Chris Rainey's arrest makes 30 arrests of UF players during Urban Meyer's tenure at UF, according to the Orlando Sentinel. While citations for underage drinking (Matt Elam and Solomon Patton this summer) and problems with towing companies (Tony Joiner, Dorian Munroe) are included on the list, so was Jamar Hornsby stealing a dead student's credit card and Ronnie Wilson shooting guns like an Iraqi celebrating the fall of Saddam Hussein.
As a fan of the team and as an alumni, I come down on both sides of this. I was critical this week of Meyer for essentially creating a leadership vacuum in Gainesville due to him stepping back from the team and allowing someone who wasn't qualified to be in charge. In 2008, I was critical of how Meyer made an excuse for Hornsby, essentialy saying it was the NCAA's fault Meyer recruited a terrible person.
I was critical of the University administration and baseball team for kicking pitcher Stephen Locke off the team for a DUI charge that was dropped for lack of evidence. And I was critical of UF when they allowed Carlos Dunlap to return to action, a clear example of a football player given a better treatment than a regular student.
But, I was critical of the Sentinel last summer after their original Gators crime story was sparked by Janoris Jenkins getting in a fight at a bar. I also suggested that athletic departments give mental health assessments of athletes who might benefit from it. Similar to testing for hereditary illnesses or conditions, maybe a mental health assessment could pick up not just players with signs of mental illness but also those with inconsistent thoughts of what is right and what is wrong.
Ultimately, I give the benefit of the doubt to players. I know college kids who have been caught sneaking a drink like Patton this summer. And I know college kids who have gotten in fights at bars or who have smoked weed (granted, they weren't arrested). When it comes to the big stuff; DUI, threatening a girlfriend, theft, I don't have a tolerance for that because even immature college kids don't do that.
I would like to see what you think. I think there are some people who are not like me, and believe all the blame falls on the players. Others are probably more critical of Meyer because he's the man at the top and the players are his responsibility. But the question is; do you have a problem with 30 arrests during Urban Meyer's tenure?