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Sep 26, 2006 

Players Loyalty To Foley Is Clouded: He's A Drunk Driver

CHARGERS PUBLIC SUPPORT OF DRUNK DRIVING LINEBACKER IS IMMORAL

It may be honorable to stand by a friend or a teammate, but when that person looks to be a menace to society because of something they've done, then maybe its best to just lay low and not take a stand.

Some members of the San Diego Chargers apparently feel that their teammate Steve Foley, who is accused of drunk driving and currently sporting three bullet holes because of his inebriated actions is some kind of icon to honor on the field.

Numerous members of San Diego's defense and star running back LaDainian Tomlinson have all punctuated big plays and touchdowns with Foley's trademark bullrun. See a demonstration here on youtube.com.

On the morning of September 4th, Aaron Mansker, an off-duty police officer followed a swerving car driven by the Chargers linebacker to the player's home. Foley was shot three times after he continued to approach the officer, according to Mansker.
I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, he's still walking up.' Which made me very nervous. If someone is shooting, whether at you or in the area, you're probably going to leave, that should be your first reaction. That's not the case.

Foley's blood alcohol was later revealed to be 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit.

The Chargers had a bye last week, so changes in the player's homage to Foley might be in effect this week against Baltimore. But, why didn't the owner, head coach Marty Schottenheimer or any of his assistants mention honoring an alleged drunk driver might not be so good from a public relationship or a moral standpoint.

The Chargers front office felt uneasy enough about the situation that they quickly attempted to void Foley's contract for the season when news of the offense broke. Drawing attention to this story by continually kicking dirt after plays might conjure societal problems that lurk in race relations.

It's no secret why these offending Chargers players, whom are mostly black, are rushing to Foley's side despite the ponderous of guilt and the stigma of drunk driving, it's a deep seeded mistrust of the police that pervades most urban cities in America. It's no help that the most infamous tales of white cops abusing blacks resides just up the coast in Los Angeles.

The best thing would be for the Chargers players to quietly support Foley and avoid the kind of on-field histrionics that could draw attention to the criminal case and to the immorality of their positions.

For a team and fans that loathe the Raiders, they sure know how to act like the big, bad RaiderNation.