FanPost

Crabtree: Innocent until given a guilty verdict in a court of law

By all accounts, I hope Crabtree is pulling a Panda, by being naive as to allow himself to get entangled into a legal matter. The problem is, as big a star he is as one of the top yards-after-the-catch (YAC) wide receivers in the NFL, he couldn't wait until after the season (and current Super Bowl quest for a 6th Super Bowl victory) to get into a public relations nightmare.

You would think he would be a mature person by dating a person he knows very well and are on very good terms with. This is probably a one night fling that turned sour; either he kept going when the lady told him to stop; or the opportunist lady wanted to take advantage of his diva reputation and play the cards as a sexual assault.

Panda got into similar mess but he was able to take care of the matter as investigation concluded he was not guilty of a sex crime. I hope Crabtree yields similar results, because he had been a stellar role model as a player and living up to expectations this year, having his best year and helping the 49ers get to the NFC championship game.

We must remember the crime victims and in all criminal investigations, the victims' side of story must be heard. Clearly this is a case that must be investigated thoroughly because Crabtree's reputation and career is at stake and the crime victim, if honest about the sexual assault circumstances, need justice; both need to make their case to competent investigators, and if warranted, have their day in court.

It is a very awkward time to hear Crabtree to be accused of sexual assault because we are all excited about the NFC championship and I hope it will not distract any of the players including Crabtree for the most important game of the season and playoffs.

We as fans must back Crabtree and the 49ers because investigation is not complete yet and Crabtree has not been given a guilty verdict yet. Once we hear the conclusion of investigation and the jury gives a verdict, then we can pass judgement.

I met Crabtree a few weeks ago as he left an AT&T retail store after paying his bill (or he bought a phone), I noticed a receipt in his hand before he was about to enter his sleek luxury car with black wheels. He was not as friendly as Gore, Boone, or Roger Craig was to me, but he was cordial and allowed me to take a photo of him sitting inside his car wearing a hoodie. He flashed a wide grin when I told him to "go for the Super Bowl!"

Well, now his grin is probably a distracted one, and not one I want before the NFC championship game.

If he is not guilty, I hope he keeps his chin up, maintains his wide smile, and all in the same humility prays for his accuser.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.