| FTBL Jimmy Johns video on al.com (A-day)

[Guest]

I just watched video of JJ talking about A-day. It's on the Alabama football section of al.com.

I'll probably get ripped for this, but here goes.

I feel sorry for the guy.

At first, I was mad at the guy. I've said alot of things both on the internet and in everyday conversations about how stupid this guy is.

I wasn't concerned for JJ...I was concerned about how this would make Alabama look. Which is kind of a scary thought.

I had thrown the stone at JJ and forgotten that he is a human being with a soul and needs help.

I was more concerned about a field with paint on it...and a ball....and a helmet than I was about a person who screwed up.

But, for some reason, after watching the video of him from A-Day....I feel sorry for JJ.

I still think that what he did was dumb, but JJ is a human being. He made a bad choice.....sometimes I make bad choices.

While I haven't done anything near selling cocaine, I do have my issues. The only difference between JJ and many folks is...JJ got caught.

He is also a very public figure playing for UA. The only thing that makes this different from Joe Blow getting busted is that he was a player at UA.

How many other drug arrests have happened in the last week or two in the state of Alabama that have gotten little news coverage compared to the JJ situation?

I guess to sum it up...I've been through a range of emotions since JJ was arrested.

Today, I hope he can get his life straight. Forget football for a minute...I hope JJ can get his life straight.

(I think this is the longest post I've ever submitted)

 

[Bama Bard]

(I think this is the longest post I've ever submitted)

And well worth it. I couldn't agree more.

 

[Chuck-E-Cheeze]

Amen.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The only difference between JJ and many folks is...JJ got caught.

Another difference is that most people do not have the God given physical talent Jimmy has nor the opportunity for a free education and a platform to advertise himself to the NFL to become a millionaire many times over.

I understand where you're coming from in that at the end of it all, Jimmy is a person, a living breathing human being that has totally screwed up. I hate it for Jimmy but Jimmy was acting with the intent to deceive and beat the system. It's not like Jimmy didn't know dealing drugs was illegal. And it's not like Jimmy was a mentally challenged kid that had no clue what he was doing.

IMO, Jimmy is just another spoiled athlete who got used to being "above the law" and tried to take advantage of his status. This was not a hard decision. It was a selfish decision that Jimmy decided to make. Now he's in deep dung...

 

[JoshB]

yea i agree with u man. yea it was a stupid decision especially for someone with such a bright future, but i myself have been in trouble with the 5-O over drugs (we wont go there) and have some friends, mostly former friends, have either sold or been hooked on coke, meth, crack, etc. so im not throwing shot after shot at him like some ppl. i have heard the 'n-word' thrown his way several times over the last week and it makes me sick that ppl stick think that way. smh.

 

[rtauburnsucks]

I just watched video of JJ talking about A-day. It's on the Alabama football section of al.com.

I'll probably get ripped for this, but here goes.

I feel sorry for the guy.

At first, I was mad at the guy. I've said alot of things both on the internet and in everyday conversations about how stupid this guy is.

I wasn't concerned for JJ...I was concerned about how this would make Alabama look. Which is kind of a scary thought.

I had thrown the stone at JJ and forgotten that he is a human being with a soul and needs help.

I was more concerned about a field with paint on it...and a ball....and a helmet than I was about a person who screwed up.

But, for some reason, after watching the video of him from A-Day....I feel sorry for JJ.

I still think that what he did was dumb, but JJ is a human being. He made a bad choice.....sometimes I make bad choices.

While I haven't done anything near selling cocaine, I do have my issues. The only difference between JJ and many folks is...JJ got caught.

He is also a very public figure playing for UA. The only thing that makes this different from Joe Blow getting busted is that he was a player at UA.

How many other drug arrests have happened in the last week or two in the state of Alabama that have gotten little news coverage compared to the JJ situation?

I guess to sum it up...I've been through a range of emotions since JJ was arrested.

Today, I hope he can get his life straight. Forget football for a minute...I hope JJ can get his life straight.

(I think this is the longest post I've ever submitted)

In all honesty. Im right there with ya. When I first heard about the whole thing, I was like....dang our LB corps just went to crap. Then after some thought, football doesnt matter. He is a human being and he made a mistake. I dont agree with what he did, but I do support him (meaning I hope he gets help while paying his debt to society). I hope he serves his time and comes out a better man in the long run. I mean, this guy has a family, just like everyone else on this board. He has a child, a mother, aunts, uncles, etc.....There is no reason to flame him, its time to realize he screwed up, forgive him, and let the man earn back everyones trust.

Just my two cents.

 

[Kirk Van de Graaff]

kayleighsdad

Nothing wrong with feeling that way, and IMHO nobody should rip you for this. Jimmy Johns made terrible decisions, obviously. I hope he can fix everything and get his life straight. Such a sad waste of talent.

 

[Guest]

Me and a buddy of mine caught JJ after the A-Day game before an interview, and he signed my program for me. It's weird thinking of him just two months ago, now his life has completely changed for the worse, and he'll be going to prison for a number of years.

 

[Guest]

It's almost like we've watched someone throw their life down the tubes right in front of our eyes.

I agree totally that it's a choice that JJ made and now he'll have to face the consequences. I don't excuse him and I don't think he's a victim.

But, as so many have said....he had potential and a great opportunity to accomplish great things.

This was a decision JJ made and apparently he was willing to risk it all for money.

I hope I can somehow learn from this by taking full advantage of my chances and making good choices.

 

[Guest]

I agree with you on the most part but nobody made JJ sell cocaine so why feel sorry for him. I know people who are far worse off and do not resort to selling drugs and if they did They do not tap strangers on the shoulder and ask if they want to buy some. Feel sorry for him all you want.....I have seen drug dealers come and go....he could have walked away anytime he wanted? You can feel bad for him making a bad decision, but he is a grown man........he was in the spotlight, a representative of the University and the football program...he was not a regular joe selling in a small town. He wasn't selling hot dogs on the corner.

Sorry, I do not feel sorry for people who create their own downfall and do something illegal. It is not like there is a grey area...he was doing something illegal. Period. Sorry if this comes off harsh but I am an ex drug user. 9+ years sober. I just do not feel sorry for him.

I am not ripping the OP. Just my opinion. :wink:

 

[Guest]

I don't disagree with you.

I make no apologies for what he did. It was his choice and he knew what he was doing.

He understood the consequences and chose to do it anyway.

 

[reger60]

I feel bad for the kid that didn't get the scholarship that Jimmy got. As someone that paid their own way through school, that's what pisses me off as much as anything.

I want the kid to get help and if that help comes in the form of incarceration, then so be it. I'm glad that someone that sells drugs is no longer associated with this program. He no longer deserves it. Evidently, he never really deserved it in the first place.

 

[bamafan4ever]

I think everyone knows or did know someone like JJ. Their mistakes are almost tragic without fail in their own regard.

Problem is, the mistakes always seem like the one they have made in the past and they still repeat the same mistake over and over. Good advice given by people close to them is usually listened to and then later ignored.

I know Jimmy was getting good direction by those around him. I know Coach Saban was pulling for him. He openly acknowledged Jimmy's practice habits and he doesn't always dish out compliments. Jimmy just chose to ignore any advice from the past and decided that his needs came before those of his coach, team and family (not in that order probably).

I hate it happened for everyone involved then I take pity on Jimmy but I am far from feeling sorry for him.

 

[Guest]

I wonder, because as a pretty typical grandmother, I don't have a clue about this. But I do wonder whether cocaine dealers on the street really can walk away from their illegal activities anytime they want. They have "distributors" I guess. And those distributors have overlords of some kind. All of it ties back to some enormous multi-layered network of drug mob cartels.

I would think it would be a risky thing to walk away from cocaine dealing. Because there'd be lots of thugs who wouldn't want a reformed drug dealer walking around loose with information about the next link up in the chain. Come to think of it, getting arrested can't be very healthy either. It would be in Johns' best interests, legally, to tell all he knows, but maybe also a risk to his own personal safety. Even in prison he wouldn't safe.

I hope I'm wrong.