Does NCAA need tougher penalties for athlete behavior?

Today is Tuesday, June 3rd. On ESPN.COM's college football page, there are 9 headlines on the rightside column. 4 of those are about athletes getting arrested, in court, or pending charges. And I certainly know that not all college athletes are hooligans. But what is it that these athletes always seem to find trouble?

I've never been one to seek out trouble, nor has it really found me. I grew up in a very stable environment. I think the worst thing I did was pull a fire alarm at school one day. It got in-school suspension for a few days.

But why is it when these guys break the law or get in trouble, the worst thing that ever happens is some un-supervised probation and community service. HELLO? These guys do community service all the time. It is sometimes required. And don't talk to me about fines.

I know these are just college kids. But what happens when these 20-year old "kids" become "adults." There is no switch. We grow into adulthood. Obviously, that transformation occurs much later for some people than others.

If the NCAA is really serious (I know, dream on right?) about putting the college athlete first, then it should be able to punish and weed out those that aren't as interested in being a college athlete as they should be. Yes, there are great stories of college athletics. But as a fan, I'm tired of sifting through stories about this athlete in jail, or that athlete getting arrested before I get to stories about .... sports.

Weekend Update

I had a busy weekend. Saturday morning, the fam left for Boone to stay with one of Mrs. Rocker's uncles, and then to take Sarah to go see Thomas the Train on Monday.

After they left, I got ready to go to a funeral for a member of the church. He had been in and out of the hospital for some time. Anyway, he was a volunteer fire fighter in Bear Grass. They did a great job, dressed in full uniform with color guard.

Found out on Sunday that we were going to have softball practice that afternoon. It's the first time since my junior year of high school that i've participated in any sort of semi-organized recreational activity. We have a game on Friday night, and another one on Saturday. I hope my body can recover in time for the quick turnaround.

Talked to Mrs. Rocker and Sarah this morning. Sarah is very excited about seeing Thomas today. I can't wait to see the pictures!