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Fooch's note: I've had a chance to calm down from my initial anger about all this. Drinking and driving remains awful, but if he had tried to sleep off a night of drinking, I can see how he might think he is sober and still blow past the legal limit. We'll definitely want to see what the facts dictate, but it does not make things any less frustrating. He can go out and drink while watching Thursday Night Football, and that's not really any of our business. But when he gets in a car accident and still blows past the legal BAC limit, it's not something you just ignore. Particularly given his previous DUI in 2012. The whole thing is just really frustrating.
Fooch's Update: Maiocco is updating his article with information from the police:
"At some point, they did a breath sample and it was over the limit," Randol said.
Matt Maiocco is reporting the San Jose police confirmed that Aldon Smith was arrested Friday morning at 7 a.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to Maiocco, Aldon was the driver in a single-vehicle accident.
Site decorum is off because all I have to say is, You DUMBASS! We don't know all the facts yet, so I suppose we might reserve some judgment. That being said, given his history over the last couple years, I have no qualms being annoyed beyond all belief by this. What the hell is he thinking? If he has a problem, it's something he needs to figure out. If he's just stupid, someone needs to slap him upside the head.
There is pretty much zero excuse for drinking and driving, and to be arrested for this at seven in the morning? Are you kidding me? Considering the team has one more practice session today before Sunday's Colts, this might be the most alarming aspect of the whole thing.
The 49ers will likely have a very generic statement about the incident, but some kind of discipline is in order. The NFL will have something to say as well, but assuming Aldon was under the influence, I think the team needs to deactivate him for Sunday's game. I don't know what the rules are for imposing a team-mandated one-game suspension before any NFL discipline, but if they can suspend, I think he needs to be suspended.
You are not going to cut a guy like this for stupidity, but he needs to learn there are consequences for his actions. Thus far, he doesn't seem to recognize that, and seems content to piss away what could be a Hall of Fame career. He may be fine with screwing his life up, but the 49ers certainly don't need to accept this kind of piss-poor behavior from the team. Discipline needs to come first in a situation like this.