Previous postings can be found HERE and HERE as well.
As for the weather report...
Today's focus centers on two stories that are going to be kept far too under the radar, mainly due to the following:
A) Brandon Marshall wants out of Denver.
(Anybody who isn't a fantasy owner of this guy knows he's a complete piece of garbage.)
B) Sidney Crosby going "overboard in his celebration" with the Stanley Cup.
(I'm sorry, didn't he just spent the last year EARNING it? When did sportsmanship suck all the competitive juices out of sports, exactly? Probably the same time we stopped keeping score and gave everyone "participation" trophies.)
C) Joe Buck getting lit up by television critics, for good reason, more than a 1970s pinball machine. Here too. VIDEO here. It's PAIN-ful.
(Did anybody NOT see this coming? Seriously???)
D) Apparently shooting himself may be the only punishment Plaxico Burress receives (get it?) for criminal possession of a weapon.
(I'm a little disgusted as to how this guy can "help" Mark Sanchez, future Jet QB, mature in the NFL.)
Story #1: Donte Stallworth MURDERS and basically gets away with it.
Financial settlement terms weren't disclosed. Can you think of a price for a life lost? Me neither.Credit: Associated Press
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth took full responsibility for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk in Florida and began serving a 30-day jail sentence Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter. “I accept full responsibility for this horrible tragedy,” said Stallworth, who was accompanied at the hearing by his parents, siblings and other supporters.
You can get 30 days in jail for not paying parking tickets AND apparently for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk (as long as you're an above-average wide receiver in the NFL). Imagine if (insert superstar name wideout) had done this, he'd have gotten 30 minutes in jail!!! It's unfair to joke right now with a life lost, but with this type of "punishment", is there any other alternative than sarcastic-driven denial?
“I will bear this burden for the rest of my life.” Stallworth, 28, told Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy that he hopes to get involved in drunken driving education programs.
How sweet. He HOPES to get involved. Perhaps I'm being childish, but this isn't a time where I'm going to cut Stallworth any slack.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle cited Stallworth’s lack of previous criminal record, cooperation with police and willingness to accept responsibility as factors in the plea deal. Rundle also said the Reyes family— particularly the victim’s 15-year-old daughter—wanted the case resolved to avoid any more pain.
I am not going to pretend I understand the family's situation, nor Stallworth's. Instead, I'm just wonder how much accountability, responsibility, and culpability will truly be felt. Where is the punishment? Where is the time needed to truly repent and reflect on the life that was lost?
Oh wait, here "it" is:
After his release from jail, Stallworth must serve two years of house arrest and spend eight years on probation. Stallworth also must undergo drug and alcohol testing, will have a lifetime driver’s license suspension and must perform 1,000 hours of community service. Lyons said after five years, Stallworth could win approval for limited driving such as for employment.
I also wonder why someone who had a blood alcohol content over .12 at 7am is only serving 30 days in jail, especially after hitting and killing someone with his vehicle, whether he is remorseful or a first-time offender or not? As for the night in question, the details seem relatively straight forward. Yet, things don't add up, but when celebrities or athletes are involved, do they ever?
After a night drinking at a bar in Miami Beach’s Fountainebleau hotel, police said Stallworth hit Reyes, a construction crane operator who was rushing to catch a bus after finishing his shift around 7:15 a.m. Stallworth told police he flashed his lights in an attempt to warn Reyes, who was not in a crosswalk when he was struck. Stallworth had a blood-alcohol level of .126 after the crash, well above Florida’s .08 limit. Stallworth stopped after the crash and immediately told officers he had hit Reyes. Police estimated Stallworth was driving about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone.
In the end, I suppose I'm fighting a losing battle. I didn't call out Vick soon enough, the countless DUI and DWIs, and the soapbox I stand on is often riddled with bias. But not this time. No need to apologize in advance, ala Ken Rosenthal.
I know I wasn't there, wasn't directly affected, and only Stallworth may ever know what the exact details of the incident were. I don't make it a habit of wishing prison-time on people; however, something feels terrible about this entire situation. Terrible terrible terrible.
Sadly, it's now time to "analyze" what will become of his playing career; specifically with the Cleveland Browns. Yuck. The system has been worked yet again. Lucky society.
Story #2: The "other" Favre
The Mickelson's have much bigger thing to worry about than Phil taming the rough at Bethpage Black this weekend. Good luck to them.Credit: KnowCaner.com
We give Brett Favre a tough time here and none of us should apologize for it. I may cut him some minor slack as he guided my Jets last season; however, this story has gone far too under the radar the past month-plus. Despite this not being an extended forum, I still want to let the record show - at least here on PHSports - that THIS is why sports aren't a life or death matter.
I suppose all you can do is find something else to think about. Or tweet.
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