University of Southern California bound point guard OJ Mayo has been anointed “the next Lebron James.” He plays in front of sold out crowds for Huntington High School in West Virginia. His team is considered the top high school squad in the nation.
However, last week, his image took a hit after he received two technical fouls in a game against Capitol High School and was ejected. After the ejection Mayo went over to the referee that gave the fouls and according to many accounts, nudged him and caused him to fall. This incident has sparked controversy around the country as to whether as not Mayo intentionally bumped the referee. Enter YouTube.
The video has been viewed over 180,000 times on YouTube, shaping people’s opinions of the incident. After watching the video it appears that the contact was incidental and that Mayo was approaching the referee to ask what he did to earn the second technical foul.
However, the brunt of the story doesn’t end with the ejection. Mayo received an automatic two-game suspension for the two technicals and many of his teammates were also suspended for leaving the bench.
Huntington High’s next game was against national powerhouse Artesia High School at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium. So, OJ Mayo would learn his lesson by missing a key game when his team needed him, right? Wrong. The issue was taken to court, and Mayo and five other Huntington players were allowed to play against Artesia because the judge changed the hearing to February 9. Huntington won 73-66 and Mayo scored 19 points. Coincidentally, Huntington’s next game was against the number-one team in Kentucky, a game in which Huntington was upset 72-68.
Have high school sports and athletes become so important, that players get lawyers and set court dates so they can play in a game against a top team? It lets the players off the hook. No matter what they do, they are somehow above the rules.
The news media is partly to blame for this phenomenon. Writing that players are the “next big thing,” nationally televising their games, and constantly telling them how wonderful they are, gives some a sense of invincibility at a young age. The judge himself has probably heard of OJ Mayo and perhaps knew how “important” the games were.
Knowing nothing about OJ Mayo’s character, it’s difficult to say if taunting other players and earning technical is normal for him. However, the issue is not that he earned technical fouls, it’s that he was granted permission suspension at a particular so he could play in an important game.
The issue extends beyond high school to the professional ranks. Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson violated probation on gun possession charges and yet a judge granted him permission to leave the state so he could play in the Super Bowl. Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke expressed his view in this January 31st column:
“One semiautomatic rifle. One loaded .45-caliber handgun. One collection of four other guns. One ammunition stash of 550 rounds.
One police raid of his home. One book thrown at him on multiple weapons charges. One probation violated.
One scene of his two young daughters being carried from his home during the raid. One visit to a club the next night, where someone murdered his bodyguard.
One game suspension by his team. One home confinement ordered. One judge in Bear's clothing allowing him to attend the Super Bowl.
One apology?
I asked Tank Johnson if he was sorry.
"Sorry to who?" he said.
Sorry to society?
He turned his broad back to me. He shook his head. He laughed. He said nothing more.
There are many legendarily dumb questions asked at the Super Bowl's annual media day.
On Tuesday, asking a criminal defensive lineman to show remorse was apparently the dumbest.”
Here is a professional football player facing gun charges and he’s still allowed to play in the Superbowl. This instance is much more extreme than earning two technical fouls. It’s about owning unregistered semiautomatic weapons, violating probation, being allowed to play in a football game and then showing no remorese. A football game in the scheme of things means nothing. Athletes who think they can get away with anything is everything.
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