Big Sky choice

A couple weeks ago, there was an illegal play called a chop block, at the Weber State football game up in Missoula, Montana. Resulting in a player being hurt by the illegal play and ending his career in football.

Happening a couple weeks ago, we are now reading an editorial about how bad the Big Sky Conference handled the situation. I understand the emotional torment that Derek Johnson is going through about his career being ended, and I have only the best wishes for him and his family.

Basic common courtesy is to listen to both sides of the story. The Standard Examiner did not listen to the other side of the story. Who knows if the Montana player had intent or not, did the Standard interview him? Did they ask him personally? I don’t think so. Assumptions cannot be the truth, so why is the paper so quick to point a finger at the Big Sky Conference? The editorial in Tuesday’s newspaper was merely assumptions.

That same football Saturday in the Big Sky Conference there were two other similar illegal plays, chop blocks that happened to different schools, two different games. Were they supposed to suspend those players too, suspend them because they thought there was intent in the play? These types of situations happen all the time in college football. A warning was given to the player of Montana and if the Conference sees him continuing this illegal play he will be suspended.

Every football player goes into a game not knowing if this is the last game they will play, putting them at risk for such injuries. In my opinion the newspaper should spend a little more time researching both sides and a little less time pointing fingers.