Lucky Bear Tests The Boundaries Of Forgiveness

Last years exciting and unexpected Super Bowl drive here in Chicago was really marred by only one thing besides the inevitable loss, and that was the thuggish super ghetto behavior of lineman Tank Johnson to the left, who to make a long story short would fit in with Snoop Dogg and his posse any day of the week with his redundant poor behavioral choices.

A quick backgrounder: late in the season (week 15) he was charged in a raid on his home in Gurnee with illegal possession of firearms. Feeling in a celebratory mood after the arrest and booking apparently as most people do (not), he headed to a local Chicago bar with friend/thug/bodyguard William Posey to a local drinking hole in the wall popular with the brothers, The Ice Bar to tip a few back and chill.

Next thing we know his buddy is shot dead in the bar, Tank is himself allowed to remain on the team to take the Superbowl trip to Miami remarkably, then gets home after the super humiliating loss thanksto Rex Grossman mostly and then does some Paris Hilton time of his own in the Tank (pun intended) for the previous year's thuggish behavior.

Fast forward to now as he is currently suspended from the team and the NFL for 8 games in 2007-8. Apparently he still hasn't learned his lesson (gee, what a surprise!) and better hope after this latest little episode below he isn't charged with anything more than just a speeding ticket.

Otherwise, he'll be playing ball in a Illinois state prison uniform for the weekend warrior team MeanMachine, similar to the team that gets pummeled and yet wins by the guards in the original but fictional movie the Longest Yard. Not that lame un-original remake by Adam Sandler, who I enjoy mostly unless the movie sucks like that one did, but the Burt Reynolds classic..

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Tank Johnson stopped by police in Phoenix suburb

Examiner.com: "GILBERT, Ariz. (Map, News) - Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson was pulled over for speeding in his home state of Arizona early Friday and police said they drew blood from the NFL player to determine whether he was drunk.

Johnson already is suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 NFL season after violating probation on a gun violation."

Police in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert said Johnson was stopped for driving 40 mph in a 25 mph zone at 3:30 a.m. Friday and the officer made observations that led him to believe Johnson was impaired.

Sgt. Andrew Duncan, a police spokesman, said Johnson was arrested for "DUI impaired to the slightest degree" but was released without being booked or charged.
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Duncan said Johnson was taken to the Gilbert police station, where officials drew blood for a blood-alcohol content test before his release. He described Johnson as "very cooperative."

The officer had probable cause to make an arrest, Duncan said. Test results aren't expected for up to two weeks, and they would be sent to Gilbert town prosecutors for consideration of any charges. read more

Not exactly robbing a bank, but for a man on the edge as he is and considering what he has to lose, the last thing I would be doing would be drugs or alcohol period which hopefully his blood test will confirm that he was not as he claims. I mean, usually in America you're innocent until proven guilty.

However, when driving it's the other way around, with DUI's particularly. Driving is considered a privilege as opposed to a right as many assume, and therefore your rights are somewhat limited when accused of driving impaired in most states by virtue of “APS” laws (the phrase stands for “administrative per se”.

This puts one in the position of proving their innocence by virtue of sobriety tests and breathalyzer demands as opposed to the burden of proof on the cop or later the state prosecutor to prove guilt in a way, as you provide the very evidence to convict yourself if indeed impaired.

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