Alabama Crimson Tide against Vanderbilt Commodores. Jan 31, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Brandon Miller (24) reacts after hitting a three pointer against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Before I even begin talking about what is happening down at Alabama, let me start off by saying I am an Alabama alum and I love my school.

This is not a defense of Darius Miles and the alleged murder of a young woman that took place a few weeks ago. I thought and still think to this day since he was involved, he should be held accountable.

Tuesday it was revealed that Tide star Brandon Miller gave the gun to Miles, whose friend then allegedly used it in the murder. When head coach Nate Oats was asked about it, he said Miller was at ‘the wrong place at the wrong time.”

A lot of people were offended by what Oats said, but what was he supposed to say? Oats wasn’t defending the crime, he was defending his player.

A lot of people have borrowed guns from friends and family members for protection, so that’s not unheard of, but if the police or district attorney thought that Miller was an accessory to a crime, he’d be arrested.

That’s not the case. Presumably, Brandon Miller isn’t a dumb kid who would give his friend his gun if he thought he’d be connected to a murder.

The real issue is, why does an 18-year-old feel the need to have a gun in the first place? Miller is a freshman in college and he is packing heat, for what?

Some of the people complaining are fans who own guns themselves and yet refuse to vote for laws that would limit children under 21, like Miller, from owning a gun. I’ve seen people walk into Walmart with a gun on their hip for “protection.” You’ve seen people all over this country posting pictures of their kids with guns in Christmas photos.

The real issue to those people is not guns or that they’d vote for better gun laws, it’s their being upset that Alabama is dominating in yet another sport instead of being upset about a murder.

About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.