CHAPEL HILL – P.J. Hairston’s citation for reckless driving Sunday afternoon outside Salisbury adds to his June arrest for possession of marijuana and driving without a license in which the charges were dropped and a speeding charge from May.
“This is stupid,” Chapelboro.com’s Art Chansky says. “I can’t think of another word.”
Chansky is also the host of Sport’s Notebook on WCHL.
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Chansky says perception now plays a major role in the future of Carolina basketball and Hairston’s role in it.
“Well, I think Roy was in a tough situation to begin with, because even though all the charges were dropped, we’re still–as we’ve talked about for many weeks now–we’re still talking about the perception and appearance for the sake of the University, which is maybe something that should not be heaped on one player,” Chansky says. “But, nevertheless, it’s kind of an ongoing story with our athletic department.”
UNC Athletics released a statement Sunday evening stating Hairston is suspended from the team indefinitely. Before Sunday’s citation and before the June 5 charges were dismissed, the only other statement released by Williams said in part, “PJ and I have had several discussions already and he knows he has made serious mistakes and there will be serious consequences as a result.”
“What comes of this now, I think, is going to depend on how P.J. reacts to this and how Roy and Bubba Cunningham decide how they want to proceed because of just what it looks like,” Chansky says.
Mr. Hairston should invest in a BICYCLE and use that (and his fleet feet and the free bus system in Chapel Hill) as his transportation. Mr. Hairston and cars just do not mix well.
Art,
We love you like a brother man, but your comments fall short. Roy and the university wimped out with this kids’ antics long ago. He needs to be gone and get his tall and skinny self on to the NBA as soon as possible. Based on what Carolina and Carolina Basketball are supposed to represent, we can have no more public dealings with this guy. If Roy and others among the UNC eco-system love him like they intimate, let them, show that love out of the press, limelight and blogosphere. PJ can go on to distinguiush himself elsewhere as a person or else he can go on to lead the life of a Michael Jordan or Julius Peppers.
Jordan and Peppers have not distinguished themselves as person?
Just like Angelo Dundee told Sugar Ray Leonard in the first Hearns fight, “your blowing it kid.”
I think P.J. has to go. He seemingly does not know how to represent a well known university like the University of North Carolina. He should have realized after the June incident that he needed to get himself straighten out. However he seems to think I got out of that one I’ll get out of this one too. I know the old saying one bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch but in this case I beg to differ. It does spoil the whole bunch and gives give us a bad reputation. So I hope they do the right thing and dismiss P.J. from the basketball program at UNC and let us move on.
I agree with Art, who I went to UNC with too many years ago. Only Roy can really make this call. I would like to think that keeping him in the program, suspending him for the first 5 or 6 games, first man of the bench in Dec & early Jan. Then on the court full time for the rest of the season would work well for PJ and Carolina, but only if PJ is smart enough to grab the life ring he’s been thrown and I’m worried he may not be that smart.
Stupid is as stupid does . . . 1/2 arrogance + 1/2 stupidity = dismissal and good riddance. UNC must do better than continue to allow a few athletes disgrace an otherwise great university.