Sports Talk: NFL Arrests, NBA MVP & Upcoming MMA Fights
Published: Monday - April 14, 2008
Words by Mike Monson
Former Minnesota Vikings player, Carl Eller Photo: n/a
NFL
A hall of famer and Vikings all-time sack leader, with 130 1/2, was tasered and arrested by two Minneapolis police officers on Wednesday (April 9) who say they found themselves "in the fight of their lives," against a man who fled from them, hit them and threw one on a car. They didn't realize at first that the man was Vikings legend Carl Eller, and they were "crushed" when they found out. Police Inspector Mike Martin said Eller sped through a stop sign in his neighborhood near Theodore Wirth Park, led police on a chase that reached more than 60 mph and assaulted officers when they tried to arrest him. Officers smelled alcohol on Eller's breath, but they won't know how much he was drinking because Eller refused to take breath or blood tests, Martin said. Police used tasers on Eller four times and put him in a neck hold to restrain him. This smells like bullsh** to me, Carl Eller is a 66-year-old former defensive end that played 15 years in the NFL. He probably suffers from some sort of old football injuries that give him a hard time maneuvering around his living room. We are supposed to believe that this old man led cops that are younger, most likely 30+ years younger, him on a high speed chase in his neighborhood, and then gave two cops the fight of the their life?? Were the cops midgets? Then the cops say they smelled alcohol on his breath, but because Eller refused a breath or blood test, they won't know how much Eller was drinking. Eller is the first person I've ever heard of to refuse and then not be forced to take a breath or blood test when the driver is accused of a DUI. Then the cops say they were "crushed" when they found out who the guy was.
Bengals: Receiver Chris Henry lost his job while in jail awaiting arraignment on assault charges on Thursday (April 3). The Bengals cut him after his fifth arrest since 2005. An attorney for Henry, 24, entered not guilty pleas for him after Henry was accused of punching an 18-year-old man in the face and breaking his car window with a beer bottle. Municipal Court Judge Bernie Bouchard set bond at $51,000 on charges of misdemeanor assault and criminal damaging. Noting Henry's previous arrests involving drugs, guns and alcohol, the judge called Henry "a one-man crime wave." He ordered electronic monitoring if Henry makes bail, which he did on Friday (April 4). Bengals president, Mike Brown, said in a statement that Henry, an often brilliant receiver who would be in his fourth pro season this year, had forfeited his career with the club. "His conduct can no longer be tolerated," Brown said. Man, what a fool.
Browns: Cleveland Browns defensive back, Kenny Wright, was arrested Thursday (April 10) after police said he led them on a quarter-mile foot chase that began in the parking lot of the police station. 30-year-old Wright faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful restraint, a misdemeanor charge of evading arrest and a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana. He remained in the Pearland City Jail on Thursday night, pending a bond hearing Friday. Pearland police said officers were investigating a disturbance in the police station parking lot around 11:30 a.m. Thursday. When officers approached Wright, he took off running and was eventually caught in a nearby subdivision. "We had people on scene pretty fast and I believe because of our quick response time and the mental and physical toughness of our officers to catch offenders, we were able to get him in custody quickly and safely," Sgt. Roy Castillo said. Police said they found 1.875 ounces of marijuana in Wright's vehicle. A jail official told the Associated Press he did not know if Wright has an attorney. The Browns had no comment. If found guilty on the unlawful restraint charge, Wright faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. If found guilty on the other charges, Wright faces up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine on each charge. The player, who attended Northwestern State in Louisiana, was a fourth-round pick in the 1999 draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The nine-year veteran also has played for Houston, Jacksonville and Washington. He has seven career interceptions. What the f*** was this guy doing hanging out in a police parking lot? That's the last place I would ever be found.
Dolphins: Bill Parcells and the Miami Dolphins have begun contract negotiations with the agent for potential top draft pick OT from the university Michigan, Jake Long. NFL talent evaluators, who study tape of Jake Long won't find any holes. He allowed only one sack in 2007 and just two in his college career. This comes after not allowing a sack in his three-year high school career. He also played a penalty-free season in 2007. If this rumor is true and the Dolphins draft him at a salary that keeps open cap space, this could be a good start to the Parcells era.
NBA
Lakers: Injured Lakers center, Andrew Bynum, saw a knee specialist in New York and still hasn't been cleared to practice, the team announced Thursday (April 10). "This should not be seen as a setback in any way," said Dr. David Altcheck, who examined Bynum . "Andrew will continue his therapy program and workouts with the Lakers' training staff and will continue to be monitored until he can return to playing status." No date has been set for his return. Bynum was having a breakout season when he was injured, averaging 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.06 blocked shots in his third year. He was leading the NBA in field goal percentage (63.6 percent) and was among the best in rebounds and blocks. But Lakers have kept winning and stayed in contention for the Western Conference regular-season championship.
MVP: The battle for MVP is coming down to the wire with three people leading the way -- Kobe, Lebron and Chris Paul. Paul has led his team to best record of the three players and is no. 1 in steals and assists. Kobe has led his team to the second best record in the west and is 2nd in scoring, 28th in assists, and tied for 10th in steals. Lebron has led his team to a 4th seed in the eastern conference. He's also no. 1 in scoring, 8th in assists, and tied with Kobe for 10th in steals. It's safe to say that all three are worthy of the honor. But you have to ask yourself if Kobe or Paul's team were in the eastern conference, would they have a better seed going in the playoffs then the Cavs? I think they would. So now that brings us to Kobe and Paul. Paul has brought his team to a level that most did not expect them to be at. At best I figured the Hornets would be a five or six seed going into the playoffs, but I don't think anyone picked them to be seeded higher then the Spurs or Suns come playoff time. With Paul's leadership and superstar play, the Hornets have the no. 1 seed and possible home court advantage if they can win the few games they have left. Now Kobe on the other hand, didn't even want to be in L.A. anymore. He made that stupid video over the summer talking sh** about Bynum and just about everyone else on the Laker payroll. So I expected this Laker season to one of the worst in team history, but Kobe still came out and played hard and the team responded. Now, with the biggest blockbuster trade of the season -- when they got Pau Gasol -- they instantly became a title contention. So to answer the question of who should be the MVP, I'm not sure because both Paul and Kobe deserve it.
MLB
A construction worker on a concrete crew at the new Yankee Stadium secretly buried a Red Sox t-shirt under the future visiting clubhouse in an effort to jinx the Yankees, the New York Post reported Friday (April 11). The paper cited two construction workers, it did not identify, saying they were not authorized to speak with the media. One of the workers said the t-shirt was poured in a slab in the visitor's clubhouse. The Redsox own the Yankees, they don't need to curse them.
Former Major League player, Ed Sprague, said he used androstenedione and amphetamines before either was banned in the game. Sprague, now baseball coach at University of the Pacific, said he started using androstenedione in the mid-to-late 1990s. He hit a career-high 36 home runs in 1996. I thought it was funny for this guy admitting to taking anything because NO ONE CARES. Sprague averaged about 14 home runs per season over his 11-year career in the majors, most of it with the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished with 152 homers and 558 RBIs. He should of took more and started juicing, so he could of hit more homers and ended up in Canseco's book.
MMA
Grappling Exhibition Rumor: MMA legend, Randy "The Natural" Couture, and former Olympic Gold medalist Kurt Angle have been going around MMA and grappling message boards for the last couple of weeks. "I'm not too worried about it either way," said Couture to MMA weekly radio. "When it is signed on the dotted line and it can really be a reality, then I will definitely start training and getting myself into top grappling shape, sharpening all those tools for a match with him." Both are legends in the wrestling world with Angle, as mentioned, a gold medalist in the 1996 Olympics, while Couture was an alternate for three different Olympic teams -- 1988, 1992 and 1996. "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it either way. If it happens, it would be a lot of fun, it would be cool," he said. "I got the chance to do the 'Jacare' match last year with the PSL (Professional Submission League), and just had a blast. I would be all over the chance to compete against a guy like Kurt. We'll just have to wait and see."
UFC83: The event is just one week away and Georges St. Pierre says he is focused and ready to take the title Matt Serra took from him in the biggest upset in MMA history. "I do a lot of imagery. I have seen these things before and when I walk into the Octagon on April 19, it seems to me it won't be the first time that it has happened because I have been through the scenario before," said St. Pierre on Thursday's pre-fight conference call. He added, "I know how to fight him. I'm going to fight him in a way that nobody has fought him before. I'm going to do some stuff that nobody has seen before." Hopefully St. Pierre will be able to deliver on those comments because the pressure will be on St. Pierre. The fight is taking place in his hometown of Montreal, Canada.
"I'm a different fighter," said Serra, "I'm gonna pose some different problems, and I'm gonna be game. I don't want to discredit any other guys -- not that I care about discrediting Matt Hughes (laughs) -- but there are certain things you have to risk, and a certain mindset you have to have when fighting a guy like Georges. There are guys who want to win either by playing it safe or by just trying to win a decision this way or that way, and that's not the way to go. I believe this is not going to be a five round fight -- I believe it's him or me, that's the way I look at things, and I feel great about it. The fact that it's in his backyard, hey, as far as I'm concerned, as long as it's the same cage, I don't care if it's in his living room. I'm a professional fighter, and the key word is 'professional'. I'm not sweating it."
In their last fight, Serra was 20/1 underdog. Come fight time, the odds should be the same. It's a good bet to take Serra. I made 2G's on their last fight.
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