[NU Sports] McGee Fire or Not

[Jeff Beamsley]

Doesn't take much investigation to throw a few more facts at this incident.

According to the news stories that you can easily find on Google, he was
arrested for speeding (55 in a 35) on December 24th in Tulsa.  Though none
of the stories that I've read give any more detail, I think that it is fair
to assume that it was the traffic stop which then caused the DUI test.  That
means that the officer had probable cause (either smelled something or
noticed something in McGee's behavior) that suggested intoxication (since
there wasn't any mention of open containers).  It is also possible that as
an African American, he might have been in the wrong part of Tulsa.

In any case, the fact so far pretty much eliminates the "blew just over the
limit in a random screen" sort of excuse.

At some point it is likely that we will know the real numbers, but clearly
we have two facts in hand.  He was speeding.  Something about him suggested
to the traffic cop that he was under the influence. 

Don't know where he was driving, but 35 mile per hour speed limits are
typically in populated two lane roads.  

As others have mentioned, he is fortunate that the officer got him off the
road before something terrible happened.  Regardless of his personal
circumstances or the pressures of his job, he makes more than enough money
to call a cab or arrange for a designated driver.  It is unlikely that he
was forced to drink against his will.  This is the consequence of choices
that he made.  As a result, he is also guilty of very poor judgement. 

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of NEONRye at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 11:11 AM
To: Hakirsch at aol.com; johnadeg at comcast.net; nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com;
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Cc: Maureen.Linhardt at plexus.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] McGee Fire or Not

While I agree with the sentiments expressed by Harry (and others), I would
much prefer that the University and Fitz try to turn a "negative" into a
positive.  In the event that McGee is ultimately convicted or pleads
guilty--and let's not forget, my friends on the list, that our criminal
justice  system is founded on the presumption of innocence (We have not yet
heard Coach  McGee's side of the story.)--I would hope that his sentence
would include  Community Service whereby he goes to high schools and perhaps
around NU and  speaks to the youth about his "mistake" and the need to avoid
ever getting  behind the wheel while "under the influence".  I would also
suggest that  President Bienen, AD Murphy and Coach Fitz convene a meeting
of the team in  which McGee would give a strong mea culpa and thereby
illustrate to the team  (and parents and fellow Coaches) his remorse and
determination not to ever let  this happen again.
 
I am thinking of a case I handled in the past, which got some publicity in
the NY area, in which I represented Savion Glover, the brilliant tap dancer
and  choreographer, who had gotten busted at a "checkpoint" outside the
Holland Tunnel in Manhattan for possession of marijuana.  Ultimately, I was
able to negotiate a plea bargain for Savion in which he agreed to do 100
hours of Community Service, lecturing at schools and other organizations in
the NY area  
about the "evils" of drugs, etc.   Savion happens to be wonderful with
kids, so 
I think the deal was a "win-win" for him and for the People of the  State of
New York.  Why not a similar type of conclusion to the McGee  Saga?
 
Paul Levinson
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