Tyler Gregorak: Case dropped against former CU Buff and Shmuck of the Week

Tyler Gregorak.

​Here's an important note for anyone hoping to someday be recognized as Westword's Shmuck of the Week: You don't have to be convicted of a crime to win -- and if you're ultimately cleared of wrongdoing, we won't make you return your prize.

That's good news for former CU Buffalo Tyler Gregorak, who's seen the Boulder DA's office drop criminal charges against him. And we have no intention of taking away his Shmucky crown.

Last May, Gregorak made our Shmuck roster for breaking what writer Joe Tone called the most important rule of strip-club attendance: "Never, under any circumstances, break into the car of the club's bouncer, steal his wallet and handgun from the car, and then admit to the crime a day later."

A bouncer expelled Gregorak from a Boulder club, allegedly for being too drunk. Here's how the Boulder Daily Camera originally reported what happened next:

When the bouncer got off work around 3:20 a.m., he found the door of his Nissan Sentra ajar, his wallet missing from a center console and a loaded .45-caliber Glock 36 handgun taken from the glove compartment, according to police.

Later that day, police said the bouncer was awoken at his home by "persistent knocking." He opened the door to see Gregorak, who returned the missing items and apologized.

Which was nice and all, but still didn't get him out of trouble with Jim Livengood, the athletic director of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where Gregorak was working as an assistant football coach. Livengood reportedly told him that if he didn't quit his job, his contract, which expired on June 30, wouldn't be renewed.

Now, at least, Gregorak won't have to face a trial, jail time and other fun activities associated with being convicted of a crime. And we're not going to ruin this upturn in his fortunes by stripping him of his Shmuck of the Week honor.

Because we imagine stripping still brings unpleasant connotations.