TE banned for Belk Bowl after shoplifting at Belk

[bluedigger]

Jeremy Sprinkle's collegiate career abruptly ended hours before Thursday's Belk Bowl.

The reason?

He shoplifted from -- of all places -- a Belk department store in Charlotte, North Carolina, even though each player on Sprinkle's Arkansas team and opponent Virginia Tech had a $450 gift card to spend there.

A police report obtained by WSOC-TV showed that Sprinkle was cited Tuesday for unlawful concealment.

Razorbacks and Hokies players were each given $450 to spend at Belk as part of their bowl-game swag. Arkansas had its shopping spree earlier Tuesday, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say Sprinkle attempted to shoplift eight items from the store. Among them were a Ralph Lauren shirt, a Tandoori spice marl collared shirt, Nike black crew socks and two wallets.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18372833/belk-bowl-jeremy-sprinkle-suspended-arkansas-razorbacks

[stopbush]

1. Watching the Belk Bowl now. As I write, the commentors are going on

about the $450 gift card - no mention whatsoever of the shoplifter.

[KamaAina]

2. Gift cards? Isn't that some kind of rules violation?

You never know with those NCAA guys.

[Elwood P Dowd]

3. Not for bowls. Players, coaches, trainers, and even ball boys are allowed free gifts from

bowl sponsors. The rest of the season, unless you play at Alabama, free gifts like that are not allowed.