Good Athletes Behaving Badly

As University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer awaits a ruling from the State Attorney's Office before he decides when strong safety Tony Joiner will play next, one thing seems certain. Meyer will take a pounding in the court of public opinion no matter what he decides. If Meyer decides Joiner can play Saturday against top-ranked LSU after being arrested Tuesday morning on a burglary charge, rival fans, sports columnists and sports-talk screamers will howl that Meyer runs an undisciplined program populated by thugs. If Meyer sits Joiner for a game or more and the Gators lose, Florida fans could lambaste Meyer for blowing Joiner's alleged offense out of proportion and costing the program a win. The Internet, sports-talk radio and 24-hour sports television haven't changed the way coaches discipline their players, but they have changed the way that discipline is perceived. When an arrest is reported instantly, fans on both sides of the aisle expect the coach to serve as judge and jury almost as quickly.