Assault charge dropped againt idiot, err, Henry

by | Jul 14, 2008 | NFL News

Since Zoneblitz has mocked Chris Henry for the ease with which he gets himself arrested, it’s only fair to also do a post when he gets off. Prosecutors dropped an assault charged against former Bengal wideout, which paves the way for him to apply for reinstatement to the league.

Greg Aiello, spokesman for the NFL, told the Associated Press Henry’s appeal would be considered “at the appropriate time.”

Henry had been accused of basically beating the tar out of an 18-year-old Cincinnati student and damaging his car with a beer bottle.

A previous trial on these charges ended in mistrial. A Hamilton County Municipal Court judge ruled against the prosecutors on Monday in several motions, weakening the case, according to the Associated Press. According to his attorney, Henry was thankful and humble when the case was thrown out, according to the story.

The shame of all of these arrests is that Henry is incredibly talented. If he could stay out of jail, he probably wouldn’t be on the verge of bankruptcy – he reportedly had a car repossessed and had a $360,000 house auctioned in May. He missed the first half of the season last year after the league suspended him for other bad behavior. He returned the second half of the season to catch 21 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns.

Let the bidding for his services this upcoming season begin. The Bears? The Cowboys? The Eagles? The Raiders? Anyone?

Hartman to Vikings: Get Favre in purple

by | Jul 13, 2008 | NFL News

As if the ridiculous media barrage of Brett Favre stories wasn’t already playing to the aging quarterback’s ego now a Minneapolis “columnist” has pinned the Minnesota Vikings’ hopes for getting a new stadium squarely on the shoulders of team ownership somehow acquiring Favre.

“Memo to owner Zygi Wilf,” Sid Hartman writes: “You want a new stadium, put Favre in a Vikings uniform.”

Not only does this ignore the Vikings lack of a community partner or the project hundreds of millions if not a billion dollar shortfall the state is projected to face next year – it ignores the fact that the Packers have already said they won’t release Favre so he can go wherever he wants.

But whatever. It’s interesting, if not amusing reading. And Sid is 87 or 88 years old, so apparently whatever he chooses to write these days gets into the paper.

What a great gig.

Odell Thurman in trouble again

by | Jul 11, 2008 | NFL News

While Chris Henry, Pacman Jones, Travis Henry and perhaps Darrion Scott have all made their cases for long-term or life-long suspensions from the NFL this offseason, few players have provided better fodder for such a punishment than former Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Odell Thurman.

After a fantastically promising rookie season in 2005 Thurman sat out the last two seasons for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He was reinstated during the offseason, but before even making it to the pre-season he was suspended for another year – yes, another substance abuse policy mishap. It’s going to cost him at least one more season. The Bengals released their 2005 second round draft pick on May 27.

Now the douchbag – or is it douchebag – was indicted by an Erie County grand jury on a felonious assault charge stemming from a May 27 incident where he allegedly punched another man in the face, breaking his jaw at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort.

Det. Bob Lippert of the Erie County Sheriff’s Department told the Sandusky Register Online “we are trying to locate him.” Commissioner Roger Goodell and most football fans probably just want this Cro-Magnon man to go away.

Channing Crowder thinks he’s underpaid?

by | Jul 9, 2008 | NFL News

I about choked up the mini brownie bite I shouldn’t have been eating this morning when I came across a headline saying Channing Crowder and his advisers think he’s underpaid.

At a million bucks a year, Crowder is tied for being the fourth-highest paid linebacker on the Miami Dolphins roster, prompting his agent to ask the team for a new contract, according to the Miami Herald.

Okay, I grant you, these guys have a limited lifespan and have to maximize their earnings while they can. And it’s not like Crowder’s numbers are bad. He’s played 43 games, starting 37 since joining the team three seasons ago and he’s amassed 78, 103 and 84 tackles during that timespan, according to NFL.com.

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Top pick long destined for right tackle?

by | Jul 7, 2008 | NFL News

Apparently the Miami Dolphins and other league experts are starting to wonder if top draft pick Jake Long would be better suited to play right tackle instead of left tackle.

Nobody is doubting that Long will be a solid-to-excellent tackle wherever he ends up. But NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock says Long struggled in college some against the top speedy pass rushers with NFL skills while projecting that he can be a star road grader of a right tackle. He went as far in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel as suggesting that the Dolphins keep Vernon Carey at left tackle for awhile as Long adjusts to the rigors of the NFL.

Zoneblitz endorsed taking Long as the top pick in April, figuring that if there is no clarity as to who the top pick should be it’s hard to go wrong solidifying yourself in the trenches. And while it would be better if Long developed into a franchise left tackle, if he’s better on the right side and solidifies himself as a stud run blocker, the Dolphins will still be better off.

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Taylor nixes Packer talks

by | Jun 23, 2008 | NFL News

When he was being ignored by the higher-ups in Miami and appeared destined to stay stuck with the Dolphins in 2008 it was easier to feel for defensive end-linebacker Jason Taylor. However, when his posse leaked to the media his lack of interest in going to Green Bay because the market isn’t big enough he risked losing some goodwill.

Sure, the Packers reside in middle America. And sure, Brett Favre retired this offseason, making the season ahead much more murky.

But this is a team coming off a 13-3 season during which it surprised the league by reaching the NFC Championship game. Aaron Rodgers, while unproven, comes with a decent enough pedigree to think the team will at least be competitive during the season ahead.

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