My fellow FanHouser (and BC alum) Bill Maloney often laments the lack of attention Boston College gets from the local media until players are arrested for being involved in a bar fight. Yesterday, they and the part-owner of the bar -- who appears to be the main instigator -- were formally charged.Sergeant Joseph J. Boike -- a part-owner of The Greatest Bar, where the incident allegedly occurred -- was also charged with assaulting a woman who protested his request that several customers make way for the BC football players.The arraignment hearing for the two fifth year seniors isn't until October 1, and they are expected to plead not guilty. It is quite likely that there won't be a trial until after the season ends.
In addition, criminal complaints were issued against Gosder Cherilus, a BC cocaptain, and one of the team's defensive stars, DeJuan Tribble, after a hearing before Rosemary T. Carr, the first assistant clerk-magistrate in Boston Municipal Court.
The football players were each charged with one count of assault and battery and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) on Sean Maney, 28, a software engineer from Watertown who sustained a broken neck and other injuries.
Boike, from the accounts, apparently wanted to impress the two BC players who were there to celebrate Cherilus' birthday, by kicking other customers out of their seats.
Apparently there is some recent history of employees mixing it up with the customers at this bar.
The Boston Licensing Board, has scheduled a hearing Sept. 25 on three alleged assaults on patrons by employees at The Greatest Bar, including the July 1 incident.Cherilus is believed to have NFL draft potential, and his lawyer suggested that this criminal case is really just prelude to a civil case. Assuming that's true for the moment, that means Cherilus and the BC team has just received a valuable lesson in why you have to be very, very careful from whom you accept favors and surround yourself. Those trying to curry favor and/or look like a big shot can drag you down.
Boike, the bar co-owner and state trooper, was trying to be the big shot. Trying to impress the BC players at his place. Maybe he just likes BC sports. Maybe he also sees Cherilus going to the NFL and wants to say how he's buddies with an NFL player. Whatever the reason, he seems to have been the one to put the BC players in the situation.
BC players have to be careful starting this year. The school has just instituted a new policy aimed at curbing off-campus partying and disturbing neighbors. Anyone simply arrested off-campus gets "university probation." It appears to be a broad-based policy.
The good news for BC football is it was instituted after this arrest and first year head coach Jeff Jagodzinski has no plans to suspend the players. He too, thinks they will be cleared of any wrong-doing.
Previously on FanHouse:
BC Captain Caught in Middle of Bar Fight
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. You have to be a complete moron. Gosder broke a kids neck and you say he should be careful who he hangs with...
Posted at 11:21PM on Aug 23rd 2007 by mark jackson
2. Trying to impress college kids? He's a sergeant on the State Police. Plus, a lot of celebrities have drinks at that bar. Give the guy a little more credit. You have no idea what you are talking about. At least, base some of it on facts.
Posted at 12:14AM on Aug 24th 2007 by Mike
3. Broke the kids neck?? Gosder said in an earlier Globe article that the "kid" thanked him for breaking up the fight and was later seen laughing about the whole thing with buddies outside the bar. I don't know what he did to himself afterwards to require surgery, but I'm sure it was inspired by finding out that Gosder is a potential million dollar athlete.
Posted at 12:44PM on Aug 24th 2007 by Brian
4. Are you naive???Gosder admitted to picking Maney up. Maney was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was operated on for a broken neck. Gosder, Dribble and Boike were all charged and will have their day in court. 5th year seniors if it wasn't for football they would not be able to go to BC.
Posted at 11:36PM on Aug 27th 2007 by mark jackson