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Florida coach Urban Meyer has suspended DE Carlos Dunlap for the SEC Championship game. In a program that has been riddled with arrests during his tenure, Urban Meyer has done the right thing. While the coach could have put the player above the team and 'allow the justice system to run its course', Meyer did not hesitate to send a message to his players.
Unlike in past incidences, Meyer did not suspend one of his best players for a menial game nor did he only suspend Dunlap for the first half. Meyer has suspended Carlos Dunlap indefinitely while the athletic department and University gathers more information.
Reviewing the judge's statements, will this violation go deeper than a simple case of underage drinking? While that is doubtful, according to ESPN's Chris Low:
Judge Mary Day Coker admonished Dunlap for underage drinking, and said he cannot possess alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs that are not prescribed for him.
While I have never personally endured a DUI or in this case a POWI (Passed Out While Intoxicated), I have also never heard a judge warn anyone not to drive without a license or posses prescription drugs not prescribed to that person. Is there more to this or is this standard practice in the state of Florida?
It is bad enough this young man put himself and his team in this situation. To do it at any point of the year is inexcusable. There have been many talking heads discussing Dunlap putting the team in a bad spot heading into their biggest game of the year. What about the spot that Dunlap has apparently put himself and his family in?
The police did not simply drive up and find Dunlap passed out ... the police were called regarding a reckless driver ... when the police found Carlos Dunlap, he was basically incoherent at a red light with the car still in gear.
Interestingly enough, Carlos Dunlap had participated in the SEC Media Teleconference earlier in the day. Dunlap was asked:
...What is the biggest improvement you've seen in your defense this year versus last year? Is it totally similar from last year? Or have you seen some growth and improvement?
CARLOS DUNLAP: Of course, with the year of experience, just being together as a team, you trust one another and like knowing your teammates, like what they're going to do in certain situations or like what they know what you're going to do ... Just playing together. Like growing up together, when you play with the same basketball team. They know when you're going to do certain things. There's respect for your teammates.
Forget the team. Yes, you read that correctly. Forget the team. It was 3:25am. Do you honestly believe the team ever entered Dunlap's mind? If you do, then allow me to buy you a comb to get the wool out of your eyes. In today's atmosphere, most of the elite athletes such as Dunlap care about one thing: themselves.
We were lambasted yesterday by Tennessee fans due to running the Triple-UT-arrests while not running Dunlap's arrest. As we have replied to approximately 36 e-mails, the difference in this story versus the UT was timing.
We received information about the UT players before the story broke in the main stream. Since we received the Dunlap arrest information second and third hand, it was decided to wait until Urban Meyer made a statement before running with it.
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