Almost everybody except Decker says it was unprovoked

The always amazing Ken Gordon has just released his latest article on the Tyler Moeller incident.

According to several witnesses, it’s a very basic story.  Apparently, Ralph Gray Decker was drinking “to a greater extent” than Moeller or his family, and he began to have a conversation with Moeller’s sister Ashley.  Tyler Moeller then began to talk to Decker, which one Florida resident claimed didn’t appear to be at all confrontational.

Then Decker hit Moeller.

That’s it.

There’s no Ohio State-Florida connection to it, the Moeller family claims they were being discreet in a bar that proclaims “If you’re not a Gator, you’re Gator Bait”.  No witnesses claim the Moeller’s were doing anything football or Ohio State-related.

But Decker’s primary defense is that Moeller told him he played football for Ohio State, but he claimed he was a different player, and when his story didn’t check out, he  hit Moeller “in self-defense”.

Oh, and also that he was scared because Moeller “is a big guy”.  Sorry, I’m not buying it.  Moeller is 6-0, 210 pounds.  Decker claims he’s 6-0, 185 pounds.  But this picture, in which Decker is the guy on the right, is NOT a man who is only 185 pounds.  He’s at least the same size as Moeller.

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So let’s look at the basic facts;

Moeller threw no punches.  Even if he was a belligerent asshole (which he clearly wasn’t), there is no defense for sucker-punching a guy.

Decker, who was drinking heavily and has a criminal background, threw the only punch in the bar that night.

And now, Decker’s main whine is that he had to hit Moeller to defend himself, and he’s getting death threats from Ohio State fans.

I’m sorry, but it doesn’t add up.  You know it, I know it, and the prosecutor knows it.  The only ones who will defend Decker now are mind-numb freaks in the South and one Penn State loser.

This guy is going away for a while.

Good. May his cellmate be Maurice Clarett.

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Update by MaliBuckeye:

The “other side” of the story, from the St. Petersburg Times. FWIW

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