As we now know, Pitt DL Jabaal Sheard pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and agreed to pay the medical bills of the guy he threw through a glass door a few weeks ago. So when will the real Pitt punishment come down, you ask? Not so fast, my friend.
Sheard was instantly reinstated to the Pitt program, and according to ESPN Big East Blogger Brian Bennett, "it looks like all systems are go for him to start the team's opener at Utah."
Bennett says that Sheard will continue to face internal discipline of the physical variety (extra running and conditioning drills). But if you're looking for an in-season suspension, it doesn't sound like that's in the cards.
Bennett says that Sheard will continue to face internal discipline of the physical variety (extra running and conditioning drills). But if you're looking for an in-season suspension, it doesn't sound like that's in the cards.
“This situation with Jabaal was as surprising as it was disappointing to me,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “Until this incident, his behavior has always been representative of the high standards we have for our program on and off the field. I’m confident he will learn from this and be wiser moving forward.”
Regardless of his prior track record or the reasons behind the fight, Sheard tossed a man through a door and refused to stop beating him. He brought a large amount of bad PR to the school and the program, and I thought a one-game suspension would have been totally appropriate.
I am tremendously disappointed and a little surprised that Wannstedt would have gone so easy on Sheard. Then again, he is a disciple of Jimmy Johnson, and we all know how that story went.
16 comments:
As a Pitt fan, I'm very disappointed.
One to two games is appropriate for this behavior and sends a message to the rest of the team.
If New Hampshire was on the schedule for week 1, then you could rest assured that Sheard would be on a 1 game suspension.
Not suprised there was no suspension. The Wanstache was once a D-1 athlete roaming the bar scene of Pittsburgh in far less documented/blogged time.
It's definitely disappointing to me.
I would like to hear more details regarding whether he was goaded into the fight, but at least 1 game either way would seem fitting.
Ok, I'm a jerk, I admit it.
But I was hoping he wouldn't get a 1 game suspension ONLY because the 1st game is at Utah.
Like someone said, if the first game were New Hampshire or FIU, I'd be all for throwing the book at him! LOL.
I guess it would look fishy if he let him play against Utah, then sat him the next week against NH.
As we saw with the Steelers and James Harrison, sometimes depth chart justice reigns supreme.
I am not disappointed. I love it. The behind the scene story is not like you people see it. He wasn't even drinking and the guy he "attacked" came at him with a broken beer bottle. If anything it was self defense. He didn't throw him through the door either. The scuffle that happened, when the police became involved, pushed the group through the door.
The facts are not all there in black and white for all to see and people just hate for whatever reason. Wasn't roid rage or whatever you people think, the kid was defending himself (and friends/teammates) from an irrate drunk. I would have done the same. So I applaud the no suspension and......HAIL P.I.T.T!!!!
He might have been defending himself at first but he threw a guy through a glass window and continued punching the guy once police showed up. They had to pepper spray him because he wouldn't stop beating the guy. At some point it's not defensive and he was still guilty.
Meh...you come at me with a broken beer bottle, attempting to harm me, or my friends, and watch how you get your ass kicked until I have to pepper sprayed.
And again, even though it was reported he "threw" him through a door, it just did not happen that way.
And allow me to add that in no way was that a "tough guy" response from me. All I ask is that you look at it as if it were you and someone were attempting to attack (and harm) you or your friends. What would you do? Lighten up on the beating? I doubt it....
I have to agree with The Dude here; if you are in a situation where someone is trying to cause you harm, you probably won't stop beating them until they are totally incapacitated.
How does Abiding Dude know all of this?
Has it been released to the press?
I think the the key word is "IF". I would like to think if the details from the police report can come out of how the incident happened, there could be some more detail as to what the provocation was.
Other than that, let's be clear: "IF" any of you were in the situation Dude says it was, I probably wouldn't stop beating him either....but I doubt I would get only a disorderly conduct charge a few weeks later.
I also think that if this scenario happened that a guy attacking another person with a broken beer bottle would probably get a worse charge. Not one that has him accepting an apology and having his medical bills paid for.
I call bullshit on this whole scenario.
I killed a man with a broken beer bottle once. Or maybe it was a trident. I forget.
I can buy the self-defense theory, but doesn't self-defense end when the police show up? Sheard should know that the play's over when the whistle blows.
I have to agree with Burgh. If the other guy was the main culprit here then he would be charged with something as well. If he was defending his friends/teammates, wouldn't they be witnesses to get this other guy busted too?
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