The crimes committed are bad in their own right, but I think the extent of this situation is being blown out of proportion due to our thirts for football talk during the summer months.

There were about 2 real bad seeds (Jones and Joseph), who will both be off the team, and 2 bad decision makers, who will be reprimanded.

The bad image of the team as a whole will be in the media only, and is not an accurate depiction of this team.

I think we can assume Jones is off the team along with accomplice Joseph.  

The problem is, any other summer two kids convicted of DWI/DUIs would probably get off easy.  Without knowing the details, Kindle and Melton's cases are probably forgiveable.  But with all the headlines, I suspect MB will come down hard on these two and make an example of them.  

On another note, who is suppose to be the defensive leader this year?  He should be stepping up.

Young men will make mistakes and by ripping these guys and I am throwing stones from a glass house.  But these aren't just "any" young men.  

Jones is gone unless this is a huge case of mistaken identity - and the sooner a temporary suspension is announced (b/c people are still innocent until proven guilty) - the better.  Same should be done with the DUI's.  If Melton and Kindle do not at the very least get suspended beyond the OU game, we will look weak.

Be bold and act strongly on these MB - you can only lose more or stop the bleeding.  I don't believe our season is dependent upon any of these guys no matter how talented (which is questionable).  I think our program is dependent on swift, decisive and morally sound action though.  

And in an echo to others, where the hell are the defensive leaders???  Whoever they are - they are being further marginalized by the day.

on staff to work character issues for future recruits....I wonder if the Xbox bandit is already planning his "transfer" for more playing time.

It still blows my minds that some players spend their downtime planning auto theft and armed robbery....why can't these guys simply chase the muff around in their spare time??

"everyone's over-reacting" camp.  So far (and I stress those words), this is not catastrophic.  All NC-winning teams in recent memory have gone through the same thing.  

But that is merely my assessment, not my stance.

In fact, I think that over-reaction is useful in this case, if only for the strong message it sends. If the UT community does not inflate the maginitude of these occurrences, then it leaves the door open for continuation.  It also gives this community validation that we are not the selfish, rationalizing dick-faces that make up sooner nation.  

I'm surprised that APD didn't shoot any of them in the back.

make baby Jesus cry.

Seriously, this is ridiculous. Just the other day I was getting on my friend for his Husker team letting Purify off the hook for DUI and kicking some dudes ass. And now I have to rationalize this? No. I can't make excuses for this type of behavior. In the Army (these douches) would be arrested, tried in civilian court, busted down, then given NJP or a courts-martial and probably kicked out.

Playing football DOES NOT give you the right to rob somebody at gunpoint. I dont understand how this type of behavior is acceptable for ANYBODY let alone a University of Texas student athlete. Kick these felons off the team. No more recruiting questionable characters. Need a 2-3 game suspension, mandatory, for DUIs no matter what time of season they happen or who the next opponent.

Though Tarell Brown and Gatewood were found innocent of all wrong doing last year, I was happy that Mack suspended these guys for the tOSU game simply for putting themselves in that type of situation. Be smarter guys. We all Bleed Burnt Orange and this behavior kills us all inside.

Where's the countdown picture?

and it's not abated at all. My recurring thought today, however, is the utter fatuousness and hypocrisy of all the holier-than-thou talk of how, for example, Webb, Calhoun, et al can't cut it the classroom or how they possess character flaws or how they're immature and wouldn't represent Big State U suitably and so on and so on. This is a sorry state which, while seriously damaging to us, only makes OU and Agriculturus et Mechanicus look good in comparison and that I can't stand.