OT: Charges against UCLA players dropped, flying home from China

Submitted by ypsituckyboy on

All charges against UCLA players LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill, and Cody Riley have been dropped and they're now flying home from China (not being deported). News reports said  President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help resolve things.

Michigan plays UCLA at Crisler on Dec 9.

If you were the coach/AD at UCLA, what punishment would you give them for committing the crime (sounds like they were totally guilty i.e. caught on tape) and bringing international embarrassment to the school/country? I don't think I'd kick them off the team. I think suspension for the season would be appropriate if it really did necessitate the President getting involved to keep them out of a Chinese jail for the next few years. If that wasn't really what happened behind the scenes, then I'd call it good at a 10 game suspension.

ericcarbs

November 14th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^

A game or few. A whole season is extreme for petty theft. Take away the context of a country’s laws and punishment and it is still just a petty theft.



This past week was enough of a lesson.

Perkis-Size Me

November 14th, 2017 at 1:31 PM ^

I think embarrassing your team, your school and your country merits at least a several game suspension, but LaVar will get on TV and run his mouth about how the media is making this a big deal, that LiAngelo is somehow the victim here, and how the rules don't apply to Big Ballers. So I'm guessing LiAngelo will probably miss a game or two against some bodybag opponents, but he'll be coming in when they play Michigan, which is UCLA's first real test of the season.

LiAngelo's real punishment will begin when UCLA goes on the road. I have to imagine opposing student sections will show him absolutely zero mercy. The minute he touches the ball, there will be some creative chant going throughout the arena reminding him that he's a petty criminal. This will follow him through college, to the NBA (if he makes it that far) and beyond. 

SFBlue

November 14th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^

Dudes were lucky they didn't get caned. But this is obvioulsy the fair and just result. The U.S. would do the same. You do not throw athletes on a goodwill mission in the brigade for shoplifting. (Well, China kind of does.)

Perkis-Size Me

November 14th, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^

What is deemed "fair and just" in China is very different from what is deemed "fair and just" here in the states. China has its own set of laws, and whether or not we as Americans agree with them, when you're on their turf, you're bound to their laws. You don't deserve to get a free pass just because that's what you'd get in America. If you break them, you deserve to be punished based on what the locals deem to be fair. The Constitution can't do shit to help you once you leave our borders. You don't get your phone call, your right to remain silent or your right to a lawyer. You get what they tell you you get, which may be nothing. 

It's like that kid from UVa who went to North Korea and got sentenced to 10-15 years of hard labor when all he did was steal a flag. Sure, that punishment would never happen here, but it's their law. I'm sorry for his family that he's no longer alive, but he knew the law and was stupid enough to break it anyway. In the LAST COUNTRY ON EARTH you'd ever want to break the law in. Or if he didn't know the law, that makes him that much more of an idiot. 

Their turf, their rules my friend. 

Perkis-Size Me

November 14th, 2017 at 2:54 PM ^

Fair enough. LiAngelo and his merry band of hoodlums didn't demonstrate much of that goodwill by stealing from the country that was hosting them, but I'm sure there were behind the scenes factors that facilitated their release. I'm guessing LaVar also paid a hefty fine to ensure LiAngelo's release and the two sides just agreed to let bygones be bygones. 

I think what just irks me the most about this is that LiAngelo will probably learn nothing from this aside from LaVar telling him "next time, don't get caught." LaVar has built up this mentality around his family that the rules shouldn't apply to them, and that their shit doesn't stink. 

Unfortunately, I think I just have to accept that there are going to be people in life who get fame and fortune who didn't work for it, and in no way deserve any of it. At the end of the day, LaVar Ball is just another two-bit dickbag who wants the world, but thinks he deserves to cut corners in order to get there.

iamnumber1fan

November 14th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^

Aren't all 3 of the players freshman? I don't know the depth of UCLA, but if they get suspended they will probably just be changing their view of the court from the bench to the couch. Hmm from the bench to the couch, that sounds like a dramatic reality tv segment. 

Perkis-Size Me

November 14th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^

Not too surprising. Pretty sure that Daddy swooped down to the rescue, paid a hefty fine, told LiAngelo "next time don't get caught," and all is forgiven and forgotten. If this was your average shmuck they'd be well on their way to some prison out in the middle of the Gobi Desert for several years of hard labor. 

Not sure if any punishment will be coming down from UCLA on this, but even if not, you can bet your sweet ass that this is going to follow LiAngelo anywhere and everywhere he goes. He will be shown no mercy from any and every opposing student section he plays in front of. 

Very curious to see what signs or chants Maize Rage will come up with when UCLA comes to town in a few weeks. 

Flying Dutchman

November 14th, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^

If you suspend LiAngelo Ball for the year, you lose LaVar Ball, and you lose the little brother.

So, yeah, I'd go ahead and kick him off the team permanently to shed the whole circus. 

markusr2007

November 14th, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^

He brazenly commits a crime in China were the penalty is normally an automatic 10 years in prison.

And then his millionaire father gets him off, with the help of the US embassy, President and the State Dept, etc.  A regular US citizen would NOT get that level of support and aid.

I have serious doubts that such a kid will ever realize just how fortunate he is because of his shitty behavior and for facing zero consequences.

Also, way to represent your country, community, university in a foreign country dude. This episode ought to really help with the negative stereotypes.

https://newsone.com/3757629/china-shoplifting-laws-liangelo-ball-arrest…

Wait for the interviews when he gets back. They ought to be hilarious.

ST3

November 14th, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^

Claire Danes was in a movie in the late 90's about being in a Chinese prison (Edit: was actually Thailand.) I googled, "claire danes chinese prison" and the third image returned was this:Image result for claire danes chinese prison

username03

November 14th, 2017 at 8:05 PM ^

While it is the end all and be all to many, making liberals mad is not very difficult and should not be considered an accomplishment. But don't let that stop you from rooting for your team and blaming it all on the 'refs',

Gunga Galunga

November 14th, 2017 at 9:52 PM ^

Do you really think if Trump was a white supremacist that he would have saved the asses of those UCLA KIDS? Trump is doing more for the inner city than you think. Use your fucking head and quit watching MSLSD and that Crap Nilly Nonsense. Form your own opinion with FACTS you moron.

mgoblue0970

November 15th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^

How is that different from the last administration? 

Prtizker (a felon) in Commerce.  Salazar, Interior.  Chu, Education.  Kirk, Trade.  Rahm, Chief of Staff.  Randlett, Marasimhan, Shapira became czars.  Barzun, Emmerson, Gips, Kennedy, Phillps, Stetson, all got ambassadorships.  The last administration put 184 people who donated $500,000 or more in the administration... many of those people got stimulus money for their businesses. 

 

maize-blue

November 15th, 2017 at 8:43 AM ^

Yup, but he will never receive the due credit, because we must focus again on Russia. Loudmouths like hollywood figures and main stream media types will not give credit. Fortunately for the left, they possess most of the loudmouths.

Wolvie3758

November 14th, 2017 at 2:29 PM ^

Once again special treatment for athletes..If this had been you or I we"d  be in the slammer..prob for a long time in China