Florida's Jenkins popped for marijuana...again

I really don’t care either way.

If potheads want to “toke Buddha,” then be my guest.

I’m not one to judge.

If degenerates want to get baked and devour Fritos on a daily basis, then more power to them.

I’m not one to judge.

If smoking chronic and taking huge riffs of ganja from a glass tube all while sitting on your couch, waiting for Billy Madison's penguin to walk through the door, makes life a little easier, then have at it.

Seriously, I’m not one to judge because I don’t care.

This has nothing to do with marijuana.

This isn’t a rant or a diatribe on the legalization of weed, nor is it a political stance on how legalizing it would contribute to reviving the United States and pull the country out of its current depression.

This has everything to do with the sheer stupidity of one college athlete – namely Florida’s cornerback Janoris Jenkins.

Jenkins has been arrested twice this year for possession of marijuana and three times since 2009.

Will Muschamp will have his first real test as the Gator’s new head football coach.

So what does Florida do with Jenkins?

The senior passed up millions in potential first round money to come back and finish out his college career at Florida – a decision many, including myself, questioned.

Jenkins clearly has a problem. Get busted for marijuana once and it’s funny. Laugh it off. The majority of college kids smoke.

Popped twice and now it’s not as funny and becoming borderline problematic.

Three times and the student-athlete is a concern, and a distraction to a team that’s attempting to alienate the stigma that has haunted Florida since Urban Meyer’s reign.

Muschamp has an overwhelming decision to make: Set precedence and an example by kicking the best player off of his team or allow him yet another chance to rectify his actions.

Why do I have a distinct feeling it’ll be the latter?

Now, I said this blog wasn’t about ripping on potheads, and I’m not. I will; however, crack on a football player that doesn’t adhere to the law and is a habitual offender.

See what I wrote there: “Adhere to the law.”

I don’t care if smoking pot has never assisted in a deadly crime, which I’m sure it has. I don’t care if reefer has never transformed mild-mannered guys into rowdy hooligans.

The fact of the matter is the possession of marijuana is ILLEGAL.

Spare me the lecture about how smoking pot comes from the earth and should be legalized. Until I see a slew of Phish fans openly walking down the street with a joint and chatting it up with a police officer, rules have to be followed.

And for some odd reason Janoris Jenkins, the gifted Florida athlete that gave up millions to take one more run at a National Title, can’t put the dutchie down.

Then again, what do I know? I don’t smoke, and I’m not a future multimillionaire.

I’m not one to judge.

Bucs to release Talib

What do the Buccaneers do with troubled cornerback Aqib Talib?

There’s no doubt that the former first rounder has Pro Bowl talent, and I would argue that Talib is the second best player on Tampa’s current roster – the first being Josh Freeman – but where does the Buccaneer organization draw the line?

Last March, Talib had a warrant out for his arrest in Garland, Texas after being accused of “pistol-whipping” his sister’s boyfriend and allegedly firing the gun in the boyfriend’s direction.

Talib turned himself into authorities and was released on a $25,000 bond.

Before this incident, Talib got into a fistfight with then fellow teammate Cory Boyd at the NFL’s Rookie Symposium back in 2008.

Talib followed that dustup by fighting Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn during OTAs in 2009.

And finally, the infamous cab fight in August of 2009 where Talib allegedly hit a taxi driver in the right ear. He was suspended for one game.

GM Mark Dominik has had enough.

According to Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times, the Buccaneers plan to release Talib once the new CBA is in place. The lockout prevents the organization from doing anything at the present time.

I love playing Devil’s Advocate. It’s just my thing…

What has Aqib Talib done other than getting into a few minor fights?

What happens if Talib is exonerated of all charges? What do you say if we discover that Talib was defending his sister when the assault occured?

I ask because if the Buccaneers release him he will go to a team that needs cornerback help in the worst way. Namely New Orleans or Atlanta.

Can you imagine Talib lining up against Bucs’ wide receiver Mike Williams? Who would get the better of that matchup? Williams is solid, but my money’s on Talib.

I’m all for allowing the justice system to work itself out and give Talib his due process. I was under the assumption that being “innocent until proven guilty” still applies in this country. In the NFL it’s the other way around.

Every organization is so afraid of Sheriff Goodell that they’d rather jump the gun and react hastily then come to a logical conclusion. Allow the courts to decide his outcome and then the Buccaneers can determine what do to.

The lockout may be a blessing in disguise for Tampa when deciding Talib’s fate. Considering they can’t do a single thing until a negotiation is reached between the owners and the *NFLPA, this may give the organization some time to rethink their position with Talib.

If he’s found guilty of all charges then he goes to jail and the organization looks smart.

If Talib walks and is released, he’ll make Tampa Bay realize the mistake they committed by signing with an NFC South squad. That’s the kind of guy he is.

The Buccaneers are in a lose-lose situation. No good can come of this. And before people reply with, “Yeah, what about Nnamdi Asomugha?”

Sorry to say it, but the Glazers haven’t spent money in a long time and they’re not about to sign the most sought after free agent in the current market.

It’s not going to happen.

I say let the authorities work it out and base a decision off of their verdict. If Talib is going to get kicked off of the team for one isolated incident then might as well start sending other players packing.

Three fights and a monumental mistake should not equal dismissal.

The Legend of #13

Twitter can be an incredibly entertaining tool. Just ask Rays’ outfielder Sam Fuld.

The 29-year old exploded onto the MLB scene by rocking the Boston Red Sox on ESPN Monday night. Fuld had 4 hits in 6 at-bats with 3 RBI and a homerun.

He could’ve hit for the cycle, but in his last plate appearance Fuld opted to dig for a double rather than stop at first, which would’ve secured his place in Rays’ history as the second player to hit for the cycle (BJ Upton is the first and only player in Rays’ history).

In the 5th inning of last night’s outing, Fuld tied the game by scoring Kelly Shoppach in on a shallow dribble two feet in front of home plate. Neither Adrian Gonzalez nor Jason Varitek could make the play and Fuld reached first safely.

Fuld has also displayed his athletic ability throughout the young season by running down and catching difficult balls in the outfield.

The Twitter world is blowing up with “Legend of Sam Fuld” hash-tags (#LegendofSamFuld). So much so that his teammates have joined in on the fun.

They’re similar to what we used to see with the Chuck Norris myths. “Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep. He waits,” so on and so forth.

One such #LegendofSamFuld saying making the rounds is “I’ll keep rooting for Sam Fuld…if he lets me.”

They’re cheesy and slightly sophomoric, but they’re fun and lighthearted which is a positive sign that the Rays’ fan base is starting to come around after the dismal start.

Fuld’s legend has definitely made the fans forget another legend; at least for the time being.

The Legend of #13 is turning into a nightmare. I refuse to call him by his first name because of how he treated the Bay area.

I’d be more than happy to give him his recognition, but he didn’t respect St. Petersburg when he arrived in Boston. He adhered to the fun when the Boston media ripped the Rays’ fan base, and he didn’t even attempt to defend the team or the fans.

It could’ve been easy for him to answer the questions with something vanilla like, “Tampa was great, but I’m in Boston now and I’m focused on winning this organization a championship.” Canned. Non-malicious. Simple.

Instead #13 added fuel to an already heated rivalry.

It wasn’t until a month or so later that he even acknowledged the Bay area via a small clip in the St. Petersburg Times. I, for one, wasn’t going to give him credit for something players do once leaving their longtime organizations.

Now, #13 is a villain in a hostile Boston town. He’s batting an anemic .152 with one RBI in 46 at-bats. The “boo birds” were clearly heard in yesterday’s loss after #13 flied out to leftfield in the 8th.

Funny, I don’t recall him getting booed while playing leftfield in the Trop.

While #13’s legend diminishes, Fuld’s grows. Sam Fuld is in a no-pressure situation. You can see that he’s having fun and his loose nature is clearly paying dividends.

#13 is struggling with his new batting stance, as well as striving to adjust to the pressure cooker that is the Boston media.

Hitting and winning are contagious. You want to surround yourself around that kind of collected and confident energy. And that’s the sort of impact Sam Fuld brings to the Rays as well as the Bay area.

May Sam’s legend grow.

And may the karma persevere.

Rays' Fans: Don't Panic! Maddon isn't...

I wrote this yesterday in regards to Maddon's meltdown v the White Sox on Sunday...



No one’s supposed to panic.

As Rays’ fans, we’re supposed to sit back and allow the season to unfold because, as we all know, no one wins a World Series in April.

Sure, we can yell at the television, boo at the Trop – which is the most ridiculous display of disapproval a fan base can do – and we can all flap our gums over at the local watering hole while hanging with our friends and voice our displeasures.

That’s our role though. That’s what we’re supposed to do as fans. We’re “fanatics.” We’re unreasonable. When the going gets tough, we all whine and point out the obvious mistakes the team makes.

We’re supposed to meltdown.

This may come off as an anti-Maddon column, but I assure you that’s it’s not. I’m not going to vilify him and treat Maddon like the Bay area treated Gruden.

I think Rays’ skipper Joe Maddon is a great manager. I believe he, like the majority of professional coaches, do the best that they can with what they’re given. Maddon has done a phenomenal job of what he has had to work with. He keeps his cool and typically picks his battles wisely.

With that said, Maddon flipping his lid and melting down during the top of the 6th inning in yesterday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox was embarrassing.

Dan Johnson ripped a hard shot off of Paul Konerko’s glove, which was quickly recovered by Gordon Beckham who threw a laser to first base to try and beat the hustling Johnson out.

Gavin Floyd clearly bobbled the ball and Johnson was called safe at first. Ozzie Guillen trotted out of the dugout and disputed the call. The umps convened and reversed it, which took a run off of the board and ended the inning.

Now it gets interesting. Maddon sprints out of the dugout like a man on fire. Animated and yelling, he eventually gets kicked out of the game, but not before gesturing to the umpires that they’re ejected.

That’s right. Smokin’ Joe pretended to toss the umps out of the game. Way to keep your composure, Joe. Phillip Wellman, the former manager of the Mississippi Braves who became famous for his on-field tirade, thought you lost your cool.

We’re the ones that are supposed to lose it. We’re the ones that are supposed to voice our opinions, no matter how unrealistic they are.

And right now we’re sick of hearing that “It’s early and there’s no need to panic.”

How are we not supposed to panic when the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays is erupting and actively hysterical? He’s clearly panicked. Are we supposed to wait until June before we’re officially allowed to be frightened?

It may not be Chernobyl yet, but if Maddon keeps this act up it will be.

Like I mentioned, Maddon was reacting to the bad call, which was an awful overturn. A manager should never be allowed to come out of the dugout and argue a call in their favor. If that was the case, managers should be allowed to enter the batter’s box and dispute every single ball and strike with the ability to argue each one of them.

I’m not saying that particular play would’ve won the game for the Rays, but it certainly might’ve established momentum making for a more enjoyable experience. Making for a more competitive contest.

So, I’m fine with Joe and how he went out there to take up for his player and dispute a horrible reversal, but he did so in a manner that was embarrassing to a team that is struggling mightily. He did it to a city that is tired of having to defend this squad to the northern hordes that invade our proud community.

Let the fans develop incoherent rants and illogical strategies. Focus on turning this team around and cultivating chemistry.

Focus on winning.

Leave the panic to us.

It has been far too long...

I started this blog a long time ago and I need to get it going again. I have no idea what kind of a following I had, but, for the sake of the 3 fans that I had, as well as bettering myself as a sports columnist, it will be revived. Let's rock...

Meyer: "It's not a dirty program"

I want to break down University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer’s presser regarding recently arrested player Chris Rainey as well as other's arrested during Meyer's tenure at UF...

"I try to evaluate everything about our program," Meyer said Thursday. "I'm real upset about that. After a while, enough is enough. If there's something we can improve on, we're certainly looking into that. It's like if our graduation stinks, then we've got to improve that. If there are other issues in a program that's our job to get it better. People making stupid mistakes, that's something we've got to correct."

I want to preface this with Meyer might be the best college coach today and is arguably the best at evaluating talent. Now, evaluating character is a completely different story. 30 arrests by 27 players in his tenure is no longer coincidental, but a matter of anticipating the next infraction.

If Meyer’s so serious about "enough being enough" then why is Rainey considered suspended instead of dismissed? I understand there’s due process, but set a precedence, man. It’s not like Rainey made the text vague. It’s a clear-cut threat. End of story.

"I don't care," Meyer said when asked if he was concerned the program being perceived as "dirty."

"We do our best to win games. Dirty program? It's not a dirty program. We follow the rules and some guys make mistakes and we've got to correct those mistakes. We follow the rules. We do it the right way at Florida and we have to do a better job with correcting some of the people making mistakes."

The "right" way? Suspending players for a game and then allowing them back on the field and/or team is not doing things the "right" way. It’s actually considered "dirty." What I find hilarious and hypocritical—and I’m not painting everyone with one broad stroke because every fan base has their jerks—is that the majority of Gator fans have crucified Bobby Bowden, Mark Richt, and Pete Carroll for doing the same thing Meyer is currently doing. According to Florida fan, those coaches should be held accountable. Well, why is Meyer exempt?

When reading Facebook and the message boards, the majority of fans want Rainey to be let go. Not one person though has pointed a single finger Meyer's way. You mean to tell me if this was Nick Saban no one would say he needs to be liable and take some of the blame? You're a lair if you say you wouldn't acknowledge such statements.

Asked what Rainey has to do to get back on the squad, Meyer responded: "I don't know."

Wow, way to stand up and take charge of your team there, Urb. "I don’t know?" Don’t run for any political positions. I’m pretty sure you’ll get crushed with thoughtful and insightful answers as, "I don’t know."

In other words, you’re waiting to hear what the law has to say because you know as well as the rest of the college football world that you have zero experience at wide out and a lack of play-maker, especially if Rainey is shown the door.

This is the quintessential definition of "dirty program." The cat's certainly out of the bag, and Meyer's, as well as the University's reputation, hangs on the looming Rainey decision.

It's NOT Good to be Chris Rainey

University of Florida wide receiver/athlete/loud mouth Chris Rainey was arrested on stalking charges after sending his on again/off again girlfriend a text that read, “Time to die.”

Rainey allegedly went to his girlfriend’s home to find out where she was after he called her multiple times and she didn’t respond. He sent her the cryptic text and she immediately called police.

Rainey’s best remembered for all of these brilliant quotes.

The question now becomes, “What to do with Rainey?” Urban Meyer’s tenure at UF has been a cyclical collaboration of success and demise. Win a National Title…get fifteen players arrested.

Does Meyer do the right thing and boot Rainey off of the team? I say he won’t. Of course he needs the facts to surface first, but facts aren’t as fun as playing Devil’s Advocate.

What if Meyer’s daughter received a text like that from her significant other? Rainey has been in Urban’s doghouse on many occasions and this should be the last straw, but considering Florida is thin with experience at wide receiver I fully expect Rainey to be back by the Kentucky game. I’ll honestly be shocked if Meyer releases Rainey from his scholarship.

As I write this, it seems that Rainey’s charges have already been dropped, which isn’t really a surprise. I still need to confirm. He’s a future multimillionaire. Of course she dropped the charges!

Should they be dropped and taken lightly? The “Oh, he’s not serious” line doesn’t exactly apply here and this isn’t a joking matter, especially with nut jobs coming out of the woodworks. Do you really need me to spell out the loonies we’ve seen over time that have done something heinous and when witnesses are interviewed they’re wide-eyed and stunned saying, “He was so quiet” or “Everyone loved him. He was such a great guy and would never hurt a soul.”

Bottom line: revoke his scholarship and kick him off of the team. There’s no place for this sort of behavior in any facet of life