B.C. Lions cut K Returner Davis over drug arrest

SURREY, B.C. -- The B.C. Lions have terminated the CFL contract of kick-return specialist Yonus Davis, who is facing drug charges in California.

An exciting returner, Davis was the West Division finalist last season for the CFL's outstanding special teams player.

"After careful consideration, we have reached the decision to release Yonus from his contract," Dennis Skulsky, the Lions' president and chief executive officer, said Tuesday.

"It's a tough decision and we certainly weighed the factors. We have an obligation to our fans, to the corporate sponsors and partners, to our team . . . and to the CFL to ensure we conduct ourselves with integrity on and off the field."

The 26-year-old Davis was arrested April 9 with more than 27 kilograms of ecstasy in his possession.

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http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=364491

Did they have a choice? As far as I know you are not allowed into Canada if you have a criminal record. I've heard that US citizens trying to go to Vancouver to catch a cruise ship have been denied entry into Canada by our Border agency guys even though they had minor marijuana possession charges that were years old.

I can understand this although it is charges at this point, not a guilty sentence. I don't know.

That’s not true. There are hoops you have to jump through to get in, but it is possible.

Well it is true!!!
I never said it wasn’t impossible, yes there are hoops you have to jump through. Read my post again - What I said was:

" I’ve heard that US citizens trying to go to Vancouver to catch a cruise ship have been denied entry into Canada by our Border agency guys even though they have minor marijuana possession charges that were years old"

obviously these people didn’t go through the hoops - if you don’t go through the hoops to clear your name you will be denied access. You can go to the Cruise Critic website and read about people that were turned away at the Canadian border that were trying to catch a cruise.

LOL easy there don’t have an aneurism, I didn’t mean that people being turned away at the border wasn’t true. That happens all the time. Don’t need to go to cruise critic or whatever to know that. I work in the travel industry. What I meant was that it’s a myth that you cannot enter Canada with a criminal record. Many people think that’s true, but the hoops become a lot easier with the money that these athletes and teams have to facilitate the process.

And to back that up, take a look at the following from the TSN article:

Records show Davis has a criminal history for probation violation on Sept. 29, 2009, plus convictions on misdemeanour charges for possession of marijuana for sale on Feb. 13 and May 200, 2008.
His criminal record didn't stop him from playing up here last year, so the record isn't the problem.

I’m thinking that the dismissal probably has more to do with the fact that he is currently out on bail until his trial, so probably is under travel restrictions, and the fact that, given his own statements that “he only sold ecstasy to his acquaintances” (also from the TSN article), he’s more than likely going to receive some jail time, and therefore won’t be available to play this season.

And the fact that Davis is a repeat offender. While Buono has a tendency to give second chances, he doesn’t give too many third chances.