Having trouble getting registered or subscribing? Email us at info@kysportsreport.com or Private Message CitizenBBN and we'll get you set up!

  • Raymond Sanders' father explains what happened with marijuana citation

    by
    LarryVaught1
    Published on 09-19-2012 05:09 PM
    2 Comments Comments
    By: LARRY VAUGHT

    Raymond Sanders
    Sanders' father went to the trouble to call me to discuss what happened with his son. A loving, caring parent. He even posted on my blog this morning. Enjoy what he had to say — and note that he said he was basing everything on what his son told him and that he believed him. And I think I would, too, knowing what I do of Raymond Sanders.

    Kentucky junior running back Raymond Sanders did not have marijuana in his possession when he was cited on that charge Thursday based on what the player told his father.

    Sanders was charged with possession of marijuana along with teammates Bookie Cobbins and Marcus Caffey and cited to appear in court Oct. 9. Sanders and Cobbins were suspended for UK’s overtime loss to Western Kentucky Saturday and have been reinstated to the team this week. Caffey is academically ineligible this season.

    Raymond Sanders Jr. said Wednesday that his son does not live at the Cooperstown Apartments with Cobbins and Caffey where the citations were issued.

    “Based on what my son told me, he stopped by their after getting a haircut. I told him if he smelled marijuana, he should not have gone inside because he had too much to lose but he said he didn’t smell anything,” Sanders Jr. said. “Now obviously I was not with him, but I believe him. He told (UK coach) Joker (Phillips) that he had one or two puffs (of marijuana) and was waiting on a ride home to his place and when he went outside the police were there and ordered him back inside.

    “He can’t wait to go to court. Joker gave him a drug test. He’s never failed a drug test at Kentucky. It hurt my heart to even hear this, but I want people to know my son is not a pot-head. Anybody can get caught in the wrong spot, wrong situation. If you do get caught, you suffer the consequences like he has. But he’s not a bad kid.”

    Sanders was a member of Beta Club and Students Against Drunk Driving at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga. He was also a three-sport standout.

    At Kentucky, he’s played in 20 games and has 562 yards rushing and 137 yards receiving. He’s scored five touchdowns and had a career-high 115 yards rushing, including a 67-yard scoring run, against Kent State in UK’s second game. He played in only four games last season because of injuries, but was one of UK’s leaders during off-season workouts.

    “He has done well this week. He has been quiet and humbled,” Phillips said Wednesday when asked about Sanders. “I think he will be fine. He is a guy that is embarrassed. He has lot of pride. He carries himself like that. His pride has been damaged and his reputation has been damaged, and rightfully so. Those things he has control of and are things he has to live with. But he has been great.”

    Sanders’ father admits it has been frustrating to read and hear that his son has possession of marijuana when he says that is not true.

    “How can the police charge him with possession (of marijuana) when none of it was his?” Sanders Jr. said. “We didn’t bring our son up that way. He is not one that will be walking around with marijuana in his pocket. He’s never failed a drug test. If he was a pot-head, he would.

    “I just want everyone to know the facts or wait and get the facts when they go to court before they judge my son. I’ve seen where people says he’s a bad kid and should be kicked off the team. But he’s not a bad kid. If he had possession of marijuana, he should be thrown off the team. But he didn’t based on what he told me.”
    1. Categories:
    2. Football
    Comments 28 Comments
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue - 09-19-2012, 01:51 PM
      Thanks very much Larry V., and if you communicate with Mr Sanders again, thank him for me as well.
    1. KSRBEvans's Avatar
      KSRBEvans - 09-19-2012, 02:12 PM
      I don't get it. He said he didn't smell marijuana and didn't possess it but had a puff or 2 of it? Is there some kind of smokeless marijuana these days? And how can you use it and not possess it to use it?

      I don't think it's as big a deal as some might, but I also think it sounds like he's not really owning what he did, either.
    1. akaukswoosh's Avatar
      akaukswoosh - 09-19-2012, 03:06 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by KSRBEvans View Post
      I don't get it. He said he didn't smell marijuana and didn't possess it but had a puff or 2 of it? Is there some kind of smokeless marijuana these days? And how can you use it and not possess it to use it?

      I don't think it's as big a deal as some might, but I also think it sounds like he's not really owning what he did, either.
      Ditto
    1. UKFlounder's Avatar
      UKFlounder - 09-19-2012, 04:12 PM
      I took it as he did not smell it before entering the apartment and did not bring his own, but once inside, he joined the party, at least for a bit

      Quote Originally Posted by KSRBEvans View Post
      I don't get it. He said he didn't smell marijuana and didn't possess it but had a puff or 2 of it? Is there some kind of smokeless marijuana these days? And how can you use it and not possess it to use it?

      I don't think it's as big a deal as some might, but I also think it sounds like he's not really owning what he did, either.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 09-19-2012, 04:14 PM
      Have read the story a couple of times. Here's what they are saying. ((parenthesis indicates something not in what is written above, but probably said anyway)).

      Son told Dad what happened. Probably slanted, wouldn't you think?

      Son's version is that he didn't have marijuana, but stopped by teammates' apartment. ((He didn't have marijuana on him, and was surprised to find marijuana there)). Father said well, if you smelled marijuana there, you shouldn't even have stopped. Son said he didn't smell it ((so he went in.))

      ((Teammates were smoking a joint, passed it around, so he just took a puff or two just to do it & not to be the outcast. But not really smoke it.)) DC note--somewhat like Bill Clinton saying he didn't inhale.

      Went outside, police were there. Told the truth when they asked.

      From father's point of view:

      a) Son shouldn't expose himself to bad situations. Tipoff was marijuana smell. But he didn't smell it
      b) When son was in, and marijuana there, not so easy to be a "teammate" and just leave/refuse.
      c) No big deal to take one or two "puffs" and nothing more. Doesn't make you a pothead any more than when I gave my 16 year old a sip of wine so they could see what it tasted like at the dinner table.
      d) Has never failed a drug test, and that's the best indicator of whether he is a marijuana smoker or not.
      e) Doesn't buy marijuana, doesn't own marijuana, just caught in a bad situation, took his lumps. No possession either, because somebody else's

      Now, argue with that if you will. But I think that's the father's viewpoint. There are some points of merit in it, although some points not as strong.
    1. KSRBEvans's Avatar
      KSRBEvans - 09-19-2012, 04:21 PM
      I think Flounder and Darrell have it nailed. Not that big a deal to me, regardless. I just like to see people admit their mistakes and move on.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 09-19-2012, 04:25 PM
      Yeah, in my cynical view, I think he probably was sitting around, smoking a blunt with a couple of friends. People have different views of how serious that is.

      I think the attempt to play it off as "I only took one or two puffs after I was surprised that marijuana was in there" just is silly, and makes it sound more serious than it is. In fact, I view that as worse.
    1. LakeCat's Avatar
      LakeCat - 09-19-2012, 04:31 PM
      My son is a state trooper, like to guess how many drunk drivers he has pulled over who only had two drinks? Sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse. Would rather they have said nothing at all than this. KRS 500.080 defines possession as"to have actual physical possession or otherwise to exercise actual dominion or control over a tangible object." IMO you pick up a doobie and smoke it you have certainly possessed it.
    1. akaukswoosh's Avatar
      akaukswoosh - 09-19-2012, 04:48 PM
      Sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse.
      yes, yes, yes.
    1. TonyRay's Avatar
      TonyRay - 09-19-2012, 05:22 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by LakeCat View Post
      My son is a state trooper, like to guess how many drunk drivers he has pulled over who only had two drinks? Sounds like the dog ate my homework excuse. Would rather they have said nothing at all than this. KRS 500.080 defines possession as"to have actual physical possession or otherwise to exercise actual dominion or control over a tangible object." IMO you pick up a doobie and smoke it you have certainly possessed it.
      .

      I would agree but unless I read it wrong he was given a drug test by Joker afterwards the reports came out and he passed it. He made a bad decision no doubt but doesn't sound like this is a habitual problem for him. If Sanders dad didn't care I doubt if he would have said anything and by the differences in stories between what he told Joker and his Dad I think he was more worried about dissappointing Dad than coach which I can understand.
    1. badrose's Avatar
      badrose - 09-19-2012, 06:00 PM
      Brings back fond memories...except I never got "caught."
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 09-19-2012, 06:08 PM
      So says the dad and son, and only two people know and they aren't talking plus Sanders was immediately reinstated, wins are important to a job right now. I am with Lake



      Quote Originally Posted by TonyRay View Post
      .

      I would agree but unless I read it wrong he was given a drug test by Joker afterwards the reports came out and he passed it. He made a bad decision no doubt but doesn't sound like this is a habitual problem for him. If Sanders dad didn't care I doubt if he would have said anything and by the differences in stories between what he told Joker and his Dad I think he was more worried about dissappointing Dad than coach which I can understand.
    1. LarryVaught1's Avatar
      LarryVaught1 - 09-19-2012, 06:47 PM
      Again, father said he was going on what son told him and he believed son. Sensing Joker did, too. And past history would indicate other two have had many, many issues at UK. Not excusing, just understanding. As father of two, both my kids did things that made me shake my head. Think Mr. Sanders just wants folks to know his son doesn't do this every night or go around with marijuana in his possession.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd - 09-19-2012, 08:00 PM
      How many of us lied to our parents while in college? thought so. If the other two have had numberous problems then the kid should be staying away from trouble.
      A friend who used to give poly test said the the first thing they teach is the one doing the lying tries to minimize what they did.

      Dad needs to understand being in a Beta club doesnt' mean anythng, plenty of Beta kids used drugs, plenty of youth members in church use drugs.

      When you run with trouble, you will find it.
    1. TonyRay's Avatar
      TonyRay - 09-19-2012, 08:10 PM
      And sometimes kids make a bad decision, I have been around some using it and have never done so myself. We gave Terrance Jones the benefit of the doubt last year when he had a late night preseason incident. If he has had no prior problems and has passed numerous drug tests in which he has passed then he too should be given the benefit of the doubt. I didn't have the judgement I have today at 45 that I had at 18-21 but I learned a lot from the things I did.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue - 09-19-2012, 08:35 PM
      Without knowing what really happened, some us seem ready to convict. How do we know he was not completely truthful with his Dad? It appears that we are looking for the worst in the situation. How would we be reacting if this had happened to MKG last year? I do not think the reaction from many folks here would be the same.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc - 09-19-2012, 08:47 PM
      mountain, meet molehill...................
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 09-19-2012, 08:51 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
      mountain, meet molehill...................
      Know some disagree with us, Doc, but I'm with you.
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat - 09-19-2012, 09:01 PM
      Well ive done my share of stupid stuff but im not sure when doing drugs became no big deal for athletes, oil and water to me.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 09-19-2012, 09:08 PM
      While I don't condone it, I believe you would find the same action from members of previous basketball and football teams for many years. This is nothing new.

      It took 7 failed tests, I am told, for Honey Badger to be released at LSU. That's excessive, but IMHO, it isn't a big deal for an athlete, and it hasn't been a big deal for many years.
    Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  • KSR Twitter Feed