Ryan Leaf Lacks Criminal Competence

Sweet Leaf!

I always thought that The Sound Of Music would have been far more enjoyable if they took out Julie Andrews and put in G.G. Allin. See what Freek can do for me, no?

Leave the guy alone.  Lets hope he can get some help, overcome his issues and find some peace with his past. 

Scarfo—the problem is that for far too long Leaf’s past has also been his present and future. Running away to hide out in Canada (what, no rehab openings anywhere in U.S.?), for alleged rehab, yet again, rather than facing up to his self-created problems like a man seems much more likely to be a continuation of the self-indulgent behavior he has exhibited consistently for some half of his life now.
If he ever genuinely embraces the changes he needs to make AND pays his debt to society and those he’s harmed, including the young football player whose post-operative medication was stolen, he will have the opportunity to earn another chance — starting from the ground up. Unfortunately, much like John Daly and many others in the public eye, Leaf suffers from a small cadre of sycophantic fans whose misguided efforts to forgive him before he accepts responsibility for his wrongs and completes the hard work of redeeming himself both personally and socially only serve to extend and deepen the grips of his demons. Only when nearly everyone has abandoned ship does the addict/junkie have to face themselves for a long enough time to be motivated by their own misery to change. Every kind word of forgiveness and bailout along the way only serve to nurture the grip of the drug. Nobody close to the WSU program was surprised by any of Leaf’s misadventures; they inevitably arose from and were worsened by the sense of entitlement he exuded with every breath from his first campus visit.
Since we heard similar pleas to "Leave the guy alone." with each prior major infraction, and his thanks has been a consistent escalation of criminal and anti-social behavior, one wonders how long the apologists will continue to issue the same failed "free passes" that have aided him on his path to the destruction of himself and (likely) others.

here’s a band-aid for your heart Scarfo

I clicked on this thinking Leaf’s lawyer had used the Pedro Guerrero defense, which would’ve been humourous (and not much of a stretch). Oh well.

Leave him alone?  I can’t think of one redeeming quality that he has.  You know Indy is thanking the Lord that they made the right choice at #1 that year’s draft. 

Yeah, people should have just left Manson alone too, I guess.  Granted, this bum is no where near the danger to society and has far less charisma than Charlie did, but both do not seem to add much to society in a positive regard (understatement).

I’d love to see Ryan turn it around, but I cerertainly do not expect him to emerge from "rehab", then prison and/or probation, a changed man – for the better, anyway…  He went from NFL bust to busted; it is such a shame.  How many potential qb’s and fans would have given everything for his talent displayed in college and to have been the second choice overall in the 1st round for an NFL draft?  Move over Mike Tyson!!!

My "leave the guy alone" is a response to the Jim Rome mentality that many sports fans as well as people have these days.  The attitude of jumping on a guy and beating down on a guy when they are down.  I’m not saying he shouldn’t be charged and face criminal justice for what he did.  But look at the video up top, do you really need to waste an hour of your time and put something together like that to rip a guy to get a good laugh at someone elses expense?  It’s sophmoric and dumb.  Yeah he screwed up, yeah he broke the law, and yeah he should be held responsible and punished.  Report the story but don’t rip the guy to get a cheap laugh to make yourself feel better about yourself, that’s lame.

That video was not put together. That is tape of an actual criminal breaking into a liquor store, and it is hilarious.

Agreed Scarfo.  I thought you meant he should get a break criminally.  The poorly  clips are over the top and add nothing to the story except to rub salt in the wounds…deep wounds at that. 

Yeah,  Adam.  The clip has gotten a lot of air-play.  We’ve seen it and you miss the point.  The actual criminal is the one to be laughed at for it, not Ryan.  He has enough issues without being categorized as EVERY dumb criminal, don’t you think?  His story should be told, but it really is not all that funny.

Agreed Scarfo.  I thought you meant he should get a break criminally.  The poorly  clips are over the top and add nothing to the story except to rub salt in the wounds…deep wounds at that. 

Yeah,  Adam.  The clip has gotten a lot of air-play.  We’ve seen it and you miss the point.  The actual criminal is the one to be laughed at for it, not Ryan.  He has enough issues without being categorized as EVERY dumb criminal, don’t you think?  His story should be told, but it really is not a comical situation.

thanks Mongo, I’m glad I’m not alone!  Hopefully he’ll get some help and someday come to grips with his past and turn things around, and maybe it will take a stint in jail to do that.   

Mongo – you’re a forgiving sort, but I don’t agree with you. Leaf, by all accounts, has been a prick for a long time. Now he breaks into an apartment to steal drugs and I should have sympathy? Sorry, but I don’t. I feel for the victim, though. You know..the victim? The guy that had pills legally (and needed them, apparently) and had his apartment broken into? That’s who I feel for.

No ones saying he shouldn’t be punished or that Leaf is the victim.  All I’m saying is what’s the point in kicking a man when he’s down?  He’s going to go to court and maybe jail for what he did.  It’s the same thing with gossip magazines.  People think that just because someone is famous, that gives them the right to slam them and say nasty things about them.  But imagine if you screwed up on something 10 years ago, and once a year everyone in the world brings it up and makes you a laughing stock all over again.  And imagine being embarrassed to introduce yourself because your name is synonomus with being a complete failure.  I would think that would be pretty hard to deal with.  I’m not saying he’s not a jerk, maybe he is, I don’t know the guy, and I’m pretty sure you don’t either.  But I’m sure he has a lot of issues, and yeah he brought a lot of this stuff on himself, but what’s the point in beating him up about this stuff?