This is a bad week for UConn athletics
by Kevin Meacham on Apr 24, 2009 2:56 PM EDT
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And not "bad" like "our quarterback situation is so bad we're bringing in Duke's all-time flop-meister to try out." (Oh, lord, will that make football season fun.)
First, as you read below, Ater Majok may conclude his illustrious 0-game UConn career by entering the NBA Draft (although the comments from Jim Calhoun lead everyone to believe that this is just a "testing the waters" thing - not that Majok wouldn't go anyways. But I digress).
On a more serious note, graduating football tight end Martin Bedard was caught buying alcohol for a minor earlier this week.
Then today, reading the Courant, (Ed.: the story was broken by the Manchester J-I earlier Thursday morning) we learn that UConn's all-awesome linebacker Scott Lutrus was arrested for "interfering with a police officer" at a party at Carriage House Apartments, the traditional first night of UConn's fabled Spring Weekend. Lutrus, 21, and his 23-year-old brother were both arrested for the same charge after a fight broke out. They were two of the 19 arrested by police Thursday night, according to the Courant.
According to the New Haven Register's UConn football blog, Ramblings From The Runway, via Sox & Dawgs, we also learn that Lutrus, who was recently named a captain for the 2009 squad, fought the officers.
For those who may not be acquainted with UConn's Spring Weekend, I direct you to the Courant's coverage of Carriage, as well as their slideshow of photos from past Spring Weekends.
Let's just calm down, fellas. I'm sure every school has their share of misdemeanors, but is Lutrus trying to give Randy Edsall an aneurysm? (I like to imagine that Edsall threw a brick at his window in anger upon hearing the news, but he overthrew it and hit the ceiling.)
Seriously, guys - if you're an athlete, and a fairly high-profile one at that, stay in control this weekend. Because otherwise, on a night where 19 people get arrested, your name is the only one that will get its own story. If Jon Mandeldove can just kick back and have a good time while thousands of drunk college kids chant his name, can't we all?
Ugh. This was a bad post to come back from my post-Final Four haze.
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Point of order: having separate tags for “punishment” and “Scott Lutrus” is redundant.
by Relax Guys on Apr 24, 2009 4:35 PM EDT reply actions
DONT CARE DONT CARE DONT CARE about that damnable usurper, the football program. If they NEED to have a football team, have Cal coach him in his free time and quadruple his salary. I hope every player gets arrested and the team folds.
Majok. He’s not going anywhere unless he’s a lot better than anyone thinks he is. I mean, he has literally never played anybody good in basketball, ever. For him to go to the NBA would be insane. That said, he’s already 22, so Cal’s not going to have more than next season anyway.
Which brings me to another point: MOTHER-F THE NCAA. Seriously. He’s 22. Sudanese refugee. Smart kid. And still they dragged their feet as if they had more important responsibilities than figure out if he can play. Let the kid play! They actually hurt his career! The faster he can actually play real competition, the faster he can know what he has to improve on/how good he is. Again: he’s no spring chicken (relatively) and needs to get moving. I don’t blame him for trying to figure out where he stands any way he can—but he should already know. Because he should have played last year.
The whole situation is infuriating to me. Not that he might leave; that’s his prerogative, and you can’t blame him. Just how it was handled last year. The bureaucrats, whether they know it or think about it not, have some control over this dude’s life. They shouldn’t! And if they MUST, they should be like referees in a game, and do their darndest not to affect the outcome. Especially when the outcome is literally a guy’s life! What if Majok decides to jump this year, goes second round, kicks around the league, and is gone within three years because an NBA team doesn’t have time to nurture raw 23 year olds? Two years with Cal, which is what he SHOULD have had, would almost ensure a first round pick and a more solid contract and pro career. It’s infuriating.
But he ain’t going anywhere, so this isn’t a huge deal (I hope!).
by gxpanos on Apr 24, 2009 7:07 PM EDT reply actions
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