Yet another Hawkeye Football thug has been convicted of a violent crime. Thug Antwan Allen has been convicted of Assault Causing Injury, for punching an innocent bystander from behind and breaking his jaw. As usual, local news coverage (PDF) is in denial about the seriousness of Thug Allen's violence.
Thug Allen faces a potential prison sentence of up to 1 year with a fine of up to $1500. However, Iowa Football Coach Kirk Ferentz said, "...if he is found to be guilty of the charges, then there's going to be further discipline." Presumably Coach Ferentz will impose the usual strict penalty for Hawkeye Thugs convicted of felonies, running extra laps during practice sessions, and a suspension from playing for several weeks (as long as those weeks are preseason, when no games are played).
News coverage has focused on the impact Thug Allen's conviction will have on the football season. Thug Allen has already been redshirted once, so he cannot be redshirted again while serving a prison sentence. Thug Allen's last year of eligibility could be lost. But Thug Allen's loss is someone else's gain. Preserving Thug Allen's spot on the team, despite his conviction, would keep other law-abiding football players from the game. Sophomore standout Adam Shada is warming the bench, ready to play on the first string, as soon as Thug Allen exchanges his Hawkeye uniform for prison stripes.
Conspicuously absent from news coverage is any analysis of the Hawkeye Football team's practice of actively recruiting violent thugs from gang infested slums in large cities outside of Iowa, and unleashing them on the unsuspecting populace of Iowa City. Thug Allen hails from the slums of Tampa, Florida. When he arrived in Iowa, he was immediately redshirted, sitting out his first year of eligibility, the coaches judged he was too young and immature to deserve a spot on the team, even as a benchwarmer. Alas, he has still not matured, unless you count his maturing into an outstanding violent thug, convicted of one of the most serious crimes of any Hawkeye Thug to date.
Thug Allen has voluntarily served community service, in advance of his conviction, in an attempt to reduce his eventual sentence. But picking up trash along the highways is paltry compensation for a crime of drunken violence that maimed an innocent bystander. Since the Hawkeye coaches are unwilling to impose any meaningful punishment, it is up to the Courts to speak on behalf of the citizens, and mete out the strictest possible sentence, a full year in prison. This will send a clear message that Hawkeye Football Thugs can no longer depend upon their position of privilege to avoid the consequences of their violent acts within the community. This will set a clear precedent for the upcoming trials of Thug Richard Kittrel, Rapist Pierre Pierce, and all the other Hawkeye Thugs that will follow in their footsteps.
Update Sept 2, 2005: Thug Allen has escaped a jail sentence, as do all Hawkeye Football Thugs. Thug Allen was given a deferred sentence, if he completes 100 hours of community service and an anger management course, his felony conviction for Assault Causing Injury will be completely expunged. Furthermore, he will escape any retribution under the University of Iowa's new Student Athlete Code of Conduct, because the code was enacted after his arrest. But ultimately, Thug Allen has received the harshest possible penalty available to the University, Coach Ferentz suspended him from playing football for one week.
Thug Allen faces a potential prison sentence of up to 1 year with a fine of up to $1500. However, Iowa Football Coach Kirk Ferentz said, "...if he is found to be guilty of the charges, then there's going to be further discipline." Presumably Coach Ferentz will impose the usual strict penalty for Hawkeye Thugs convicted of felonies, running extra laps during practice sessions, and a suspension from playing for several weeks (as long as those weeks are preseason, when no games are played).
News coverage has focused on the impact Thug Allen's conviction will have on the football season. Thug Allen has already been redshirted once, so he cannot be redshirted again while serving a prison sentence. Thug Allen's last year of eligibility could be lost. But Thug Allen's loss is someone else's gain. Preserving Thug Allen's spot on the team, despite his conviction, would keep other law-abiding football players from the game. Sophomore standout Adam Shada is warming the bench, ready to play on the first string, as soon as Thug Allen exchanges his Hawkeye uniform for prison stripes.
Conspicuously absent from news coverage is any analysis of the Hawkeye Football team's practice of actively recruiting violent thugs from gang infested slums in large cities outside of Iowa, and unleashing them on the unsuspecting populace of Iowa City. Thug Allen hails from the slums of Tampa, Florida. When he arrived in Iowa, he was immediately redshirted, sitting out his first year of eligibility, the coaches judged he was too young and immature to deserve a spot on the team, even as a benchwarmer. Alas, he has still not matured, unless you count his maturing into an outstanding violent thug, convicted of one of the most serious crimes of any Hawkeye Thug to date.
Thug Allen has voluntarily served community service, in advance of his conviction, in an attempt to reduce his eventual sentence. But picking up trash along the highways is paltry compensation for a crime of drunken violence that maimed an innocent bystander. Since the Hawkeye coaches are unwilling to impose any meaningful punishment, it is up to the Courts to speak on behalf of the citizens, and mete out the strictest possible sentence, a full year in prison. This will send a clear message that Hawkeye Football Thugs can no longer depend upon their position of privilege to avoid the consequences of their violent acts within the community. This will set a clear precedent for the upcoming trials of Thug Richard Kittrel, Rapist Pierre Pierce, and all the other Hawkeye Thugs that will follow in their footsteps.
Update Sept 2, 2005: Thug Allen has escaped a jail sentence, as do all Hawkeye Football Thugs. Thug Allen was given a deferred sentence, if he completes 100 hours of community service and an anger management course, his felony conviction for Assault Causing Injury will be completely expunged. Furthermore, he will escape any retribution under the University of Iowa's new Student Athlete Code of Conduct, because the code was enacted after his arrest. But ultimately, Thug Allen has received the harshest possible penalty available to the University, Coach Ferentz suspended him from playing football for one week.
Who do u think you are calling him a thug and critisizing where he comes from. Do u think you are better than him or something he has more talent in his right hand than u do in your whole entire body. where do you come from where you think ur better than everyone else and who do you think you are critisizing the whole Iowa football team. i wouldnt doubt that half of the football team is smarter than you are. So why dont you get off your pedistol and join the rest of us "thugs" by the way name name is cory reynolds im 15 years old, and thats all i have to say.
Dear young Master Cory:
When I was 15 years old like you, I was on my high school's Varsity football team, and I took computer science courses at the University of Iowa. I was also able to write grammatical sentences and correctly spell words like "criticizing" and "pedestal."
Normally in response to a comment like yours, I would suggest you spend less time thinking about football and more time working on academics. But in your case, I think I'll just suggest you memorize this phrase, which will serve you well in your future career: "would you like fries with that?"
I'm not 15 and I can spell. Ok. And? The kid had a point. You can tell your pretty pathetic by stating the young guy needs to focus on his academics. He's right though. This student athlete has more talent in his hand than in your whole body. Do you have a picture of you? I'm sure you do illegal things in life just as anyone else, your no perfect angel my friend. You have the right to judge no one at all, according to Christ. You label him a "thug" correct? Let's label you. Ask the Lord about yourself and see what the response may be. You have no right to call anyone any type of name. Ok you had computer science classes or whatever, that's a blessing, and good for you. It makes you no better than the athlete or the 15 year old student. In all of reality, you seem like the bad guy. Maybe your jealous? He made a mistake, you made mistakes. Switch shoes and see what people say about you. Think you'll accept it? Nah. There's no way, look at how your talking about this guy. Your probably just a racist. You might also want to check your grammar within your paragraph structure as well. Hahah! You people crack me up.
[I will not respond to grammar criticisms from someone who doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're." However I will address the comment on racism. Nowhere have I ever commented on the race of any football player. I was not even aware that people like you consider football players as a separate race.
As of today, three more Hawkeye football players have been accused of gang rape. Their names have not been released pending a full investigation, I do not know their races, so I condemn them solely based on their actions, not their race. But perhaps I should take your advice, and consider them to be something other than members of the Human Race. --Charles]
You condemn nothing. Try that for a change. Your can be written rather than You're - you are. Your not as smart as you think. You post blogs all day and talk about people. Do you have any degrees? What is your profession? Like I said, your a racist person, it's not hard to see. Retard... low life! Go join the KKK. I'm done with this. You lose
[You're a lunatic and your grammar sucks. But since you're a fanatical christian lunatic, and completely unaware of your own hatefulness, no amount of rational thought will get through to you. So I will merely refer you to a bible passage, Matthew 7:3. --Charles]