Athens Didn't Cause Crowell's Dismissal

I'm not going to link the articles, but you can follow my Twitter time line and see that a couple of papers would have you believe choosing to play in Athens caused Isaiah Crowell to drive around with a gun in his car and hit a night club with enough pot smoke in it to stink up his car. Actually, they would have you believe that due to his deciding to play for Georgia, he'd have had less stress on him, would have had fewer expectations foisted upon him, and that a red shirt season would have made him a better decision maker.

Nevermore. (Image: Hipple)

Let me say this: I honestly feel bad for Isaiah Crowell. I sincerely hoped he would be the answer at tailback for two more years, culminating in a Heisman worthy Junior campaign that would have put him in the top five draft picks. I so wanted to believe that the good vibes we've been hearing out of Spring and the positive light of last year's oh so close to special season were harbingers of him having a renewed focus on football and living up to the reasonable expectations of his Head Coach, which I speculate now know involves not clubbing in a place that has enough reefer smoke in it to get the police suspicious at least 15 minutes later and not driving around with a filed down nina under your seat.

Even if he weren't the answer at tailback, I'd want him to be successful as a Georgia athlete and student. Now, he'll be neither. I'm sure there is room out there for the Mark Richt only recruits thugs/UGA football is out of control/had he only gone to Alabama memes. If you think he'd not gotten booted from school if he'd gone to Auburn or Tuscaloosa, then the story rightfully should be how those programs are too weak on gun crime (for the record, I think he'd have gotten the boot at either place).  If the story is that Athens caused Crowell to continue start to make unsound life decisions, then you are merely pandering for click throughs.

Crowell forced Mark Richt's hand on Friday morning. Coach Richt had no option other than dismissal. Based on what we've seen out of the past year from Isiah, I'd say this is as close to a come to Jesus moment as he'll get. He is a tremendous talent. I honestly hope we are hearing a feel good story out of him a few years down the road. Clearly, he has more decision making stuff to work on than if Athens or Tuscaloosa was the right decision for him.

It is too bad some of the real journalist don't care about or get that.

TD

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