Westerman charged re: alleged nightclub incident

[B.C.FAN]

A player doesn't have to be convicted of a criminal offence to bring disrespect to the B.C. Lions. He doesn't even have to be charged. IIRC Ray Jacobs wasn't charged when Surrey RCMP found him in the company of others in a car with what was believed to be cocaine. I don't think he lasted long after that. The club is entitled to protect its good name, and that can include fining or otherwise disciplining the player, or trading or releasing him.

[swervynmerv]

One job to do as a professional athlete when you hit the town at night:

Don't throw a punch.

Unfathomable

A 25 year old at a bar with a few drinks in him, I'll guess, and throwing a punch; it is quite fathomable.

This kid is still learning to be a pro, so I'm not too bent out of shape over it as long as he learns from it. OTOH, those Rider vets who got charged with aggravated assault last season should have known better. Did they get any team discipline? I'm not sure but I don't think so.

You are right, both Taj Smith and Dwight Anderson played the entire season without suspension even though the Riders may be the only club in the CFL to have a "code of conduct" that all players/staff must adhere to after the Eric Tilman incident.

Infact, Taj Smith is still playing after being formally charged during the pre-season and is awaiting trial. Charges against Anderson were dropped.

It is a dicey call. If you suspend a player and he is never formally charged, just accused, then that is not right in my opinion. You are innocent til proven guilty in our justice system. However, if Westerman, becomes charged with the offence, then he should not be playing IMO.

[notahomer]

A player doesn't have to be convicted of a criminal offence to bring disrespect to the B.C. Lions. He doesn't even have to be charged. IIRC Ray Jacobs wasn't charged when Surrey RCMP found him in the company of others in a car with what was believed to be cocaine. I don't think he lasted long after that. The club is entitled to protect its good name, and that can include fining or otherwise disciplining the player, or trading or releasing him.

We're talking about this instead of other things including all the wonderful things BC Lions players do AS REPRESENTATIVES of the Lions and themselves (speaking, volunteering etc....). Westerman probably does some of these things too. I'm all for a penalty of some sort just to remind you to stay out of those 'types of situations'. That will help not only Westerman but maybe another player.

[DanoT]

A player doesn't have to be convicted of a criminal offence to bring disrespect to the B.C. Lions. He doesn't even have to be charged. IIRC Ray Jacobs wasn't charged when Surrey RCMP found him in the company of others in a car with what was believed to be cocaine. I don't think he lasted long after that. The club is entitled to protect its good name, and that can include fining or otherwise disciplining the player, or trading or releasing him.

We're talking about this instead of other things including all the wonderful things BC Lions players do AS REPRESENTATIVES of the Lions and themselves (speaking, volunteering etc....). Westerman probably does some of these things too. I'm all for a penalty of some sort just to remind you to stay out of those 'types of situations'. That will help not only Westerman but maybe another player.

I agree with you, notahomer, and I think that the Lions did just the right thing by making Westerman a healthy scratch. It sends a message but does not cost the player any $. It also sends a message to other players.

I also think that there is a message to the fans that the Lions operate on a higher standard of public behaviour for their players than the rough Riders.

[MikeAK]

I have a lot of understanding for this type of indecent. Especially from a young man with money living the dream in the big city. We also don't know how it all went down. Hopefully he learns how to be a pro and an adult, and how not to place yourself into these type of situations, before it effects his pro career. I am a Lions fan first and foremost and believe the club should be represented with class, but boys will be boys sometimes and I hope we aren't to hard on the kid. We have seen far worse from people and this ranks very low on my care meter. Lets all focus on the 8th.

[Shi Zi Mi]

I'm wondering how much of the Lions reaction/over reaction is predicated on Westerman's refusal to sign a contract extension......and will we see a trade of Westerman in the very near future with the Lions hoping the fan base's outrage is tempered by this incident?

[MikeAK]

I'm wondering how much of the Lions reaction/over reaction is predicated on Westerman's refusal to sign a contract extension......and will we see a trade of Westerman in the very near future with the Lions hoping the fan base's outrage is tempered by this incident?

I have to say, if that is the way the Lions are doing business these days than I have bigger concerns. That sounds like tinfoil hat territory if you ask me.

[Toppy Vann]

I'm wondering how much of the Lions reaction/over reaction is predicated on Westerman's refusal to sign a contract extension......and will we see a trade of Westerman in the very near future with the Lions hoping the fan base's outrage is tempered by this incident?

Your thinking is EXACTLY why I raised my eyebrows on this action and LU's article had noted that but stops short of connecting the dots.

1. Messam was a big rookie signing when it came out that he was charged with assault and later convicted. Wally took the presumption of innocence line.

2. Messam by then a solid contributor and non-import fought Paris Jackson over a parking pass and Wally squashed the story in the media by downplay it and said that the dressing room was the players. (IF they smoked weed and did crack would he have said that?)
What was known much later was that Jackson' JAW WAS BROKEN. << The Lions never said Jackson's jaw was broken but we fans saw him not doing so well playing after that - that year.

Tinfoil territory is thinking that the court case is even going to be held during this football season UNLESS the player decides to plead guilty and get it over with but that can't happen at this next appearance. A judge these days cannot speed the guy to trial and sentence him as that is not how the justice system works any more. Those days are gone. Assault cases drag out for year or more.

Tinfoil territory is thinking that these wonderful football manager types wouldn't be frustrated at a guy not making a commitment!

[QB Club 63]

I think it has become well-known the kid (Westerman) has a case of the Foley Flu (or is it Pottinger's Syndrome? MCD - Matt Carter Disease?) and he'd rather be playing his football a lot closer to home in Brampton. Would it be feasible/possible to trade him to the Arrrrgos for someone like, say, Cleyon Laing? DL for DL, National for National, same age, but I'm not sure if Laing (9th pick in 2012) has as much potential.

Failing that, what are the odds we could convince the Tabbies to swap Westerman even up for Ted Laurent?

[Shi Zi Mi]

Who I was thinking is Mike Edem......he's been regulated to backup/STs in Montreal.......and Lord knows the Als need a shake up of some kind. I don't know the extent of Josh Bourke's injury but he was really upset coming off the field this week.......so the Als may be in the market for a NI starter.

[WestCoastJoe]

Athletes and night clubs = a dangerous mix. These guys are targets for others.

[sj-roc]

Athletes and night clubs = a dangerous mix. These guys are targets for others.

That might have been so in the Ssk incident last season. In at least one article I recall reader comments speculating on streetgang recruits allegedly instigating fights with Rider players as their initiation. On the same morning Smith & Anderson had their first court appearance, the guy on the other end of whatever happened in that incident also has his own appearance in the same court building as a defendant to drug-related charges.

There was also the nightclub incident in Winnipeg a few years ago where an altercation ended with at least one Blue Bomber sustaining serious enough injury to miss the next game regardless of any team discipline that might have been imposed.

With everyone and his dog having cell phone cameras these days, I'm kind of surprised no video of Westerman seems to have surfaced yet.

[Lions4ever]

The incident occurred after the first home game, June 29th, so he's played 4 games since then.

I don't agree with punishing players for "alleged" misconduct......in a country where innocent until PROVEN guilty is supposed to be the accepted norm, this practise of "guilty by pointed finger", I find particularly distasteful. The media has a way of bending the truth to make a story more exciting/controversial for their benefit and fans base their opinion on what the media tells them. Many instances of false accusations/bogus charges from law enforcement/misguided condemnation from fans have occurred in the past.

I would like to see the Lions take a "wait and see" attitude with ALL these types of incidents......then take the appropriate action AFTER the player has been CONVICTED of a crime.

I profoundly disagree with this. Charlie Strong at Texas has dismissed 7 players already, some of which were sexual assault allegations. He's not waiting for the courts. They're gone. Buh-bye. You're done.

This organization has been very vocal about backing the "Break The Silence" campaign on domestic violence and one of their guys is implicated in an alleged punch up at a bar? (Who cares who the other party was...it's irrelevant to the act IMO). Get rid of him .... NOW!

EDIT: I should say that I certainly believe in second chances. He can have his somewhere else.

[Shi Zi Mi]

The incident occurred after the first home game, June 29th, so he's played 4 games since then.

I don't agree with punishing players for "alleged" misconduct......in a country where innocent until PROVEN guilty is supposed to be the accepted norm, this practise of "guilty by pointed finger", I find particularly distasteful. The media has a way of bending the truth to make a story more exciting/controversial for their benefit and fans base their opinion on what the media tells them. Many instances of false accusations/bogus charges from law enforcement/misguided condemnation from fans have occurred in the past.

I would like to see the Lions take a "wait and see" attitude with ALL these types of incidents......then take the appropriate action AFTER the player has been CONVICTED of a crime.

I profoundly disagree with this. Charlie Strong at Texas has dismissed 7 players already, some of which were sexual assault allegations. He's not waiting for the courts. They're gone. Buh-bye. You're done.

This organization has been very vocal about backing the "Break The Silence" campaign on domestic violence and one of their guys is implicated in an alleged punch up at a bar? (Who cares who the other party was...it's irrelevant to the act IMO). Get rid of him .... NOW!

EDIT: I should say that I certainly believe in second chances. He can have his somewhere else.

Wow......so it wouldn't matter if he was innocent of all charges......punish him anyway !!

[Toppy Vann]

The incident occurred after the first home game, June 29th, so he's played 4 games since then.

I don't agree with punishing players for "alleged" misconduct......in a country where innocent until PROVEN guilty is supposed to be the accepted norm, this practise of "guilty by pointed finger", I find particularly distasteful. The media has a way of bending the truth to make a story more exciting/controversial for their benefit and fans base their opinion on what the media tells them. Many instances of false accusations/bogus charges from law enforcement/misguided condemnation from fans have occurred in the past.

I would like to see the Lions take a "wait and see" attitude with ALL these types of incidents......then take the appropriate action AFTER the player has been CONVICTED of a crime.

I profoundly disagree with this. Charlie Strong at Texas has dismissed 7 players already, some of which were sexual assault allegations. He's not waiting for the courts. They're gone. Buh-bye. You're done.

This organization has been very vocal about backing the "Break The Silence" campaign on domestic violence and one of their guys is implicated in an alleged punch up at a bar? (Who cares who the other party was...it's irrelevant to the act IMO). Get rid of him .... NOW!

EDIT: I should say that I certainly believe in second chances. He can have his somewhere else.

What you are missing here is the bigger picture. Wait and see is what the Nittany Lions seemed to do at Penn State and that has cost an awful lot of good people their jobs and in Joe Paterno's case - likely an early, sad death.

Universities who want to keep their alumni donors happy as in the USA that is HUGE must take action like this.

The BC Lions during 'don't do violence to women' ads by Wally had the Paris Jackson jaw breaking and it was said to be - the players room. At that time Messam was a vital member of the team and it was put down to 'boys will be boys.'

The Lions released NO information as I recall and the seriousness of the injury did not come out until AFTER the season when Jackson spoke of his year long struggles. That jaw had a huge impact on his career and stock as a player. Jackson might have been the perpetrator - who knows.

If that was the team's starting QB who might have been in that situation I think the Lions would have spun this another way.