The SoapBoxers

Honey Badger takes what he wants

Apparently the Honey Badger didn’t care.

Didn’t care about team rules anyway. LSU “sensation” Tyrann Mathieu nicknamed “ The Hone Badger” has been released from the football program for what is being dubbed as violation of team rules.

A major impact player at a successful program is not simply given the boot. This tells me that it was something related to improper benefits, drugs or he had simply been riding the fence and been warned repeatedly about something that was re-occurring for some time, and simply did not change his ways. We know it was not for academic reasons as school is not yet in session for a couple of more weeks.

Message Boards and sports and news outlets are speculating with many varied stories at this time of exactly the cause of his dismissal from the team. In the hours following the announcement, the main rumors appear to be that Mathieu failed another drug test, which would be his third in three seasons. If this is true it appears that Honey Badger likes more than…well…umm…honey.

Mad-Hatters Presser earlier on Friday

For now LSU head coach Les Miles is not talking …..or at least talking as much as we are used to hearing him talk – which is seemingly every chance he gets to put his mug on ESPN. At his news conference announcing this on Friday, Miles did not mention the reason he was dismissed.

“We’ll miss the guy,” Miles said. “The football team’s got to go on. We’ll have to fill the void.”

Athletic Director Joe Alleva said Mathieu, who was suspended for a game in 2011 after failing a drug test, violated an athletic department rule and had his scholarship revoked.

“Being an athlete is a privilege,” Alleva said. “It’s a privilege and you have to follow the rules to take advantage of that privilege. And unfortunately, he doesn’t have that privilege here anymore.

“He really is a good kid. It’s a shame. But I told him this morning that he has the rest of his life and his life is still ahead of him. He still has a tremendous opportunity to do good things and I encouraged him to do those good things, and I think he will.”

Alleva said the violation did not involve law enforcement and Mathieu could stay at LSU and pay tuition. But Alleva said that was unrealistic.

“He’s not going to stay in school,” he said.

Bit by the Cobra

The best bet would be that Mathieu will go to a non-Division 1 program. If this is the case he would not have to sit out a year under the NCAA transfer rules. (a rule that was waived this year coincidentally for Penn State football players in the wake of the sanctions that have been imposed there) This would allow him to continue to play football at a lower level division this year and then have the opportunity to transfer back to a Division 1 school next year and be right back in the mix.

After this year at a lower division program, he could land just about anywhere, but the real question is will a coach take a chance on a player carrying some baggage…whatever that baggage may be.

Until next time, stay class Emporia State!