What's with these guys?
I'm going to offer a hypothesis about a subgroup of NFL players: Is it possible that people who are gifted with lightning speed and great hand-eye coordination are, as a result, left with fewer brain cells than the average person? I'm talking about wide receivers. The latest case in point is Cleveland Browns wideout Donte Stallworth, at left, who just cut a deal in a DUI manslaughter case that ended with his receiving a 30-day jail term. Let's not forget the details of this case. Stallworth was speeding and drunk when he ran over and killed 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes with his Bentley in Miami Beach. Stallworth does face two years of house arrest and eight more years of probation, along with a lifetime driver's license suspension and lots of community service. It still seems as if 30 days behind bars is a light sentence for killing someone. Maybe the fact that Stallworth reached a "confidential financial settlement" with the Reyes clan led to what the AP called "the fervent wish by the victim's family to put the matter behind them." Stallworth isn't the only NFL receiver in the news for the wrong reasons lately. The Steelers' own Santonio Holmes, who was dumb enough to be driving around with marijuana cigars in his car, had his charges dropped because the search of his vehicle presented problems for prosecutors. And then there's our old pal Plaxico Burress, who had his trial on charges stemming from his self-inflicted wounding delayed once again. Also on this roster of screw-ups are Denver problem child Brandon Marshall, the infamous Chris Henry and the petulant-but-productive Terrell Owens. I guess if you've spent your adult life getting out of scrapes because of your physical skills, this is the way you behave (or misbehave). That might explain why you don't see long-snappers acting like this.
posted by Brant at
12:07 PM
17 Comments:
you hit the nail on the head! only thing that makes me mad about the whole stinking thing was the mans family sold their fathers soul out. oj wasn't convicted of murder, and the brown family was still paid.
Brant, I just found your blog and stayed up late last night reading through what I have missed. I regularly read letters to the editor and the comments left, but find myself disgusted by the rude, vindictive, and "if you don't agree with me, you are evil" posts. Finally somewhere that actually seems to have people willing to back up their opionions without a lot of name calling. Well, mostly at least. LOL. Keep up the good work.
Thanks. For the most part, the people who visit here have good comments to make, and they do so without trying to belittle others. Hope you'll be a regular visitor and contributor.
Welcome bridget!
I did the same thing when I found Brant's blog...
This reminds me a bit of my favorite subject. The stealing of taxpayer money by the Washington Wild Things. Legal stealing, that is!
Why do so many sports stars get to plea bargain down to almost no punishment for their crimes? I think it is just influence peddling by the sports fanchises. In most cases the players are as dumb as a box of rocks!
The Wild Things sent a represenative to Roy Jacobs trial. IMHO, just an attempt to influence the outcome.
As they say, "Justice is expensive, how much do you want?"
Ron Wilson
First, I agree that 30 days in jail is very little time, too little.
Second, if he is in "house arrest," doesn't that mean he is confined to his own house? If so, that means that he will loose two year's of salary from the Browns, right? Do they put him on the "unable to perform" list, and set aside his contract for the two years of house confinement? I have read no stories that indicated he will still play football for the Browns this season.
Am I missing something here?
From what I'm hearing, Commissioner Goodell will be coming down on him, and the Browns are likely to cut him. Whether he can catch on with another team is questionable, considering the fact that he seems to pull a hamstring just about every time he hops out of bed.
That's the difference between the NFL and other pro sports. NFL contracts are not guaranteed. Stallworth won't get another dime from the Browns once he's cut.
If he were, say, a MLB player, he'd still get his money.
Welcome Bridget. This is the best blog on the web.
As for the topic, I think this exemplifies how our society has elevated sports and athletes to an ethereal level. Elite professional athletes have been coddled most of their lives and too often consider themselves above the laws the rest of us have to follow. Cases like this one support that point.
That skank who gave Kobe Bryant a run for his money - literally - knows how to work the system. She suddenly got very quiet and now Kobe is a hero again. (For the record, I hate Kobe and think he exemplifies much of what is wrong with pro sports.) She was a beneficiary of Kobe's wide open checkbook that doled out $4 million for a ring. His wife is an idiot, by the way. She could have had half.
This stuff is just going to continue. We forget and forgive our stars far too quickly - usually right after the next touchdown, three-pointer, no-hitter, hat trick and so on.
Brant, You are absolutely right about the preferential treatment given to not just wide receivers, but all talented pro athletes. We've seen it time and again in the news.
But it also happens in real life. We just don't pay much attention to it. There are light sentences handed down daily by the courts that don't seem to match the crimes. They might pop up in the paper and are quickly forgotten.
The only part of the Stallworth story you missed was the man who was hit was crossing the street illegally. I don't know what role that played.
I still believe 30 days is too light in this case, because it cost a life.
Death to Jaywalkers!
It shouldn't be up to Stallworth to tackle it alone, ellipses. But he tried.
It's the black man's burden, unfortunately.
Oh, Lord! Now you brought race into it. Let's sit back now and watch the comments fly.
I believe that if you should be treated the same in the eyes of the law regardless of who you are, age, celebrity status, finances, race etc... However I don't know that I agree with the statement that the family sold the man's soul out. I don't know their circumstances and I think they certainly deserve to have some financial security at this point. It won't bring him back, but lets face it, it does make life easier. Who knows what discussions went on between them and Stallworth. Perhaps they feel that for whatever reason he deserves a chance. Prior to my leaving Washington, I had two middle school boys break into my home and vandalize it, they stole several items including a laptop which they promptly smashed into peices in the woods nearby. These boys were classmates of my sons and I knew both them and their parents well. I was extremely upset and part of me wanted them locked up with the key thrown away; but I decided to give them a chance. I felt that if they were given a second chance it might make a difference in their lives. I made arrangements for them to work off the damage by doing yardwork etc. for me. I hoped that they would realize the opportunity they had been given and go down the path to becoming a responsible adult. I no longer live in the area and don't know which path they chose. I still firmly believe that if what I did made the difference between becoming a criminal or a decent, responsible person then it was worth it. I don't know why they chose to do what they did, but perhaps the victim's family had a similar dilemma.
"oj wasn't convicted of murder, and the brown family was still paid."
no, they haven't been.
but seriously, the way ppl can "buy" their way out of any crime these days is disgusting, yet we'll jail Martha Stewart longer than a man that committed vehicular homicide because someone told her her money was in trouble, so she moved it.
whatever.. this world is so fucked up.
You're right about Martha. Only an idiot would ignore information like that and just flush money down the toilet. It's human nature to protect your stuff.
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