Free the Athens 2

As Doug Gillett says, "Free the Athens 2!" Kyle King of DawgSports.com has risen to the defense of Blake Barnes and Tripp Chandler.

Although I jokingly mocked [Barnes'] confession before, that sounds like a rising upperclassman in a leadership position who, having just seen one of his teammates suspended for a season for the underage consumption of alcohol, was trying to protect his pal by taking responsibility for his younger teammate's behavior.

What Blake Barnes did on Saturday night didn't deserve to get him booked at the Clarke County jail; what Blake Barnes did on Saturday night ought to get him a helmet sticker. Blake Barnes confessed to a crime with which he otherwise would not have been charged in a misguided yet admirable effort to protect Tripp Chandler.

Dawgnoxious and I are pretty much in agreement on this one. The kids were legally in the wrong. However, the enforcement of the law seems pointless. A better use of government resources would have been to make the two kids pour their beer out and move along. Surely, there was other crime to fight and other evil to suppress across the Athens landscape. But the law is what it is. The kids aren't victims. I also agree with what Kyle sent me in a separate email:

This is one of those times when I wish Coach Richt would take the "10 per cent of the season" rule literally; it's 1.2 games, so, technically, Barnes and Chandler have served their sentence once 12 minutes have elapsed in the first quarter of the South Carolina game. I say let 'em play the last 48 minutes.

Speaking of Kyle King. Kyle has really put himself out there. He entered the Ladies... men's bracket challenge. The Ladies have built an 88 man field of bloggers complete with photos and writing samples. Kyle is a 6 seed, and he made it past the first round. He's looking at a likely upset in Round 2 if you don't go vote for him.

See Also:
-- Tight End Situation - David Ching
-- Chandler's Loss Impacts WRs? - Hedge Clippings

PWD

(Image: Jim Hipple)

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