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No Easy Answers

January 26, 2011 - Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Rochester RazorSharks News Release


Marlin Johnson was not at basketball practice with the rest of the RazorSharks Tuesday. He was instead, in a jail cell in Warsaw in the heart of Wyoming County.

When you get the call your first instinct is panic. Was anyone hurt' How will you respond. How does it impact the team' And then you worry about how it might impact Marlin.

Johnson faces a number of serious charges stemming from a DWI arrest early Monday morning. Nothing good happens after 2am. Especially in Wyoming County.

You can't minimize the impact of the alleged crime. DWI is a life threatening concern. 17 drivers license suspensions only makes things look worse.

Addressing the situation, Rochester RazorShark coach Rod Baker told YNN's Mike Hedeen, " I don't know if you wish that on your worst enemy."

But Baker isn't happy. He was caught off guard with the news Monday and got it second hand. No one else on the team knew of the situation in advance of being told by Baker before practice.

"It's troubling because as a team, you work with someone everyday, you feel for him," said veteran guard Keith Friel. "The only thing you can do is be there for him and try to work through it as a group."

Johnson isn't the first professional athlete to find trouble. He won't be the last. But in the RazorSharks' six seasons, this is the team's first experience dealing with it. It is uncharted territory.

What happens next' That's up to Baker. Johnson put himself in a vulnerable position. Not only does he face legal concerns, but at 35, Marlin is on the downside of his basketball career. He hasn't been playing well. And the team is losing.

Balance that against the fact that he is a local guy, a product of Franklin High School and MCC, has been a productive pro, a coach on the court, and a community activist in the fight against breast cancer. His contributions to the success of the RazorSharks over his four seasons on the team are unmistakable.

How the situation gets resolved will help determine how the team chooses to define itself. There are no easy answers

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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