This is bound to make the rounds, so . . .

[Clockwork Orange]

Tyler Bray in court for "reckless boating".

I wish kids didn't do dangerous things on the lake, but they do. I can't wait for this one to be blown out of proportion. It's another example of Bray lacking maturity off the field, but yet another thing that means nothing in the grand scheme.

BTW . . . "Class C misdemeanor for failure to have a boating education certificate" . . . how many people out on the water in jet skis have one of these?

[droner]

No, this one thing isn't that big of a deal, although pretty danged stupid. But now that's two "not a big deal" things. At some point he has to grow up.

[ReVOLver]

Yawn.

[Clockwork Orange]

No, this one thing isn't that big of a deal, although pretty danged stupid. But now that's two "not a big deal" things. At some point he has to grow up.

That's how I feel. If a Class A misdemeanor reckless boating charge was filed every time a 20-year old showed off on a jet ski, TWRA could triple its staff and gold-plate its enforcement vessels. It's a non-story that's more than a month old, but I still would like to see slightly better judgment from Tyler given his high profile (and considering how highly his future depends on his health).

EDIT: Let me add that the statement on his judgment and risking his health are predicated on his actions truly being reckless . . . and from the story it's hard to say if they were.

[ReVOLver]

That's how I feel. If a Class A misdemeanor reckless boating charge was filed every time a 20-year old showed off on a jet ski, TWRA could triple its staff and gold-plate its enforcement vessels. It's a non-story that's more than a month old, but I still would like to see slightly better judgment from Tyler given his high profile (and considering how highly his future depends on his health).

Prediction: If Tyler plays all year and UT goes 10-2, nobody will ever refer to this again. If he doesn't play well, people will say it's because of stuff like this. Either way it has little to do with anything.

[Clockwork Orange]

Prediction: If Tyler plays all year and UT goes 10-2, nobody will ever refer to this again. If he doesn't play well, people will say it's because of stuff like this. Either way it has little to do with anything.

Without a doubt. The media and fans are poised to jump on things right now, and the only thing that loosens that up is a good season.

[10EC]

Tyler Bray in court for "reckless boating".
"Class C misdemeanor for failure to have a boating education certificate"

WTH is that?? I have been on Loudon my whole life and have never heard of a boating education certificate.

[10EC]

Ahh

Any Tennessee resident born after January 1, 1989 must show the TWRA-issued wallet Boating Safety Education Certificate as proof of successful completion of the TWRA Boating Safety exam.

Still, I never knew this one.

[EmerilVOL]

First of all this is totally one of those issues that should have never been an issue.  I happen to have seen Jet Ski riders do this shizzle so many times it is totally a crappy thing for the TWRA officer to write up.  First of all people ride Jet Skis like the article described all the time and it really sounds like the TWRA Officer knew who he was dealing with when he got close to Bray and the others on the Jet Skis.  The point about he "did not know it was Tyler Bray" smacks of "justification".  I have seen riders on Jet Skis pull around TWRA boats and act the fool right in front of them more times than I can count on everybody's toes and fingers on this board.  For this guy to have "ticketed" Bray is a total bunch of BULLCRAP! 

I know I live right there on the main channel of the Fort Loudon Dam and boat over into Tellico often and I have seen shizzle that makes what the officer claims to be totally a over the top response from the officer.

[BigOrange Maniac]

First of all this is totally one of those issues that should have never been an issue.  I happen to have seen Jet Ski riders do this shizzle so many times it is totally a crappy thing for the TWRA officer to write up.  First of all people ride Jet Skis like the article described all the time and it really sounds like the TWRA Officer knew who he was dealing with when he got close to Bray and the others on the Jet Skis.  The point about he "did not know it was Tyler Bray" smacks of "justification".  I have seen riders on Jet Skis pull around TWRA boats and act the fool right in front of them more times than I can count on everybody's toes and fingers on this board.  For this guy to have "ticketed" Bray is a total bunch of BULLCRAP! 

I know I live right there on the main channel of the Fort Loudon Dam and boat over into Tellico often and I have seen shizzle that makes what the officer claims to be totally a over the top response from the officer.

I think you're wrong. I know a bunch of TWRA officers and while some are grade-A jerks, most of them treat everybody fairly. They might be hardasses, but they're a hardass on every one. I practically live on the lake during the summer and I have seen a LOT of people getting citations, especially people on PWCs. If you were born after '89 and you haven't taken a boater education course, they're going to give you a ticket...just like they'll give me a ticket if they see me in the woods toting a rifle without having taken a hunter education course since I was born after '69. (Yes, they do ask to see my hunter ed certificate every time they check me, just like they ask to see the boater ed certificate for every boater they stop who is young enough to meet the requirement.) And I'll guarantee you that you haven't seen anyone on a jet ski hot-dogging around a TWRA officer without being stopped. Reckless driving on PWCs is a major point of emphasis for TWRA because of the number of injuries involved. This is especially true on holiday weekends such as July 4 when the lake is more crowded. Also, I'm an avid fan, and if I'm on the water and I see a guy on a PWC 50 yards away, I'm not going to be able to tell if he's a UT player, especially if he's a skinny white guy. Once the officer stopped him, he would be neglecting his duties if he didn't give him a citation just because of who he was.

I like football and I like guys who bleed orange, but I roll my eyes every time I see someone making excuses for these kids. It isn't the officer's fault Tyler was being foolish. And I've seen so many guys on these PWCs doing stupid things around boats carrying families, or around kids who are swimming in the water, that I'm glad to see when they're ticketed.

Anyway, a Class A misdemeanor is a fairly serious offense, but taken in and of itself, it would be a major yawner. But when you add it in with the bottle-throwing incident, a pattern starts to become evident. I don't think a guy having a little too much fun on a jet ski is going to be any less of a QB or any less of a team leader because he acted foolishly on the water...I've done it, and I dare say the majority of folks who have ridden jet skis have done it. But as droner said, Bray is going to have to grow up at some point. He's gotta recognize that he's a junior QB in the SEC and is a team leader, and as such everything he does is going to be under a microscope.

[EmerilVOL]

I happen to know several TWRA officers also since I live within a stone's throw of the Fort Loudon dam and they are always on the main channel of Fort Loudon religously.  I have been checked many times and we might have a beer on the boat but every one of the officers will just say be careful and will not be jerks about having a beer on the boat when we are sitting in a cove fishing or whatever.  I have been checked many times since I am on the water quite a bit (especially during the summer)  and always the officer will ask to see our fishing lcenses and our catches and if we have caught an "illegal fish" he will not ticket us (and according to the TWRA manual he can ticket us for illegal fishing. 

I am not making excuses because Bray is a player since I have seen this same kind of thing happen more than you can count on your fingers and toes on any weekend.  In fact I will tell you that my neighbors across the street had a 15 year old son that used to ride his jet ski to the edge and the TWRA watched him from across the lake do the same kind fo shizzle that they ticketed Bray for.  I am saying that this should not have been ticketed since I have seen PWC riders do this crap all the time not just because it is Bray. 

You may not agree with me, but I will tell you it happens so many times during the summer that I have lost count of the number of tickets that the TWRA could have handed out for the same kind of crap that Bray was ticketed for and have watched the TWRA do nothing while watching it happen.

[Clockwork Orange]

The citation has been dismissed . . . I assume due to his cooperation at his court appearance.

[BigOrange Maniac]

The citation has been dismissed . . . I assume due to his cooperation at his court appearance.

Which also happens fairly frequently . . .

[Clockwork Orange]

Bray appeared briefly before Judge Rex Dale at Loudon County General Sessions Court and agreed to either make three public appearances at schools where he will promote boater safety or make a public service television commercial. He also lost his boat-driving rights for a year, must take a boating training course and pay court costs.

In exchange he did not plead guilty and if he follows the provisions of the agreement will have the record expunged on Feb. 13, 2013. He will not have to make a court appearance then.

Seems reasonable. I hope he does the school visits rather than the TV commercial.

[ReVOLver]

The citation has been dismissed . . . I assume due to his cooperation at his court appearance.

Was he dismissed under a microscope?

[ReVOLver]

Was he dismissed under a microscope?

IT not HE. 

[Clockwork Orange]

IT not HE.  

I'm not sure Tyler can so much as take a leak out from under the microscope at this point. He's the focus of an awful lot of emotion and frustration right now. That's not fair to him, but it's where things are. I don't think this goes to court or the news if it's Ainge in 2007 or Clausen in 2001 or Manning in 1996. I can't blame the KNS for reporting it, as UT fans are ready to eat up anything that looks like news, good or bad.

[VinnieVOL]

Bray just seems like a confident (cocky?) kid who likes to be out there having fun.  Some might even describe him as immature and wreckless.

Translating to the field, he's a gunslinger who takes chances and throws the ball into some "iffy" spots.  For better or for worse, we ride with Bray.  I'll take a cocky kid with NFL size and talent over a choir boy who's a game manager, anyday.  (Not that it's gotta be either or, but we've had our fair share of game managers lately and speaking for myself, I can't imagine a more frustrating offense to watch.. especially when we haven't had the defenses to dictate the tempo of the game)

[BigOrange Maniac]

Was he dismissed under a microscope?

I assume you're aiming that at me. Bray brought this on himself with the bottle-throwing incident. If that doesn't happen, this story today is never written, or if it's written no one is talking about it. There is 70+ scholarship players on this football team, and only one is making headlines for the wrong reasons.

Edit: And, not that it's what you're suggesting, but of course the citation being dismissed doesn't mean that Bray wasn't acting foolishly on his PWC. Courts dismiss citations like these more often than not (even for us commoners   ). Edit II: After reading the GVX story, I realized that the charge wasn't dismissed per se...only that he was given the chance to have it expunged from his record if he fulfills the court's requirements, which is even more common than a straight-up dismissal.

[ReVOLver]

I assume you're aiming that at me. Bray brought this on himself with the bottle-throwing incident. If that doesn't happen, this story today is never written, or if it's written no one is talking about it. There is 70+ scholarship players on this football team, and only one is making headlines for the wrong reasons.

Edit: And, not that it's what you're suggesting, but of course the citation being dismissed doesn't mean that Bray wasn't acting foolishly on his PWC. Courts dismiss citations like these more often than not (even for us commoners   ). Edit II: After reading the GVX story, I realized that the charge wasn't dismissed per se...only that he was given the chance to have it expunged from his record if he fulfills the court's requirements, which is even more common than a straight-up dismissal.

I wasn't aiming it specifically at you, but I'll be sure to let everyone know the next time Tyler gets a speeding ticket.

[BigOrange Maniac]

I wasn't aiming it specifically at you, but I'll be sure to let everyone know the next time Tyler gets a speeding ticket.

A reckless driving citation is a better comparison than a speeding ticket. But, anyway...it doesn't bother me that some people think his behavior is no big deal. What bothers me is folks getting so wrapped up in their fandom that they lash out at everyone -- from the news media to other fans to the guy who filed the charges -- rather than laying it at the feet of the very person who's responsible. If Bray doesn't go out and bust a beer bottle on a car windshield, this is completely a moot point. Fair or unfair, he and he alone made this the story that it is.

[BigOrange Maniac]

I'm not sure Tyler can so much as take a leak out from under the microscope at this point. He's the focus of an awful lot of emotion and frustration right now. That's not fair to him, but it's where things are. I don't think this goes to court or the news if it's Ainge in 2007 or Clausen in 2001 or Manning in 1996. I can't blame the KNS for reporting it, as UT fans are ready to eat up anything that looks like news, good or bad.

Wait, Tyler is being treated differently from other players? I get that he's being treated differently than other college students; that's a no-brainer. But are you saying that he's being treated unfairly because of the team's lack of success? I don't buy that for a second. If Tyler is being treated differently than other players, it's because of his actions (or maybe it's more fair to say RUMORED actions, since they've never really been substantiated) from last season. I have heard more than a few UT fans say they don't like the guy because of the whole aura surrounding the UK game last year and the lack of effort and heard that went into it. Fair? Maybe not...probably not. But this particular incident would've gone to court regardless of who it was. And I'll guarantee you that if it were Ainge or Clausen and either of them had been in the news for vandalizing a car just a couple of weeks before this came to light, it would have absolutely been in the news. THAT'S the issue here. On its own, taking a PWC out for a spin and clowning around with friends is incredibly unimportant. But here's a guy who has already been cited into court for that incident and then a couple of weeks later puts himself in an awkward position by making another dumb decision. It isn't fair that college football players are scrutinized so closely over every decision they make, but it is what it is, and if Tyler didn't know that going into this summer he certainly knows it now. So I guess the question now is whether he's learned from his mistakes. I hope so, both for his sake and the team's sake.

[ReVOLver]

Nobody should be lashing out a Tyler or anybody else, including the TWRA. Tennessee fans can make a bigger mountain out of a molehill than anybody else in the world. The only concern is whether or not this is a reflection of Tyler's ability to lead a team and I think it doesn't mean spit. 20+ years ago Carl Pickens told Majors to fizzle off and went AWOL... Tennessee fans didn't know and Tennessee fans didn't care. Now it's time to know, and not care. 

[BigOrange Maniac]

Aside from a few of the usual suspects on talk shows and messageboards, I haven't seen anyone making a mountain out of this molehill. Most people really don't seem to care except the ones who are convinced that there's a giant conspiracy by Bray haters and the media. But it's going to be discussed, and that has nothing to do with UT fans. You think this wouldn't be a topic of conversation on a UF board or a UGA board right now?

[Clockwork Orange]

Wait, Tyler is being treated differently from other players? I get that he's being treated differently than other college students; that's a no-brainer. But are you saying that he's being treated unfairly because of the team's lack of success? I don't buy that for a second. If Tyler is being treated differently than other players, it's because of his actions (or maybe it's more fair to say RUMORED actions, since they've never really been substantiated) from last season. I have heard more than a few UT fans say they don't like the guy because of the whole aura surrounding the UK game last year and the lack of effort and heard that went into it. Fair? Maybe not...probably not. But this particular incident would've gone to court regardless of who it was. And I'll guarantee you that if it were Ainge or Clausen and either of them had been in the news for vandalizing a car just a couple of weeks before this came to light, it would have absolutely been in the news. THAT'S the issue here. On its own, taking a PWC out for a spin and clowning around with friends is incredibly unimportant. But here's a guy who has already been cited into court for that incident and then a couple of weeks later puts himself in an awkward position by making another dumb decision. It isn't fair that college football players are scrutinized so closely over every decision they make, but it is what it is, and if Tyler didn't know that going into this summer he certainly knows it now. So I guess the question now is whether he's learned from his mistakes. I hope so, both for his sake and the team's sake.

Everything you just said is a factor in why he's being treated differently. The pressure and focus is on him, and some of that is his own doing (but some of it isn't-- like it or not, many UT fans are hanging their hopes around his neck).

And yes, I really do think there's a good chance that this wouldn't have seen court or print with Ainge or Clausen or Manning. Part of that has to do with Tyler's reputation and part of it with the state of the program. I'm saying this incident, in isolation, is not news 5 years ago or 10 years ago, and in a winning program the bottle incident wouldn't have been built up as much either.