UF Quick Throw: Ledley King Arrested

When will footballers ever learn to stay away from nightclubs? Spurs captain Ledley King arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.

[ONTD via BBC]

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College coach arrested

Clemson University's soccer coach, Trevor Adair, was arrested over the weekend. While the arrest was not for what UF usually covers a coach's arrest, it was for a crime paradoxically better and worse than groping a trusting underaged team member. While Assault and Battery may not initially seem as bad as molesting kids, the story twists a bit when it allegedly involves Adair beating up on his own daughters.

Yeah, that's not so good.

Adair has been head coach at Clemson since 1994. He replaced the founder of the program, Dr. I. M. Ibrahim, who first coached the team in 1967. Ibrahim resigned his position, and at the time there were rumors flying that it as not his idea but the university's insistence. Now, the second coach in the program's 41-year history may be forced to do the same.

As first reported by the Anderson Independent-Mail on Saturday, Adair was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning on two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. The article says as well that the charges stem from an argument with his two daughters that occurred on the front lawn of Adair's home around 2.30 AM.

As best as I can surmise, these two daughters are Adair's only children. One of them is a senior in high school, while the other has a much lesser online profile. My assumption is that the second girl is younger, but I have no proof. Therefore, my initial reaction was that Adair, who was born and raised in Belfast, was simply letting his curfew-busting kids have it verbally for coming home at such a late hour. Unfortunately, now that the battery charges have been revealed (initially, the articles listed only an assault charge), I can't help but think that what has transpired since is in the university's best interest.

As of Saturday night, Adair has been placed on a leave of absence by the university. The AD has stated that Adair has been given the time in order to get his affairs straightened out. If the charges do in fact move forward, Adair will surely be fired, ahem, resign his position.

This is kind of tough for me to process. Adair is well-known in the local sports community. He has a weekly slot on the Clemson sports radio station. You can often see him out and about in Clemson, and even where I live, which is about an hour's drive away. He has never, to me at least, been seen as an overly aggressive guy, but instead as a jovial (Northern) Irish man. Although I guess that his daughters have a different tale to tell.

I'm reticent to put his picture up on the site, but will link to Adair's mugshot here. Doesn't look so jovial there, I guess. If you really want to see what schadenfreude looks like, then you can go to a massage board of Clemson's main rival. Unlike me, they assume the worst from the start. Of course, they forget that Adair's first post-collegiate job was as a Gamecock assistant, but what can you expect from mouthbreathers?

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This Is Shocking... But Not Surprising

Eh, maybe not shocking either. Remember Bradley Wright-Phillips? Probably not, but you recognize the last name.

Brad is half-brother of Shaun Wright-Phillips and son of Ian Wright Phillips and he is a professional footballer of some reknown. Not because of his skill, just because of his name and the stupid stuff he does. This time he has been accused of assault and affray of a Southampton Saints fan for a February 7, 2009 late-night incident of fisticuffs.

Appears Brad and his mate from Southampton David McGoldrick were out carousing a night after Southampton's match against Watford had been cancelled due to weather. Apparently, assaulting a team supporter is what all the cool kids do these days. Last year it was allegedly stealing from a waitress' purse while getting caught on CCTV. And, by 'cool kids' I mean Bradley Wright-Phillips and I don't really mean cool.

The amazing thing to me is that it took one-month before this even surfaced in the news. Now is that indicative of the press coverage of the Colaship? Indicative of the importance of Brad Wright-Phillips? Or just indicative of footballers in general? I'm going with the middle one.

Oh, and somehow Brad got off for stealing from the purse even though it was caught on CCTV. Amazing.

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Sometimes It's The Officials Off The Pitch

A different arrested soccer player.

You know things are not going well for your squad when you lose a player at halftime on account of not cards or injury, but an arrest. A player with a Nigerian football club was led away in handcuffs on Thursday because his work visa had expired. Thanks to the club's incompetence, three club officials now have their own court dates.

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Micah Richards Proves the Old Adage: Footballers and Nightclubs Do Not Mix

20-year-old Citeh defender Micah Richards joins the growing list of footballers who have been hauled into jail for questioning about an alleged assault. In Richards' case, he was arrested and questioned regarding an incident that took place at midnight on Christmas Eve outside a Manchester nightclub. (Yup, kind of a slow news day in these parts!)

One of two things is going on here. Either footballers are very dumb and prone to getting into fights when they are loose on the town. Or footballers are easy targets to make accusations against in the hope of collecting a bit of money.

On second thought, both of those things are probably true.

Such is the state of English footballing that this story elicits a big old yawn. No Phil Collins, no golf clubs, no cigars put out in someone's eye, just garden-variety pre-arranged questioning and release on bail. Chances are the charges will eventually be dropped and this story will fade gently into that good night.

But honestly, why don't footballers just stay at home? At the very least stay home during the season, when you're supposed to be,you know, staying in shape? Or, why not simply step away from any confrontations with obnoxious clubgoers? Ah yes, maybe it's because most footballers are dumb as bricks. God bless them all.

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UF Quick Throw: Gerrard Charged

The details (few) can be found here. Really, if I were a Liverpool fan, my concern wouldn't be the legal punishment awaiting Gerrard, but the fact that he has really bad taste in music. Bonus points to whomever can guess what song Stevie G. was trying to get played.

My guess: "I Can Feel Him Cumming In My Hair Tonight."

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GTA: Ackerville

Who's up for a Blind Item Guessing Game? 'Cept that the item ain't really blind, it's just withheld. What with these foreign newspapers and their ethics? I mean, once the guy is arrested, you can actually publish it as fact, right? Apparently not in South Africa. Join me below for scant, but juicy, details.

It's the land of the 2010 World Cup and, in case you haven't heard, it has a bit of a crime problem. Kind of like my home state, except amped up a good bit. Since crime apparently pays, and well, in South Africa, it ensnares all kinds of folks. Including men so powerful, their names cannot be printed, and only their job titles alluded to.

A "top soccer boss" in Soweto has been arrested for his involvement in a fairly sophisticated car theft ring. He was caught when an arrested accomplice snitched his part in the plot to the police. Obviously, this is not a Barksdale-scale organization, or else that kid would have been iced a lot earlier.

Now, onto the interesting part. The paper knows the name of the man arrested, but will not release it. They do dance around it a bit, giving the names of his former clubs, but don't go any further. I have no idea what South Africa's libel laws are like, but this seems extreme.

Anyway, if you have any insight on a high-ranking soccer official around Soweto who used to play for Vaal Professionals and Bush Bucks, then please tell us who it is in the comments. Otherwise, make up stuff for you own personal amusement. Me, I vote Roy Wegerle.

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