The Aldon Smith thread

Are you really comparing Aldon to Antonio Bryant? Yikes! Antonio was a favorite of mine until he had a total mental meltdown...nothing close to just a DUI.

Originally posted by Rsrkshn:

Originally posted by DelCed2486:

Originally posted by Pillbusta:
Aldon is 23? Fame came too quick and fast but we need not pile on as mature adults. He needs 49er fans support and encouragement. He needs punishment from the league and NFL but the team and fans need to support him and encourage him to get the help to fight his demons. This is our team and our players. We need to rally behind him instead of against him. Sending out negative words and thoughts from his OWN freaking fans will just further bury his psyche. He doesn't need that. He needs to feel the love

I'm not one saying the 49ers should cut him, or suspend him right away, look to trade him, etc. I say let the legal system and NFL do their thing in due time. While he's playing, I hope he does great and helps the team.

But, he's only 23? Boo-hoo. I had already completed military service, was working a FT job and going to school by the time I was 23...we have 19-20 yr olds leading squads and platoons into combat. But we're supposed to put on the kid gloves for the 23-yr old pampered millionaire with a hyperactive sense of entitlement? If it were Joe Schmo 23-yr old you heard about making these stupid choices, you'd consider him just as big a moron as many think Smith is. But wait, Smith plays for the 49ers so he's supposed to "feel the love"? The idiot once AGAIN decided to get behind the wheel while drunk, and instead of a tree it could've been a kid on the way to school. Like I give a s*** about his "psyche" or what put him on this path. What he needs to "feel" is a fatherly foot up his a** telling him to get straight or he'll be out of league within 5 years and and in prison or dead within 10.

People make mistakes. Many are repeated.
Just stop with the hate.
We have laws. Let the law deal with it.
Just . . . don't hate.

More of the modern-day lame-a** usage of the word "hate". Saying that someone who--even with plenty enough money to hire a car or USE THE NFL'S FREE CAR SERVICE--again chose to get behind the wheel while drunk is an idiot does not equal hate. It's called stating the simple truth. But obviously this is a concept too complicated for some.

Originally posted by Pick6:
interesting take...
http://www.foxsportskansascity.com/collegefootball/missouri-tigers/story/Frederickson-Aldon-Smith-full-of-footbal?blockID=942295&feedID=11117

Reading the different comments is interesting to me... I however feel the 9ers should have acted. You can say the league handles punishment, but there are cases where teams have handed out their own in addition to anything the league has done. Personally I'm shocked he was allowed to practice... after this incident.

This dude needs help... he needs a wake up call... his personal issues (believe me there are some serious personal issues when you are intoxicated to almost twice the legal limit at 7am on a day when you have to go to work) need to be dealt with before he ruins his career... his life... someone elses life...

As Harbaugh said in regards to Seattle's issues - "We have to be ABOVE reproach"

When is the last time a team took it upon themselves to hand out punishment to a STAR player before the NFL does it? I'm not talking about "pretty good" players. I mean STAR players. Players that they NEED. It is a double standard, but I'm willing to bet almost every team would take the same stance if one of their top players put himself in the same predicament. It's easy to set an example by hammering one of your "solid" players, but when it comes to top notch talent, teams aren't likely to be so quick to bring the hammer down on them. Look at Lynch in Seattle - doesn't he have like 3 DUIs now? Have they suspended him on their own?

Maybe, just MAYBE, if the team felt the league wouldn't do anything about it, then they might feel obligated to hand out punishment on their own. Knowing the league will take action, I highly doubt many - if any - teams would punish their star player on top of whatever the league does to him.

Originally posted by DelCed2486:
I'm not one saying the 49ers should cut him, or suspend him right away, look to trade him, etc. I say let the legal system and NFL do their thing in due time. While he's playing, I hope he does great and helps the team.

But, he's only 23? Boo-hoo. I had already completed military service, was working a FT job and going to school by the time I was 23...we have 19-20 yr olds leading squads and platoons into combat. But we're supposed to put on the kid gloves for the 23-yr old pampered millionaire with a hyperactive sense of entitlement? If it were Joe Schmo 23-yr old you heard about making these stupid choices, you'd consider him just as big a moron as many think Smith is. But wait, Smith plays for the 49ers so he's supposed to "feel the love"? The idiot once AGAIN decided to get behind the wheel while drunk, and instead of a tree it could've been a kid on the way to school. Like I give a s*** about his "psyche" or what put him on this path. What he needs to "feel" is a fatherly foot up his a** telling him to get straight or he'll be out of league within 5 years and and in prison or dead within 10.

Damn straight!!!

He should go to jail and rehab during off season, but don't suspend him we need him to get 3 sacks. It's not like he is taking performance enhancement, if anything else Colts should be sending him gifts for destroying himself, diminish performance and not being100%.

Originally posted by YungAce:

Originally posted by ads_2006:

Originally posted by billbird2111:
49ers should have suspended him for this game. They should have done it -- no matter what the league does later.

did Pittsburgh bench rapeburger?

personal feelings aside, teams 95% of the time do not discipline a guy for off the field issues.

Didn't we suspend Antonio Bryant for his Lambo DUI?

was benched against GB for one offensive series for cursing out Mike Nolan

was disciplined by the league for violating substance abuse policy

Just get two sacks on Sunday and they will love you again.

@DelCed2486

Yes, lots of us were full-grown men working jobs and supporting families by the time we were 23. Aldon Smith isn't like lots of us. He's an athlete who has made it to the NFL. Now, this is in no way an attempt to excuse his behavior, but I think it's helpful to remember that in the real world, athletes as extraordinary as Aldon Smith have been pampered and catered to for most of their lives. You see it in football, baseball, and even track. The extraordinary athletes spend most of their youth being waited on, catered to, excused for and streamlined through most of life's challenges that the rest of us have to endure. There are obviously exceptions.

The 49ers have a vested interest in turning this kid's life around so that he can play football at the level the team expects. The TEAM can and should take some action. What other teams have done, or should have done, when star players committed a crime is irrelevant. This kid obviously needs help and waiting for the league to take action will not bring the immediate help he needs. Allowing him to play against Indy rather than take immediate action is just perpetuating the mindset this kid has. Obviously, Aldon Smith feels the general rules of society do not apply to him. Eventually that will cause him great harm, hopefully, not cause others great harm as well. If the team wants to maximize the investment they have made in Aldon Smith, they MUST take action that will allow that to happen.

As others have said, he has been a pampered athlete who has never felt the full impact of the consequences of his action. Being a "23 year old kid" is a weak excuse. He is still obligated to live by the rules of society. If someone had been killed at the party he hosted, or if he had killed someone with his car, his age would not have mattered. That message needs to get through to him whatever it takes.

As a 49er fan, I love watching him play. However, I refuse to prostitute myself by saying that because I am a 49er fan I will excuse his reckless and illegal behavior. Just because someone else got away without suffering consequences of their actions is a terribly irresponsible position to take. I would hope that football has not become more important than the overall best interests of society. I don't want to live in a society like that.

Again, let's dial down the drama. He got drunk. He was carrying pot. He stayed out late. He should have called a cab. He didn't. He's obviously an idiot when he's had a few drinks. I've actually known quite a few people about whom I could say the same thing. As with many other cases such as this in the league, the NFL will punish him. As with the case of Marshawn Lynch, the punishment will probably come after court proceedings are concluded. If they jump the gun on court proceedings, the NFL players association will jump in and defend Smith saying he hasn't been convicted yet of anything. That seems to be the way these things work. I expect Smith to play the rest of the season and be suspended for some number of games next season. And, that's exactly what I expect will happen to Marshawn Lynch as well.

Pointing all of this out is not "prostituting yourself." It's not exhibiting hypocrisy. It's not excusing his reckless and illegal behavior. It's simply stating the facts and recognizing reality.

Originally posted by dj43:
The 49ers have a vested interest in turning this kid's life around so that he can play football at the level the team expects. The TEAM can and should take some action. What other teams have done, or should have done, when star players committed a crime is irrelevant. This kid obviously needs help and waiting for the league to take action will not bring the immediate help he needs. Allowing him to play against Indy rather than take immediate action is just perpetuating the mindset this kid has. Obviously, Aldon Smith feels the general rules of society do not apply to him. Eventually that will cause him great harm, hopefully, not cause others great harm as well. If the team wants to maximize the investment they have made in Aldon Smith, they MUST take action that will allow that to happen.

As others have said, he has been a pampered athlete who has never felt the full impact of the consequences of his action. Being a "23 year old kid" is a weak excuse. He is still obligated to live by the rules of society. If someone had been killed at the party he hosted, or if he had killed someone with his car, his age would not have mattered. That message needs to get through to him whatever it takes.

As a 49er fan, I love watching him play. However, I refuse to prostitute myself by saying that because I am a 49er fan I will excuse his reckless and illegal behavior. Just because someone else got away without suffering consequences of their actions is a terribly irresponsible position to take. I would hope that football has not become more important than the overall best interests of society. I don't want to live in a society like that.

Amen ... I am very disappointed in the 49ers organization for not making a stand here. Who cares what other teams have done (or not done) in the past regarding discipline. They had a chance to be the new standard bearer and they blew it.

Originally posted by Bluesbro:
Amen ... I am very disappointed in the 49ers organization for not making a stand here. Who cares what other teams have done (or not done) in the past regarding discipline. They had a chance to be the new standard bearer and they blew it.

So, let me get this straight. In a multi-million dollar business dependent on the competitive talents of extraordinary athletes in whom a team has invested millions of dollars, you expect this team to play by a completely different set of rules and criteria than our biggest and most challenging rivals. To make some sort of moral point or to take what you perceive to be the "moral high ground," you expect this organization to purposely make itself less competitive and, in the process, to give itself less chance at success when it doesn't really have to.

Do I have that right? If I do, I need to welcome you to planet Earth. You have much to learn of our world.

Originally posted by GNielsen:

Originally posted by Bluesbro:
Amen ... I am very disappointed in the 49ers organization for not making a stand here. Who cares what other teams have done (or not done) in the past regarding discipline. They had a chance to be the new standard bearer and they blew it.

So, let me get this straight. In a multi-million dollar business dependent on the competitive talents of extraordinary athletes in whom a team has invested millions of dollars, you expect this team to play by a completely different set of rules and criteria than our biggest and most challenging rivals. To make some sort of moral point or to take what you perceive to be the "moral high ground," you expect this organization to purposely make itself less competitive and, in the process, to give itself less chance at success when it doesn't really have to.

Do I have that right? If I do, I need to welcome you to planet Earth. You have much to learn of our world.

You value the outcome of a game more than a human life, or other possible victims lives? Do I have that right? That is not the Planet Earth I want to be welcomed to.

Plus, you are making my point for me about a multi million dollar business. Image is as important as anything else ... as I am sure Goodell will remind Mr. Smith.

Originally posted by GNielsen:
@DelCed2486

Yes, lots of us were full-grown men working jobs and supporting families by the time we were 23. Aldon Smith isn't like lots of us. He's an athlete who has made it to the NFL. Now, this is in no way an attempt to excuse his behavior, but I think it's helpful to remember that in the real world, athletes as extraordinary as Aldon Smith have been pampered and catered to for most of their lives. You see it in football, baseball, and even track. The extraordinary athletes spend most of their youth being waited on, catered to, excused for and streamlined through most of life's challenges that the rest of us have to endure. There are obviously exceptions.

Coddled athletes in a bubble...I know, nothing new. But you're making it out to be this big "macro" thing, where all these different variables and circumstances of his life have to be factored into how we react to his actions. But it boils down to this: All those "other" things are irrelevant...when not high/drunk, he is a functioning, cognizant, able-bodied adult, who I have no doubt has been told numerous times--and understands--that driving when you're s***faced is extremely dangerous and frowned upon by society.

Am I saying his soul is condemned, that he's beyond redemption, that Baalke should've been burning up the phone lines looking to trade his a**? No. All I've said is that this guy, up to this point, has proven that besides being a tremendous football player, he's an incredible idiot, both for getting behind the wheel Friday morning and also for not "getting it" yet, for not seeing he's in danger of ruining his good fortune, not to mention maybe killing himself, a friend, or innocent bystander.

Originally posted by Bluesbro:

Originally posted by dj43:
The 49ers have a vested interest in turning this kid's life around so that he can play football at the level the team expects. The TEAM can and should take some action. What other teams have done, or should have done, when star players committed a crime is irrelevant. This kid obviously needs help and waiting for the league to take action will not bring the immediate help he needs. Allowing him to play against Indy rather than take immediate action is just perpetuating the mindset this kid has. Obviously, Aldon Smith feels the general rules of society do not apply to him. Eventually that will cause him great harm, hopefully, not cause others great harm as well. If the team wants to maximize the investment they have made in Aldon Smith, they MUST take action that will allow that to happen.

As others have said, he has been a pampered athlete who has never felt the full impact of the consequences of his action. Being a "23 year old kid" is a weak excuse. He is still obligated to live by the rules of society. If someone had been killed at the party he hosted, or if he had killed someone with his car, his age would not have mattered. That message needs to get through to him whatever it takes.

As a 49er fan, I love watching him play. However, I refuse to prostitute myself by saying that because I am a 49er fan I will excuse his reckless and illegal behavior. Just because someone else got away without suffering consequences of their actions is a terribly irresponsible position to take. I would hope that football has not become more important than the overall best interests of society. I don't want to live in a society like that.

Amen ... I am very disappointed in the 49ers organization for not making a stand here. Who cares what other teams have done (or not done) in the past regarding discipline. They had a chance to be the new standard bearer and they blew it.

I don't know what the 49ers have done or said to Aldon. My point is that they need to take immediate corrective action. I highly doubt the league, or the union, would come down in opposition to a 1-2 game suspension.

When you want to correct someone's behavior, the best way to do it is to take away the one thing they want most. In this case, it isn't about money. Smith has plenty of that. What he wants is to play. That is the stage he covets. Take away his stage and you get his attention. Allow him to stay on the stage and he will continue with the same old stuff.