Frankie Hammond arrested for DUI, alcohol possession

[O-town Gator]

One-word description: STUPIDITY - http://www.onlygators.com/06/13/2010/hammond-arrested-for-dui-alcohol-possession/comment-page-1/

 

[Leakfan12]

Note to All: DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. Don't they teach this in High School.

 

[O-town Gator]

Apparently Hammond didn't learn anything from Carlos Dunlap's incident last year.

After Coach Meyer's speech this past spring, I don't think our coaching staff will let Hammond off easy this time around. Per a tweet I just got from OGGOA, he's been suspended from all team activities.

 

[AK Gator]

Son of a bitch...this is getting really old. How the University of Florida has not created an off the books designated driver/taxi service for their players in beyond me. If you go out drinking, call XXX-XXX-XXXX, tell them who you are, where you are, and where you need to be. You get a ride home WITHOUT getting arrested and then you deal with the consequences from Meyer that week at practice. I figure this would (a) cut down on the damned arrests of Gator players (b) cause people to drink less for fear of getting chewed out by Meyer for drinking and (c) maybe even convince some people not to drink from time to time.

 

[mjfan23]

Wow, unreal... So freaking dumb.

Welp glad to see UF fans get this to hear about all year. Wonder what Urban will do. Its time to make a serious statement, eventhough he is a great talent.

 

[AK Gator]

Wow, unreal... So freaking dumb.

Welp glad to see UF fans get this to hear about all year. Wonder what Urban will do. Its time to make a serious statement, eventhough he is a great talent.

Definitely. I keep hoping that each season will be the year that Meyer finally finds a way to clamp down on all of these infractions, but so far it has been pretty disappointing. Whatever he does it needs to be emphatic, even handed, and consistent. For all of their accomplishments, these Gator teams have a very spotted rap sheet which is a real shame. It gives all of the people who dislike the Gators a pretty irrefutable knock against the program. Although I do wonder just how vocal the Gator hating will be now that media magnet Tebow is no longer present to draw so much hate from the masses who all just silently wished he was playing on their team's roster.

 

[mjfan23]

hate from the masses who all just silently wished he was playing on their team's roster.

Hahaha, I normally go with "didnt your school recruit him heavily." Their typical response "im glad we didnt get him".... rightt.

 

[AK Gator]

Hahaha, I normally go with "didnt your school recruit him heavily." Their typical response "im glad we didnt get him".... rightt.

The people who complained about him the loudest, at least within ear shot of me, were those who were fans of FSU, South Carolina, OSU, and OU, all teams he had a rather stellar record against. The real sad thing is that the thing so many hated about him was how much media attention he got, which he had next to no control over. Still, once they lost to 'Bama last year you would have thought Tebow threw 7 INTs and that the Gators never gained a yard of offense. Though I suppose when you have to wait over a year and a half to mock the Gators for losing, it's easy to go overboard.

 

[O-town Gator]

Definitely. I keep hoping that each season will be the year that Meyer finally finds a way to clamp down on all of these infractions, but so far it has been pretty disappointing. Whatever he does it needs to be emphatic, even handed, and consistent. For all of their accomplishments, these Gator teams have a very spotted rap sheet which is a real shame. It gives all of the people who dislike the Gators a pretty irrefutable knock against the program. Although I do wonder just how vocal the Gator hating will be now that media magnet Tebow is no longer present to draw so much hate from the masses who all just silently wished he was playing on their team's roster.

Like I mentioned in my post on OGGOA, Urban can't possibly baby-sit these kids 24-7. Yeah it doesn't look good for us to be dealing with player conduct issues constantly, but these kids are legally adults and should be expected to take responsiblity for their behavior while they're in the Gator football program - and also be prepared to face the consequences when they break the law or break team rules.

Givern the fact that Coach Meyer spoke about the team's core values and addressed behavioral issues this spring, I doubt he'll show any leniency towards Hammond this time around.

As far as the haters go, try and find me one school that hasn't had any type of player conduct issues and I'll tell them that they're barking up the wrong tree. For the fans of UGA, UcheaT and the school out west talking this up, I say people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. They've each had more than their share.

 

[AK Gator]

Like I mentioned in my post on OGGOA, Urban can't possibly baby-sit these kids 24-7. Yeah it doesn't look good for us to be dealing with player conduct issues constantly, but these kids are legally adults and should be expected to take responsiblity for their behavior while they're in the Gator football program - and also be prepared to face the consequences when they break the law or break team rules.

Givern the fact that Coach Meyer spoke about the team's core values and addressed behavioral issues this spring, I doubt he'll show any leniency towards Hammond this time around.

Who said anything about Meyer having to babysit anyone? As far as I'm concerned his involvement in this proposed program would be getting a report any time an athlete used the program that gave him the details surrounding what happened and then having him speak with the player and handing out whatever punishment he feels fit. So his workload wouldn't change anymore than it does currently when he finds about what his players have done the night before. In my opinion there would be one or two people handling calls, one or two vehicles prepared to and get them similar to the shuttle service that already exists on campus. This could be staffed by people already on the payroll or by hiring additional people as I'm sure the program has room in the budget for a few part time employees or some people already on the payroll getting over time pay.

As for the students, while they are legally adults we all know full well that there isn't a maturity switch, if you will, that gets clicked on the moment a person turns 18 years old. In fact, with the classroom pampering and demi-god like status these players get around campus, I'd be willing to say that their maturity is at risk of being hampered by their special treatment and constantly inflated egos even more so than the average underclassman. Seeing as the university plays such a role in their status around Gainesville I would say that the university should make some effort to prevent them from harming themselves or those they share the roads with. At the very least for PR purposes as reducing the amount of drunk driving arrests among students can't hurt their image. If anything Meyer overseeing the installation of a program that potentially reduces drunk driving while still keeping people accountable for their actions would be a boon for all the nay sayers who harp on his teams' too-long rap sheets.

 

[O-town Gator]

Who said anything about Meyer having to babysit anyone? As far as I'm concerned his involvement in this proposed program would be getting a report any time an athlete used the program that gave him the details surrounding what happened and then having him speak with the player and handing out whatever punishment he feels fit. So his workload wouldn't change anymore than it does currently when he finds about what his players have done the night before. In my opinion there would be one or two people handling calls, one or two vehicles prepared to and get them similar to the shuttle service that already exists on campus. This could be staffed by people already on the payroll or by hiring additional people as I'm sure the program has room in the budget for a few part time employees or some people already on the payroll getting over time pay.

There's only so much Urban can do. I only wish these kids would start acting like adults and show some sense of responsiblity for themselves - there's no excuse for what Frankie did last night, and the most prudent thing he could have done would have been to ask for a ride home in his condition from a friend, a cab or a fellow teammate who was sober enough to drive. I'm sure there are services like that around Gainesville - it would be asinine not to have something like that, especially in a college town.

Like I said before, I have a feeling that he's not about to let Hammond off easy. In his bio "Urban's Way", he had stated that the last thing he wants to be forced to deal with on a constant basis are issues concerning player conduct.

As for the students, while they are legally adults we all know full well that there isn't a maturity switch, if you will, that gets clicked on the moment a person turns 18 years old. In fact, with the classroom pampering and demi-god like status these players get around campus, I'd be willing to say that their maturity is at risk of being hampered by their special treatment and constantly inflated egos even more so than the average underclassman. Seeing as the university plays such a role in their status around Gainesville I would say that the university should make some effort to prevent them from harming themselves or those they share the roads with. At the very least for PR purposes as reducing the amount of drunk driving arrests among students can't hurt their image. If anything Meyer overseeing the installation of a program that potentially reduces drunk driving while still keeping people accountable for their actions would be a boon for all the nay sayers who harp on his teams' too-long rap sheets.

Trust me, I did my share of drinking once I got into college and was "let off the leash". College kids are growing up and are in transition from being kids in high school to young adults - and yes, they're far from being mature adults, but there's no excuse for breaking the law or taking a chance in thinking they won't get caught. Football players around the UF campus are more visible and, yes, are pampered - but unlike other students any misbehavior on their part winds up being reported to the media and at times gets blown out of proportion. Still, that Gator uniform is a privilege for them to wear and not an entitlement - and it's a privilege that can be taken away at the drop of a hat should they do something serious enough to have it taken away. With that privilege should go an added expectation of personal responsibility if they want to keep wearing that uniform.

 

[O-town Gator]

Per OGGOA, this is what Brady Ackerman had to say (I saw the same thing since I also follow Ack on Twitter):

“I am hearing that [head coach] Urban [Meyer] has made [the] team accountable for everyone this offseason. In an effort to develop leadership – a mistake hurts everyone. Meyer is trying to develop leaders and accountability with his team this summer. That will be put to test with the arrest of Hammond. The rule is if one guys messes up – everyone pays. Hammond, who is now suspended, is causing the team a little ‘extra’ running this week. I think the message will get home with the team this week and expect the rest of the summer to be quiet from ‘nonsense.’”

Read more: http://www.onlygators.com/#ixzz0qtCnriee