A few months in jail would have been more educational for these guys. Will there be any consequences at all for them?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-hopes-swift-return-ucla-players-detained-china-095653001–spt.html
I would love some more details. I keep seeing allegedly shoplifting. Is there a tape or something? I’m skeptical because of where it took place.
If indeed they did , then they need to face the consequences. I’m surprised Ball would be involved because his father is a total blowhard and seems to have total control of his kids.
Yes, I’d like to hear more, too.
Glad the young men were not in North Korea…
I don’t think anybody is denying it, Ball Sr just said it was “no big deal”. They apparently stole from an LV shop in a luxury mall adjacent to their hotel. There is video of them stealing from two other stores too. It has been a big story for a week or so, surprised you are not familiar with it.
http://abcnews.go.com/amp/Sports/uclas-liangelo-ball-released-bail-arrest-china/story?id=51008466
Ive just never seen the video. Honestly I probably haven’t looked because I think his dad is a complete idiot and I just didn’t feel like digging into anything that involved him. Perhaps he will be humbled now that his child has committed a crime internationally no less. I’m not holding my breath.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
I’m doubting that Papa Ball will be humbled. His response was that it was no big deal.
At first the officials weren’t sure who did it (probably the report was ‘tall, black americans’) and the Georgia Tech players’ bus was search. Nothing was found so they went on their way back to Shanghai. Then the UCLA bus was searched and glasses were found in these three players’ backpacks or bags.
Yes, they’ve been suffering under house arrest in the Hyatt in a resort city. They’ve also missed two weeks of classes.
I read that all charges were dropped, and that Trump personally intervened to help get them released.
UCLA needs to punish these guys. The university can’t let their status as basketball players protect them from punishment. Suspension from the university for a year maybe.
I really expected President Trump to tell President Xi that the criminal justice system should take its course. These were serious crimes, if proven, in any country. Now we learn, again, that celebrity and ball throwing skills trump (pun unavoidable) basic honesty.
^^ The Duke lacrosse case taught me not to jump on the “they’re guilty and must be punished” bandwagon no matter how tempting it might be.
There is a history of issues with US basketball players in China, a notoriously racist country with a huge stake in its sport competitions against the US. Remember the fight in China at a Georgetown basketball game? Video shows players and Georgetown’s coach (an African American) were taunted, shoved and subjected to organized, threatening chants.
If these guys did shoplift, they’re lucky to have been let out of the country, and should face repercussions at home.
But I’m totally withholding judgment until I hear more.
Not sure this is the type of thing to waste Political capital on. I would like to have more details and see the video evidence before determining if they were guilty or not. Assuming the story of video evidence is true, then I would have let them go through the process. However, with the understanding that in the US the penalty for a first offense is I’m sure a lot less than what it would have been in China I can see why Trump would step in early. Perhaps there was a condition of punishment for them back in the US to make up for letting them go.
They won’t be criminally prosecuted here but UCLA should sanction them somehow. I don’t think they are saying they are innocent of shoplifting.
I’m glad Trump stepped in and I hope the players thank him (Trump tweeted that he doesn’t think they will). I also hope the coach and university take some action if there is real proof. I suspect the players are guilty. Kids that age are stupid. We had a Vandy player (great kid- overcame a lot) shoplift from Nordstrom here and get caught. I was SO disappointed in him. He got kicked off the team and out of school and wrote a huge public apology and took full responsibility for his actions… It was really sad. He wound up with a “second chance” at Gonzaga and truly had learned his lesson, graduated and is now playing internationally.
The players are suspended from the team until further notice (which could be days or months). They did thank Trump and the US government for ‘assistance.’
Anybody who would shoplift while on a visit to China is too dumb to be in college, honestly.
I’m uncomfortable with the odd implication(s) of Trump’s tweet. It comes across like “Those criminal black boys never appreciate what the white guy does for them.” or something. It just comes across wrong to me. I haven’t looked around much to see what the reaction to that has been.
They admitted today that they stole the items. (Local police found the stolen items in their possession.)
“I’m uncomfortable” that the Prez intervened. I woulda left them there, and let local authorities do their thing.
OK, there is no doubt they are thieves, by their own admission:
The question is why should just these Americans be rescued by the President from the consequences of going on a stealing spree in a foreign country? Should all Americans be above the law when overseas? An English teacher? A summer student?
China was never going to lock them up for 10 years, but I still think a few months would teach them personally a good lesson, and set an example of some level of equality before the law.