Aqib Talib’s Innocence Or Guilt Not A Factor
April 26th, 2011
The Tampa Bay area is still buzzing over the bold pronouncement by Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times that troubled Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib is as good as gone when this labor mess is resolved.
Given the fact the NFL is — tentatively, barring further legal action — open for business, this would mean that Talib’s tenure as a Bucs player is in its final hours if Stroud is accurate.
Many Bucs fans erupted in outrage with Stroud, largely because he never quoted a source, not even a confidential source in the story. Fans were so enraged, Stroud’s colleague good guy Stephen Holder even had to come to Stroud’s defense.
It seems as if Holder will have reinforcements of sorts.
BSPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas has come to Stroud’s aid as well. Typing for the Disney syndicate, Yasinskas explains that no matter what a judge or jury may find in Texas, Talib has already been sentenced at One Buc Palace.
Rick Stroud writes that troubled cornerback Aqib Talib is all but gone from Tampa Bay. I agree and have been saying that since Talib was charged with a crime in a March incident in Texas. Yes, the legal system hasn’t played out and there is the chance Talib can be exonerated. But the mere fact Talib, who has a long history of off-field problems, was even involved in an incident with a gun didn’t exactly flatter the NFL or the Bucs. The only thing remaining is sorting out the exit strategy. The Bucs can’t do anything until after the lockout. If they don’t cut or trade Talib right away, the NFL could beat them to the punch and suspend Talib.
Now Joe knows there is a segment of Bucs fans upon reading the previous paragraph will slam their cups of coffee on the breakfast table so hard they will have to change their wardrobe for the workday. But here is an element many Bucs fans either don’t know or tend to forget:
In the court of NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell, evidence or guilt are not factors in any way. Just the fact that Talib was present where gunfire was discharged and a man was (allegedly) pistol whipped is enough for Goodell to hammer Talib with an ugly suspension, which is largely expected.
Remember that Tanard Jackson was never charged and never found guilty by any Florida police agency or legal authorities. Yet his NFL career is hanging by a razor-thin string after multiple suspensions.
If Talib is jettisoned by the Bucs, there is no need to blame Team Glazer or Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik nor coach Raheem Morris.
The blame, in the end, should lay at the feet of Talib.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:10 am
Wow, one after the other reporters are saying this so there must be some truth to it. How awesome would it be to get Tanard back if we did lose Talib. Would lessen the pain a little bit assuming he comes back as his old self (minus the bad smoking habits).
Talib, what a waste of talent. If we do lose him I hope we get a draft pick in return rather than just cutting him.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:11 am
I’m buying the fact that Talib will be punished in some way or another. I’m also buying that he’s responsible and he deserves punishment. I’m not buying that out of hand, he should be dishonorably discharged, even before the matter has been adjudicated. He still has value to the Bucs and to other NFL teams. Six games or even a years suspension is not a death sentence in a NFL career. Ed Reed made the Pro Bowl after missing 6 games. Without naming names, there are others, including jail sentences, that have found success in the NFL. What matters here is how the Bucs decide to politically (public opinion) deal with this situation.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:39 am
We now praise Vick and his efforts…. Can’t Talib also change his life? Granted he needs a big slap in the face but to write him of totally is extremely judgemental.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:41 am
The problem is if the Bucs just cut him then a team like the Ravens or even the Patriots will immediately scoop him up and give him a chance to change his ways. Both these teams have had success with troubled players in the past. Of course you also have teams like the Bengal’s who couldn’t tame anyone, but still insists on trying.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:51 am
“In the court of NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell, evidence or guilt are not factors in any way.”
This is wrong. Not inaccurate, but morally wrong. Evidence should matter. Always.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Remember that Talibs attorney has more than a dozen witnesses that state that he never touched the gun! Plus If you abused mt family I wouldnt have missed!
April 26th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Talib needs to go.
However, it won’t hurt to see how the trial/grand jury turns out. If he gets off with no legal repercussions it could make him have some trade value. Getting any draft pick for him will be better then cutting him outright. I think the combination of talent and ‘not guilty’ will intrigue at least one team to cough up a pick.
If there are no takers, cut him loose after the draft, FA, or just after training camp.
April 26th, 2011 at 10:03 am
This is amazing. I pay to watch good hard nosed football not the vienna boys choir! I don’t give a rats ass about his problems away from the game. He is a very good football player and really we can’t afford to give him away. After his trial if all goes well then he is easily tradable.
April 26th, 2011 at 10:08 am
When drugs are involved, a test is given by the NFL and the results are factual. If you used something you should not have, it will show up on the test and you pay regardless of law enforcement action. Drug tests at work places are the same way. You don’t pass, you are either not hired or are fired for cause.
The NFL does do gunshot residue testing on anyone. I am not an expert in any way on this but I do know if you are by a firearm that is fired you could have residue on you but the pattern and where determine if you fired the weapon unless you were trying to take it away when it was fired. A CSI expert could tell us if I am correct, but I am just sumising on the pattern.
I do not believe the person that was the target because if Talib is found guilty, the target can sue to obtain money. I am sure he will anyway, so his story is suspect. I don’t know what the witnesses, if any for Talib’s actions) said and I am sure that the NFL and the Bucs have access to all of the information gathered by the police including witnesses’ statements because of their connection to law enforcement. So if these reports show Talib a user of guns, unless he was trying to stop the assult on his sister while it was going on or he was afraid for their lives, I am sure when they can, the NFL and the Bucs will do their thing.
Now if all these reporters are saying he is history, the ones they are talking to MIGHT know what they are talking about and he is indeed history, but if they don’t, he may stay or be traded.
Until the entire story is told, nobody knows for sure and remember – reporters report on what they are told or find out, only bad ones make up stories ( and there are bad ones) but I don’t believe these are bad one but very good ones whose sources could be wrong.
The draft and the back to work time will tell us what will or did happen.
April 26th, 2011 at 10:09 am
@Atrain WD40: I agree 100%……The point of the game is to win football games not friends…
April 26th, 2011 at 10:14 am
“Just the fact that Talib was present where gunfire was discharged and a man was (allegedly) pistol whipped is enough for Goodell to hammer Talib with an ugly suspension”
I have a hard time believing that just being at the same location where a crime is committed is grounds for being fired. Especially when it’s proven that said player took no part in the crime and may have been a victim himself. You simply can not be suspended for that.
There are a lot of people making a lot of strange assumptions in this case.
“the mere fact Talib, …, was even involved in an incident with a gun didn’t exactly flatter the NFL or the Bucs.”
Whose fault is that though? It was the very writers themselves who declared him guilty before even one witness spoke up. Those same writers decided he was guilty and have already assigned him punishment. And now those same writers are trying their best to justify their opinions that even IF he is innocent that somehow he must be guilty of “not being flattering” – just because it makes for a good story.
April 26th, 2011 at 10:15 am
If we are supposed to be so concerned with character then why is White Ben still playing, I think White Bens offenses trump Talib’s by far. Ray Lewis got away with murder don’t forget.
April 26th, 2011 at 10:30 am
STOP! Or my Mom will shoot!
April 26th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Although I condemned Aqib when this story first broke, and do feel he has serious issues anyway, the NFL Commissioner sucks out loud. I hate this guy with a passion, he that thinks he is above the laws of our land. If the Bucs want to cut Aqib, that is their business, however if a Court/Grand Jury exonerates Talib, then I feel Goodell should be barred from doing anything whatsoever to Aqib. He should not trump our legal system. It is total BS and I would love to see Talib, or somebody, anybody, sue the living crap out of Goodell, PERSONALLY, win or lose and force him to spend all the funds required to defend it for as long as it takes, including a very lengthy discovery period involving every player that Goodell has fined or suspended during his tenure. This Clown has overstepped his bounds time and again, and I’m sick of it and him. So Talib is what he it, but Roger Goodell is a complete POS! I also hate the fact that they fine Coaches and players for speaking out against the refs or the league. Regardless of what their NFL BS Rules say, it is a direct violation of the players and coaches right to free speech. It’s BS. I hate them all. In My Very Humble Opinion.
April 26th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
BigMac, I do agree with you, but most companies frown upon public ridecule from employees. I can disagree with my boss, but I am not going to go out and post it on an email listserve. I totally agree that if you are not guilty you should not be in league trouble either…
On another note, TJ failed a drug test, so that is a bit different. Did Ben R ever go to criminal court? It seems as though the last case was dropped, but he still was punished with a five game suspension. I could be wrong though.
April 26th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Could be a total smokescreen. Atlanta and New Orleans both want DE’s just like Tampa. Its in Tampa’s best interest for those teams to think they are taking a CB at #20 to dissuade them from trying to trade ahead of the Bucs to nab a DE the covet. I wouldn’t be shocked if they sat down with Stroud behind closed doors and asked him to spread this rumor as a smokescreen in exchange for future considerations.
April 26th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
I agree with you about not humiliating your boss, even when he’s wrong, because he is still the boss, but if he belittles you in front of the entire company and he is clearly wrong (like a ref on national TV) then it is the American way to come out guns a blazing. See my problem is that Goodell doesn’t sign anyone’s check, and should not be considered anyone’s boss, Chauffeur maybe, but not boss. The Coach’s boss is the team owner, which in most instances probably agree’s with the Coach being upset about a terrible call. Still if that team owner chooses to discipline the Coach, then it is totally in his realm of authority as a boss, but the Commissioner, I don’t feel should have that authority, as Judge, Jury and Executioner. Employee drug laws are a little complex when it comes to termination verses getting the employee help and rehabilitation. Although I think T Jax is stupid and let his team down, I don’t think the punishment fits the crime. I just think what happens on the job should be dealt with on the job. What happens on your own time is your own damn business as long as doesn’t affect your job performance. T Jax can probably play safety better stoned than most safeties can straight up sober. I think T Jax should have been forced into a mandatory drug program with bi-weekly testing, and only should have missed game while in treatment. Again, I don’t see how what Ben R or Aqib did affects their job performance in any way. If Ray Lewis shot someone, that is for the courts to decide and discipline, not Roger Goodell. With him, everybody is guilty, based on speculation and innuendo alone. It goes against every principle our Country was built on.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
@BigMacAttack,
Agree 110%.. The warden is out of control and needs to be stopped.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
I disagree. I’ve never been much of an NBA fan, but when it became a game of street ball with a bunch of thugs playing and getting in trouble when they weren’t playing, I went from not being much of a fan to absolutely hating the league. This is what Goodell is there for, to keep the image of the NFL from being tarnished and promote the league in the best possible light. He represents all 32 owners, every coach and player. When one is out of line, it’s his job to get him back in line. That’s what the commissioner does. Organizes rules for everyone to follow for the betterment of the game. A player does not have to break the law to damage the NFL.
April 26th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
BamBam, I respectfully disagree, although I totally see your point of view. I think it should be the Owners’ responsibility to discipline their players. When it gets to the point that “Thuggish” behavior is eating into their profits, they will be forced to take action. And yes I think they should, as individual teams, take action anyway, but one single entity should not be Judge, Jury and Executioner for 1800 players. I could see having a panel of 9 former players and coaches, similar to our Supreme Court. 4 liberal, 4 conservative, and 1 swing vote. Although I am a Fiscal Conservative, I have liberal views, especially when it comes to liberties, freedom, and Govt interference in our lives, much like John Stossel. As far as the NBA goes, I had to quit watching it about 20 years ago, because of the dad-gum refs. They are the most corrupt, hater, cheating, betting, incompetent scum on the planet. I played basketball for many many years, 24/7/365 and know it well. Every time I try to watch the Magic now, the refs pick on Dwight Howard and call fouls that they don’t call on his opponent. I hate it. If you call it tight, great, but call it both ways. If you’re going to let them play, let both teams play and don’t call one team(Magic) for BS fouls when you let the other team (Celtics) get away with murder on the court. I swear if you get within 5′ of King James they will call a foul on you, and a tech for raising your eyebrows. All hail the king.
April 26th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
BamBamBuc:
Sounds like Joe! 🙂 Joe used to be a big NBA fan but about the time Michael Jordan started his schtick and the game became more of a street/playground league, Joe became grossly disenchanted with the league and washed his hands of it.
Honestly, Joe hasn’t watched 15 minutes of the NBA in 15 years. Joe would be hard-pressed to name five NBA players. Seriously.