USC has suspended running back Marc Tyler from team activities, the season opener against Minnesota, and possibly more, for the latest in a series of alcohol-related incidents. Tyler made the mistake of giving an interview while sloshed last week, and now he’s paying the price.
In the interview caught on camera outside a night club, an obviously plastered Tyler talked about USC players nailing Kim Kardashian and getting paid. I didn’t post the interview here because I thought it was somewhat unfair — the kid was just hammered outside a club, so his words didn’t mean too much to me. I also thought he was put in a bad spot by the interviewer. Nevertheless he should be held responsible for what he says, and it’s his fault he got drunk and lost his judgment.
It’s important to keep in mind that this is the third alcohol-related incident for Tyler, so his suspension is more the product of being drunk on camera and saying stupid things than it is about what he actually said in the interview. Tyler was already in trouble for spitting on another student while he was drunk, and he was investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at a bar. You can essentially call this a final straw for Tyler.
Also, new AD Pat Haden is in charge, and he doesn’t mess around. Between Tyler, Dillon Baxter, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and O.J. Simpson, USC running backs are carving out a new legacy, and it’s not a flattering one.
