https://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...6lq-story.html
Kadarius Toney needs to put his phone down.
The Giants’ rookie let go an incredibly insensitive, tone deaf and misguided tweet on Wednesday in defense of ex-Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III.
Ruggs, 22, was driving 156 miles per hour with a blood alcohol content twice Nevada’s legal limit on Tuesday morning before his Corvette slammed into the rear of a car that burst into flames, killing a 23-year-old woman named Tina Tintor and her dog, according to prosecutors.
Toney’s response to the tragedy was to excuse Ruggs’ alleged felony that caused another person’s death as a “mistake,” and to criticize everyone else in the world for judging him.
“We young…..everybody make mistakes….y’all lookin at the situation like “this or that” kuz it ain’t y’all…having so much too say,” Toney tweeted on his account, @0fficialC2N. “[H]e know he messed up don’t drag em for it……that’s goofy to me….just pray for the families involved.”
Toney has his comments turned off on Twitter, but he got ratioed beyond belief with quote tweets for his inane thoughts. Ex-Jet Damien Woody was one of the thousands of people disgusted by Toney’s response.
“Some of ya’ll youngins don’t believe in accountability is the problem!” Woody tweeted on @damienwoody. “A person was killed b/c of a terrible decision.”
But Toney woke up Thursday morning and doubled down. With two laughing faces, he tweeted: “tough talkin don’t faze me… ….gangsta.”
Head coach Joe Judge needs to discipline Toney. The young receiver is talking like he answers to no one. Someone lost their life.
Judge on Thursday, however, did not sound like he planned to punish the receiver for his latest distraction and poor decision.
“I have spoken to Kadarius. I’ve spoken to the entire team on this issue,” Judge said. “I think the important thing that we express is that our prayers are with everybody involved with this. It’s a terrible thing to happen.
“It’s important that we understand how we articulate our words and put them out there,” Judge added. “Ultimately, our prayers are with everybody. The important thing is we articulate our words and we watch what we say at the same time.”
Judge pointed out the reality that for many of his players, “it’s not a headline to them” because Ruggs is “a friend of theirs” or a former “teammate of theirs.” That’s part of why he knows where Toney’s “heart was” when he tweeted Wednesday.
Of course, Toney now has required several sit-downs since April’s draft to discuss social media posts on Instagram and Twitter, punches thrown on the field, and cleats that don’t fit, just to name a few.