Stupid, foolish, careless and the sort of thing that happens to plenty of people. My feelings on Marijuana and it being illegal aside (pro-legalization), it is still a misdemeanor criminal offense to possess it. That’s what Anthony Gonzalez is facing back home.
Bethlehem police said that Anthony Gonzalez was arrested early Friday on a charge of marijuana possession in Bethlehem. Gonzalez and two other men were arrested at 12:46 a.m. Friday at E. 3rd and Hobart streets in Bethlehem, police said. All three men are 19 and from Bethlehem, police said.
While not specified, the story lists the amount of marijuana on Gonzalez and the other two as “small.”
This is the context to explain the press release from Pitt last night saying that Gonzalez had been suspended indefinitely for violations of team rules.
Do I think he should be suspended right now? Yes. Dismissed from the team? Hardly. This is a misdemeanor offense of a victimless crime. A one point penalty in the Fulmer Cup.
Unfortunately, Pitt football may be in a zero tolerance situation. So the outcome of Gonzalez’s fate with Pitt is very much a question mark right now.
Mark Myers needs to get the shot. let the NC St. Russell Wilson take his year as experienced back up and move on! This is Pitt Not Thug U!!
Todd Graham: Mark, are you planning on transferring?
Mark Myers: No Coach
Todd Graham: Are you sure you are not going to transfer?
Mark Myers: I’m sure.
Todd Graham: Anthony [Gonzalez], you are dismissed from the team. When we set ground rules, we mean what we say.
Repeat after me “de-criminalization not legalisation.”
The moment it becomes legal it will be regulated and taxed…and trust me if you thought the government cracked down on it as an illegal substance, imagine how they will act if you try to grow the stuff without a license…you will be taking revenue from their coffers.
Just sayin…now back to good old Pitt blather…
He will likely be gone…after what happened last year regarding the off field incidents. Remember our first choice by Steve P. was a disciplinarian first…my guess is that still is a criteria for the program (just not the only criteria as it was with Haywood).
(sorry Chas if the earlier stuff is off topic–just having some fun)
DaveD
I believe that most of the misdemeanor offenders should be given 2nd chances .. and then maybe, 2 strikes and your out.
I would have no problem with Gonzalez being reinstated come August.
On the other hand … say Myers or Tino is charged with rape and the evidence is substantial … then he is of course to be dismissed.
However, I would also have a 2nd offense of this type bring an end to your affiliation with Pitt athletics.
Tino better be a leader. Someone please send him some Stephen Covey tapes or something, quick.
Well Pat is gone, Gonzalez could be too and Myers might transfer since being relegated to 3rd string and maybe doesn’t see himself as a spread quarterback.
Oh I forgot, backup Plan D is also kaput now as well, Kolby Gray, recruited as a QB, has opted to transfer to Baylor as everyone knows.
These is like a ‘perfect storm’, these QB’s are dropping like flies. The worst thing is aligning again, Tino has already been handed the job (again) and there is no one putting any type of pressure on him as far as competition to perform at a higher level. I just had a flashback of him walking off the field after another 3 & out, and dissing Wanny by totally ignoring him while Wanny was dressing him down. Sorry for the vivid nightmares from last season. I think I need to go pound some tennis balls from the baseline.
I’m not trying to be a smartass or anything…I’m asking because I don’t recall reading anything to that effect from Zeise or anyone else who regualrly covers the team. For what it’s worth, I don’t pay regualr attention to the message boards over at Rivals and Scout.
To the contrary, I recall Graham and the other coaches being very complimentary of Myers during spring ball, discussing the fact that he could factor into the mix because he moves well for his size and so much of this offense is shotgun-based.
I don’t know. Maybe I just see no reason to panic on both sides of this. These kids want to play, but they’re also aware that there’s a developmental process at work here – including learning an entirely new system that could be much more QB-friendly that what the old coach had. Factor in Myers’s age – still relatively young by college football standards – and I don’t see why Myers wouldn’t at least give this a shot through camp. And even if he WAS contemplating a transfer, wouldn’t he at least reconsider given that Gonzalez may have just taken himself out of the running at least to open camp?
Just because Sunseri emerged as the frontrunner out of spring ball doesn’t mean he’ll hold the job once camp starts. Just because Sunseri may take the first snap against Buffalo on 9/3 doesn’t mean he’ll definitely take the first snap against Syracuse on 12/3 and all of them in between.
And I think Graham seems to have the presence of mind to handle this situation well. Gonzalez will be disciplined and while Graham wants to set a tough line here, I agree with WBB that this situation probabaly merits a suspension and that’s about it. I’d think he’s smart enough to know what he has with each of these guys – two kids, both decent QB recruits, who are essentially starting over after having just a year’s exposure to the old playbook. He has every incentive in the world to try to keep these two around.
To me, a lot of it just doesn’t seem to add up. Myers has relatively little incentive to transfer RIGHT NOW and Graham has every reason to try to keep him in the program.
Stoosh, as far as I know, there has not been anything in the media re: a transfer by Myers. It just makes sense from this prospective. Some say that Myers has an NFL arm. He was recruited by a coach/team that substantially ran a pro offense. Now the offense is a “spread” and is not suited to developing classical NFL QB’s. Additionally, as of today, Myers, at best, is 2nd team who may not get any playing time for another two years, if at all. What is his incentive to stay?
However, I’ve never seen any concrete evidence that he was really seriously considering a transfer, and suspect that if he did plan to move, he would have done it by now
No,,,, I haven’t heard anything regarding Myers transferring, but it would seem to fit in with way things have gone at Pitt since Romeus came to camp injured last year and Sheard threw that guy thru the plate glass door in South Side.
This is what cemented Wannstedt’s end at PITT. To pretend to ‘suspend Sheard then effectively dismiss Keith Coleman from the team was a clear case of highly public ‘depth chart justice’ and didn’t sit well with the PITT Admin at all.
Stoosh – Sunseri will be the starter coming out of camp bar injury… that has been set already.
The ‘Myers looking at transfer option’ talk came about, at least on this blog, by me after I had some long conversations with people close to him and the program. It was based on his place on the depth chart (3rd even before the thumb injury) and the change in offense. The fact that Myers has reported for summer workouts is very promising though.
Bottom line is that the fact that we have had only one real transfer so far this summer is a real testament to Graham and staff. As many as eight players were talking pretty openly about leaving at one point.
A previous player, Adam Gunn, also had an issue. This was a guy who overcame a serious injury and ended up with a master’s degree. Both Sheard and Gunn were voted as captains by their teammates.
This is why I say that everyone deserves a second chance if the initial issue is not that serious.
There is no question that Pitt had a major off-the-field problem last year that needed to be cleaned up. But I really don’t think you can blame it all on the fact that Sheard was reinstated.
“Gonzalez played at Class AAAA Liberty High in Bethlehem. He was the Associated Press Class AAAA player of the year in 2008 when he rushed for 1,697 yards and 24 touchdowns and threw for 1,580 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In the 2008 PIAA Class AAAA championship game against Bethel Park, Gonzalez rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns, threw a touchdown pass and intercepted a pass in overtime to seal the 28-21 victory.”
Ah, Gee. Anthony is young, and I’ll bet he is sorry. My opinion (after doing some researc)? I say, give the kid another chance.
