Article on Padres GM Josh Byrnes favoring gun control edited to remove Jason Bartlett anecdote

Yesterday I was reading the USA Today article by Bob Nightengale about Padres GM Josh Byrnes speaking out against gun ownership on his team.

Andrew Cashner's hunting accident set off the conversation even though it did not involve a gun.

"As a GM, I am concerned,'' Byrnes said. "You're dealing with young guys, and obviously, we can control things on the job, but away from it, we hope they make the right decisions.

"I don't know if athletes are predisposed to guns or not, but it's certainly something that concerns you.''

The story talked about how Byrnes was hesitant to speak out in favor of gun control based on "the furor surrounding Bob Costas' televised commentary last weekend."

The article concluded with a tale of how former Padres infielder Jason Bartlett once considered buying a gun when an intruder was roaming his neighborhood. According to Byrnes, Bartlett said 'I'm just going to get a gun.' But Bynres counseled him against trying to shoot the intruder instead suggesting "Go get a dog. Do something."

As of this morning, Nightengale's article has been heavily edited, removing most of the quotes from Byrnes and the anecdote about Bartlett. It must have been too controversial. It's a shame because that was my favorite part. I was imagining his former double play partner O-Dog barking at intruders or at very least spanking him on the backside after firing off a pistol round.