Meyer shouldn’t hesitate in booting Chris Rainey off Gators
Florida is among programs pointed in wrong direction off the field, and Urban Meyer needs to kick Chris Rainey out.
(UPDATED: 4 p.m.)
Florida coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday that Chris Rainey is “not with the team,” and when asked to disclose the minimum number of games the wide receiver would miss, he responded: “I can’t do that because I don’t know.”
Question: Does Meyer need to check the Gators’ schedule first to see how long he thinks they can do without one of their starting receivers? Because it seems to me when a football program is accumulating arrests and one player admits to police that he sent a text message to his [ex-]girlfriend with an assumed death threat, reading, “Time to Die Bitch,” the case is fairly cut and dried.
Rainey should be gone.
This is the problem when you put coaches in charge of discipline for matters slightly more serious than being late to practice. They can’t look at one of their players in handcuffs and make an objective decision when a voice in their heads say, “But we have to go to LSU Saturday.”
Rainey, the Gators’ junior slot receiver, has been charged with aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Rainey is “at least the 30th player to face charges or be arrested during coach Urban Meyer’s tenure,” which began in 2005.
This is not the typical driving or underage drinking violation that has become norm in college towns. The Gainesville police report doesn’t paint a pretty picture of Rainey. (Note: Def. stands for defendant, as in Rainey, and Vic. stands for victim, whose name is not disclosed.)
Quoting:
“At 23:10 hours [Monday night], the Def. showed up at the Vic’s residence and continued calling and texting the Vic. The Def. texted back, “I will not open the door.” The Def. replied, “I’m here and I will bust out the window.” The Vic. texted back, “I’m calling the cops.” At approximately 23:20 hours, the Vic went outside to talk to the Def. After approximately 10 minutes, the Def. became irate and the Vic. told the Def. to leave. The Vic. went back inside her residence. At approximately 23:47 hours, the Def. texted the Vic, “Don’t go a sleep,” and the Vic. went outside to make sure the Def. was gone. The Def. was gone and at approximately 00:22 hours, the Def. texted the Vic, “Time to Die Bitch u and ur??” At this point, the Vic, fearing for her life and the life of her family called [police].”
When Rainey was told by the women that she was phoning the police, he reportedly responded, “Wait and see what happens when they leave.”
On the weekly SEC coaches conference call with media members Wednesday, Meyer said of the Rainey matter: “It’s just further evaluation as we go. As for immediacy, he’s not with the team.”
We have taken some shots in this corner for the number of arrests in the Georgia football program. But Florida is right up there. Meyer once bragged that he would recruit “only the top one percent of the one percent.” But gives the 30 arrests, you have to wonder about his grading methods. The reputation of the Gators’ program has been significantly dented.
Meyer’s hesitancy to discipline players also was in evidence last season when he initially balked at disciplining Brandon Spikes for a significant eye-gouging incident against Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey in a pileup in last year’s game. Meyer ultimately suspended Spikes for only the first half of the Vanderbilt game, but after mounting criticism of the coach and SEC commissioner Mike Slive (who had stood by and done nothing) Spikes decided to suspend himself for the entire game (logic dictates he had a little help in that decision).
The Rainey case is no minor incident. The woman now says she doesn’t want to press charges, but that shouldn’t even be a factor.
What is Meyer’s policy for a player texting a death threat: One-game suspension and extra laps in practice?
Or does it take an actual physical assault to get kicked off the team?
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519 comments Add your comment
Drake
September 15th, 2010
3:04 pm
GO Yellow Jackets
Mark (another one)
September 15th, 2010
3:04 pm
This is not a civil case. She cannot drop the charges. This is a criminal case, and he may be able to plea to a lesser charge but her lack of cooperation will only go so far to end the situation. The primary evidence is going to be the police testimony. That is not unusual in a domestic abuse case.
UGA
September 15th, 2010
3:05 pm
We can’t lose again Saturday and to Miss State and go 0-3 in the conference, can we?
Mark (another one)
September 15th, 2010
3:06 pm
npgator – Richt kicked four players off the team this off season. http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2010/07/14/jackson-decides-to-transfer-from-uga-after-dui-arrest/. How many have been kicked off the Florida team?
Georgia Cry Babies
September 15th, 2010
3:06 pm
Oh my. Here come the sissys again. To the dog fart nation. Go get a real coach and some real players and maybe you will win some games. Quit worrying about who plays the game. tHUGS PLAY THE GAME OF FOOTBALL.
Army of the GATORS
September 15th, 2010
3:07 pm
I think Coach Meyer will wait till ALL the evidence is in,before making a judgement on Rainey’s status.His scolly has been pulled,and he’s at UF on his own.Policy usually is anything (domestic) violence,communcating a threat type….you are gone.This may be awhile before all is said and done.If it was up to me…See Ya! Go Gators!
Really?
September 15th, 2010
3:07 pm
npgator – None huh? Try four including Mettenberger who was pushing to be UGA’s starting QB!
Ryan
September 15th, 2010
3:08 pm
Why is there no mention of the fact that the girl said Rainy is not a threat and she is not afraid of him and she does not want to press charges? Georgia leads the nation in arressts.
SEC fan - the real one
September 15th, 2010
3:08 pm
Whomever is posting as me – I’m guessing it’s GatorGuy – my only post was at 2:20. Hope you’re having fun. BTW, the name is DeBose.
npgator
September 15th, 2010
3:09 pm
Ok I feel like an idiot now! I should do some reseach before I make comments on here!
Randy
September 15th, 2010
3:10 pm
Typical Schultz and Georgia fans ripping Meyer and the Gators. Why don’t you try cleaning your own house before wading into another schools problems. Last time I checked Meyer and Foley run the program in Florida. If you need some business to stick your nose in how about running up 316 and sticking it in Richt’s a$$ with all the crap they have going on up there you should be able to get your nose full of the brown stuff.
You let Florida handle Florida and since you are so perfect your own self go help the criminals in Athens.
BigTimeTECHFan
September 15th, 2010
3:10 pm
Sounds like he was just text’n her some words from a rap song. Can they arrest him just for being a part of the Hip Hop culture?
JustAfan
September 15th, 2010
3:11 pm
In open court Tuesday morning, the woman’s sister, Lauren Anderson, said she was the one who called police, and she did so only to defuse the situation.
“I did not want to have him arrested last night,” Kelley Anderson told the judge. “They asked me if I wanted him arrested, and I said no. And they were going to drop everything, and then they came back and said there was some new law that came out and they have to arrest him.
“And I said I will sign anything that I have to, I do not want him arrested. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s never been in trouble, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t do drugs. I don’t feel safety issues from Chris.”
Anderson also told Ferrero, “This is blowing up way more than it actually should. There are a lot of things going on in his life right now.”
JD
September 15th, 2010
3:11 pm
Mark(another one) you are definitely on it. In cases like this the DA has the option to proceed with a felony charge with or without her pressing charges if the evidence already of hand dictates that they can bring charges on this young man. Death threats should not be taken lightly by anyone including the female involved.
The Truth
September 15th, 2010
3:11 pm
Urban Meyer’s a win-at-all-costs kind of guy. He’s never been big on suspending guys or kicking them off the team.
SEC fan - the real one
September 15th, 2010
3:11 pm
GO GATOR
Meyer has kicked off multiple players idiot
September 15th, 2010
3:13 pm
Gary Brown, Jamar Hornsby, Cam Newton, Ronnie Wilson,Dwayne Grace, Avery Atkins, Jaques Rickerson, Marcus Thomas
BigTimeTECHFan
September 15th, 2010
3:13 pm
I’m going to the Auburn/Clemson game this weekend. Who should I pull for?
Typical!
September 15th, 2010
3:14 pm
JustAfan, So the women are now backpedaling because GATOR NATION has been threatening them. Typical!
Delbert D.
September 15th, 2010
3:16 pm
Quoting Vince Dooley at the announcement today that Kennesaw State University would be starting a football team:
“Said the coach, speaking to hundreds of expectant students and faculty at the school convocation center, “[The committee's] recommendation was overwhelmingly positive in favor of starting football at Kansas State University.”
You’re not in Kansas, Coach.
NoGaGator
September 15th, 2010
3:16 pm
JustAfan -
Thanks for the quotes.
Jeff, I like you and your irreverent humor but you could have added the above quotes for perspective. Then again the quotes would have undermined the intent of you column.
JD
September 15th, 2010
3:16 pm
Gator fans if this guy wasn’t on your team you all would be calling him a thug, soon-to-be-felon, or any other derogatory name you all could think of. Stop hiding behind hypocrisy and see this for what it is.
JSS
September 15th, 2010
3:18 pm
“Lot of things going on in his life?” Son, go to the student clinic and see a shrink! Well, you need to go anyway now, you screwed yourself out of more money than poor Jonathan Dwyer or “Flashy” Freddie Gibson!
Who Let the GATAs out ?
September 15th, 2010
3:19 pm
Let the BIG GATOR EAT !!!!!
JSS
September 15th, 2010
3:19 pm
Sigh, Dooley! He keeps on giving!
Who Let the GATAs out ?
September 15th, 2010
3:20 pm
HBTG !!!!!
G8R GRAD
September 15th, 2010
3:20 pm
Little sympathy for Rainey, provided what we were told is true. However, I can’t help but feel sorry for a 19-20 year old kid whose emotions trumped his good sense.
Again, if the allegations of the content of his texts are true, this young man has made a life-changing decision – to his detriment – and will have to live with its ramifications.
Still, it troubles me to end a kid’s future because of a stupid mistake.
Clearly his girlfriend doesn’t consider him a threat to her safety since she insisted on not pressing charges.
We aren’t privy to what precipitated such a rash response by Chris here, and speaking from personal experience, I’ve had women press buttons that sent me ballistic – and I said and did things I later beat myself up for.
I’m in no way condoning threatening women physically or otherwise, but I can relate to moments of weakness in my own experince where matters of the heart were involved.
UGABugKiller
September 15th, 2010
3:21 pm
Here’s the 9-1-1 call.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100915/ARTICLES/100919666/1118?Title=Update-ASO-releases-911-recording-in-Chris-Rainey-case
Mark (another one)
September 15th, 2010
3:21 pm
The Truth – I am not a big one for kicking kids off the teams either, but I also respect that Richt believed these offenses warranted the action. Many times the punishment of public embarrasment and internal discipline is much more that needed. The lesson is learned, and everyone moves on.
For example, T. King was suspended for a game for underage drinking. Just the fact that I mention this in a public blog is adding to his punishment. He also had to sit on the sidelines and watch seven of his teammates score touchdowns in our first game. I think he has suffered enough for this minor offense. I believe he is a good kid with a great future. Its time to move on.
Meyer needs to run his own team (and he does) and make his own decisions. He may want to speak with the woman, and he may want to consult with his seniors, coaches or administration. When he makes his decision, I am confident it will be well thought out and in the best interest of his team, with some consideration as to what is best for Rainey. The situaiton is unusual due to its serious nature. Let the man make a well considered decision.
JustAfan
September 15th, 2010
3:21 pm
Actually I’m pretty sure if he was on another team I really wouldn’t care! That’s the thing, y’all shouldn’t care either, need to worry more about GA Football
Certain things simply cannot be tolerated
September 15th, 2010
3:23 pm
Battery against a woman or making threats like this ………….cannot stand. Ruining a kid’s career takes a long back seat, my friends. Threats like this will not/cannot be tolerated.
The kid can leave and play for some thrid rate program IF they want him. He RUNIED his career, not the coach. only a loser would suggest that he is “runined” duh.
Only GT allows their girlmen to strike and abuse women, not UGA and hopefully, not Florida or my dad will roll over in his Jacksonville grave.
Make him pay …………let all the animals that want to hit women see it too.
Go Dogs
ATLGator
September 15th, 2010
3:24 pm
wow Great Job all uga homers! yea just leave out the tons of uga arrest that lead to YOUR team being the most penalized in the offseason! Seeing as you all have gotten to know the Athens-Clark police well you should know how long suspensions should last! Washaun got SUCH a deserving penalty for his arrest on a HIT AND RUN and the preceeded to fumble you enjoying the karma uga mutt fans? Im for Urban either dismissing or suspending rainey for MOST of the season but dont act like you have no problems yourselves its embarassing..and wont help that fact your gonna get wrecked Halloween Weekend!
JD
September 15th, 2010
3:24 pm
JustAfan, Who do we believe? A sister or relative that stands to lose her game tickets, meal ticket(if he goes to the NFL), and her association with a Gator football player or do we go with what really happened which is Chris Rainey made a death threat to another person? I sure would believe him if he said it to me.
I could rise to another level and tell him and all Gator fans that he is a BULLY KID that goes around threatening females that he can intimidate. Tell him to go and threaten some real men and see where it leads. Bet that won’t happen.
Army of the GATORS
September 15th, 2010
3:25 pm
JustAfan,…said it perfectly.
Ed
September 15th, 2010
3:25 pm
“Meyer shouldn’t hesitate in booting Chris Rainey off Gators”
Don’t hold your breath. A felony arrest the week of the ‘07 Georgia game didn’t keep Tony Joiner from starting and playing the whole game.
“Don’t go a sleep”
Rainey is obviously one of the finer student-athletes on the UF football team. How did Vandy and Stanford miss this guy?
tim
September 15th, 2010
3:27 pm
AtlGator………..UF ‘97 BA…UF Levin College of Law ‘00 JD,My firms founding partner is Stumpy Harris….one of the biggest Bull Gators in FL..so big he flies on the team plane. I’m a Gator to my soul..that being said Hines will reprize the TE hybrid position, but you’ll see a lot of DuBose…I’ll be in Kville this weekend come on over to our hospitality area and I’ll buy you a cocktail
ATLGator
September 15th, 2010
3:27 pm
I understand though mutt fans, that we have owned you so much in the last 20 years that you practically owe property taxes. But its pathetic your STATES MAIN newspaper runs a headline concerning your rivals…try to find that in Orlando or Miami or Tampa…some of us have pride in our teams…then again what is there to talk about other then the mutt’s inability to win important SEC game
Dawgtards ruin this state
September 15th, 2010
3:28 pm
This kind of behavior will get you promoted to AD at thUGA.
savannadawg
September 15th, 2010
3:28 pm
And i guess all these women are completely innocent. Lets have a reality check hear folks. Not all appears as it seems. I hope the kid gets over the obvious obcession he has for this woman. Did he say some unfortunate things, sure he did. This is an excellent teaching moment, don’t let it go to wast.
JD
September 15th, 2010
3:30 pm
JustAFan: Fan of what? This discussion is not about FL/UGA. Both schools have skeletons they wish could stay in the closet. A life lesson will come your way one day and you’ll have to reflect on your hypocrisy. Love the Gators. Just don’t let them blind you to reality. Hope you or your family never have to deal with a situation like this up close and personal. It’s no fun. Been there.
Zulu
September 15th, 2010
3:31 pm
Rainey: Coach, you better not say anything negative about at the SEC meeting or it’ll be time for you to …..!!!!
Meyer: Son, don’t you worry. I’m good at covering ya’ll ass. You just go do yur thang and make sure that bit.ch don’t press charges. My offense suxs since Timmy gone.
Rainey: Remember coach, bang, bang…
G8R GRAD
September 15th, 2010
3:33 pm
Add to that Mr. Shultz “conveniently ommitted the two passages prior to his “excerpt” from the arrest report, to wit:
“On the above date and time, the Vic[tim][sic] was sleeoing and missed a phone call from the Def[endant[sic]. The Def texted the Vic, “you don’t care about me,” at approximately 2230 hrs. The Vic told the Def to go to bed and leave her alone.”
Doesn’t sound like Rainey was in much of a threatening mood just minutes before his girlfriend of three years blew him off!
Again, I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’
Heath
September 15th, 2010
3:33 pm
ThiHad he followed through on the threats, he would have served a one game suspension at Ga Tech.
http://www.wsbtv.com/sports/23875503/detail.html
And when you came back all of the little nerds would just SHAKE those yellow pom poms every time you made a play. But football is all that matters to the NATS.
sec chumps
September 15th, 2010
3:34 pm
that SEC that is some upstanding conference, Vanderbilt should run like he!!..is that what Vandy is there for to try and make the rest of you thug u’s look good. No shame on any of your parts and I am not just talking about UF. And the UGA fans on here pointing the finger at UF is hysterical. U CANNOT MAKE THIS UP
Army of the GATORS
September 15th, 2010
3:34 pm
Coach Meyer,players,and the University,along with the DA…will have the right decision.Dogs need to worry about there up-coming game,instead of the soap opera’s around the SEC.
Nativebird
September 15th, 2010
3:35 pm
What have you been smoking Shultz? Oh yea, I forgot, a big fat “georgia-based-paper-writes-my-paycheck-so-I-better-warm-up-bro’s-by-hating-the-common-enemy”, home-grown. It’s too late bro…you’ve already alienated most of your dawg readers with the same Richt crapola.
chazzo
September 15th, 2010
3:36 pm
Delbert<
I am no lawyer. In fact I got the two reversed. It is absolutely not battery. It is absolutely assault.
"Two separate offenses against the person that when used in one expression may be defined as any unlawful and unpermitted touching of another. Assault is an act that creates an apprehension in another of an imminent, harmful, or offensive contact. The act consists of a threat of harm accompanied by an apparent, present ability to carry out the threat. Battery is a harmful or offensive touching of another."
Really?
September 15th, 2010
3:36 pm
savannadawg – Unfortunate? Unfortunate is walking down the street and stepping in a puddle of water. It isn’t unfortunate for this kid! He threatened to kill this women!
Really?
September 15th, 2010
3:38 pm
G8R GRAD – Glad you cleared that up! Now that makes it better! Really?
gdawginkalamazoo
September 15th, 2010
3:38 pm
None of this is funny. All the arrest by these kids are sad. They are throwing away a perfectly good opportunity to make a tremendous living in the future. All for a couple of minutes of stupidity. Regardless of the school and the offense these kids will have to suffer the consequences of a few minutes of stupidty for the rest of their lives. Either loss of a potentially lucrative career, the embarrassment of publicly have your name thrown out there for all of us to critic and guilt and shame of harming another person. Nobody one here should be revelling in this incident nor passing judgement on the others school. As many have pointed this isn;t just at UF or UGA it is all over the country. It kind of puts a damper on the joy of watching college football.