Bike theft earns Buffs DT Sipilo a suspension

Oh, those zany Colorado Buffaloes and their madcap antics.

The same week that found one wide receiver likely lost for the 2010 season due to academic issues and another officially leaving the program following legal issues and having his scholarship stripped -- oh, and a former five-star running back apparently finding a home at South Florida -- has seen another player ticketed for pilfering a bicycle.

According to the Boulder Daily Camera, defensive tackle Joe Silipo was ticketed early Wednesday on two counts of suspicion of theft of less than $500 and one count of criminal mischief.

CU police spokesman Molly Bosley said an officer saw Silipo pulling at one of the bikes on a rack at 1020 Broadway about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday before getting on and starting to ride away. When the officer confronted Silipo, the student admitted that the bike didn’t belong to him, Bosley said. ...

The bike that Silipo is accused of taking is part of a semester-long rental program at CU. Students, faculty and staff members can make a $100 deposit and pay an additional $20 fee per semester to rent a bike, said Peter Roper, program manager for CU’s sustainable transportation program. Silipo wasn’t participating in the rental program when he is accused of tampering with the lock and taking the bike, Roper said.

Following the incident, head coach Dan Hawkins suspended the senior from all of the team’s summer activities.

"[Silipo’s actions are] not consistent with his past behavior, and I don’t think he will have further issues,” Hawkins said in a statement.

“But we must send the message that this type of behavior is not tolerated and will lead to separation from the program among other consequences and that both positive and negative behaviors reflect on the entire university community.”