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Mark -throw in the towel

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Dan Rosen

Well ... I was going to base this column solely on the fact that Mark McDonald can't kick a field goal, has no confidence, has no right to be in a uniform, etc., etc. But after witnessing what happened after McDonald missed what should be his last field goal in his career, it was clear that there is no need to remind him about his kicking woes.

If anyone knows how bad they have been, it is Mark McDonald himself.

But, we can't overlook the amount of wrongs that happened directly before and immediately following the final whistle.

1. Dick Tomey, after yanking McDonald from the game because he missed yet another extra point, decided to put him back in the game to try and tie it with only seven seconds remaining. While the game should not have to rest on the toes of McDonald, there is no rhyme or reason for him to be stepping back onto the field. McDonald's confidence was clearly gone after he was pulled in favor of walk-on freshman kicker Sean Keel, so why in the world would Tomey go back to him to try to put the big one through the uprights? Horrible coaching decision by Tomey, something we have seen way too many times this season.

2. After McDonald missed, he walked off the field, threw his helmet, yelled at his teammates and flipped off the crowd. Now, I don't exactly think that McDonald was saying "UA is #1" with his middle finger, so that leaves me to believe he meant something else.

McDonald showed no class at all. If he is going to play on a Division I collegiate football team, he is going to be a public figure, and if he is going to play the way he has been for the past eight games, then he is going to be subjected to ridicule. That's it. If he doesn't know, then get out of the game.

3. As the team was walking off the field, Idris Haroon started screaming "you suck" in the direction of McDonald. This was not only in the direction of his so-called teammate, but right in front of the fans and media. McDonald replied with, "I know I suck."

While the idea of Haroon getting in the face of McDonald and letting him know what he thinks may be a good one - because maybe it would make McDonald try a bit harder and show some more dedication - there is a time and a place for outbursts like that.

But keep it away from the fans who want to congratulate you and tell you that they know how hard you played. And be smart enough not to show such disgust in front of reporters and photographers who will document it in the morning papers.

Haroon may have lost faith in his teammate, but he has to realize that it was not McDonald's fault that the UA lost the game. The defense, which Haroon is a valuable part of, gave up 435 net yards - 202 to Reuben Droughns alone - and the special teams gave up 288 yards in kick and punt returns. That's the reason, not Mark McDonald.

With all of these outbursts and ridicule in the direction of Mark McDonald, it leaves one simple solution:

Quit the team.

There is no chance he has a pro career ahead of him, so why does he need to put himself and the team through this much scrutiny? No man should take the beating McDonald takes by the fans, media and now some of his teammates.

Quit, Mark, and save yourself from all the horror.