HOOVER, Alabama — If, as ESPN host Paul Finebaum said Wednesday, Nick Saban insinuated that the Monroe (La.) police officers who arrested two Alabama players last month may have looking through purple and gold lenses, it would make no sense to the department’s public information officer.
“I can tell you for a fact that the first officer on the scene is not an LSU fan,” Chris Bates, the Monroe Police PIO, said Wednesday. “He hates LSU. He doesn’t like the color yellow or purple and gold. In fact, he’s a Florida fan. If you mention LSU around him, he throws up in his mouth. Most of our officers are LSU fans, but we have some who are Arkansas fans and Georgia fans and Alabama fans. And I'll tell you this, the first officer did not even know those guys were players.”
Finebaum told reporters after two heated exchanges with Saban, “He said the police officers were LSU fans.”
Earlier Wednesday Finebaum had criticized Saban on air for saying that he would likely not suspend All-SEC offensive tackle Cameron Robinson of West Monroe (La.) High for the Crimson Tide’s Sept. 3 season opener against USC despite Robinson’s May 17 arrest on a felony charge of possession of a stolen gun and misdemeanor possession of marijuana at Forsythe Park in Monroe.
Laurence “Hootie” Jones, a backup defensive back at Alabama from Neville High in Monroe, was arrested with Robinson on misdemeanor weapon and marijuana charges at about 1:30 a.m. by Monroe police. Both were booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center before being released on bond a few hours later.
All charges were subsequently dropped by Ouachita Parish district attorney Jerry Jones on June 20 for lack of evidence and because he didn't want "to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and their teenage years working and sweating while we were all home in the air conditioning."
Bates, reviewing the arrest Wednesday, said the first officer noticed four men in a car at 1:30 a.m. in Forsythe Park, which was closed at the time.
“They were in plain view,” he said. “Our officer was doing his job. They were not supposed to be there. He called for backup, and the other officers arrived and made the arrest. We enforce the law based on the law.”
Finebaum went after Saban on his daily SEC Network television show with Saban seated right next to him at the podium outside a Hyatt ballroom.
“That’s a very bad look for your program that you’re working out internally but not suspending them publicly for an important game against Southern Cal,” Finebaum told Saban after Saban had told reporters that neither player would likely be suspended should they complete their community service work.
“If they continue, that’s how it will be handled internally,” Saban said to reporters after the main press conference Wednesday morning. He was not asked about the players during the main press conference.
“Cam Robinson and Hootie were not charged with anything,” Saban continued. “Both players have done a significant amount of things to change their behavior internally, whether it was police ride-around or community service.”
Finebaum criticized reporters during the main press conference for not asking Saban about Robinson and Jones and tried to grill Saban.
“I’m just asking you why you are not going to suspend Cam Robinson? I’m not convicting anyone,” Finebaum told Saban.
“Because I’m not going to convict him in the public,” Saban said with an edge. “And you said that I was going to get criticized by you and the public and the media because I’m not going to suspend him. And I don’t really care about that. That’s the end of the conversation.”
But it wasn’t over. A heated exchange transpired after the SEC Network show broke for commercial. Saban could be seen pointing his finger at Finebaum, who later told reporters that Saban suggested that the arresting officers from the Monroe Police Department may have had a conflict of interest as they were LSU fans, who tend to be upset when the subject of Alabama football comes up.
Glenn Guilbeau writes for Gannett Louisiana, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.
