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, and USC have all had problems along with UGA this offseason. Unfortunately for Mark Richt, it is becoming too common at UGA.
Look, I know these athletes are still young adults who lack certain areas of common sense, and a lot of these things are not just unique to student-athletes. However, these kids are being very selfish with their actions. Not only are they hurting themselves, but they are also hurting their teammates, coaches, administrators, fans, and their families. Reggie Bush not only hurt and embarrassed the USC program, he hurt every other member of that 2004 USC championship team. Their hard work and determination is now forever tainted. The championship is no longer recognized and will forever be marked with an asterisk thanks in large part to a selfish player.
I don't know about you, but I knew when I was 18 that I was not supposed to steal, commit robbery, or drink and drive. Like I said though, the worst part for all of these players is the people they hurt. Ealey not being around for the first game, or however long he is gone, hurts the Georgia team. Saunders being suspended indefinitely hurts the South Carolina team. There is no excuse for this stuff, period! I remember when UGA entered the 2008 season with a #1 ranking next to its name. What happened? Rather than players and the team keeping a low profile and working hard to focus, they went out and had about ten offseason arrests. Brilliant!
Regardless of how certain people feel, these athletes DO have a loyalty to the fans. We pay a lot of money so these kids can have a future, both on and off the field. Sure, we pay for tickets and donate money for facilities, but we also provide money for their scholarships and education. That should mean more to these kids than playing football. They have opportunities in front of them that many can only dream about and they go out and blow it.
Every time one of these "mishaps" occurs, it is an embarrassment for that university. It embarrasses everyone, including fans and alumni. I am tired of these players not caring about that. It sickens me when they are this selfish and stupid.
The sad part for someone like Ealey is all he had to do was wait for the police, explain what happened, and then leave. It would not even have been a real story today. Instead he took off, got caught, and now it's running across ESPN. I swear, one thing we know about this country is that we are a forgiving one. Just come out, admit what you did wrong, and we will forgive. It won't even be a story. Yet, people like Dez Bryant, Roger Clemens, Floyd Landis, and so many others decided that lying would be acceptable. Look what happened or is happening to them.
There are plenty of lessons to be learned here and I am not singling out Ealey. I am pointing out the mere fact that this problem is becoming more and more severe. Something has to be done and it starts with the students themselves. With major privileges comes major responsibilities. STEP UP LIKE MEN AND TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY!!!
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