And this time, he fudged up bad. “Suspended indefinitely” could swing a lot of different ways. Sadly, I think someone actually put his foot down ... and stomped on Garcia. Don’t get me wrong — he shouldn’t have done what he did. But I just can’t bring myself to talk badly about the poor guy. I’m Team Garcia all the way.
As I’ve said in my earlier blogs, student-athletes are literally celebrities on campus. Paid workers stalk them to class to make sure they attend, downtown is a madhouse when they roll up and most importantly — they are always scrutinized.
So when fans find out Garcia messed up, it’s a huge deal. And when fans find out he is potentially off of the team — even huger deal.
And yes, his violations are serious ones, and yes, he has messed up before, but I have a feeling it’s not the last we will see of Garcia. He is a leader and big brother to the entire team, and most of us have never cheered for a team without SG.
So Gamecock Nation is full of mixed emotions this week, but I’ll remain #teamgarcia. Because underneath the football uniform, he is just a student. And we mess up all the time.
