Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Tyrone Watson's return

PTW doesn't get it (which conjures up this scene - a number of you nodding your heads in unison like bobblehead dolls, with a few 'amens' tossed in). But we digress.

Tyrone Watson is accused of attacking a fellow student at an off-campus party. Watson denies throwing the punch that his fellow student is claiming caused the bruising and swelling to his right eye. Watson is current charged with a third-degree felony. Most if not all of the circumstances of and surrounding the injuries suffered are publicly unknown or unverified at this point but matters will become clearer as evidence and testimony is filed and given. Maybe there are exculpatory facts favoring Watson, maybe not. The district attorney is proceeding in the direction of Watson as the punch thrower, if not more.

But the decision to allow him back on the court as of March 1 is a shocker. His actions were determined by the New Mexico State University committee hearing his appeal as rating a seven-game suspension (see Jason Groves' opening paragraph here)///Teddy Feinberg has more background here).

Here's one of JasonG's latest Twitter posts: "Marvin Menzies: Tyrone is not going to be punished. His punishment has already been put in."

Yes, Watson is a senior in his last season. Yes, he was lauded by Coach Marvin Menzies: "[Watson] has been an exceptional student and person in our program for his entire time here." It also appears to be the first time Watson was involved in such a happening.

However, the attack as reported was generated by this fellow student perceived as dancing with Watson's girlfriend. 

So that's considered a beat down offense nowadays? It makes the incident appear as a hair-trigger response to a nothing event.

There's a history of vandalism and other worse offenses associated with New Mexico State basketball student-athletes and that can't be ignored, fair or unfair as this might be to Watson. Similarly, there's a history of the current NMSU athletics administration treating such matters with an extremely light touch.

This can't bode well for Aggie sports as a new conference is desperately being sought, let alone for the healing of Watson's fellow student.

Seven games?

Try waiting until a final adjudication of the charge, as long as that may take.

That's only fair.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

As an NMSU alum, I couldn't agree more with this post. As good as a teammate/citizen as Watson was/is, he crossed a line that warrants his removal as a student ambassador athlete for this institution. There will now be cloud over this team for the remainder of the year, and as you pointed out, possible ramifications for our current conference woes. We need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Incredibly disappointed.

Anonymous said...

Try waiting until a final adjudication of the charge, as long as that may take.


Might be a good idea to listen to your own words before you make a judgment, Kevin

Kevin McCarthy said...

The "final adjudication" has taken place at SJSU. The assistant coaches are out looking for new positions.

Anonymous said...

Conference realignment has to do with money... Nothing else. Tyrone Watson or the University's decision to play him has nothing to do with what conference the Aggies might land in.

College fights happen all the time. Well, maybe not it Logan. But the fact is that there are several different witness accounts (none sober).

The committee saw that this charge will not hold up so why would they take the rest of his season away from him based on no reliable evidence at all. Plus he's never been in trouble. If this was Jahmar Young it would be a different story.

"Innocent until proven guilty."

Anonymous said...

He isn't innocent! That's just silly - he has admitted to hitting someone for dancing with his girlfriend. Case closed. Whether or not he caused the bruise is really beside the point. He crossed a line and there are consequences for such behavior.

Alabama is a great example of how to deal with such behavior. Even the players who weren't directly involved with the robbery/beating are gone. There's a code that reputable institutions should hold their players to.

Anonymous said...

So you're telling me that if a kid gets in a fight, he should be kicked off the team???

Cmon now...

Anonymous said...

There's a big difference between "getting into a fight" (where there might have been extenuating circumstances), and walking up unprovoked to a person less than 1/2 your size, picking him up, choking, and striking him.