Two Syracuse football players were arrested early Sunday morning after getting drunk and breaking into a sports equipment room. The two players - senior Paul Chiara and freshman Mikhail Marinovich - have been charged with misdemeanor mischief and were released on appearance tickets.
I know what you're thinking, and...yes, it's THAT Marinovich family name, specifically the little brother of former USC and Raiders QB and legendary fuck-up Todd Marinovich. If you aren't aware of the Todd Marinovich story, a brief recap:
His dad pushed him to be the "perfect QB" from his elementary school days, regimenting his life so much that he was never allowed to eat at McDonald's - even once - lest it destroy his nutrition routine. He went to USC and was starting QB as a freshman, quickly being thought of as the Next Big Thing after leading them to the Rose Bowl.
Then things went south. He left USC after a falling out with Coach Larry Smith over his - personal habits. He was drafted in the first round by the Raiders, and got off to a great start with them before falling apart. Rumors of drug use abounded as he was let go by the Raiders and fell out of the NFL. He bounced around the CFL and Arena League, and got into increasingly more and more legal trouble.
I was the beat reporter for the LA Avengers during their inaugural season for the OC Register. I wasn't at practice when he was arrested on rape charges, but I can tell you that in my experiences with him...well, let's just say that he could have been auditioning for the role of The Dude in the national touring company of "The Big Lebowski: The Musical!" There was a lot of haze behind the eyes, so it was no shock that he was arrested for heroin possession in 2001, effectively ending any playing career he might have.
What's he been up to since then? I'll let his Wikipedia entry speak for itself:
Marinovich was arrested in a public bathroom in Newport Beach, California in May 2005, after being found with apparent drug paraphernalia and child pornography. He fled on a child's bicycle, but was caught a few blocks away. He gave his occupation as "unemployed artist" and "anarchist" on the police report, which stated that his pupils were dilated and his behavior "erratic." He was ordered to undergo six months of drug rehabilitation followed by six months of outpatient treatment as a result.
In August 2007, Marinovich was arrested and charged with felony drug possession and resisting a police order after being stopped for skateboarding near the Newport Beach, California Pier boardwalk, where skateboarding is forbidden by local ordinance. Marinovich ran away when officers tried to stop him. He was found hiding in a carport about six blocks away. He had a guitar case, and inside officers found about a gram of powdered methamphetamine, a metal spoon and a hypodermic needle, Sgt. Evan Sailor said. Marinovich was arrested and pleaded not guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor counts of unauthorized possession of a hypodermic and resisting a police officer.
So while getting arrested for breaking into an equipment shed with a teammate while drunk might seem minor - in the Marinovich family, I believe it's called "taking the first step" towards a lengthy career of fucking up. I expect to see the younger Marinovich high on mescaline in the Syracuse belltower, shooting people with a BB gun within a year. After all, he has a family reputation to uphold.
P.S. Here's a photo of Mikhail. I'm surprised that he would get into trouble - he looks like such a clean-cut young man...
