Tyreke Evans busted doing 130 mph

[Andy Jick]

I'm 38, married, have 4 children between ages 5-11 and am the owner of two mini-vans.  We find it exciting when the speedometer actually hits 75...

[Kwhit10]

Being young and having a fast car I have done extreme excessive speeds (150+) and I know being young and stupid is no excuse. 

But now that I'm older I don't really find myself yelling at other on the road who are speeding.  It's the people who are on their phones, eating, or putting make up on who seem to be causing everyone else to be p---ed at them.  Drinking, and other distractions (like phones and whatnot) cause more car accidents than only speeding cars.

[Finkelskyhook]

interesting watch!  i have ZERO problems with guns being drawn.  he put himself in that position by being an idiot and putting innocent lives at risk with his driving. 

i was glad to see he complied when pulled over.

side question.....why did the passenger get arrested??

ditto, Dark Lord.

Assuming that the passenger was cuffed until they identified him....But who knows?

Good thing Evans is in the NBA and not the NFL....

[Fan from VT]

 So VT fan what's the fastest you have EVER driven. Air it out.

Does that even matter? How would our own crimes diminish the magnitude/danger of a crime in general?

I bet many on this board have gotten away with drunk driving. So that [incredibly dangerous] activity shouldn't be a crime?

Just because some here have been fortunate enough to endanger lives and not hurt anyone doesn't mean they themselves didn't endanger lives...they (and others on the road) were just lucky.

[KG Living Legend]

 Yes it totally matters VT Fan, Answer the question. How fast have you gone. Judge not. Lest ye be judged.

[Fan from VT]

 Yes it totally matters VT Fan, Answer the question. How fast have you gone. Judge not. Lest ye be judged.

The logic here is completely irrational.

We are talking about whether or not Activity X is dangerous and irresponsible. Whether or not you or I ever engaged in Activity X doesn't make it any less dangerous or irresponsible. It just demonstrates how common some crimes are and the problems with perfect policing. That's the same thing as saying "because we can't catch all murderers we shouldn't punish any murderers."


So say someone fell asleep on a bus. I'm 16, homeless, and starving. I take their wallet and get off at the next stop. I've stolen, I'm a thief. Let's say I'm able to turn my life around, get a good job, support myself. Would I not be able to regret what I had done? Would I not be able to tell my kids that stealing is not okay? That it hurts people? Would I not recognize that, had I been caught stealing, I should have faced legal action?


I'm really glad that you never hurt anyone while you were speeding. EVERY driver who drives that fast thinks that they are good enough drivers to handle it. And most times speeding does not end in an accident, which further reinforces the idea that anyone who got in an accident driving fast was an idiot driver, but that I'm good enough to drive fast because I got home safely. I get that, it's the way the human brain works, but it's wrong; it's bad at objectively processing information this way.

For those who think that the video shows Evans driving "fast but responsibly," that's completely impossible. You can't drive that fast compared to flow of traffic and be responsible. It LOOKS like he was driving well because he didn't end up in a crash, but that's what every speeding video preceding a crash looks like: way too fast, some sweet maneuvering, then they hit a little bump going 130 or another driver does something unexpected, there's no time to correct, and there's a crash. And, of course, speed of a crash at time of impact is the single best predictor for the severity of a crash, such that crashes due to speeding are worse than due to other causes.

[clover]

reactions are too far one way or the other...

fact: i believe over 90 is reckless driving in most states, so when you drive 130 in a tinted out Benz, you're going to have a gun drawn on you.

fact: if this is the dumbest thing Evans does, he's going to be a very good player for years to come. in a seperate thread today we're talking about a guy who just won an NBA championship after years of playing drunk and punching out fans in the stands of Detroit.

seriously who cares? when Delonte was pulled over mariachi-style, we all thought it was "sad" because he's got BPD and he's a former Celtic who we like. but which was dumber? Mr. West, clearly....

I'm sorry but this just doesn't rank that high on the dumb list....

I think this is dumber.  How often do we hear about gun fights on the road vs. terrible crashed created by speeding and racing?



Do I think he is an awful person I would want off my team?  No.


Do I think he is a moron right now?  Yes.


Does he deserve the negative response he is receiving right now?  You better believe it.  

A) Driving a nice car (which was designed to go this speed and more i might add) very fast while never really coming anywhere near wrecking in broad daylight sober without weapons and without a cop anywhere in sight before pulling off the highway and driving completely rationally;

B)Swerving violantly on the most dangerous vehichle in the world -- a three-wheeled motorcyle -- at night with guns and knives strapped all over one's body including a shotgun in a guitar case thrown over your back as your followed by cops;


You'd take A? Which would you take if you were a GM?

Look i really don't care, but i think the soapbox here often gets a bit ridiculous on this stuff. I'm sure no one on this blog has ever done something stupid, or even gotten cuffed -- nor would have if they were 20 and had far too much money handed to them at that age. If I'm this guys GM -- or even his dad -- I'm [peeved] but ackowledge to myself it could have been much much worse.

1. when you're going 130 MPH, you're always a quarter second from wrecking. Don't kid yourself. The slightest slip and you're dead.

2. It is not "driving rationally" to go 130 mph.

Sorry but i think this is a joke -- I've driven cars very fast before both on track, and on the road – particularly in Europe. I’d feel far safer on almost any European highway – where they drive far faster – than on those of the US. They respect the road and the fellow driver far more than Americans. That they drive faster is a non-issue. That they don’t drive like total idiots -- as a huge number of Americans do -- is. I saw nothing in Evans driving that I would deem reckless. But I get that the law doesn’t discriminate, and assumingly he knows those laws, and regardless he’ll have to face the consequences – so be it. I’m just not going to preach at him for it.

Let me ask you this: Do you think it’s rational for one to talk on a cell phone while driving? Do you think it’s rational for one to text message while driving? Do you think it’s rational to eat a Whopper while you drive? If you don’t, how can you explain that on any major American roadway there are dozens of people around you gabbing on the phone or TYPING while going 70 miles an hour? These items alone – among those called “distracted driving” -- cause more accidents than speeding or any other cause, and are doubly dangerous considering Americans are among the world’s worst drivers, so they can hardly tolerate being distracted in the first place. Read any article on the subject: distracted driving is by far the most dangerous issue facing American roadways, not the occasional basketball superstar going faster than you in his Benz. And yet American laws remain a laugh on most of these topics – Massachusetts JUST passed a texting law…. with…. wait for it….. a whopping $100 fine for violators. And we still don’t have a cell phone law. Disgusting.

Would you start a thread about Tyreke Evans being pulled over for texting while driving? Doubt it.

It is great differences in speed, rather than absolute speed itself that is most dangerous.  130 on a busy California freeway is idiotic and life-risking.

[hpantazo]

reactions are too far one way or the other...

fact: i believe over 90 is reckless driving in most states, so when you drive 130 in a tinted out Benz, you're going to have a gun drawn on you.

fact: if this is the dumbest thing Evans does, he's going to be a very good player for years to come. in a seperate thread today we're talking about a guy who just won an NBA championship after years of playing drunk and punching out fans in the stands of Detroit.

seriously who cares? when Delonte was pulled over mariachi-style, we all thought it was "sad" because he's got BPD and he's a former Celtic who we like. but which was dumber? Mr. West, clearly....

I'm sorry but this just doesn't rank that high on the dumb list....

I think this is dumber.  How often do we hear about gun fights on the road vs. terrible crashed created by speeding and racing?



Do I think he is an awful person I would want off my team?  No.


Do I think he is a moron right now?  Yes.


Does he deserve the negative response he is receiving right now?  You better believe it.  

A) Driving a nice car (which was designed to go this speed and more i might add) very fast while never really coming anywhere near wrecking in broad daylight sober without weapons and without a cop anywhere in sight before pulling off the highway and driving completely rationally;

B)Swerving violantly on the most dangerous vehichle in the world -- a three-wheeled motorcyle -- at night with guns and knives strapped all over one's body including a shotgun in a guitar case thrown over your back as your followed by cops;


You'd take A? Which would you take if you were a GM?

Look i really don't care, but i think the soapbox here often gets a bit ridiculous on this stuff. I'm sure no one on this blog has ever done something stupid, or even gotten cuffed -- nor would have if they were 20 and had far too much money handed to them at that age. If I'm this guys GM -- or even his dad -- I'm [peeved] but ackowledge to myself it could have been much much worse.

1. when you're going 130 MPH, you're always a quarter second from wrecking. Don't kid yourself. The slightest slip and you're dead.

2. It is not "driving rationally" to go 130 mph.

Sorry but i think this is a joke -- I've driven cars very fast before both on track, and on the road – particularly in Europe. I’d feel far safer on almost any European highway – where they drive far faster – than on those of the US. They respect the road and the fellow driver far more than Americans. That they drive faster is a non-issue. That they don’t drive like total idiots -- as a huge number of Americans do -- is. I saw nothing in Evans driving that I would deem reckless. But I get that the law doesn’t discriminate, and assumingly he knows those laws, and regardless he’ll have to face the consequences – so be it. I’m just not going to preach at him for it.

Let me ask you this: Do you think it’s rational for one to talk on a cell phone while driving? Do you think it’s rational for one to text message while driving? Do you think it’s rational to eat a Whopper while you drive? If you don’t, how can you explain that on any major American roadway there are dozens of people around you gabbing on the phone or TYPING while going 70 miles an hour? These items alone – among those called “distracted driving” -- cause more accidents than speeding or any other cause, and are doubly dangerous considering Americans are among the world’s worst drivers, so they can hardly tolerate being distracted in the first place. Read any article on the subject: distracted driving is by far the most dangerous issue facing American roadways, not the occasional basketball superstar going faster than you in his Benz. And yet American laws remain a laugh on most of these topics – Massachusetts JUST passed a texting law…. with…. wait for it….. a whopping $100 fine for violators. And we still don’t have a cell phone law. Disgusting.

Would you start a thread about Tyreke Evans being pulled over for texting while driving? Doubt it.

It is great differences in speed, rather than absolute speed itself that is most dangerous.  130 on a busy California freeway is idiotic and life-risking.

agreed. There is not much of an argument there, driving 130 mph on a busy freeway is idiotic, no matter how you put it. Nothing justifies this unless the driver was speeding to save a life, which Evans was not.

[guava_wrench]

 Wait a gosh darn minute here. How old is Tyreke? 20 or 21. Come on people, don't you remember what it was like to be young and stupid. Let alone be young and stupid with a few million dollars to boost your ego into the next stratosphere.  I have done a hundred and twenty plenty of times and 130 at least once. And now I hardly ever speed more than ten miles over the speed limit.

 I want everyone to post the fastest they have EVER gone while driving. 

Youth is no excuse. In fact, what you and evans did was stupid, selfish, and endangered lives, and was not just some amusing shenanigans.

Weaving in traffic at 130 mph is probably more dangerous than driving 45-50mph when drunk, and that is clearly a crime that results in people dying.

When you speed, your reaction time stays the same, but the actual distance it takes to stop your car increases exponentially the faster you go. The idea that you can drive "rationally" or "under control" in traffic at that speed is a complete illusion. There is no control. There are other drivers who may make mistakes, there are other drivers who may get freaked out at what you are doing and swerve to get out of your way, there are an infinite number of objects that could throw the balance/traction of your car...and should anything at all go wrong, you've forfeited the ability to correct for mistakes. at that speed on public roads, your car is essentially a loaded gun being pointed at a crowd and could go off at any time.

Youth both is and isn't an excuse.

Youth is an explanation. Add to that his being a pro athlete and he probably feels immortal and is high on testosterone.

What he did is incredibly irresponsible and not something I would do, but I understand why someone like him would do that.

Rationality is not the correct term to use since anyone driving that speed is well aware that they are doing it to enjoy the thrill, not because it is the safest way to drive. If their goal is to maximize their enjoyment by appeasing their thrill seeking, then he made a rational choice.

Too bad he didn't crash. There would be far less disagreement and debate.

[Finkelskyhook]

Too bad Evans is dealing with Stern and not Goodell.

If he was dealing with Goodell, it'd be very unlikely we'd hear of any more stupidity out of Tyreke.

[Roy Hobbs]

Sure, it's stupid.  Evans needs to grow up.  At the same time, a lot of kids do.  I know that in high school, we (four honor students) once took our friend's Camaro out and got it up past 130 (and one of my friends was dumb enough to stick his hand out the sun room and quickly learned what a stupid idea that is).  There weren't any other cars on the road, but it was still a stupid thing to do, and this is supposedly from four of our high school's best and brightest. 

It happens.  Evans should learn from it, and move on.

[ssspence]

reactions are too far one way or the other...

fact: i believe over 90 is reckless driving in most states, so when you drive 130 in a tinted out Benz, you're going to have a gun drawn on you.

fact: if this is the dumbest thing Evans does, he's going to be a very good player for years to come. in a seperate thread today we're talking about a guy who just won an NBA championship after years of playing drunk and punching out fans in the stands of Detroit.

seriously who cares? when Delonte was pulled over mariachi-style, we all thought it was "sad" because he's got BPD and he's a former Celtic who we like. but which was dumber? Mr. West, clearly....

I'm sorry but this just doesn't rank that high on the dumb list....

I think this is dumber.  How often do we hear about gun fights on the road vs. terrible crashed created by speeding and racing?



Do I think he is an awful person I would want off my team?  No.


Do I think he is a moron right now?  Yes.


Does he deserve the negative response he is receiving right now?  You better believe it.  

A) Driving a nice car (which was designed to go this speed and more i might add) very fast while never really coming anywhere near wrecking in broad daylight sober without weapons and without a cop anywhere in sight before pulling off the highway and driving completely rationally;

B)Swerving violantly on the most dangerous vehichle in the world -- a three-wheeled motorcyle -- at night with guns and knives strapped all over one's body including a shotgun in a guitar case thrown over your back as your followed by cops;


You'd take A? Which would you take if you were a GM?

Look i really don't care, but i think the soapbox here often gets a bit ridiculous on this stuff. I'm sure no one on this blog has ever done something stupid, or even gotten cuffed -- nor would have if they were 20 and had far too much money handed to them at that age. If I'm this guys GM -- or even his dad -- I'm [peeved] but ackowledge to myself it could have been much much worse.

1. when you're going 130 MPH, you're always a quarter second from wrecking. Don't kid yourself. The slightest slip and you're dead.

2. It is not "driving rationally" to go 130 mph.

Sorry but i think this is a joke -- I've driven cars very fast before both on track, and on the road – particularly in Europe. I’d feel far safer on almost any European highway – where they drive far faster – than on those of the US. They respect the road and the fellow driver far more than Americans. That they drive faster is a non-issue. That they don’t drive like total idiots -- as a huge number of Americans do -- is. I saw nothing in Evans driving that I would deem reckless. But I get that the law doesn’t discriminate, and assumingly he knows those laws, and regardless he’ll have to face the consequences – so be it. I’m just not going to preach at him for it.

Let me ask you this: Do you think it’s rational for one to talk on a cell phone while driving? Do you think it’s rational for one to text message while driving? Do you think it’s rational to eat a Whopper while you drive? If you don’t, how can you explain that on any major American roadway there are dozens of people around you gabbing on the phone or TYPING while going 70 miles an hour? These items alone – among those called “distracted driving” -- cause more accidents than speeding or any other cause, and are doubly dangerous considering Americans are among the world’s worst drivers, so they can hardly tolerate being distracted in the first place. Read any article on the subject: distracted driving is by far the most dangerous issue facing American roadways, not the occasional basketball superstar going faster than you in his Benz. And yet American laws remain a laugh on most of these topics – Massachusetts JUST passed a texting law…. with…. wait for it….. a whopping $100 fine for violators. And we still don’t have a cell phone law. Disgusting.

Would you start a thread about Tyreke Evans being pulled over for texting while driving? Doubt it.

It is great differences in speed, rather than absolute speed itself that is most dangerous.  130 on a busy California freeway is idiotic and life-risking.

~ calling the road busy is an overstatement -- there are cars well spread out throughout the road.

~ he never even gets close to another car. most of the time he's in the fast lane or empty car pool lane and rarely crosses mutiple lanes -- even when he does he has tons of clearance.

the point remains the same -- the video shows very moderate, controlled driving considering the speed, an a lot of finger wagging from bloggers 3000 miles on the subject is just silly. i see 5 times worse from morons on 93 daily. i'd happily trade those road conditions for what we see here on a regular basis.

by the way, when i flash my brights at you when you're going 64 in the fast lane, it means i want you to move over / get outta my way. you too, hpatanzo  

[Fan from VT]

Sure, it's stupid.  Evans needs to grow up.  At the same time, a lot of kids do.  I know that in high school, we (four honor students) once took our friend's Camaro out and got it up past 130 (and one of my friends was dumb enough to stick his hand out the sun room and quickly learned what a stupid idea that is).  There weren't any other cars on the road, but it was still a stupid thing to do, and this is supposedly from four of our high school's best and brightest. 

It happens.  Evans should learn from it, and move on.

And we should learn from it too, and stop excusing it as cute boyish amusement (not what you were doing, but what many in this thread are).

Here's the rub: Driving that fast is life threatening, to yourself and others. I hope Evans does learn from his mistake, but if every person has to learn from their own mistake, well, not everyone will be as lucky as Evans was to reach home safely. If everyone learns from their OWN mistakes, there's going to be a lot of WORSE mistakes than getting a suspended license. Injuries. Deaths. It's a matter of odds and luck when you make such choices. As such, yes, I hope Evans learns, but hopefully OTHER people learn from his mistakes, so they don't have to make a mistake themselves in order to learn.

Essentially, I've never once indicated that Evans is a "bad person." nor are speeders in general "bad people." But it was a bad choice, and is certainly not a harmless, silly activity.

[Donoghus]

He's an idiot, plain & simple. 

There's really no way to justify or rationalize his decision to recklessly drive.

[Celtics18]

This is turning into a very interesting discussion. There seems to be universal agreement that racing on a busy highway going a buck thirty is stupid and dangerous.  However, many of the posters have fessed up to attempting similar dumb driving stunts in their younger days.

The real question then seems to be; how much should we vilify Tyreke Evans?

Tyreke will pay his fines and suffer whatever other legal consequences follow.  Being in the public eye, I'm sure there will also be some public embarrassment.  Tyreke got caught.  He'll move on and most likely have a stellar NBA basketball career.

The majority of sports fans, however, will be able to empathize with his shenanigans, so we will probably be able to forgive him.

Hopefully, he learns from this and gets "the need for speed" out of his system.  

Maybe the public aspect of his bust will even influence others to take it easy when getting the urge to put the pedal to the metal.  Possibly someone will resist and say to themselves, "I don't want to end up with a gun in my face like Tyreke Evans, I think I'll just slow down."