Ouch. Yeatman is suspended for the season.
"You can say William Yeatman is a sad kid," Bonnie Yeatman, Will's mother, said early Wednesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. "That's the truth."
I was guessing that this would be the result, but hoping it would not. I really didn't expect Res Life to go easy here - not after the first issue. I feel bad for Will, but I also get the Admin's position. Both sides here are 'right' in one way or another.
Res Life's position is this:
- You got arrested for a DUI last year, you knew the terms of your deal with the courts, you broke them. You lose. Really, you should've just bailed on the parties during the probationary term of the sentencing. It's not that hard - just skip a few sausage fests with a bunch of Natty and chill and play PS3 and lift some weights on the weekends. I dunno what you'd do Saturday nights, but drinking shouldn't be one of them. Unless it's in your room, with only 2-3 good friends that won't tell anyone.
Yeatman's is probably something like this:
- Give me a freaking break. There are rumors that I drove a golf cart and not a car (which makes the DUI NOT a real DUI in my book - that's me, not Will), and I blew a .02 at that party. .02!!!! I can get as big a buzz from cough syrup. I sipped a beer for 30 seconds - I only had it in my hand so I felt comfortable (who EVER feels comfortable without a beer in hand at a party?)
His dad apparently agrees:
"Will had a .02 [blood-alcohol content at the party]," Dennis Yeatman said, according to the Tribune. "The other charges were dropped. There's never been a police report filed. And Will is an exceptionally good kid, admired by everybody, gets along with everybody. He's being suspended for a .02 BAC. After all he's been through, it appears to be a disproportionate penalty for college student."
Side Note: I take a small issue with Mr. Yeatman saying "after all he's been through" here - the kid put himself through 'all' of that.
Anyway, both sides are somewhat right. It's a joke that that party was broken up in the way it was, and it's a joke that he's being penalized so severely for POTENTIALLY 1) driving a golf cart on campus while underage drunk and 2) blowing a .02 underage. (Note: if it was a real DUI, this punishment and more was deserved). But, it's also not ridiculous for a kid to go a single season (or even half a season) without getting into more trouble due to alcohol.
I feel bad for the kid, but the admin was in a tough spot with the legal charges going on and all. I don't know that they could do much else. This guy needs to avoid alcohol like the plague until he's 21. And probably then too. Hopefully he uses this as motivation to 1) not drink 2) lift and run 3) study hard 4) come back next year and be better than ever.
The Natty just ain't any good anyway son.
By domer.mq October 15, 2008 - 3:04 pm
I’ve heard a lot of conflicting things about the DUI. If it really was on a golf cart, well… I dunno. Stupid? Yeah. But I’m not sure I’ve ever driven a golf cart as an adult and not had a beer in the cup holder.
I’ve heard conflicting things on that though. It may just be an urban legend. It may not. Some of the things I’ve heard about his .02 arrest make me wonder if he’ll sue the heck out of the SBPD and/or excise police.
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By ic lion October 16, 2008 - 11:24 am
I’m late to the whole Yeatman saga so I’ve been trying to catch up on what all went down. Again, I see a blog/chat comment about Yeatman driving a golf cart as opposed to a car in the DUI. Which is true? EVERY SINGLE published story from a news source says “vehicle” or “car.” Is the media sensationalizing the story? That being said, the only “golf cart” mentions online are from blogs and user comments. So which one is right? And if you tell me golf cart, you better back it with something more than “believe me, I know a guy who knows a guy. . . “
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By The Biscuit October 16, 2008 - 11:38 am
ic lion – we don’t know. that’s why i said ‘rumors’. because it’s a rumor. if we knew, we’d tell you.
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By domer.mq October 16, 2008 - 11:45 am
ic lion,
I have no idea if it was a car or a golf cart. I’ve heard both through so many forms of communication I can’t even count. By the way, how did a reader get my cell number?
But I will counter with this: I haven’t seen a local SB paper or Chicago paper say it was a car. It’s always “vehicle.” Maybe I’ve just missed “car,” but I’ve been on the lookout.
If it was a car, then it was a severely stupid thing to do, and the punishment must be harsh. I think the punishment, as is, is appropriate for a car. I just wish someone with access would get the facts straight.
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By ic lion October 16, 2008 - 1:04 pm
All I’m saying is that every indication in print is that the Yeatman DUI involves him driving a car, yet Irish fans are so quick to absolve him because of some wild golf-cart-chase rumor. Does anyone have any real backing for that? If not, shame on ND fans for diminishing the seriousness of a DUI incident that involves a football player.
Domer.mq-
I know the Journal Gazette (Ft. Wayne) references Yeatman being accused of reckless driving in a car http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/SPORTS0302/746160500
Also, the story that the AP ran (referenced by SB news sources) says he was accused of driving a car. The writer is an ND alum. http://www.wsbt.com/sports/local/16090517.html
And like I said, I’ve only heard golf cart in one form of communication- blog comments.
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By Ska October 16, 2008 - 1:07 pm
A golf cart is not a licensed vehicle in the state of Indiana, so a DUI could not be charged. Same would go for a moped, also an unlicensed vehicle. This law was put into effect by a local state rep who was frequently being stopped, after leaving a tavern that he owned, by police who did not like him.
Must be a lot of saintly Res Life individuals that never had a underage alcoholic beverage. It must also be assumed that any Res Life member also has saintly children. Jeff Carroll of the South Bend Bugle should also be included in this holier than thou group, due to the Will bashing article he wrote in the Thursday paper. Kelly Green should give him another Asshat award.
Will’s .02 arrest happened off campus, and he was not driving at the time. Why is ND Res Life even involved? If he was drunk and causing trouble, OK. But this is not the case.
Breathalyzers are notorious for false readings. Mouth rinses can set them off, for example. Twenty year olds love to socialize. Keeping them locked away on a Friday or Saturday night is impossible. The punishment for this incident, in my opinion, is in the looney range.
Keep in mind that Tim Cleveland who heads up these raids is the same guy who busted the Buns for having a private Super Bowl football board party. He was really really proud of that bust. Busting ND students for having a beer is so ridiculously easy work he should be ashamed. Not Tim, he is proud, proud. He gets to round up bunches of beer swilling, unsavory ND students, keeping the streets of South Bend safe.
The lesson learned: hanging out at a student off campus house after ten or eleven o’clock at night is not a good idea in South Bend, unless you are being extremely discreet. And never with a large number of fellow students.
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By domer.mq October 16, 2008 - 1:12 pm
ic lion,
Fair enough. Thanks for the links.
I don’t think anyone’s trying to diminish the seriousness of a DUI. It’s just that the rumors became pretty rampant, and the rumors were coming to us in ways other than blog comments. That, and we’re pretty weary about the commitment to accuracy and detail of most journalists who cover ND (certain ND alums included). The bit about the car having the lights off is pretty specific, though, so perhaps Coyne did his homework and actually read a police report.
As I said before, if the incident involved a car, then the punishment fits the crime.
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By ic lion October 16, 2008 - 1:17 pm
Agreed, and I’ll leave it at that. Its unfortunate that Yeatman got caught in the raid though. Can’t really excuse a second offense when you know you are on a short leash, but it sounds like the busting was flat out unfair.
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By domer.mq October 16, 2008 - 1:23 pm
What’s sort of funny is that, at least from my perspective, the raid is more upsetting than the Yeatman thing. Yeatman’s just a bummer. The fact that there was a _raid_ on a house party – not a simple bust, not just the cops breaking up a party and maybe citing some kids but a _raid_ – where they actually bothered to bus ND students to jail is just mind-blowing. Really upsetting. I’ve written letters to ND about it. And I’ve written letters to various South Bend businesses I know count on ND traffic to let them know while this ridiculousness continues, I wont spend any money in South Bend.
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