Zach Brown arrested

[UConnNick]

Or, maybe this is will be a (hard earned) wake up call. He's 18, you never know. Plenty of time left to turn it around.

You never know. Caron Butler managed to turn his life around, with some help from the right people, and look at him now.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

It's a mentality that breeds negativity and failure. Some people have the mental toughness to find a way out, like butler. Some are given chance after chance and still can't get out of their own way, to me it looks like Zach is headed down that path unfortunately.

 

[krinklecut]

It was just a rhetorical question, wondering if he is the type of kid that if you surround him with the right people he could turn the corner, or if he's one that's just bad to the core like an Aaron Hernandez.

Aaron Hernandez is more option A than option B. I grew up with him in Bristol. He always had a pretty good head on his shoulders. Dumb as rocks, yes, but a good kid. His dad kept him and DJ on the right path. When his died dad, he started hanging out with a bad crowd, and fell into a pretty bad PCP scene. His life became unhinged, he was plagued with paranoia, and he couldn't or wouldn't shake that life when he started making money.

 

[Chief00]

I wonder how much of this is just his character and how much has to do with people he hangs with.

I'm in no way making excuses for him, or taking him off the hook for any consequences.

It was just a rhetorical question, wondering if he is the type of kid that if you surround him with the right people he could turn the corner, or if he's one that's just bad to the core like an Aaron Hernandez.

If he was the former, then going to UConn and getting mentored by Ollie could have made a huge difference in his life. He's obviously messed that opportunity up, and now he's probably not going to be picked by any top hi major quality program, if that's even possible now.

The issues are different, but it reminds me a lot of Nate Miles, a kid who had a world of potential and NBA game, who completely derailed his future.

I hope he does turn his life around. It's very sad when you see a person who has a chance to alter his future and that of his lineage, but simply perpetuates the sins of the past.

I understand the comparison but the Nate Miles was completely different than Brown. Nate's offense was immediately violating a restraining order - because he did not understand what it was - so he called the girl after being served. The underlying situation was consensual between the girl and Nate but not with the mother, who drove the craziness. Then Nate was railroaded when his hearing had the backdropped of a spineless university discipline panel being intimidated by loud chants by protestors from the Women's Center. It was total BS.

Then the NCAA nailed him on a few meals and funds as I recall for knee surgery. To me, armed robbery is very different.

 

[TheChamps990411]

He needs guidance in his life and God. I pray he gets his act together

God lol!

 

[huskiesNhoos]

It's kind of pathetic how many people are using this news as a chance to Pat themselves on the back for knowing all along it was best for uconn to part ways. A kids life, which was already harder than most if not all of us have had to endure, just got even harder.

Hopefully he can figure things out and recover from this

 

[superjohn]

Aaron Hernandez is more option A than option B. I grew up with him in Bristol. He always had a pretty good head on his shoulders. Dumb as rocks, yes, but a good kid. His dad kept him and DJ on the right path. When his died dad, he started hanging out with a bad crowd, and fell into a pretty bad PCP scene. His life became unhinged, he was plagued with paranoia, and he couldn't or wouldn't shake that life when he started making money.

You're bad to the core if you shoot your friend and leave him in an alley to die, then shoot and kill two guys for bumping into you, then call your friend up to hang out so you can murder him. He clearly never had a good head on his shoulders, he's a sick puppy.

 

[krinklecut]

You're bad to the core if you shoot your friend and leave him in an alley to die, then shoot and kill two guys for bumping into you, then call your friend up to hang out so you can murder him. He clearly never had a good head on his shoulders, he's a sick puppy.

People are more than the worst thing they've done.

 

[BUConn10]

You're bad to the core if you shoot your friend and leave him in an alley to die, then shoot and kill two guys for bumping into you, then call your friend up to hang out so you can murder him. He clearly never had a good head on his shoulders, he's a sick puppy.

Wait, Hernandez killed 3 people? I thought it was just the one in the industrial park.

 

[krinklecut]

Wait, Hernandez killed 3 people? I thought it was just the one in the industrial park.

IIRC, found guilty on one murder, awaiting trial on the other two.

 

[superjohn]

Aaron Hernandez allegedly shot friend Alexander Bradley in the face after remark on murders - The Boston Globe

 

[superjohn]

Aaron Hernandez prosecutors: Nightclub bump led to double homicide - CNN.com

 

[superjohn]

People are more than the worst thing they've done.

Yup, he's a pretty solid guy except for the time he murdered his friend, tried to murder his other friend and murdered two random guys for no reason.

 

[krinklecut]

Yup, he's a pretty solid guy except for the time he murdered his friend, tried to murder his other friend and murdered two random guys for no reason.

That's not what I said. But, personally, I feel that the context of somebody's actions and the circumstances that led to somebody committing horrendous acts is important. I'm not saying he is any less guilty, but for me it's important to recognize what led him there. Having known him personally for a long time I can confidently say that he was an okay person who was deeply affected by the sudden death of a father, especially considering how his father was the one that kept him on the right path. I think all of those things matter and I'm sorry that you don't.

Anyway, here's a great piece Rolling Stone did on him a few years back. A great read: Aaron Hernandez: Patriots Tight End Violent Evolution | Rolling Stone

 

[superjohn]

That's not what I said. But, personally, I feel that the context of somebody's actions and the circumstances that led to somebody committing horrendous acts is important. I'm not saying he is any less guilty, but for me it's important to recognize what led him there. Having known him personally for a long time I can confidently say that he was an okay person who was deeply affected by the sudden death of a father, especially considering how his father was the one that kept him on the right path. I think all of those things matter and I'm sorry that you don't.

Anyway, here's a great piece Rolling Stone did on him a few years back. A great read: Aaron Hernandez: Patriots Tight End Violent Evolution | Rolling Stone

I read the article when it came out. There are tons of people who basically never had a chance in life, Aaron Hernandez is not one of them. He had more opportunities than the overwhelming majority of the population. He was blessed with a talent that a very select few have and with that talent comes incredible opportunites to do good, instead he chose to do the worst possible things a human being can ever do. Gacy might have lost his dad as a teenager as well and maybe did some nice things for people at one time in his life, I don't think he's more than the worst things he did in his life, same goes for Hernandez.

 

[UConnNick]

That's not what I said. But, personally, I feel that the context of somebody's actions and the circumstances that led to somebody committing horrendous acts is important. I'm not saying he is any less guilty, but for me it's important to recognize what led him there. Having known him personally for a long time I can confidently say that he was an okay person who was deeply affected by the sudden death of a father, especially considering how his father was the one that kept him on the right path. I think all of those things matter and I'm sorry that you don't.

Anyway, here's a great piece Rolling Stone did on him a few years back. A great read: Aaron Hernandez: Patriots Tight End Violent Evolution | Rolling Stone

I didn't know Dennis, but I knew his older brother Vito in HS, who was a pretty good athlete at Bristol Central. From what I've read about Dennis and Aaron's mom, they were far from great role models. DJ turned out to be OK, but Aaron obviously had issues dealing with his dad's untimely death. That happens, and it happens to other people, but they don't turn into serial killers if they were brought up the right way and had positive role models as parents. Unless the things that have been written about his parents' involvement in drug trafficking and related stuff is all BS, I'm not so sure I believe they were consistently positive role models.

 

[Kitaman]

Its unfair to bring up Hernandez and Zach Brown in the same conversation. One is hopeless the other hopeful.

Zach's issues can be fixed and there are many success stories proving that. We're talking about a high school kid not a grown man. I know guys in high school who were bad news, fighting, stealing, etc.. Year later they became working, honest family men and giving back to the community. Its like they got it out of their system.

Not familiar with the particulars or what his issues 'really are', but Florida does not seem like a good space for him. I just feel that positive friends, upward moving friends and friends who want to do and become something are best found in college. A good coach can build character, team building skills and help kids overcoming adversity. Ollie is one of many.

A good judge will direct him accordingly with probation with life changing conditions. But he's got to get out of the hood!

Old folks say don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Just saying his environment is toxic. I hope he gets another chance somewhere.

 

[intlzncster]

You're bad to the core if you shoot your friend and leave him in an alley to die, then shoot and kill two guys for bumping into you, then call your friend up to hang out so you can murder him. He clearly never had a good head on his shoulders, he's a sick puppy.

Not defending AH in any way, but drugs, specifically PCP (there's a reason they call it Angel Dust), can induce serious psychosis. Prolonged use actually changes the brain physically and can cause both brain damage and schizophrenia; plus it has side effects like hallucinations, mania, and extreme paranoia. That kind of drug can make a normal person become really f--d up and do some really messed up things, even when not on the drug itself. If AH never gets involved in that scene, maybe he never kills anybody.

 

[7774]

Yup, he's a pretty solid guy except for the time he murdered his friend, tried to murder his other friend and murdered two random guys for no reason.

People are more than the worst, 2nd worst, 3rd worst, and 4th worst things they've done.

 

[Blue Blood]

This has always been an interesting debate to me if people are born bad or are a product of circumstances. I would argue circumstances play a much larger role than Dna so to speak. If that was not the case it would have been an enormous statistical anomaly that so many awful people were born in Germany in the 20s or in Rwanda decades later or any other place where mass tragedy has taken place. To me these gangs and groups of people that these young people hang out with are major influences on their lives and are microcosms of those countries where mass atrocities took place. I can't truly say had I grown up in similar circumstances that I would have turned out differently although I certainly hope I would have. All I'm saying are people like Caron and others are the exceptions not the rule and even in his case he's a forgiving cops discretion from likely being in jail right now. I hope this kid turns his life around but let's not demonize him for some mistakes he is making at 17.

 

[David 76]

The interesting point is: what separates a Caron or Michael Oherr from an AH or, so far, Zach Brown.Some take an opportunity and run with it. Others don't seem capable of not screwing up their lives.
Drugs can do it, but sometimes people are just too broken even without drugs. I do know that if you are hell bent on screwing up your life, a better neighborhood and all the money in the world won't stop it.

 

[krinklecut]

The interesting point is: what separates a Caron or Michael Oherr from an AH or, so far, Zach Brown.Some take an opportunity and run with it. Others don't seem capable of not screwing up their lives.
Drugs can do it, but sometimes people are just too broken even without drugs. I do know that if you are hell bent on screwing up your life, a better neighborhood and all the money in the world won't stop it.

It's the people you surround yourself with, too. AH could have cut ties from his former life and started a new life in Foxboro, but he wasn' mature enough to do that. With ZB, from what I gathered from the Vice doc, at least, couldn't see that his family didn't have his best interests in mind, and who can blame the kid. Of course though that's speculation based on how one 15 minute clip framed it.

 

[David 76]

People hang out with people they feel comfortable with. It takes seeing yourself capable of being different to hang with a different crowd. I don't think Zach is there yet. Caron almost went back to being incarcerated and he was ready for a new life. And I think he felt he deserved one.

 

[UConnNick]

The interesting point is: what separates a Caron or Michael Oherr from an AH or, so far, Zach Brown.Some take an opportunity and run with it. Others don't seem capable of not screwing up their lives.
Drugs can do it, but sometimes people are just too broken even without drugs. I do know that if you are hell bent on screwing up your life, a better neighborhood and all the money in the world won't stop it.

Witness Johnny Manziel.

 

[HuskiesU]

Just Dumb. I seen a interview of this kid with his adopted family and he seemed like a well respectful young man but than during the video he heads back home to see his mother which she lives in one of the baddest projects in Fl. So I kind of seen this coming after he was sent home from Prep in Connecticut. Hopes he finds his self because it's alot of people who helped him get where he's at.....not jail skills on the ball court