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Focoh's Update No. 2: 49ers released a statement:
A #49ers spokesman said team has been in contact with Aldon Smith. Said there "is no substance to the rumors that he was jumped."
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) November 1, 2012
Fooch's Update: Aldon Smith just tweeted this out:
Didn't get jumped_ stop asking
— Aldon Smith (@aldonsmithJETS) November 1, 2012
We'll see if any further details come to light.
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The 49ers bye week has had its first (and hopefully ONLY) incident. Reports came out on Twitter that 49ers OLB Smith had been jumped outside of a bar. This followed reports of an "incident" at the bar. There has been no other specific confirmation, but Aldon Smith tweeted this out a moment ago:
Want to clear up rumors of me getting jumped, I'm ok and doing well! Como! I missed you. Go Tigers!!
— Aldon Smith (@aldonsmithJETS) November 1, 2012
According to police reports mentioned by University of Missouri sports editor Seth Boster, police officers were dispatched to the El Rancho at 1:56am local time in reference to a "disturbance." The disturbance was reported as being between two black men but did not provide further identification. Apparently one worker at the restaurant noticed a fight, but he said there are fights there all the time.
There is nothing else about what's going on, and Aldon's tweet doesn't exactly clear things up entirely. Thankfully it sounds like he's OK, but nothing else really beyond that. The reviews of El Rancho on the Yelp link above seem to indicate it's the kind of place you go for a greasy enchilada or burrito after a night out. I've been to plenty such places myself, although I have not been jumped.
Aldon has had some run-ins with trouble over the course of this year, so this obviously raises some worries. We don't know the specifics, but it sounds like something of some sort went down. I'm not prepared to jump to conclusions about Aldon specifically, but given his situation as a high profile athlete, there are things to consider. The more high profile a person becomes, the more important it is for them to be aware of their surroundings.
Yes, it may have simply been bad luck being in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, this is the third incident he has been involved in over the last year. I generally am willing to give the benefit of the doubt, but that doesn't mean there isn't something to be learned, even if a person is completely in the right in a situation. Simply put, he needs to be extra vigilant about his surroundings. While it might not be fair that he should need to be extra vigilant compared to the average person, that's part of the responsibility that comes with his station in life. Whatever the specifics, there would seem to be a lesson to be learned. Let's hope he learns it.