SI_RossTucker

(Ross Tucker)

As a football fan, I consider myself a character guy.  I’d run my team like the Rooneys and not like the Raiders.

Still, you can’t deny that Brandon Marshall is an absolute animal on the football field.  His stats are phenomenal (101 Receptions, 1,120 yards, and 10 touchdowns in 2009) but don’t do him justice.  Watching Brandon Marshall get open, pull balls out of the air, and run after the catch is a thing of beauty.

The question is… is he a character guy.

And for some reason, I think Brandon Marshall can pull it together.

Let’s review his history… according to Wikipedia:

Halloween 2004 – While at UCF arrested for disorderly conduct, refusal to obey, assault on a law enforcement officer.

Verdict:  Halloween + College = Free Pass.  Well, except for the assaulting an officer charge.  But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

January 2007 – The Darrent Williams Tragedy.  While leaving a nightclub in Denver, Brandon Marshall’s cousin got into an argument with someone at the club.  He retaliated by shooting into the groups limousine.  Darrent Williams, a cornerback for the Broncos, was killed.

Verdict: It’s not Marshall’s fault.  Bad things happen at clubs at night.  While we like to chastise athletes for even being there (i.e. “Why don’t you just stay home!”), you can’t expect them to live like hermits.

After this, let’s hold the verdict on the next few…

March 2007 – Suspicion of domestic violence.  The charges were dismissed.

October 2007 – DUI.

March 2008 – Another domestic dispute case.  The jury found him not guilty.

March 2009 – Another domestic dispute case.  The charges were dropped the next day.

Now back up a second.  I’m actually going to buy into the theory, posited by Dashiell Bennett at Deadspin, that holding a dying Darrent Williams in his arms messed him up something good and the stress directly contributed to his behavior.

I’m not giving the guy a free pass… but it makes sense.

Another issue was his refusal to practice in Denver.  It lends itself to another theory of mine: Josh McDaniels is a giant douche.  I have no evidence for that theory. I’ve never met him. And I barely even researched the topic.  I just don’t think it’s possible for Jay Cutler to be that much of a cry baby.  This McDaniels guy must be unbearable.

So despite the fact that I love character guys, for the Dolphins it was a great move.

They have an exciting offense that is just on the cusp of putting them deep into the playoffs.  They had horrific luck with injuries last year.  And Marshall is a big time playmaker that can really change a game.

Or as athlete David Pollack puts it:

davidpollack47

(David Pollack )

So it appears now with the B Marshall trade that its the beasts of the AFC East and then there is the Bills.

On 14-4-2010 12:59:20 from TweetDeck

Footz95

(Darrell Reid)

This is why the Bronco’s 5-0 start is just luck.  Where is a young man on this team to turn to when he needs a question such as this answered?

Brandon Marshall has recently gotten his act together, but he’s clearly not one to be teaching life lessons.

Kyle Orton, too, has focused his game and trimmed his beard, but is he really that far removed from his party days?

Even Coach McDaniel’s friends are just getting to that age when  all his friends start getting married.  Even if Darrell Reid had time to have a heart-to-heart with McDaniels between bachelor parties this wedding season, he’s just a kid himself.

This team is simply too young.

Perhaps Darrell Reid can find a mentor, a life-coach so to speak, on another team.  Now the Patriots and Bill Belichick, that’s a team and coach that knows how to play with honor and to respect the fidelity of marriage.