BALZER'S NFL BLOG

Balzer’s Blog: Talking conduct, “Johnny Trademark”

Howard Balzer

September 05, 2014 at 10:42 am.

Johnny Manziel (2) has marketed himself well off the field. He just needs to produce on it. (Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

Recent weeks have resulted in a large number of decisions for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell relating to personal conduct by players and, of course, an owner.

The reality is that very rarely will a decision regarding punishment be met with universal agreement, but it does appear in the wake of the inordinate amount of criticism after Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was suspended two games, that the commissioner is handing down tougher penalties.

After all, there has never been huge reaction in the past when numerous players were suspended one game for domestic abuse issues, but when a marquee player like Rice is involved, the attention is dialed up considerably.

 The Rice decision led to a toughening of the discipline, not only for domestic abuse, but also for assault and battery. Every incident is usually unique, so it remains to be seen how everything will play out.

  It does seem, however, that the commissioner might have been guilty of piling on in the case of Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent. In December, 2012, Brent was driving while intoxicated and the tragic result was an accident that resulted in the death of his friend and teammate Jerry Brown. Brent did not play for the rest of that season and then, when his case had not gone through the court system, he voluntarily retired in July, 2013, and missed the entire season.

Last January, he was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years’ probation. In June, he was released from prison, and spent 45 days in rehab. He then met with Goodell to make his case for returning to play for the Cowboys even though he was never suspended.

New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick was never suspended by the NFL for his role in a major dog-fighting operation and for originally lying to Goodell about his involvement. Yet, after serving his two-year jail term, Vick was allowed to immediately be signed by a team (the Eagles). The Falcons had released him after he was sentenced.

Brent, however, is being treated differently. Last week, the league announced that provided he meets certain guidelines, Brent will be permitted to be in the Cowboys facility after Week 6, but not begin practicing until after Week 9. He would then be eligible to play after Week 10. Prior to Week 6, he will be permitted to be at the facility to meet with his clinician or the team’s director of player engagement.

A sidebar to the story is the forgiveness accorded Brent by Brown’s mother, Shirley Jackson. She was featured in an emotional piece on CBS last Thanksgiving, and talked to the Dallas Morning News after Brent was conditionally reinstated.

She said, “I’m very happy Josh has been reinstated with the Dallas Cowboys. My beautiful son is in Heaven now, and Josh has to be given a chance to live his life and do something for someone else. We all make mistakes, and we all have an entrance date and an exit day. Although I miss Jerry every day, I know he would be very happy that Josh has another chance to play football.

“Josh doesn’t have to answer to you or me. He has to answer to God, about what he has done with his second chance.”

 Meanwhile, Brent’s agent, Peter Schaffer, isn’t happy. After the decision was announced, he told www.profootballtalk.com it would be appealed. Said Schaffer, “We were truly hoping that the commissioner’s response to Josh’s request for reinstatement would be one that we wouldn’t have to appeal, and that it would be fair and based on precedent. The last thing we thought we’d have to do today would be appeal the decision.”

Referring to the case involving former wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth, whose drunk driving resulted in a death several years ago, Schaffer said, “It was the same exact situation. Both were tragic and unfortunate. Stallworth received a 16-game suspension. I base everything on precedent. The precedent was set. But Josh will serve a 30-game suspension.

“It’s important that Josh voluntarily retired. He could have forced the NFL to go through a tremendous amount of scrutiny for allowing him to play pending trial or for attempting to suspend him before he had been proven guilty. Where’s the incentive for someone to do that in the future? Giving him twice what Stallworth received doesn’t seem to be acknowledging that.”

Johnny Trademark

Quarterback Johnny Manziel wasn’t able to win the Cleveland Browns starting job from Brian Hoyer, but that hasn’t stopped him, or more accurately, his marketing company from apparently trying to set a record for trademarks applied for.

The most recent of the 10 filed by JMan2 Enterprises LLC is “Johnny Cleveland.” That joins others that include, “Johnny Football,” “JFF,” “Manziel” and “The House That Johnny Built.”

However, there is no word whether he applied for the trademark, “Johnny Backup.”

Blame the Media

One of the hilarious things that happens in sports is when a player refuses to take responsibility for his own failings, and then attempts to blame the media for whatever went wrong.

The latest is wide receiver Stephen Hill, a second-round pick of the Jets in 2012, who was waived by the team in the cut down to 53 players and then landed on the Carolina Panthers practice squad a few days later.

Of course, his lack of production in New York had nothing to do with why he was released. That occurred, in Hill’s warped mind, because the media exaggerated the issues he had catching the ball.

Said Hill, “Well, honestly that was the New York Jets media that did that. If you really go back and look at it, there were guys at other facilities that dropped more than I did. As a receiver you’re going to drop passes. You’re going to catch footballs. Things like that happen; it’s just that the New York media – and honestly this is me talking – did all that. They can say what they want to say about me, but I really don’t care. I’m in a new place now. They tried their best to get me out of there.”

One question is how he would know what goes at “other facilities” not to mention the delusional belief that “the media” wanted him gone. We’ll be waiting for the tapes to surface of media members meeting with Jets general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan, as they consulted on the team’s roster decisions.

Anyone have an under/under on how long he remains with the Panthers?

 

ALL  |  NFL  |  College Football  |  MLB  |  NBA