Trouble for the Ducks: What will Happen with Harris?

So most Duck fans out there have heard the news about Cliff Harris being cited for doing 118 in a 65mph zone on a suspended license and we can all agree it isn’t something we want to hear.  Kelly has released a statement as of today;

“We are obviously very disappointed in the lack of judgment exercised by Cliff and feel it’s unacceptable. I’ve said from the beginning that it should be a privilege to play football at the University of Oregon. With that said, individuals must bear the responsibilities for their own behavior. Once we have finished collecting all the information, in this situation, we will determine the appropriate action.”

From collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com (share this quote)

We are all anxious to hear how Kelly will handle this situation.  It would be a major blow for Oregon if he wasn’t on the field – he’s definitely one of their threats.  It is extremely disappointing news as a fan and it comes at the tail-end of spring ball as everyone was talking about how mature Harris was becoming.  Should Harris be suspended?  I don’t know.  Do I want to see him suspended?  No.  It’s such a double-standard really.  As a fan, when I see the competition getting into similar trouble I expect to see a suspension but when it happens to Oregon my fingers are secretly crossed that he’ll still play.  I’m fully aware that this line of thinking perpetuates a negative aspect of college football but so many of us do it.  We want to see our team win so sometimes, as fans, we tend to look the other way when it comes to our side.

So I started perusing the web for what people are saying and of course the standard mudslinging has begun from LSU.  There is a lot of “holier than thou” talk happening.  Argument over single words like, arrest vs. citation has emerged.  Picking apart past instances, calling Oregon “a bunch of thugs,” and guessing he won’t be paying any part of the ticket personally is the general theme.  It’s to be expected and we’d probably do it if the tables were turned.  The truth is it sucks for the program, it sucks for Harris personally, and it sucks for college football.  Earlier this year SI.com came out with an article on college football and crime.  Guess what – Oregon is not alone.  This is a theme and it’s not a good one.

Clipped from: sportsillustrated.cnn.com (share this clip)

While I can admit that I don’t want to see Harris suspended because he’ll be a huge threat against LSU, if I step back and think about it outside of being a fan, college football needs to set a higher standard.  If the standard is set then everyone will eventually adjust their behavior.  I’d like to think that Oregon could still win despite losing any one single player – we need to be able to because it can happen at any moment with an injury.  So we’ll wait and see what happens with Harris.

Voice your opinion!  What do you think should happen?