UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon “Bones” Jones, was charged with DWI on Saturday. The UFC star was driving on Saturday morning when he lost control of his Bentley and slammed into a pole.
Malki Kawa, Jones’ agent, has made a statement on behalf of his client, asking media and fans to respect his privacy while details are unfolding. He thanked everyone who has offered their support. Police, on the other hand, played coy with the media, offering little more than the facts aforementioned.
Jon Jones is slowly emerging as one of a few poster-boys for the UFC, which has been helped along by GSP’s absence from the sport, and “Spider” doing what he can to have people not like him. Jones is, or rather, was, considered a very clean-cut and respected guy. His image was well-appreciated by Dana White & co., who were drooling over the champ’s match-up with Dan Henderson on September 1.
Three things remain to be seen at this point: How UFC will respond, how Jones will respond, and whether the fans still feel Jones is that “clean” fighter that they grew to love.
DWI is one of those charges that can be a bit ugly. I won’t spend time recounting all the star athletes who have had that same charge because there are too many to list, but I can point out that some have recovered very well, while others have done anything but.
What makes this extremely untimely (not that there is a timely manner in which to get a DWI) is that just last month when discussing a new sponsorship deal, Jones is quoted as having said, “You’ll never have to worry about me with a DWI or doing something crazy.” Uh-oh!
I’m not going to judge the guy based on one screw-up. Has my opinion of him changed from this incident? No, because I try not to make absolute opinions of anyone who I haven’t met for myself. Therefore, I really didn’t have an opinion of “Bones” outside of his UFC persona. Whether it is in his nature to tip a few back and drive the back roads home or not, I have learned to separate the athlete from his or her personal life. That’s why I can watch Tiger Woods play golf, love the way LT played linebacker, and think Pete Rose should be in Cooperstown.
…and that is the last word.
