Leave Tony Joiner Alone!

Some are calling University of Florida safety Tony Joiner a thief this morning, but we call him hero. All he was trying to do was liberate his girlfriend's car from a towing yard — a noble gesture — and when someone witnessed the maneuver, Joiner even stopped and waited around for the cops. To me this is no different than someone sneaking into a pet shop and releasing the parakeets. Leave him alone! He's a human being!

Tony Joiner, a senior safety and the only upperclassman among the Gators' starting defensive backs, was arrested by Gainesville police early Tuesday morning and charged with a second-degree felony for allegedly attempting to steal his girlfriend's car from a towing service's impound yard. Joiner was booked at 6:07 a.m. and later was released on his own recognizance, according to police reports. He is the eighth Florida football player in the past nine months to find legal trouble. Joiner did not practice with the team Tuesday and Florida coach Urban Meyer said that his starting strong safety would not practice with the team until "I find out everything.''

For decades, man has yearned to be free of the tyranny of the towing yard; it's tough to find free parking at a college or university, and people who run these corrupt towing operations are making money off of our misery. Now finally someone had the guts to do something about it. I say rush the impound lots and free all the cars!

UF Safety Joiner Charged With Theft [Miami Herald]