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The dead season has been not so dead (unless you're talking about this) recently. Plenty of NFL players and teams are showing off their stupidity at an unusual pace, and in several different ways. Aaron Hernandez's situation continues to get worse by the minute and other players have showed that the former Patriot is not alone in being an idiot. With the weekend approaching, let's look at some of the dumber incidents during this week:
- Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent cannot stay out of trouble. The Illinois alum is back behind bars after failing his second drug test following his intoxicated manslaughter charge from last December. Brent failed the drug test last week and violated his parole. Brent was charged in the death of his former college and Cowboys teammate, Jerry Brown. I am not really sure why Brent is still on the Cowboys, following three arrests in 7 months. The guy clearly has no control over his drug and alcohol usage. This shows the distinct difference between teams like the Cowboys and the Patriots. New England cut their high-priced tight end immediately after he was charged (not convicted) with murder, while the Cowboys have hung onto a backup who has been charged with manslaughter and failed several drug tests. Clearly, Robert Kraft is a strict business man, while Jerry Jones is open to second (and apparently third and fourth) chances. The Patriots are considered one of the top organizations in football, while the Cowboys have become financially successful but have also have long been panned by the media for their tolerance of mediocrity.
- Aaron Hernandez is piling up murder cases like Robert Downey Jr. collected tiny cocktail bottles in the 90's. Hernandez is now part of an investigation regarding the double murder of two men in Boston last year. Hernandez has also been given the sensationalism treatment because of this lovely photograph. Also, NFL.com has taken his profile off their website, similarly to what the WWE has done with Chris Benoit. The deletion from the NFL website is odd because Hernandez hasn't been convicted and because guys like O.J. Simpson and Jovan Belcher still grace its domain. Michael Vick did not receive this treatment either, despite being convicted of dog fighting and animal abuse. The NFL has also told teams not to touch Hernandez until his case is solved. His career is likely done and he's only 23.
- Mark Sanchez's butt can't stay away from the spotlight. The Jets "quarterback" made his presence known in Napa. He dropped his drawers while partying with two chicks and the video recording went viral. Obviously, this got swept under the rug by the Hernandez news. I guess if Sanchez was going to do something stupid, this would be the week to do it. The "tight end" in question is currently in the battle for the Jets starting quarterback position, but despite staying under the radar, he has made news. All isn't lost though, as he will likely get endorsement offers from Preparation H when he retires.
- The Jaguars have created a new position for rookie Denard Robinson. The "offensive weapon" position is on the Jaguars official depth chart. It's basically a way of saying "we don't have a position for the guy, but think he'll sell tickets because he's exciting to watch." Robinson played quarterback at Michigan until an injury to his hand forced him to play running back in his senior year. While Robinson is extremely talented, it is hard to project his natural NFL fit. He worked out as a wide receiver at the NFL Combine and the Senior Bowl, but will meet with the running back unit in Jacksonville. He also could be used on returns, gadget plays and as a "wildcat" quarterback. The OW position is a way to draw attention to the team that otherwise has little entertainment value on paper. Guys like Golden Tate, Dexter McCluster and Armanti Edwards have been less than effective at the formally unnamed position, so it'll be interesting to see what happens with Robinson. Still, you have to give the Jags public relations department credit for getting this news out there to drive the media away from focusing on their London games as a precursor to this logo.
Feel free to share any of your clown shoe stories about the league in the comment section. Have a great weekend!