Pilgrim knows guns are no joke
Published: 11/9/2010 10:00 PM
Last Modified: 11/9/2010 10:00 PM
I'm comfortable saying basketball player Matt Pilgrim meant no malice when he posted an ill-advised comment on his Twitter page Monday in reference to a shooting near OSU's campus.
Why am I comfortable saying it? Because of this name: Theo Smalling.
Pilgrim knows guns are nothing to laugh at because Smalling, a friend and former teammate, was killed in an accidental shooting last year. Smalling, on the weekend of his 22nd birthday, was in the parking lot of a Hampton, Va., nightclub and took a fatal bullet in the abdomen when a buddy mishandled a firearm.
Smalling's death exacted a toll on Pilgrim and that contributed to him having to work through some issues during his first season at OSU.
People have been quick to condemn Pilgrim for his Twitter post about the shooting. It was an attempt at humor, but it also was a goofy thing to do, especially for someone who has already used up a couple of strikes. The backlash would have been overwhelming if anyone had died in the shooting.
Young men have been doing silly things since the dawn of mankind. Maybe other students made light of the shooting in Twitter posts, but you're held to a different standard if you represent a university and its athletic programs.
Pilgrim needs to help himself instead of making the jobs of those around him more difficult. He created unnecessary aggravation for coach Travis Ford. Some readers believe it's time for Pilgrim to go. If I was in Ford's position, I wouldn't send Pilgrim packing. There's a complicated, mysterious guy in Pilgrim's body who says he wants to do the right things and have a good life. If that guy can stop being his own worst enemy, everyone will benefit.
--Jimmie Tramel.
Written by
Jimmie Tramel
Sports Writer
