Turn it around, team

As the IDS Editorial Board sat down to discuss Blake Powers’ water balloon assault on IUPD Officer Paul Wampler, we couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of the former starting quarterback hitting a moving car from the backseat of an SUV at high speed. It was only made more impressive when an analysis of the police report detailed the aqua-missile’s incredible trajectory. \nOn first thought, we wanted to give him a trophy for launching the soaking explosion through two open windows and landing squarely on the driver’s head. But even a trained officer like Wampler could have lost control of his vehicle.\nA less experienced driver with slower reflexes could have easily swerved off the road and slammed into a telephone pole or another car, causing an altogether different kind of tragedy. That the suspects had 50 more balloons in the car didn’t bode well for Powers or the three other passengers. Obviously they had been doing this for a while, or they intended to throw a lot more, or both. Any one of the projectiles might have \nkilled someone. \nPretending to be the adults we ought to be, we couldn’t excuse what Powers did, but we couldn’t condemn him alone. He had three accomplices, none of whom were charged, who all owe Powers a great deal of gratitude for unilaterally owning up to the crime. \nThis was not, however, an isolated incident. In July, two other IU football players were arrested. Linebacker Adam McClurg and offensive lineman Sean Edmundson, both seniors, found themselves in trouble with the law for failing to pay for a cab ride from \ndowntown Indianapolis.\nThat’s three players who have been involved in illegal activity, and it’s totally unacceptable. Need anyone ask themselves if Terry Hoeppner would have approved of this kind of behavior? All of these players have disgraced this school, humiliated themselves and their teammates and tarnished Coach Hep’s distinguished legacy. \nWhile we’re hesitant to draw a direct connection, we wonder if this recent mischief is tied to the Hoepnner’s passing. Word of his fatherly compassion for his players is widespread, and his absence must be all the more difficult for those closest to him, but in death he is best honored by a football team that perseveres. Only a unified team will be able to achieve, but these three players threaten to destroy everything Hoeppner worked toward. \nSo to those of you who committed these crimes – get your act together. And to the rest of the team – don’t let these players tear you apart. Self-discipline is not something you can turn on during games; it’s something you must practice, though remembering to pay for your cab and not endangering drivers isn’t terribly difficult. If you’re going to have a successful season, you need to be a team both on and off the field, not a bunch of petty crooks and hooligans. \nIU football was just starting to turn itself around. Don’t let these events ruin all your \nhard work.\nAll that said – nice throw, Powers.