Ryan Leaf arrested

3,501 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by FuzzyWuzzy
okaydo
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okaydo
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I've always been intending to make this post, for years.

So I thought I'd post it now

Every time I see Ryan Leaf's "comeback" on the Pac-12 Network or ESPN, I get the queasy feeling that he's being rewarded for all of his wrongdoing.

One thing that I hate about American society, is that there is an emphasis on redemption, on making a "comeback."

So somebody who screwed up, did terrible things, but found a way to re-emerge is more compelling than the person who followed the boring straight and narrow path.

Every time I'd see Leaf, I'd think of that.

And I thought that when he tweeted this 2 months ago, and was met with kudos from so many media people I follow on Twitter.







I'm sure I'll get a lot of push back for this post, especially since he could be innocent.

BearSD
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You don't have to root for Leaf if you don't want to.

But, addiction sucks, and good for anyone trying to beat it, even though some do relapse.
BigDaddyBear
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I'm with you Okay, Leaf has screwed over a lot of people and seems to continually get rewarded. I don't wish the worst for him, but also don't think he should be placed at the pinnacle of society.
Chapman_is_Gone
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As an ex-Chargers fan, eff Ryan Leaf.
Strykur
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Ryan Leaf sucks but he knows football and is far from the worse talent on ESPN (Booger McFarland)...
drizzlybears brother
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okaydo said:

I've always been intending to make this post, for years.

So I thought I'd post it now

Every time I see Ryan Leaf's "comeback" on the Pac-12 Network or ESPN, I get the queasy feeling that he's being rewarded for all of his wrongdoing.

One thing that I hate about American society, is that there is an emphasis on redemption, on making a "comeback."

So somebody who screwed up, did terrible things, but found a way to re-emerge is more compelling than the person who followed the boring straight and narrow path.

Every time I'd see Leaf, I'd think of that.

And I thought that when he tweeted this 2 months ago, and was met with kudos from so many media people I follow on Twitter.







I'm sure I'll get a lot of push back for this post, especially since he could be innocent.


Never been a big Leaf fan, but don't see the value in piling on.
GMP
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okaydo said:

I've always been intending to make this post, for years.

So I thought I'd post it now

Every time I see Ryan Leaf's "comeback" on the Pac-12 Network or ESPN, I get the queasy feeling that he's being rewarded for all of his wrongdoing.

One thing that I hate about American society, is that there is an emphasis on redemption, on making a "comeback."

So somebody who screwed up, did terrible things, but found a way to re-emerge is more compelling than the person who followed the boring straight and narrow path.

Every time I'd see Leaf, I'd think of that.

And I thought that when he tweeted this 2 months ago, and was met with kudos from so many media people I follow on Twitter.







I'm sure I'll get a lot of push back for this post, especially since he could be innocent.



I will preface by saying that I basically lost track of Ryan Leaf from about 2001 until a couple years ago when he resurfaced on P12N. I vaguely recall some addiction issues. And before 2001, I recall the clip of him yelling at some reporters in his first or second year in San Diego.

With that said I must ask: is there something I missed? Other than addiction, what is it you think he's "coming back" from? Because from my perspective, again unless I missed some things, prior to reading this post tonight, I did not think Ryan Leaf was a bad person, and I did not think of his broadcasting career as a "redemption." He didn't make it as a pro - it happens to many. He didn't handle that failure the best as a young man - it happens to many of us. As a studio analyst, I thought he was fantastic. And that's not grading on some "redemption" curve. That's not rewarding him for wrongdoing. He was just flat out good at the job.

So your second post in this thread, though acknowledging you'd get some push back, seems in very poor taste. As someone else said, it's piling on. Report that he's been arrested for domestic violence. Hammer him for that. But the "neener neener, I knew it and always meant to say it" thing is pretty crappy. In fact, those first two sentences are gross.
Big C
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Okaydo, the phenomenon you speak of (redemption vs. boring straight and narrow), I've noticed it many times, as well. It sort of irks me, but I guess I understand it.
Cave Bear
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Details of Leaf's criminal history:

(1) In 2008 while an assistant coach at West Texas A&M, Leaf broke into the home of one of the team's players to steal opioids. He also falsified his medical history with several doctors in attempts to get opioid prescriptions. He also gave someone a drug he claimed was an opioid but kept the real drug for himself. Leaf was charged with 9 felony counts from these acts but in his 2010 plea deal avoided prison time. He got 10 years probation and a 20k fine.

(2) In 2012 and living in Montana, Leaf broke into multiple homes looking to steal drugs. He was arrested, charged with burglary and drug possession and released on bond. 3 days later Leaf was arrested again for burglary and drug possession, as while out on bond he broke into another house looking for drugs. This time he was sentenced to a maximum of 7 years. Initially he was sent to a treatment center to serve time but was kicked out and sent to state prison in Jan 2013 after allegedly breaking some rules and threatening a staff member.

16 months later, in May 2014 he was transferred to a private prison in Montana that seems to house a lot of violent offenders. I don't know why he was moved this time (does anyone else know?). In August 2014 Leaf was sentenced to 5 years in prison by Texas for violating his probation there, but the sentence was made concurrent with the Montana sentence. Just 4 months later, in December 2014, Leaf was released on parole by Montana and Texas declined to make him serve his sentence in Texas. Leaf ultimately served 2 years and 8 months for crimes that could have kept him in prison for most of the rest of his life.

Of course Leaf is legally presumed innocent of these misdemeanor domestic battery charges until proven guilty, On the plus side, this new offense doesn't involve drugs and Leaf apparently has been law-abiding in the last 5+ years.
AXLBear
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Rod gilmore
burritos
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BearSD said:

You don't have to root for Leaf if you don't want to.

But, addiction sucks, and good for anyone trying to beat it, even though some do relapse.

If you(you as in everyone) eat bread or sugar, you're likely addicted to carbohydrates. I know I am. Try to quit it, bet you can't.
CAGE questionaire:
1. Do you feel like you need to Cut down?
2. Do you feel Annoyed when people ask you about it(including people on BI)?
3. Do you ever feel Guilty about eating carbs?
4. Do you need it as an Eye opener?(ie. you need toast, bagel, cereal, oatmeal, grits, or pancakes just so you don't starve).
bonsallbear
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How do you feel about Mike Lindel. The founder of my pillow.?
LACalFan
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Addiction is for real, but it's not a free pass. Leaf was an entitled A-hole way before getting into meth.

I hope he eventually gets his **** together. He's certainly had more and better chances than most.
Civil Bear
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GMP said:

okaydo said:

I've always been intending to make this post, for years.

So I thought I'd post it now

Every time I see Ryan Leaf's "comeback" on the Pac-12 Network or ESPN, I get the queasy feeling that he's being rewarded for all of his wrongdoing.

One thing that I hate about American society, is that there is an emphasis on redemption, on making a "comeback."

So somebody who screwed up, did terrible things, but found a way to re-emerge is more compelling than the person who followed the boring straight and narrow path.

Every time I'd see Leaf, I'd think of that.

And I thought that when he tweeted this 2 months ago, and was met with kudos from so many media people I follow on Twitter.







I'm sure I'll get a lot of push back for this post, especially since he could be innocent.



I will preface by saying that I basically lost track of Ryan Leaf from about 2001 until a couple years ago when he resurfaced on P12N. I vaguely recall some addiction issues. And before 2001, I recall the clip of him yelling at some reporters in his first or second year in San Diego.

With that said I must ask: is there something I missed? Other than addiction, what is it you think he's "coming back" from? Because from my perspective, again unless I missed some things, prior to reading this post tonight, I did not think Ryan Leaf was a bad person, and I did not think of his broadcasting career as a "redemption." He didn't make it as a pro - it happens to many. He didn't handle that failure the best as a young man - it happens to many of us. As a studio analyst, I thought he was fantastic. And that's not grading on some "redemption" curve. That's not rewarding him for wrongdoing. He was just flat out good at the job.

So your second post in this thread, though acknowledging you'd get some push back, seems in very poor taste. As someone else said, it's piling on. Report that he's been arrested for domestic violence. Hammer him for that. But the "neener neener, I knew it and always meant to say it" thing is pretty crappy. In fact, those first two sentences are gross.
I'm close to a just few drug addicts and close to even fewer that have rebounded fully, so I have respect for those that have succeeded and have empathy for those that are trying. I think the thing that erks the OP a bit (and me as well) is the "look at me" nature of Leaf's post and the subsequent accolades while passing over the real problem of his addiction in how he hurt others. I'm not sure how pointing that out constitutes piling on.
drizzlybear
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I was never a fan, but I admire his comeback, and I am saddened by his setback. He was one of the earlier victims (yes, victim) of the opioid crisis in this country. His prior crimes were 100% a function of his addiction to prescribed pain medication. He was about as low as one could go, short of suicide, and, trust me, he paid for his crimes with additional public humiliation and scorn heaped on by his many detractors (including just about every Husky fan in the Pacific Northwest) that most others do not face.
I lost track of him for years. Frankly, if I were to have bet money on what I would next hear about him, it would've been on an untimely death rather than a recovery.
Then I saw him on P12 Networks. I was stunned. Not just because he was apparently having some success in the incredibly difficult journey of overcoming addiction and putting his life back together, but because he was doing so via an extremely public and vulnerable way. (I know a number of Washingtonians who have derided his return to the public eye and continue to mock his painful past.) And as others have noted, he was actually quite good as a broadcaster/analyst. I was very pleased for him.
I hope the victims of his crimes have been recompensed and he has expressed his regret (I'm assuming the answer in each case is yes, though I don't know). But I was very happy for him, to see that he had seemingly and surprisingly had some success overcoming those awful demons.

Maybe I don't get accolades for staying on the straight and narrow, but I wouldn't trade my experience with his for a moment. I'm sorry to see this setback for him, and hope he's able to get back on a good path.
dajo9
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Celebrity is rewarded in America and it will make you rich. Celebrity can be achieved by doing bad things. That's the entertainment market and markets are immune to moralizing.
American Vermin
FuzzyWuzzy
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dajo9 said:

Celebrity is rewarded in American and it will make you rich. Celebrity can be achieved by doing bad things. That's the entertainment market and markets are immune to moralizing.
When you're a celebrity, you can do whatever you want.
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