Tuesday Is Judgement Day For Aqib Talib
August 22nd, 2011
Joe knew it was coming. You knew it was coming. The only question was, “When was it coming?”
Tuesday will be judgement day for Bucs troubled cornerback Aqib Talib. Though he dodged an unofficial sentence, he likely will not dodge the long arm of the law that is NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell, so reports BSPN’s Adam Schefter.
Talib has been summoned to the principal’s office and will face his sentence before Magistrate Commissioner Goodell for his action when he was alleged to have pistol whipped and then fired a gun at a fleeing man in Texas this spring.
Talib, along with Kenny Britt of the Titans, will have their hearings with Goodell this week; Britt will face the music Wednesday.
One league source said the players could be in line for “lengthy” suspensions, however Talib’s attorneys are convinced they have a sound defense that will appease the NFL and could help save their client.
In March, Talib was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Texas. Talib already was suspended one game last season for an altercation he had with a taxi driver.
Given the fact that Talib has a prior record with Sheriff Commissoner Goodell, and has already served time from a Goodell sentence of one game last year, it’s very possible that Talib could be looking at a verdict of three to four games, or more.
Joe just hopes that Goodell has mercy on Talib’s soul.
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Joe just hopes that Goodell has mercy on Talib’s soul.
I won’t argue…. unless he IS guilty, then I’d hope the court system does their job and he’ll be in jail for quite some time. If he’s guilty and the courts “have mercy on his soul” and let him off easy, I hope Commissioner/Warden/Magistrate/Sheriff Goodell does the right thing and sends him home for a good long while.
But yeah, you’re right… if he’s innocent, have mercy.
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:28 pm
After watching last game, I am pretty sure that the Bucs can lose without him.
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Looking at the end of last season, I’m pretty sure the Bucs can win without him as well. One player does not make a team. No matter how good that player is.
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:36 pm
If he is guilty he should take responsibility. Even if he isn’t guilty of the actual charges, he placed himself into a bad situation, so he is sure to get some sort of suspension.
However…I can understand why he may have wanted to hurt the guy. I would have taken a bot to the guy for what he was doing. It’s clear the police were doing nothing to him.
August 22nd, 2011 at 8:49 pm
How bout you just f*** off Roger Goodell! How can you suspend a player if they haven’t been convicted of anything?!?
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:06 pm
I’m convinced Talib did nothing but try to help out his sister and got caught in the middle by his moronic mother. That being said… I’m very hopeful that Talib appeals the suspension and the appeal isn’t heard until AFTER week 1 in which we face Calvin Johnson. Then they can give him 3-4 games, or whatever, but week 1 is a must-have!
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:13 pm
And if Megatron lights us up and we lose that game….I blame Dominik and the Glazers for not preparing for this situation.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:17 pm
We all better hope that Freeman plays like Dan Fouts during the days of Air Coryell this season. Things are looking shaky at best on the defensive side of the ball, especially if Talib is gone. We may need to average 30 points a game this year to win.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:21 pm
I knew suspension was coming when Godell suspended pryor. Just hope it is not more than 4 games
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Roger Goodell is the worst NFL commissioner ever. But the NFL’s profits keep going up, how can you get rid of him?
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Lock him up and throw away the key. Then permanently suspend THC jax. Let the league clean this roster up since the coach and gm won’t.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:30 pm
If his verdict is only a 3 or 4 game suspension…then I’m going to be really surprised. Hell, I’d be surprised if it was anything less than 8 games…and wouldn’t be surprised to see a year-long suspension.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Sorry but if Talib’s lawyer is worth his salt then Talib shouldn’t get anything but a reprimand or possibly a 2-game preseason suspsension and fine. Since the state of TX has put the case off the commissioner of the NFL really has no standing in this case.
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:53 pm
What about hines ward he had run ins with the law . and brandon Marshall and his wife incident
August 22nd, 2011 at 9:55 pm
“How bout you just f*** off Roger Goodell! How can you suspend a player if they haven’t been convicted of anything?!?”
Because Goodell thinks he’s god.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:30 pm
So Thomas, you want to lock him up, without proper knowledge of what happened? So you are convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is guilty? You must be a great lawyer! You apparently don’t even require all the evidence, you can just make a judgement based on what you read. Quite impressive. So now we can add that skill to your amazing football evaluation and prediction skills. Your mother must be so proud.
August 22nd, 2011 at 10:51 pm
thomas wants anyone who is not white locked up…..your a real class act thomas!!! another keyboard tough guy!
August 22nd, 2011 at 11:06 pm
No suspension is warranted in my opinion.
The man has been charged, is presumed innocent, and has set the matter for trial where a jury will decide it. Arrest aint conviction. I am quite sure I have read that in a little thing called the Constitution. Its only one of the greatest documents ever drafted by the human race.
What makes the Commish think he is in a better position to determine the facts?
Plus, Talib can’t speak openly about it because he has a trial and his lawyers will have to assert the fifth.
Let the man play.
Trust the system. Not perfect, but the best one ever devised.
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:17 am
Hear, hear!!!
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:51 am
Um, ESPN posted the Bucs roster for Madden and I’m genuinely disgusted:
http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/madden12ratings/_/team/tam/id/27/tampa-bay-buccaneers#comments
Maybe they saw the Patriots game and made some last-minute adjustments because that’s the only possible reason they could get screwed this badly… I was considering buying the game this year but these rating are seriously dissuading me from doing so.
August 23rd, 2011 at 1:56 am
Couple of things: Joe, I understand that you are needing ad’s on the site to provide food for your family. However, having not one but TWO videos autoplaying at the same time is beyond annoying. It also makes it hard to watch at work since you always have to turn down speakers etc. before coming to the site at lunch time.
Second: Talib responded to his sister being in trouble. If Goddell decides to suspend him would show that he does not value family anymore. Oh, your sister/mom/father are getting murdered? No worries, just call the police and let them handle it. Pro Football players are to ‘precious’ to get their hands dirty…
Yes, I’m exaggerating a bit but who knows what would have happened if Talib had not shown up?
August 23rd, 2011 at 2:08 am
Im going out on a limb here and say 2 game suspension…
August 23rd, 2011 at 2:10 am
Quit decrying this thing like it’s a legal matter. The courts deal with the legal matter. Commissioner Goodell is dealing with the “Personal Conduct Policy” that is a part of the NFL and the NFLPA collective bargaining agreement, that both parties have agreed is acceptable for employment and should be enforced. It’s not about the law. It’s about conduct detrimental to the image of the company (league).
If a cop is in a fire-fight and shoots a suspect, that cop is immediately suspended until a thorough investigation into the shooting has taken place. Why? To determine that there wasn’t intent to do harm by the officer towards an individual that may not have been the perpetrator. If you go to court for a violent offense, you could lose your security clearance for a government job until the matter is resolved, regardless of innocence or guilt. These things are called company policy, not law. It’s something you agree to if you choose to work for a specific company. Most of us would be fired for violating company policy, not just suspended without pay.
So, whine about Roger Goodell all you want, but the fact is Talib was on the scene of a violent incident where shots were fired, and at the very least seems to have pistol whipped someone (regardless of that someone’s character) which is a violation of the “Personal Conduct Policy” agreed to by the NFL and NFLPA and enforced by the Commissioner. Really, that’s like whining about the cop that arrests you for mooning the stupid Dirty Bird fans (indecent exposure) instead of the Congressmen and women that passed the stupid law that said you can’t expose your butt to idiot fans of a rival team…. Complain about the enforcer, when the NFL owners and NFLPA came up with and agreed to a policy.
August 23rd, 2011 at 2:18 am
scholty,
You do realize that Saran and Shannon Billings have been together a long time and this is not the first incident, right? They actually got together when they still lived in Cleveland, and moved to Texas together, even though he has had sexual assault charges against him in his past and Saran has pulled multiple restraining orders against him (even though they share a residence in Texas, up to the point of the last restraining order prior to this incident).
This is like saying that you’re only protecting your little brother when he climbs a tree and can’t get down. You rescue him… and he climbs the tree again, and you rescue him… and again, and again. At what point do you let your brother figure out how to climb down on his own or fall and get hurt or stay up there all night, just to get him to understand that you can’t keep rescuing him from the same thing over and over. But in this case, Saran keeps climbing higher and higher into the tree, making it more and more difficult to rescue her. The incidents keep escalating. Problem is, who’s guns were involved? According to all reports I’ve read, both guns belonged to Aqib. Seems like not only are Saran and Billings escalating this, but Aqib is as well.
August 23rd, 2011 at 2:36 am
just to point this out… rothlisberger met with goodelle prior to the suspension, and goodell did not issue judgement until the legal/justice system ran its course (failed to bring charges-therefore making the issue dead on that level)
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:07 am
BamBam, you make a good case BUT you’re comparing apples to grapefruit. This IS a legal matter. While Talib was AT a scene of violence in this instance it had to do with protection of a family member.
This isn’t the same as walking into a bar with total strangers and being accused of rape. In addition the ‘boss of the league’ can ask all the questions he wants but Talib, on the advice of his attorney’s’ will just say that he can not discuss the matter until the trial or else he (Talib) risks involving Goodall in the suit.
If Goodall dishes out any penalties Talib’s lawyers will have a GOOD case against the NFL/Bucs/Goodall.
Nothing SHOULD happen.
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:44 am
In some professions it is necessary to protect the public by a suspension while a case is pending. Police Officer, brain surgeon, etc.
Not necessary for a defensive back.
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:47 am
Joe,
Didn’t the NFLPA say they would fight any suspension of a player that resulted from an incident during the lockout? Also, it seems that Talibs attorneys could push for a stay on the suspension through the court system similar to what the Vikings players did with the starcaps deal, right? I’m pretty sure there are a lot of questions still about the legality of being punished for something that occured during the lockout.
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:50 am
scholty:
Understand your position. Please know that any video ads seen in the left or right gutters are controlled by TheBigLead Sports Network and their offices in Manhattan. Joe is a proud member of TheBigLead Sports Network and they very much help keep the lights turned on here. Joe has zero control over those videos, painful as they may be.
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:52 am
FishDaddy217:
Yes, so it appears Goodell will test the players. Frankly, he has broad authority to do so under the CBA.
August 23rd, 2011 at 8:59 am
WARNING: Long Post ahead
You stole my thunder, BamBam. I was going to say pretty much the same things.
I understand your point here, but it’s easier said than done. As I’ve said before, I had pretty much the same situation as far as my own sister. I ended up pounding the guy.
My sister has a history of getting herself into situations like that (not lately thankfully). Here’s the thing though…be being all-wise and all-knowing (jk), I understand the reason for her tendency to get involved with men like that.
My mother did the same thing. My father died when I was 13…old enough to gleen some wisdom from him. But my sister was 10…and when my mother met my future stepfather a year later…well, he wasn’t a good role model.
I have been forced to watch my sister go through multiple guys that have been just like my step father…heck one of them looked just like he did when he was younger.
And then, of course, my sister’s daughter also does the same things. She is in force rehab now. And while I do believe a person is responsible for their actions, I also understand how upbringing can play a powerful role.
And to this day, I hear my mother say “I don’t know what’s wrong with those girls.” and I feel like yelling at her. Now she has my neices kids to raise because they were taken away from my neice.
And it’s frustrating to watch. Especially when society teaches us that brothers are supposed to protect their sisters.
My real father was a biker in his younger years…in those days the gang he was in was big on honor…treat family right, work hard and protect family. Those are the things I’ve retained from my 13 years spent with my father in my life.
It is EXTREMELY difficult to watch your sister self destruct, or your neice who is an extension of your sister. So I can understand Talib’s desire to get involved.
However, I also believe in honor, and part of that is being held accountable and taking responsibility for your actions.
It is a legal matter, however it is also a conduct matter. In the case of the NFL, it doesn’t matter if there is a conviction. (as I’ll clarify below).
When all this came out, I was very much in favor of not passing judgment until enough of the story came out to make a fair assessment. I was very outspoken on it. People got the idea I was infavor of letting Talib get away with commiting a crime. That is not the case. I simply believe in innocent until proven guilty.
And in this case, talib is guilty of at least one thing. Poor judgement. And that points to bad conduct under the NFL rules. By his own admission, talib received a phone call informing him that there was trouble and he raced there to confront the issue. While I admire this, the NFL looks at it differently.
The smart thing to do would have been for Talib to immediately call the police and have them meet him there so that the situation was dealt with properly.
But he didn’t do that. He went into a bad situation and it got worse. The NFL is seeing a guy that has shown he has a problem staying out of trouble. He was suspended once. He’s been in multiple fights and confrontations on and off the field.
In the NFLs eyes, it feels that it has the responsibility to hold these players accountable for their actions. Otherwise the players will keep showing poor judgement.
And in a way, even though I know we need Talib to play, I can respect and understand a suspension.
It will happen and it won’t be 2 games (and btw, Mr. Lucky, under league rules a suspension cannot consist of preseason games. games missed must be regular season games. The upside is technically Talib CAN play during the preseason.)
Traditionally, suspensions are handed out like this:
1st time – 1-2 games
2nd time – 4-8 games
3rd time – 14-16 games
this would technically be his 2nd time, so it will be 4-7 games.
However, even though Ben was cleared of the charges, he was suspended for placing himself into the situation in the first place. And no one here complained about that suspension back then…because it was another team and we knew we had to face the Steelers (and Leftwich still beat us).
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, as they say.
Talib does deserve a suspension of some sort, no matter how much we hate the thought. And it’s best NOT to put it off.
Consider this, people. Our team is playing tons of rookies and 2ndyear players. The likelihood of Talib making that big a difference right now with a developing defensive line is slim. Yes, he might get a pick or three, but overall, we’d still be young and developing.
So I ask you…is now a better time for him to be out 4 games? Or would it be better to wait until we might be making a playoff push?
Get it over with now and we’ll get him and Tanard back at a good time. Think long term. A suspension is going to happen, no matter what.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:02 am
Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun…I mean…What do you think it will take to get Fred Jackson away from Buffalo? Sounds like he’s not happy and they’re going with Spiller. Just a thought.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:02 am
Joe, do longer comments have to be approved before they post?
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:11 am
No.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:12 am
nick:
It seems Dominik is a Kregg Lumpkin guy. Unless Lumpkin falls on his face or gets hurt, don’t expect Dominik to go shopping for a running back.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:35 am
Mr Lucky, no it’s not a legal matter where it comes to the NFL. Roger Goodell isn’t trying to figure out of Talib is innocent or guilty, just whether he violated league policy. If he did, and I have reason to believe he did considering he was there, lied to police, both weapons involved were registered to him, and there was at a minimum a fight between the two, then he will be suspended by the league. It’s not about protecting family either, nobody here or in the NFL is against protecting family. It’s about the manner in which he went about protecting the family which endangered others. It’s not ok to risk other people’s lives to protect your family. Shots fired in a residential neighborhood puts lives at risk. Even if Aqib didn’t fire the shots, his presence at the incident helped to escalate it to that point.
Eric, ok, maybe poor example. But you have to understand the difference between company policy and law. So long as company policy is within the law, they can fine and suspend players and Talib’s actions likely fall into the Personal Conduct Policy of the NFL. So get off the high horse about the Constitution of the United States of America, and realize this is what it is. Talib agreed to the policy when he became an NFL player, he’s violated it multiple times, he’s been suspended for violating it in the past, there will likely be further suspension now and deservedly so.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:36 am
Pete, I’ve had that happen to me numerous times lately, then I page back to do it again and it tells me it’s a duplicate. I feel your pain bro.
If the NFL God suspends Aqib today, his lawyer should take it to a judge much like Kevin Williams did with the Starcaps case. If you use God-ell’s logic, you be in a bank during a robbery and as soon as the headline hits print, you have hurt the NFL image. I still don’t get how God-ell has any authority over a player that was unemployed by the NFL at the time, and not a member of the union any more. If God-ell was smart, he would blow off everything that happened during the Lockout and start fresh when the new deal was signed. It sure would take the Gray back to Black and White.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:51 am
@BamBam,
As Joe stated, Goodell has the authority and discretion to suspend under the CBA.
Difference between the right to do something, and the right thing to do.
It seems to me if the man has set the matter for trial, and there is a heck of lot of confusion about what happened, let the court case run its course.
What if he gets suspended, then found not guilty? Or the state drops the charge? Wouldn’t that tarnish the image of the NFL also?
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:54 am
Joe here,
Bingo, Eric. And something Joe was planning to write about. If they suspend Talib (assuming it’s not the result of Talib and Goodell working out a deal), and then charges are dropped, then what? The NFL looks awful and perhaps Talib or the union go after the league for lost wages/damages. No incentive here not to let the court play it out.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:59 am
Joe here,
@PeteDutcher — Apparently a comment that long is picked up as spam. Joe looked for you and restored it. So you can see it above.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:24 am
Godell has to come down hard. Look at some of the crimes committed by NFL players- including murdering your pregnant girlfriend. The minute the public starts to view NFL players as self indulgent street hoods, it’s game over. The image of the league has to remain as great athletes, representing their cities. The game is more important than the individual. He has to ! To many idiots doing stupid things.
If you look at one event, Meybe Talib should get a break. If you look at how hes behaved since he came in the league- he’s an idiot. I expect a long suspension, which will definitely hurt this team. Talib has has 2 incidents a year since coming in the league. Godell should come down on him hard- it’s the best hope to get him to grow up. Another wrist slop will just green light him to screw up again. He’s acted like an immature thug since we drafted him. Someone needs to get his attention. Sadly, it’s not anyone at OneBucPlace!
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:00 am
The ABBA star GM should conference in and sing “Take a Chance On Me”… Just like he sang it for all of December ’08…
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:17 am
@Capt Tim,
I think the guy who murdered the pregnant girlfriend was held without bail, so he was gonna have a hard time playing anyhow, except for the mean machine!
But, you make some good points there for sure.
Didnt Ray Lewis have a murder trial?
August 23rd, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Yes he did. And it sure seemed to imply that Ray wasn’t innocent .
Can Talib Change – Yes. I hope he does. But his episodes are increasingly more violent. I hope the Comish takes so much of his money, that it brings him to tears. Maybe then Aqib will straighten up and fly right. Another smack on the hand, and he’ll just keep getting in trouble. For his sake and the teams, I hope the punishment is appallingly harsh. In the long run, it might be for the best!