Texas linebacker [tag]Sergio Kindle[/tag] was arrested Saturday morning by the Austin PD and charged with driving while intoxicated. Kindle was pulled over for swerving lanes in downtown and arrested around 2:30 am after he failed a field sobriety test. He was later released from Travis County Jail. Coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] released the following statement on Kindle’s arrest:
“We’re aware of Sergio’s situation and are disappointed anytime one of our players is accused of wrongdoing. We take a strong stance against drinking and driving and will thoroughly investigate this situation.'”
Kindle, probably the defense’s most promising young player and a possible future superstar, is the second Longhorn to be charged with a DWI this summer. Defensive end Henry Melton was arrested on June 1st.
College students drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. They also get into the occasional scuffle. I can let those types of transgressions go, but this is different. Drunk driving kills innocent people and ruins families. It only takes a second to change lives forever. This is not a “boys will be boys” situation. It’s time for Mack to put a stop to this kind of behavior.
Kindle and Melton may not be bad kids and these may just be isolated mistakes, but they must be punished severely. You can’t (and shouldn’t) stop players from having the occasional good time, but you can make them realize there will be consequences for their actions. The two players must miss playing time, suspend them both for at least the season’s first three games. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to make an example of someone. The next time a player goes out to party maybe he’ll think twice before he gets behind the wheel under the influence.
reply to #1
Hook'Em Horns
July 31st, 2007 at 8:54 am
I like how well you put the story together, and hopefully there will be a stop to all this madness, especially underage drinking.
reply to #2
chris
July 31st, 2007 at 9:24 am
Nice article Brian, but even a die hard Longhorn football fan, I think that the punishment should be more severe than you suggested. I think we agree that this issue is just way too important and perhaps sitting out a season would hammer the point home a little better to these kids.
reply to #3
I love the University of Oklahoma
July 31st, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Brian, I agree with your views 100 percent on DWIs’. But to me, whats sad is that Oklahoma football players who broke the rules by taking money were kicked off the team and had to pay the money back. Because OU did the right thing, the NCAA punishes the Sooners and the whole nation then says Oklahoma is a dirty program. Its really sad. Longhorn fans, I wouldn’t worry if I were you. Sergio Kindle will be on the field in not time. I mean after all, if you’re a football player and you’re a Texas Longhorn, breaking the law or NCAA rules will result in you only getting suspended for a couple of games. And on that matter, look at Nebraska’s WR Maurice Purify. The guy has been arrested twice with one arrest being for a DWI, and Bill Calihan only suspends him for one game. But hey, all I can say is thats the way it is. And like I said earlier, Bob Stoops does the right thing, but sportswriters from Texas, media, other football fans, etc accuse Stoops of running a dirty program and cheating. I just don’t get it. And if you Texas fans want to point fingers at OU’s basketball program, why not point them at ex coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff. Remember, Sampon bolted off to Indiana when the NCAA started to snoop around campus. Sampson is what screwed the Sooners’ basketball program. But despite all of this nonsense, OU will prevail. BOOMER SOONER!
reply to #4
CB
July 31st, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Could you do a little more crying? Oklahoma got off easy from the NCAA.
reply to #5
Hook'Em Horns
July 31st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
And all Brian did was state what he thinks will happen , to me I think more discipline is needed than that, but as a fan we all want the best to happen for our players, so OU lover dont think we are setting the punishment for our player, we will find out later when Mack Brown deals with it.
reply to #6
Brian
August 1st, 2007 at 11:43 am
Chris, I agree that punishment should be severe and that’s why I said at least three games. I don’t know if that’s enough to drive the point home but it’s the minimum in my eyes. I don’t know enough about the backstory, the two players involved, or the general attitude of the team to know what the punishment should be.