What should be done with athletes facing jail time?

Hernandez facing murder charge

Ranger facing rape charge

My West Coast connection 'Necksy' has a beef. He wants to know why Nile Ranger can play for Swindon in League One (that's English soccer), but Aaron Hernandez can’t play for the New England Patriots (that's American football) despite both facing major jail time.

Ranger is facing a rape trial for an alleged incident in Newcastle, while the former England Under-19 striker was with the Premier League team.

Slightly different, but Hernandez is in prison for the alleged murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro American football player.

Yes, one is in England and one is in America; one is alleged murder and one alleged rape; one is Swindon and the other a big team; but it begs the question, should athletes be allowed to continue playing sport while facing any type of criminal charge?

This interesting article on the BBC highlights the plight of Ilombe Mboyo, a young Belgian footballer who was convicted of rape, but then missed out on a move to the Premier League after serving his time. If a player (or any person) has completed the punishment for their crime, shouldn’t they be allowed to go about their life? But what about someone who is arrested and accused of a crime?

Innocent until proven guilty? Or trial by media?

It’s obvious that Nile Ranger is no saint, he calls himself 'Da Realist' for a start, and has convictions for assault and robbery among others, but he’s allowed to play and earn as a professional athlete. Hernandez is not, but is that due to the overwhelming evidence? The intense media scrutiny? Varying image issues/standpoints across the pond?

It’s an interesting debate, and unfortunately one I think will remain in the public domain while young men are paid stupid amounts of money to play sport, the majority of whom are undereducated, overhyped and on the rise.

It's a discussion that is much bigger than a blog post, that's for sure.

In a world of giants

We've all lied about our height

I'm sure it's Fellaini's hair that makes him look that big

Ok, so we've all exaggerated about how big we are (although some of us don't need to!), but Mathieu Valbuena is pushing it if he claims to be 5ft 6'.

Kompany and Fellaini are big boys (keep it clean), but this pic almost looks like an optical illusion. The Frenchman makes Iniesta, Messi and Xavi look like giants too, and can't imagine he'd even reach Peter Crouch's waist - ok, too much, most of you belong in the gutter anyway!

Poyet causing a stink at Brighton?

Bizarre sacking of Brighton manager

Maybe the 45 year-old Uruguayan was caught short

I was deep in conversation with my west coast Geezer Necksy last night when he informed me of perhaps the most bizarre sacking of a football manager I can recall.

I have to admit that the research and google searches were not easy to type and the browsing history had to be deleted a few times before I was comfortable.

Gus Poyet was sacked by Brighton & Hove Albion back in June, along with his assistant manager and first team coach. He also found out about it live while working as a pundit for the BBC during Spain vs Nigeria in the Confederations Cup.

He said at the time ‘It’s a great story for the BBC. I’m probably the first for this to happen to on live TV.’

Although his departure was initially linked to the ex-Chelsea and Tottenham player’s desire to move on and coach a bigger club, rumors are now surfacing that Poyet did, or asked one of his staff, to take a dump on the away team’s dressing room floor. During the alleged incident (not literally during Poyet squatting there), Brighton lost to Crystal Palace in the Championship playoffs, missed out on the Premier League and Poyet and his staff never returned to Brighton, with a smear placed on his record (sorry).

I have no idea if these rumors are true, and what would motivate a grown man to lay a cable on the floor. It's not like Ian Holloway (the Palace manager) would have been intimidated - he's batsh*t crazy anyway. 

Sh*t happens, but here’s the question – does it get worse than dropping anchor in the other team’s changing room, then getting fired live on TV as a consequence? I’m sure it does, but would love to hear those stories - i just wouldn't want to search the internet for them.