As the NFL awaits another autumn, you might say it hasn't exactly been an enjoyable summer for the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos.
It took the Patriots less than five hours between the July arrest of Aaron Hernandez and his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder to sever ties with the All-Pro tight end before the first steps were taken in court, a departure from the way teams usually handle a star athlete in serious trouble.
"Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation," said the Patriots. "We realize law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing. We support their efforts and respect the process."
The Patriots removed Hernandez from the roster and the NFL stopped selling his jersey online.
Hernandez was charged with murder in the shooting of a friend, Odin Lloyd, who prosecutors said angered Hernandez in a Boston nightclub. Lloyd, a 27-year-old semipro football player, was shot five times while he was on the ground, raising his hand to try to save his life, according to prosecutors.
It was two weeks after Hernandez was charged with murder that Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was arrested and accused of drunken driving in Nebraska while on probation for assaulting a police officer.
Dennard's arrest was his second in 15 months. He had yet to serve a 30-day jail sentence for his run-in with the police.
Meanwhile, over in Denver, the problems facing the Broncos had nothing to do with players, but with the front office.
Talk about wild.
A month after being hired as Denver's director of player personnel, Tom Heckert was facing DUI charges and Matt Russell, also involved in player personnel, was apologizing for his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.
"We're not perfect," said Broncos president Joe Ellis. "We admit it. You can say we apologized for it, but I think an apology rings hollow when you run into the back of a police car or you're blowing a blood alcohol limit that's three times the legal limit. I don't think fans, I don't think the public, I don't think anybody wants to hear an apology."
History tells us coaches, to some degree, will always be rolling the dice when it involves welcoming possible troublemakers to the roster. An agent told the Associated Press' Jim Litke there are "at least a dozen on every team," mainly on defense.
"They want guys who say, 'gimme the damn ball' and guys who can turn around and play after they get beat and start talking trash right away about how it won't ever happen again. Without those nasty, selfish guys, competing on a regular basis is practically impossible.''
Source: http://www.nola.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/the_nfls_summertime_blues_aren.html
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