I linked this story about a Kansas City judge scolding Larry Johnson in today's Starting Lineup, but I have to mention it again because I can't help but laugh at it.
↵Basically, Johnson was ordered to do community service and be on probation for two years after "disturbing the piece" at two separate incidents involving women in a nightclub. The Kansas City judge assigned him to 40 hours teaching kids in the Kansas City Police Athletic League how to play football, a very fair assignment considering Johnson is, you know, a football player (TM Jon Gruden).
↵But Johnson wasn't exactly thrilled with the assignment. Instead of teaching kids football, he wanted to teach them art. Yup, art. I'm impressed that Johnson seems to be pretty cultured, but ... uhh ... yeah, he's a football player and therefore not exactly the most appropriate person to teach kids about art. He ended up starting some art program that folded because of a lack of interest, and now, the judge is pissed.
↵↵↵"Children who go to PAL don't go there for art class," Locascio said at the probation revocation hearing Friday. "The idea that you would draw pictures with kids who want to participate in athletics is absurd.
↵"If I knew you didn't want to do sports with kids, I would have assigned you to pick up trash on the highway. That's what we typically have defendants do."
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Is it wrong if I just find this whole situation amusing? I mean, come on! How many times will you hear a football player say he prefers to teach kids how to paint instead of how to play football.