Letter to the quarterback

Dear Stephen Garcia, you will probably never read this, but there are a few things you ought to hear. You, the whole Gamecock Nation, and a good bit of the media are well aware that this is your fifth suspension since January 2007. The aforementioned group is also well aware that this most recent suspension could have easily been avoided with an ounce of self-discipline.

In case you haven't been informed of this before, the quarterback is supposed to be a leader, a position that both the rest of the team and the fans look to for guidance on the field. Yes, everybody knows you are only a college student and simply human, but what you don't realize is that once you signed that letter of intent with the team, you signed on to be an ambassador to Gamecock Football and the University of South Carolina. Obviously your behavior was not standing up to these high standards. Being a leader is about much more than holding the "cool," important position on the team, it is about setting an example and living it on and OFF the field.

How long is it going to take you to realize that whatever you are doing to get into trouble isn't worth it? Every time you mess up, you let down your teammates, your coaches, and the thousands of garnet and black clad fans that fill Williams-Brice Stadium during the fall. This routine is getting very old very fast and it isn't going to cut it in the real world. We as fans want to see the team succeed and be victorious, but the individual player and their well being come first.

You have greatly disappointed this Gamecock fan. I know you have an extreme amount of talent that you are wasting away with bad press and bad judgment. After promising not to mess up again, your latest controversy has cost you the respect most Gamecock fans including myself had for you. What are you going to do about that? Stephen Garcia, this punishment is indefinite, when is enough going to be enough?