I normally agree with your takes Sportsfan, and agree with your big picture point that athletes can be a target simply because they're athletes. I also agree that its not unusual for guys to get beer muscles which can lead to a smaller guy attacking a big guy (I've seen plenty of small guys kick the crap out of big guys too). That said, this particular instance seems to be a bad one to use as a potential example. Reading the article a couple of things jump out immediately.
1. The AD at Tennessee (not a school known for its tough standards- see Cup, Fulmer) already kicked one player involved off the team and suspended two others. Given UT's history with problem athletes, it would be surprising if there wasn't more than just smoke here.
2. Normally a case of a guy defending himself ends when his attacker is subdued. In this case the players in question continued attacking an innocent guy trying to break up the fight per the bar owner, who by the way
admits giving free cover to UT players. From the article:
"Robert Capouellez was the off-duty police officer knocked unconscious outside the bar while trying to help break up the brawl, according to police. Capouellez, who was a customer at the bar that night and wearing civilian clothes, suffered a head wound and had been in the hospital since early Friday. He was released Monday night.
Allen Morton, the owner of Bar Knoxville, said he wasn't outside in time to see Capouellez get hit. But he said he did see one of the football players kick at him after he was already lying on the ground unconscious."
and also: "Morton said he didn't necessarily see what initiated the fight but emphasized that he saw six or seven football players beating and kicking Russell while he was on the ground."
further: "I told the police the same thing, that there were six or seven big guys hitting and punching [Russell] while he was defenseless on the ground," Morton said. "It's sad that something like that would happen. Some of the players were grabbing bar stools and going after him, but I was able to grab a few out of their hands."
Again, this is coming from a bar owner who fully admits a bias towards UT athletes by letting them in without paying cover. Regardless of whether its for personal or financial reasons, the owner has an interest in covering for the players. He is not doing so. When you have 6 or more guys attacking a single guy and kicking him while down and attacking another unconscious victim in the same way, I think the self-defense argument gets pretty tough to back up.
3. The only independent witness cited in the article saw things differently: "Paige Whaley, a student at a nearby community college, was also at the bar when the fight occurred and said she was within a few feet of where Russell and Hughes bumped into each other.
"I got pushed when it all happened and turned around and there were seven guys on top of [Russell] before you knew it," Whaley said. "They were beating the living crap out of him. I saw one come up and kick him in the head. It was ridiculous."
Asked if there was any way that Russell might have initiated the whole thing, Whaley said, "I'm sure that's what UT is saying, but there's no way. That guy [Hughes] was huge. Why would [Russell] go after him? It was scary to see that many big guys on top of one.""
4. Russell had no signs of alcohol in his system per the toxicology report cited in the article. The to me also mitigates the likelihood that he was buzzed up and looking for a chance to show his friends how tough he was.
Given the above, there seems to be more smoke coming from the players direction than Russell's. While no one is directly quoted as saying that Hughes started the fight, the comments above could certainly lead a reasonable person to cast suspicion for this on the players. I find it more likely that the case was that Russell accidentally ran into Hughes while walking by (which Russell acknowledged), words got exchanged and all hell broke loose. This just doesn't seem to be a case where the athletes were being targeted.
