Originally posted by trogdor:
Wow. Makes me wonder exactly what someone would have to do to deserve punishment in your book. I think your moral compass needs an adjustment. You seriously think it's no big deal for a person to drive while intoxicated if it's just a short distance? Would you agree if that person had to drive through a school zone on their short jaunt home? Would you be ok with a crane operator coming in to work if he could barely function because he was sick? You clearly have poor judgment, so it's not surprising that you would excuse Smith's behavior.
First, what is "immoral" per se about endangering someone's health and / or well being? It sounds horrific to say that, but if you stop and think about it, it happens every day, in every way, by everyone.
For example, would you allow people who have not slept the night before, the right to drive? They are endangering people's lives just as much if not more than intoxicated drivers. I think both situations are "bad", one is illegal, the other cannot be enforced, but how is driving while sleepy any less "morally" questionable? If Aldon fell asleep at the wheel, I am sure people would be calling him "stupid", much more than they would be calling him "morally reprehensible" or a "bad person". For all we know, Aldon was a combination of drunk and sleepy at the time. It was late, by all accounts he hadn't slept yet, but of course nobody even brings that idea up as a point of concern, because being a sleepy driver is not illegal (as far as I am aware).
For some reason, when something is illegal, the so-called morality of the act comes into question, and most fans could probably care less if a player demonstrates carelessness or "stupidity", but when a player becomes "morally reprehensible", now fans might call for him to be removed from the team.
Second, the context of the situation needs to be made clear.
Jeff Garcia was caught with a DUI. Did fans question his morality? Nope. They just figured it to be a stupid act.
Many other 49ers have had DUI's, and guess what, what they were doing was much more dangerous, because they were driving in a city where there are tons of cars and pedestrians. Aldon was driving a few blocks home where there was 98% likely nobody else on the road, car or pedestrian.
Aldon's DECISION was much less "morally reprehensible" then a typical DUI, because the context of the situation was more safe. However, he passed out on the way, which changes the appearance of what happened. Did he pass out because he was drunk as a skunk? Or did he pass out because he was smoking weed and drinking? Or did he pass out because he had drunk a little and was also very sleepy? Or perhaps some combination of the three?
I have a feeling he was just as sleepy as he was drunk, judging from the fact that he was coming from McDonald's house, because if he came from Ray McDonald's house, McDonald is just as culpable morally, in allowing Aldon Smith to leave his house stone cold drunk. I feel McDonald would have convinced him to stay at his place if he was truly that drunk. I can't prove that of course, but that is a very reasonable assumption. McDonald obviously felt that Aldon had the ability to make the drive a few blocks to his house. This leads me to believe that Aldon was not "stone cold" drunk, but rather a combination of drunk and SLEEPY. I also would not be surprised if he made this type of drive more than once from McDonald's house. He had probably done it before, therefore, he felt that he would be able to do it again successfully WITHOUT endangering anybody's health.
The same cannot be said for Garcia, Stubblefield or many of the other 49ers who have had DUI's. They had a lot more reason to believe that they were endangering people's lives than Aldon Smith ever did, therefore, in my opinion their acts were much more morally reprehensible, yet no one called for them to be kicked off the team or accused them of having a drinking problem.
Third, I am tired of the NFL pretending to have a little yellow halo around it's sport.
What if Aldon Smith was playing high school football, and he was much bigger than another kid, but then hit a kid so hard it broke his neck and killed him? It's not like this has not happened before. There is no rule in football where you cannot hit somebody hard if they are smaller than you. Is this morally justifiable simply because it is not illegal?
The game of football itself has questionable "moral" ground. You are trying to smash people into submission. You could injure them or kill them. They could have brain trauma later in life. Non of this is "morally reprehensible"? WTF? This is a brutal sport. BLUDDGEEEON BLUDDGEEEON BLUDDGEEEON!!!
That type of thought process deserves a little halo around the logo? That type of thought process allows quire boys to dominate the sport? I don't think so.
The NFL attracts (or creates) rapists, gang members, serial killers, drug users, alcoholics, thieves and criminals more than any other pro sport. This is not a surprise. All the quire boys quit after the first day of training camp.
The NFL tries to pretend it is something wholesome and wonderful by suspending players who have done "bad" things. "Bad" being defined by whatever the media circus decides will gather the most eyeballs and make the most money.
The things Aldon Smith has done in
COMPARISON to what other players, who we think of as hero's, and who are recognized as NFL champions, is almost nothing in
comparison. However, the media circus creates such a hype around it, that it gathers momentum on it's own.
If I had the ability, I would knock out Ray Rice and spit on him for what he did.
I would put Charles Haley in a mental institution.
I would slap Roethlisberger and kick him in the balls.
I would spit in Darren Sharpers face and then BLUDDGEEEON BLUDDGEEEON BLUDDGEEEON!!!
I would be afraid of Ahmad Brooks.
I would say to Aldon Smith, "Hey Aldon, what's up? You know, you really need to stay out of the media circus." And then I would shake his hand.
