What’s With All of These Arrests…?

Wipe that goofy smile off of your face

Vikings superstar, Adrian Peterson, was released from jail on Saturday, July 7 on a $1,000 bond.  He was charged with a misdemeanor for resisting arrest at a nightclub in downtown Houston.  He allegedly engaged 3 off-duty police officers when they asked him to leave the club because it was closing.  Allegedly, Peterson “assumed an aggressive stance” and shoved officers at the nightclub.  The Texas native has always been perceived as humble, reserved, friendly and motivated.  This allegation certainly does not hold true to his personality.  The 27 year old went ahead and hired Rusty Hardin (the attorney who defended major league pitcher, Roger Clemens) to defend him in court.  The charge has been called a ‘total fabrication’ by the Peterson campaign.  He has pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment and continues to tell the media that he is in fact the victim.  Regardless, he is due in court on August 6^th.

San Francisco native, Jason Kidd was also arrested this weekend for driving while intoxicated.  Last week many of the New York sports headlines read: “Jason Kidd Excited to Mentor Jeremy Lin…” Well, as of right now it’s looking like Jason Kidd could land himself in jail for a year and Jeremy Lin is probably heading to the Houston Rockets.  Police say Kidd crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a telephone pole in the Hamptons early Sunday morning.  Kidd was arraigned on a misdemeanor DWI charge and was released without bail.  Kidd pleaded not guilty and is awaiting further court proceedings.  The 10-time All-Star Kidd was ecstatic at the chance to mentor Jeremy Lin in New York with his 18 years of NBA experience.  He has had run-ins with the law before (in 2001 he was arrested for domestic violence) but at this point you’d expect more from a 39 year-old guy trying to be a ‘mentor’ right?

On Saturday night, 28-year-old Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm.  His bond was set at $7,500 and he was released from jail early Sunday morning.  According to a victim’s statement, the victim drove his Mercedes in front of Dumervil’s Land Rover in stopped traffic.  Both parties became aggravated, made threats towards each other and honked their horns at each other.  Allegedly, Dumervil exited his vehicle and approached the Mercedes with his shirt lifted, revealing a firearm. Dumervil could face up to five years in prison if found guilty.  The first-team All-Pro signed a six-year, $61.5M contract extension in 2009, in which he recorded 17 sacks.  He missed the 2010 season, but came back strong last season with 9.5 sacks and 31 tackles. 

Ok… so what’s the deal?  All of these crazy arrests of high-profile players all within about a week of each other have been a little tragic for the sports world.  Peterson and Kidd both act as role models by trying to be ambassadors for their respective games.  Dumervil has had other assault charges filed against him in the past, so that arrest is not so much of a shocker as the other two are.  Now, I guess what this really comes down to is the athlete’s “holier-than-thou” perspective towards everyone else.  They’re high-paid entertainers who are revered by millions of people who honestly can believe that they’re better people and deserve some sort of special treatment. I am going to guess that Peterson will be let off, but Kidd and Dumervil will both have to face the consequences of their actions facing jail time, fines and/or community service.

Either way, sports players should be smarter about what they do in public. C’mon guys, you’re role models for America.  Whether you like it or not, you are all held to a higher standard of conduct because you are all icons.  I don’t want to watch some Keeping Up with the Kardashians/Jersey Shore crap… I want to watch Sports Center.  Keep the cuffs off, focus on the game.  Watch what you do off the field/court so you can do your job.  Think and act with some accountability and responsibility. Your star-status can't get you out of everything.