The message was sent out Friday by the Florida Mafia known only known as the Gators. That message: You can arrest us but we’re the mafia we will NOT be prosecuted unless Godfather Meyer says so.

“Florida head coach Urban Meyer said today that Tony Joiner will travel with the team for its game at LSU on Saturday.

All charges against Joiner were dropped this morning by state prosecutors after the senior safety was arrested earlier this week on a felony burglary charge for breaking into a Gainesville tow lot and trying to retrieve his girlfriend’s impounded car. The owner of the lot called it a misunderstanding and didn’t wish to pursue charges.

Meyer stripped Joiner of his captaincy. The Gators’ head coach didn’t specify how much Joiner would play, if he would be suspended for any part of the LSU game or if he would start. Florida co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said the Gators were preparing to go with Dorian Munroe at strong safety if Joiner couldn’t play.

“Tony being out late on Monday is not consistent with the expectations of a leader and a team captain of our football program,” Meyer said in a statement. “Tony is no longer a captain of the Gator football team and he will pay a heavy price for his behavior internally for the next four weeks. He will travel with the team for our game vs. LSU.”

Of course he will travel, he has to play duh. Please someone define “heavy price internally” with Meyer’s track record that could simply mean no kissing Tebow in public.

“Spencer Mann, chief investigator for the State Attorney’s Office, said the charge was dropped because the towing company “believes it’s a big misunderstanding.”

“The victim is adamant that he sustained no loss or damage and does not wish to pursue criminal charges,” Mann said. “Based on that information, we cannot sustain a criminal charge. Without a victim, I have no crime.”

The Florida mafia must have really leaned on Mann hard. After all just yesterday Mann said it would take weeks to investigate and now like magic the charges are dropped. For the record when it comes to felonies you can sustain a criminal charge even if the “victim” doesn’t want to prosecute. A lot of time when a Florida fan man batters his wife and the wife doesn’t want to press charges, the police can still arrest him and the case brought to trial.

What really amazes me is how effortlessly the Gator Mafia does this with the liberal media watching every move. Has anyone heard the 911 recordings? Well, now you can right here. You’ll notice it sounds like a lot more than a “misunderstanding”.

In the second of two phone calls made from Watson’s Towing to Gainesville Police Department dispatchers early Tuesday morning, a tow company employee said he blocked in University of Florida safety Tony Joiner as Joiner tried to remove his girlfriend’s car without permission from an impound lot. In the same call, Joiner, a team captain who was arrested on a burglary charge, can be heard yelling while the employee asks police to respond faster.

According to the calls, obtained Wednesday by The Tampa Tribune, a man identifying himself as Watson’s employee Travis Watkins made the first call to GPD at 4:32 a.m.

A partial transcript of the call follows:

Watkins: “I need GPD down here now.”

Dispatcher: “At Watson’s?”

Watkins: “Yes ma’am.”

Dispatcher: “What’s going on there?”

Watkins: “Well, I had somebody trying to break into the yard trying to steal their car.”

Less than five minutes later, Watkins called again. A partial transcript follows:

Watkins: “Could I have GPD step it up please?”

Dispatcher: “OK. What’s going on now?”

Watkins: “They’re getting a little hasty with us.”

Dispatcher: “OK. What are they doing?”

Watkins: “They’re getting up in our face and [expletive]. They’ve already broken into the yard and tried to take the car, and I blocked them in.”

Dispatcher: “OK. Do they have any weapons?”

Watkins: “No. Not that I know of.”

Dispatcher: “I’m showing [an officer] on the scene right now. Do you see him yet?”

Watkins: “Yep. He’s there.”

Dispatcher: “All right. Go ahead and speak with him.”

“Stan Forron, the owner of the impound lot, said Tuesday that the incident was “a miscommunication” and that Joiner should not have been arrested. Forron told several media outlets, including The Tampa Tribune, that he wasn’t present for the incident. He told the Miami Herald, however, that he was on premises unbeknownst to his employees.

An employee who answered the phone at Watson’s on Wednesday said Forron would not return to work until Monday and declined to provide an alternate phone number. Forron did not respond immediately to a voice mail left on his office line.”

Wow, that sounds like a brilliant CYA move, or he is sequestered somewhere in witness protection. Hats off to the Florida Mafia, but let’s not forget that in reality they owe it all to Steve God Spurrier, since he in amazing fashion, single handedly had the felony charge of gun possession that Cook was facing dropped.

So I profess on this day 10/05/07.

TtT