UGA fans should curb their enthusiasm over Rogers’ arrest
That rumble you heard earlier today was the sound of laughter rolling across the great state of Georgia. Da’Rick Rogers, the receiver from Calhoun who famously spurned the Bulldogs to sign with Vince Dooley’s son at Tennessee, was arrested in Knoxville at 1:50 a.m. for disorderly conduct after what we old folks used to call a barroom brawl.
(If you haven’t read esteemed colleague Chip Towers’ explanation of the matter, please do. The Chipster is to college recruiting as Target is to shopping — comprehensive and classy.)
It’s human nature to delight in the misfortune of a rival, especially a rival that snatched a recruit who’d committed to you eight months before Signing Day. But we must also note, for the sake of fairness, that the Georgia program isn’t immune to arrests — not of teenage athletes, not even of a 40-year-old athletics director.
I was talking to a Georgia Tech man last weekend, and he was trying — and mostly succeeding, I should report — not to chuckle over Damon Evans’ plight. Because we old folks can tell you young ‘uns that the fan base that laughs today is invariably the next to be embarrassed. (It’s uncanny how that works, but work it does.)
No school holds the patent on good behavior. No school can ever be inoculated against the misjudgments of young athletes, or even 40-year-old ADs. I understand why Georgia fans find Rogers’ arrest amusing, but I’ve also been around long enough to caution against irrational exuberance.
There’s always another arrest waiting to happen in a college town, and that town could well be yours. Bradley’s Rule: Tempt not the football gods by busting a gut laughing, lest tomorrow ye weep bitter tears.
Update: Tennessee coach Derek Dooley announced Friday night he has kicked safety Darren Myles Jr., who’s from Atlanta’s Carver High, off the team and indefinitely suspended Marlon Walls and Greg King for their part in the incident. Da’Rick Rogers has not been suspended.
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409 comments Add your comment
ryan
July 9th, 2010
7:08 pm
Cynthia P Most of the players were arrested That went UGA were from the Atlanta area.
ScoutDawg
July 9th, 2010
7:08 pm
Hey large Urange, most of us have been exemplary about not picking on UT about this. Go to your own RTR blog and you will see we are feeling your pain and not trashing UT for this, not one hateful comment. Well sir, you suck and so do your comments but I know you did not go to UT, and you also do not have all your copenhagen staind teeth, so go back home to your wife/mother and leave the Big Folk alone.
Shane
July 9th, 2010
7:10 pm
Do you really think that any person would believe you were smart enough to get in Tech?
I know some Tech grads. Getting into Tech isnt some great feat. About the same as any other school. Its not MIT for crying out loud.
How many classes did all those ineligible players attend?
boots
July 9th, 2010
7:11 pm
Were ANY of the Tennessee players in the BAR for FREE (because they were players) drinking? I am finding it hard to believe that none of them had any alcohol involved in the bar fight. Sober people normally don’t behave this way.
snellville jacket
July 9th, 2010
7:12 pm
A few weeks back I was serverly chastized over comments regarding character of recurits. At this point, all of the shcools in Georgia ought to be happy he went out of state. It just seems that Coach Dooly never had problems like these and his son will not put up with it as well.
Maybe there is a change and folks will realize what a priviledge they are throwing away.
Now it all makes sense...
July 9th, 2010
7:12 pm
Ummm quick question. Rogers ran and was caught twice by the cops? Maybe the cop needs to get a scholarship.
Dental Dawg
July 9th, 2010
7:13 pm
You’re absolutely spot on, Mark– easy for the pot to call the kettle black, but as a UGA alum (and Tennessee resident) I can’t help but revel in this particular arrest just a little bit!
Pi$$onaDawg
July 9th, 2010
7:14 pm
WOW DAWGS it must be NICE that the VOLS players got in trouble so fast. I mean an 18-19 kid compares to a 40 yr old 400k/ year paid man is so equal.
Dallis04
July 9th, 2010
7:15 pm
No we shouldn’t curb our enthusiasm.
82Dawg
July 9th, 2010
7:16 pm
Bradley…Why do you hate UGA so much??? If this had been a UGA players you would would be screaming that they all needed to be kicked off of the team. And we all know that you would have.
Mr Charlie
July 9th, 2010
7:17 pm
Da’Rick Da’rested. I am shocked.
82Dawg
July 9th, 2010
7:18 pm
Pi$$onaDawg ..you make no sense with that comment
Supprised that no one was robbed!
July 9th, 2010
7:22 pm
What is funnier is Tenn recruiting thus far. They do not have a single commit from the state of tennessee and none over three stars.
WhoRunsThisState????
July 9th, 2010
7:22 pm
Pi$$, how does (gang) beating the ever loving crap out of an off-duty police officer compare to DUI? Putz.
ga dawg
July 9th, 2010
7:25 pm
Wearing a GA TECH SHIRT and showing his underwear. Let me see, Mr. T Football in a Knoxville bar wearing GA TECH gear. What a loser. Look out Kansas Small College, here he comes!
Ben
July 9th, 2010
7:25 pm
Good lord Mark. I get it, glass houses and all that but after the way this kid handled himself through the recruiting process, how would you expect people to react? For gods sake, this is college football. Flunk a test and it’s fodder for the cannons.
GlenU
July 9th, 2010
7:26 pm
There really is nothing in this scenario to laugh about nor do I think it reasonable to bring up the issue for ridicule by writing about it as if it had something to do with recruiting. We know that recruits & players on scholarship get arrested but do they get arrested at a greater % than the general public of the same age or vs the student body at any particular college. I have never seen a study on this which would seem a natural for anybody writing about student-athletics in today’s society. Is it an intelligence thing I mean do the student athletics at Harvard, Yale, Stanford & Duke get arrested at the same rate as those at UT, UGA or USC? Is it a southern thing? Compare the numbers for the SEC vs the Big Ten for example. Or could it be the rates are the same all round it’s just a society problem In that case, let’s turn to the parents because as all of us know when we were at age 18, 19, or 20 we didn’t want to get into trouble because we didn’t want to embarrass ourselves &/or our parents.
UGAgrad71
July 9th, 2010
7:28 pm
Looks like UT got Da’Bum and not the Parade All American. I can’t help it, LOL!
squat
July 9th, 2010
7:29 pm
screw u bradley
Alabama Jack
July 9th, 2010
7:29 pm
It all started with Da’Rick’s visit to Athens……
HugoStiglitz
July 9th, 2010
7:30 pm
UGA fans really shouldnt laugh at anybody after everything that has happened to their program this offseason. Especially DaRick who was the next coming of Jesus Christ on these boards before he decided we didnt want to be a dawg.
What??
July 9th, 2010
7:30 pm
The problem is much simpler than most are willing to admit.
IF a major institution such as UGA, Ten, USC etc are willing to lower their standards to sign an athelete to play football, baseball, or any other sport solely to “MAKE MONEY” and not to educate and further advance that individuals intellect, that institution should expect no less than we have observed here.
Schools such as UGA, Ten, USC are soliciting “THUGS, CRIMINALS, TRASH” to play football at their school for the sole purpose of making money. Not to educate or further advance those individuals. It is completely selfish and for the MONEY!
This has not only effected the colleges, it has also effected our governement!
Borrow more money than you could possibly pay back for a mortagage, car,…………… pimp mobile, blue tooth cell phone with unlimited minutes while living in government subsidized housing ………………..
I as an American am sick and tired of this BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP giving the crooks a free ride and start holding them accountable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pi$$onaDawg
July 9th, 2010
7:33 pm
Mob mentality takes over a situation and people do things they would not normally do ie Riots. after Championship Game. Damon on the Other hand was a MAN in control of the situation until the TRAMP showed how classy she and Damon were being behind Momma’s back. Kids being stupid kids thinking they could get away with it is somewhat understandable, but a 40 yr old man doing the Down-low with a white chick knew better and that is why he tried to use the lil power he thought he had. Is That Better 2 Understand. Man v. Boy
1eyedJack
July 9th, 2010
7:38 pm
People who burn cars after a championship season are looking for an excuse to burn cars.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 9th, 2010
7:40 pm
A kid getting maybe a $12k/yr scholarship as apposed to a MAN getting $440k/yr with a wife and kids is a BIG Difference and if you don’t understand that you must be a DAWG. I am sure your wife will forgive you for doing the samething faster than she would forgive her son doing what Da’rich did. I bet MOM will not DIVOREC your son, but I bet your ASSETS are sitting on the CURB. DO you now understand the Difference?
What??
July 9th, 2010
7:45 pm
Pi$$onaDawg
$12k/yr scholarship??????
What school is this?????????
You have not priced the cost of a collge education in many years have you?
DA response!!!!!!!
Buzzzed
July 9th, 2010
7:45 pm
Uh, why is da-rick wearing what looks to be a GT shirt with Buzz on the front? You can see in the pic on the front page.
The Swammi
July 9th, 2010
7:49 pm
Relax Buzzed…that’s his high school, “Calhoun Yellow Jackets” tee shirt, so all his fans in Gordon County can be proud.
Buzzzed
July 9th, 2010
7:51 pm
Okay, the shirt is from his high school whose mascot was yellow jacket (Buzz) so it’s not really a GT shirt.
Buzzzed
July 9th, 2010
7:52 pm
Doh, Swammi beat me.
WhoRunsThisState????
July 9th, 2010
7:54 pm
Pi$$, so I suppose you’re saying that what the ‘kids’ did to an officer to the extent of putting him in the hospital is merely mob behavior? Okay, I got it. Now we should just give them a stern penalty of maybe a 3-games suspension, right? You are one piece of work, Pi$$. Justify any act from your warped point of view. Example: the Nazi soldiers were only following orders when exterminating millions of innocent civilians so it wasn’t their fault…..right? They were just demonstrating mob behavior….you know, just caught up in the moment. Are you sane??
RAMBLE ON!!!
July 9th, 2010
7:55 pm
Mark, you do all your shopping at Target?
Just like dad, kick the 3rd string off, suspend the 2nd team, Give the star (or soon to be) a slap on the hand.
Ron Mexico
July 9th, 2010
7:55 pm
So what type of punishment did Rogers get? The article on the main page didn’t say what he got.
The Swammi
July 9th, 2010
7:55 pm
Hey Buzzed, I think that was a picture of George O’Leary on the back. And, a copy of his resume’.
Ron Mexico
July 9th, 2010
7:57 pm
And did you just seriously compare attempted murder to adultery and drinking and driving?
WhoRunsThisState????
July 9th, 2010
7:58 pm
Pi$$ is a babbling retard but what should we expect from North Avenue Trade School? Pretty sad.
BillG
July 9th, 2010
8:02 pm
Schools such as UGA, Ten, USC are soliciting “THUGS, CRIMINALS, TRASH” to play football at their school for the sole purpose of making money. Not to educate or further advance those individuals. It is completely selfish and for the MONEY!
You’re entirely correct. UGA (Mark Richt) knows that most of the players they recruit are illiterate thugs, but they simply don’t care, it’s win at all costs.
UGA has been doing this for decades, and it’s sickening.
The Swammi
July 9th, 2010
8:03 pm
BillG…you are correct sir. It’s all about the money (and it will always be).
Buddy El
July 9th, 2010
8:05 pm
Judging by the ages of the group of Vol players involved that particular bar doesn’t check ID’s and they just walk/stumble at will. The off-duty cop was only 24.
ReddJonn68
July 9th, 2010
8:06 pm
Bradley are you that desperate for material. At every major program in CFB someone does something stupid. What at all does this at all have to do with UGAs program. UGA is not UT’s only rivalry. Is the ony thing the media can do is stir up hatred. So I guess all the UT fans will continue to raise hell about Evans. This is sports, when these athletes get in trouble, their lives are on the line. Fans all over the country can cheer for the other team’s players to have something bad happen to them, but if you do you are a borderline phsychopath. This tops your Lebron article. Damn the man has not played one snap & you trying to make hard for him to even come home for a visit. Well remember Karma has a way of catching up to us all.
What??
July 9th, 2010
8:09 pm
BillG
It extends not only to UGA. The NCAA should establish rules minimizing this crap!
If it is not established by the NCAA, other schools will simply recruite these THUGS to increase their income. Thre has to be control across the board.
The most important aspect that has been lost is that these are suppose to be “Student Atheletes” competing at a student level to furthet their development and educational needs to be a quality citizen.
The folks arrested from Ten, UGA, USC etc are NOT those students we are looking for!!
PT
July 9th, 2010
8:10 pm
I watched Rogers’ high school career closely. I know his character. It was just a matter of time once given some freedom and a chance to make decisions. UGA knew it too, thats why they cooled.
Dawg '88
July 9th, 2010
8:12 pm
Bradley get this straight ok….Dawg fans are not reveling in the fact that a Vol was arrested….its because of what DR did to CMR and staff at the last minute. Then making up stories, he (threw his good friend Nance) has trashed the coaching staff.
So get the facts straight…its not about the transgression of a Vol. Its about being stabbed in the back and having what goes around actually come around to bite DR in the butt. He is deserving of the ridicule and UGA fans laughing at his expense. He created the controversy…and from what he has said on his Facebook idiot’s page…he was/is far from an upstanding citizen before this. If he beat up an off duty policeman, he has far more problems to worry about than what UGA fans feel anyway.
So lay off of us…its not “glasshouse” situation or anywhere close to it! You sound more worried about our response than what these idiots did. Thats disgusting. Sorry to disappoint you but we’re not the story…DR and his drinking buddies are.
Wow
July 9th, 2010
8:12 pm
“UGA has been doing this for decades, and it’s sickening.”
So has every other school, whats your point? Oh thats right UGA is evil cause your sschool can’t beat us right? Forgot about that. These kids are NOT that stupid, or they would not be attending these schools. I bet there is not one school that you could name that I has not ever had something like this happen. These are young men and they do make mistakes, unlike you – a child.
Bacarri Rambo
July 9th, 2010
8:15 pm
I was gonna take his head off… What happened Da’ Rick?
Dawg
July 9th, 2010
8:15 pm
Honestly, I could care less what you have to say Bradley…UGA has been the lime light of your constant “bring to fore ground” of UGA’s issues. Damon Evans got arrested and we all were embarrassed and you were the first to call for his resignation. Lets look at UGA this year regarding off season issues and there is barely anything to mention except a mis-communication between an officer and player and those charges were dropped. Be consistant with your message or shut the hell up.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 9th, 2010
8:17 pm
OK mark I get it. I am really P…ed My best friends son just passed and I want to talk bas CRAP about people that have soo much to live for and just Urinat it away. OK Mark I will let it go for tonight I am sorry. I don’t think you pull punches for eitherside. you just put the info out there as it is. Have a good weekend and be safe. Hug your wife and kiss your kids. Call mom & dad sunday just to say you are thinking of them.
Buddy El
July 9th, 2010
8:18 pm
Shane: Look closer. The entire state is a toilet.
What??
July 9th, 2010
8:20 pm
LeMay
Are you of the same caliber as Rogers??
Sure seems so with you and your preacher man/ das BS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Georgia Tech Refresher
July 9th, 2010
8:25 pm
Yes, your school hires and gives scholarships to Thugs too. Four Georgia Tech employees are suspended without pay. School officials say they may have stolen office supplies–to the tune of $600,000.
A player on the Georgia Tech football team has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested and accused of battery against another student athlete. Defensive end Robert Hall is accused of assaulting basketball player Brigitte Ardossi in the apartment they share on campus. Every School Has Problems thats what happens when a person has no morals.