Former sports editor (& SJ.com poster) arrested in connection with bank robbery

If you Google his name, this link is the seventh hit.

 

Re: Former sports editor (& SportsJournalists.com poster) arrested in connection with bank robb

Doug,

I respect you. A lot. But I don't know why the need for the past tense there.

Of course, I don't know all of the particulars of your relationship with Mario. But someone in this boat probably needs his friends more than ever.

I'm not saying the entire Newport News newsroom should run down to the pokey and do an intervention, but I hope some people are lining up behind him. I hope there are people there who would answer his call if he made one to them.

I've been skittish about this whole discussion, too, but I will say this: It takes quite a few things to make a guy wanna rob a bank.

Whatever pushes someone to that edge is none of our business, for the most part. I just hope that Mario has folks out there for him, though.

I'm starting to wonder if that's the case.

 

I am tired of all the BS talk about this and felt as if I should make a post. Here's what I think:

We've all had strife in our lives, we've all had to overcome things or had uphill battles. But, we haven't robbed a God damned bank. I don't care if you want to say there was an addiction, or mental illness or personal strife or whatever. It is what it is, the guy willingly and of his own accord robbed a f'ing bank.

He deserves to be sitting in jail, and then he deserves the punishment (in terms of prison confinement) that bank robbers normally get.

I've overcome a lot to get to where I am in life and do not feel sorry, one bit, for someone who chooses to turn to crime. It sounds simple, but he made this choice, no one made his walk in that damn bank.

Sorry, this thread was frustrating me.

 

It's frustrating me, too.

Seems like we're trying to talk about some bigger issues on here in direct reference to this case, when I don't know if we should be even delving into someone's personal life in that way.

Again, apologies for anyone offended/befuddled/confused.

 

So we can't have empathy for someone?

He's part of the SportsJournalists.com family.

If someone in your family screws up, can't you still support them in some way? Try to understand?

Is anyone saying they should let the guy go and he shouldn't spend a day in jail.

People who knew him say he was a nice guy.

Perhaps that is clouding their judgment.

This thread frustrates me, too.

 

The "he's a nice guy" line is pretty damn vague and subjective.

Why don't you go do this: Go ask the teller who went to work that day to make an honest buck to feed his/her family and got the sh!t scared out of them if this clown was "a nice guy"

 

Damn, especially for someone with 13 posts.

 

He's just brimming with Christian love.

This is a very disturbing story even if you don't know the guy.

Notepad notwithstanding, we're all capable of doing desperate things under the right circumstances. The guy must have been at his wit's end.

 

Sorry.
I didn't know that my number of posts was directly tied to the validity of my opinion.

Also, you say "tact" while I choose to look at it as "the truth hurts."

I don't mean to hurt feelings, I'm simply not going to mince words in my opinion on this.

 

So you're against bank robbery? Congrats. I'm sure the pope will be sending your sainthood sticker shortly.

 

Yes, I'm against bank robbery...and also the people who choose to partake in it. Answer me this, why am I being vilified for my opinion? What if the guy was some homeless alcoholic who lived under a bridge...would we be so quick to defend him? I'm sure that homeless man would have the exact same chance (if not better) of having a mental illness/alcohol/drug issue.

 

and again, ask that clerk if he/she thought it was a toy gun and if that experience was, in even the least, fun.