Tony Washington

[Steely Dan]

The incident happened over seven years ago when Washington was a teenager.

 

It was reportedly consensual, not rape.

 

It is also reported that he maintains a familial relationship with his sister.

 

It is a fact that he complied with all the requirements imposed on him by the courts.

 

Now his whole career is on hold because of this incident that happened that long ago?

 

In all of these cases, the first question is, does the punishment fit the crime?

 

Would it be a fair punishment if he were deprived of his chosen career for the rest of his life?

I wonder how many teams interviewed him and how those interviews went.

 

It's been a bit of a mild surprise that Washington wasn't drafted.

 

He was rated on most of the draft boards that we all saw.

 

That he has not signed anywhere is somewhat unexpected, IMO.

 

I think that rather than exhibiting moral courage, that the NFL teams which took him off their boards solely on the basis of this incident are showing a lack of moral courage. They are afraid to deal with the backlash and questions. They are acting cowardly.

 

Washington has paid his debt. He will live with the stigma forever. He will be reminded of this transgression by fans on a weekly basis if ever he plays in the NFL.

 

Is it hard for us to imagine that he could be rehabilitated and perhaps redeem himself?

 

If I owned a sports team, I would have interviewed and evaluated Washington and if he seemed like he was mentally stable, I would give him a chance to make my team.

 

They are acting smartly. If you don't think this would be an issue with any job he'd try to get then I think you need to think again. The NFL is a business and no smart business does anything that won't benefit them in some way. It's not their job to help a guy rehabilitate his image. In fact it's something I'm sure they loathe. Why should a team do him a favor like that without any guaranteed great return? This isn't an Anthony Munoz, it's a guy most think will be average to a little above average, JMO

[San Jose Bills Fan]

They are acting smartly. If you don't think this would be an issue with any job he'd try to get then I think you need to think again. The NFL is a business and no smart business does anything that won't benefit them in some way. It's not their job to help a guy rehabilitate his image. In fact it's something I'm sure they loathe. Why should a team do him a favor like that without any guaranteed great return? This isn't an Anthony Munoz, it's a guy most think will be average to a little above average, JMO

Hmmm. They don't have to rehabilitate his image. That's up to Tony Washington.

 

What I'm saying is that I'm surprised and a bit disappointed (again without knowing how his interviews went), that no team is willing to give the guy a chance.

 

In all these situations there is a cost/benefit...a risk/reward. The only thing that differentiates Washington from many equivalent and lesser prospects in this draft class is "the incident." You feel Washington as a prospect is a "little above average?" Maybe. But certainly at least as good and most likely a better prospect than Demetrius Bell.

 

Teams have taken on bigger risks. Michael Vick, Leonard Little, Reggie Rogers, Donte Stallworth...the list is almost infinite.

 

This is what I think, Steely. The implicit sanction of NFL teams against Washington is not so much due to the severity of the crime. I think it was you who said that incest was a very uncomfortable subject. And to me, that's it in a nutshell. The teams don't want to deal with the discomfort of having to talk about this particular taboo subject. But what Tony Washington did is not more egregious than a vehicular homicide (or a hit and run which is a hair's breadth away from vehicular homicide) or murdering and torturing defenseless animals, etc.

 

The punishment (a possible denial of a chosen profession) does not fit the crime, in my opinion. There are and have been many players in the NFL who have done worse things.

 

The incest appears to be something that the NFL teams are not willing to deal with, even though in this particular case, it appears to be a less severe transgression than many others that appear on the records of current NFL players.

[HurlyBurly51]

What I'm saying is that I'm surprised and a bit disappointed (again without knowing how his interviews went), that no team is willing to give the guy a chance.

 

I think it was you who said that incest was a very uncomfortable subject. And to me, that's it in a nutshell. The teams don't want to deal with the discomfort of having to talk about this particular taboo subject.

 

Look it up on google. The impression he left coming out of those interviews is that he doesn't seem to realize that what he did was even wrong. "It's pretty common where I come from" is his response. I can see the editorials now when he tells the media in his new teams community that zinger.

[Steely Dan]

Hmmm. They don't have to rehabilitate his image. That's up to Tony Washington.

 

What I'm saying is that I'm surprised and a bit disappointed (again without knowing how his interviews went), that no team is willing to give the guy a chance.

 

In all these situations there is a cost/benefit...a risk/reward. The only thing that differentiates Washington from many equivalent and lesser prospects in this draft class is "the incident." You feel Washington as a prospect is a "little above average?" Maybe. But certainly at least as good and most likely a better prospect than Demetrius Bell.

 

Teams have taken on bigger risks. Michael Vick, Leonard Little, Reggie Rogers, Donte Stallworth...the list is almost infinite.

 

This is what I think, Steely. The implicit sanction of NFL teams against Washington is not so much due to the severity of the crime. I think it was you who said that incest was a very uncomfortable subject. And to me, that's it in a nutshell. The teams don't want to deal with the discomfort of having to talk about this particular taboo subject. But what Tony Washington did is not more egregious than a vehicular homicide (or a hit and run which is a hair's breadth away from vehicular homicide) or murdering and torturing defenseless animals, etc.

 

The punishment (a possible denial of a chosen profession) does not fit the crime, in my opinion. There are and have been many players in the NFL who have done worse things.

 

The incest appears to be something that the NFL teams are not willing to deal with, even though in this particular case, it appears to be a less severe transgression than many others that appear on the records of current NFL players.

 

I disagree, they have to do it. They have to set up the interviews, they have to coach him on how to respond, they have to defend their choice and make it look like it's not a big deal.

 

The rumor I heard is that in the interviews TW treated it as if it wasn't a big thing and that may have sunk him. If he's gonna come in with that attitude then the PR departments job is a lot harder. The fact that he has to register as a sex offender makes the PR even worse.

 

Bills Sign Tony Washington, Registered Sex Offender Who Says He Has Learned His Lesson After Being Convicted Of Incest.

 

Not the best headline for any business. You can get mad that nobody wants to give him another chance but I understand it completely. Just thinking about what he did gives me the uber creeps.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I disagree, they have to do it. They have to set up the interviews, they have to coach him on how to respond, they have to defend their choice and make it look like it's not a big deal.

 

The rumor I heard is that in the interviews TW treated it as if it wasn't a big thing and that may have sunk him. If he's gonna come in with that attitude then the PR departments job is a lot harder. The fact that he has to register as a sex offender makes the PR even worse.

 

Bills Sign Tony Washington, Registered Sex Offender Who Says He Has Learned His Lesson After Being Convicted Of Incest.

 

Not the best headline for any business. You can get mad that nobody wants to give him another chance but I understand it completely. Just thinking about what he did gives me the uber creeps.

Dude. I'm not mad. This is an academic discussion.

 

As I stated earlier, he would have to be interviewed and that interview/evaluation would obviously carry a lot of weight.

 

But to disqualify him without at least evaluating him simply based on one incident that happened when he was a teenager...an incident that happened some time ago?

 

Look. I'm a pretty forgiving person. And with few exceptions, I try not to judge people if I don't have to. Never met Tony Washington. I can't condemn the guy nor can I vouch for him. But I will say this. The easy thing to do is to condemn him. It would take a person of stronger character to give the guy a chance (if he deserves it).

 

I'm sure we won't agree on this. It will be interesting to see how everything turns out.

[Thurman#1]

we are running a check down offense next year, as evident by how we drafted and the various interviews I have listened to on buffaobills.com

 

 

Uh huh. evident because of those two things?

 

1) How we drafted. Spiller? He's a smash-mouth kind of guy? What draft picks would tell you anything about what kind of offense we will run?

 

2) The various interviews you have listened to on buffaobills.com (sic). OK, point me to one interview where it says we're running a check down offense.

 

You have no idea. Nothing wrong with guessing, but don't present it as a fact.

[Thurman#1]

Maybe it's just that we have plenty of developmental prospects at OT? If we have one more roster spot it would likely go to a veteran to man the LT position for a year until one of the prospects pans out.

 

 

 

Washington would be the best LT on the team the instant he steps off the plane. I'm not saying we should take him, I don't know what to think about him. But all we have are developmental guys with only a slight chance of ever being NFL players, guys who can play RT but not LT and Ed Wang, who might be good a couple of years down the road, but isn't good right now.

 

Washington would be #1 instantly.

[Thurman#1]

There isn't a positive way to spin this story. If he had been sixteen and had sex with his fifteen year old girlfriend the PR department could do something with that. Having sex with your sister is a PR nightmare. You have to remember that Bills fans have a lot of kids and as a parent I wouldn't want to explain about what he did. There would be a lot of people who'd walk away. JMO

 

As for BR he's been in the league a long time and his sex abuse case isn't the only thing they know about him. I think people are more forgiving of those they know already than those they don't know. Also, Pittsburgh didn't draft him after this stuff came to light. Bringing a registered sex offender into the community is a tall order to begin with. Then add it was his sister and the order becomes impossible, IMO.

 

His sister said it was consensual and I don't know if it was or wasn't but I'm pretty sure that's what she'd have said either way. She still had to be in the same house with him and so there is the worry she may change her story in the future.

 

Then you have to consider the fans reactions at the road games and the home games. If this guy was the best LT to ever come out of college it might help him but he's not. He's not worth the all the negative baggage he brings with him. As of right now I don't know of any team that's signed him. I think that says a lot.

 

 

 

Interesting. Good post. I hadn't thought of how to sell it, and you're right, Bills fans having to explain him to their kids ... Wow, I don't know how you would do that.

[dollarcoin]

Guys.

 

He !@#$ED his sister.

 

HIS OWN GOD DAMNED SISTER.

 

Possibly in the butt, it's unclear.

 

Of COURSE people are not just fine with this.

 

Even if you don't think this is a big deal, understand what a PR nightmare the situation is. It's just too weird.

 

The funny part is that if he had just raped some random person several years back, it would hardly even be an issue.

[davefan66]

It was reportedly consensual, not rape.

 

I think that rather than exhibiting moral courage, that the NFL teams which took him off their boards solely on the basis of this incident are showing a lack of moral courage. They are afraid to deal with the backlash and questions. They are acting cowardly.

 

Not rape? Sex with a minor is STATUTORY RAPE

 

Acting cowardly? Seriously. This guy was 16 years old. I have an 11 year old daughter

and 13 year old son, both of which understand that sex with each other is WRONG! I can't

stand hearing "he was only 16". I've met many 16 year old kids who quite frankly exhibit more

maturity than some adults I've come across in my life. The man has questionable moral character

and every NFL team has the right to not hire this man. What if you found out the guy in the cubicle

next to you had sex with his sister at 16?? I dare anyone to not want to vomit when they hear this

for the first time.

 

Imagine this scenario. A registered sex offender moves into your neighborhood, and you have a daughter

who is 15 years old. Let's say this guy works a minimum wage job. Now you come to find out he is trying

to buy the house next to you. DON'T tell me for a second that most of you would not have a HUGE problem

with this. Just because the guy is a potential stud athlete, he gets a flier on the despicable act he admits

to doing?? Just like Rapelisberger, Vick, Little and so many other professional athletes who have commited

crimes but because they are "STAR" athletes they can get away with it and deserve a "second chance".

No. But just because this guy says he's sorry and won't do it again doesn't mean he won't. Heck, even

Charles Manson says he's a reformed man, so can he move next door to you?

[rmunschauer]

Not rape? Sex with a minor is STATUTORY RAPE

 

Acting cowardly? Seriously. This guy was 16 years old. I have an 11 year old daughter

and 13 year old son, both of which understand that sex with each other is WRONG! I can't

stand hearing "he was only 16". I've met many 16 year old kids who quite frankly exhibit more

maturity than some adults I've come across in my life. The man has questionable moral character

and every NFL team has the right to not hire this man. What if you found out the guy in the cubicle

next to you had sex with his sister at 16?? I dare anyone to not want to vomit when they hear this

for the first time.

 

Imagine this scenario. A registered sex offender moves into your neighborhood, and you have a daughter

who is 15 years old. Let's say this guy works a minimum wage job. Now you come to find out he is trying

to buy the house next to you. DON'T tell me for a second that most of you would not have a HUGE problem

with this. Just because the guy is a potential stud athlete, he gets a flier on the despicable act he admits

to doing?? Just like Rapelisberger, Vick, Little and so many other professional athletes who have commited

crimes but because they are "STAR" athletes they can get away with it and deserve a "second chance".

No. But just because this guy says he's sorry and won't do it again doesn't mean he won't. Heck, even

Charles Manson says he's a reformed man, so can he move next door to you?

 

I don't think it was 'STATUTORY RAPE' they were less then a year in age(but that law changes state by state)... not saying I agree to it but if you grow up in a screwed up home down south in a community that is a little backward it could happen

 

Also to a comment earlier about 'his fellow players not respecting him'... a great point but if you watched him at indie he just had a general passion for the drills... he hung around the lateral jump after his last jump to encourage the other players while most left after their last jump... you just saw him walking around with a huge smile and staying after with some drills and getting extra knowledge from the coaches running the drills... This being said he would def. come in to a locker room against him but the personality i saw at indie could win his fellow team mates over.

 

and the Pittsburgh steelers wouldn't have gotten fined if they fired rothesburger. You pay a price if a guy screws up while he is employ by your company and you don't get rid of him... If we were to sign washington short lease no mistakes or see ya.

[RealityCheck]

It's a simple question. If you own a business, would you hire him to work for you and be a part of your public image? Secondly, would you chose to allow him access to your own children in that capacity? As an NFL player he would be partaking in fund raisers, charity events, visiting children's hospitals, and not to mention the children of fans in public settings and events. As an owner of a business you would be marrying yourself knowingly to this individual, you would not have the benefit of spinning a lack of knowledge of his crime after the fact to attempt to save face and profits in the eyes of the public. Look at how the local Buffalo media and ESPN bash the Bills for personnel moves; now extrapolate that to what media scrutiny this would bring. He has earned his current situation. He alone owns, and no one else is responsible to buy it from him.

[JohnC]

If I owned a sports team, I would have interviewed and evaluated Washington and if he seemed like he was mentally stable, I would give him a chance to make my team.

 

There are plenty of teams which are willing to take an "at risk" talent. In this particular troublesome case many teams must have talked to him and investigated his past and more present background. It seems to me that most organizations have concluded that there are some maturity, emotional or other psychological issues which mandate that they back off even giving him a chance.

 

I for one would not be crticial of the Bills if they brought him on as a draft prospect. I sincerely believe in redemption and allowing a person to make amends for their mistakes. But before they did I would hope that the organization had enough sense to do their due diligence prior to signing him or any other player. Maybe in this case the Bills and other organizations investigated the player and his background and they all concluded that he wasn't suited for the rigors of the profession.

 

There is something very odd about no one taking a chance on a physical talent. What does that tell you?

[John Cocktosten]

Here's a novel idea. Draft an offensive lineman who is not a project and we wouldn't even have to think about signing a sex offender.

[RealityCheck]

Here's a novel idea. Draft an offensive lineman who is not a project and we wouldn't even have to think about signing a sex offender.

"....8 year olds dude....."

[JohnC]

Here's a novel idea. Draft an offensive lineman who is not a project and we wouldn't even have to think about signing a sex offender.

 

I have another idea: When you have a quality LT don't trade him unless you have a viable option.

[Conch]

Tony's transgression was repugnant but it was mutual consent. Big Ben's are acts of aggression against defenseless women.

Tony made one mistake, Ben has been accused twice.

Tony was underage, Ben is an adult.

Tony's was an act of passion. Ben's was premeditated and occurred with concurrence and enforcement by his police body guards. It was also illegal imprisonment.

Ben has done this before, you can bank on it. That it is not the first time it ever happened and follows a pattern of systemic rape.

I believe Ben's accusers.

"She said no" should ring out at every stadium all year long.

The Pittsburgh rapist should be out of the league and in jail.

There is no way Gooddell suspends the bast@rd if he had any doubt about this.

Time for you sorry-@ssed jock lovers to stand up and be counted.

[VABills]

Tony's transgression was repugnant but it was mutual consent. Big Ben's are acts of aggression against defenseless women.

Tony made one mistake, Ben has been accused twice.

Tony was underage, Ben is an adult.

Tony's was an act of passion. Ben's was premeditated and occurred with concurrence and enforcement by his police body guards. It was also illegal imprisonment.

Ben has done this before, you can bank on it. That it is not the first time it ever happened and follows a pattern of systemic rape.

I believe Ben's accusers.

"She said no" should ring out at every stadium all year long.

The Pittsburgh rapist should be out of the league and in jail.

There is no way Gooddell suspends the bast@rd if he had any doubt about this.

Time for you sorry-@ssed jock lovers to stand up and be counted.

Ben was never charged. Tony was found guilty and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

[Mr. WEO]

Tony's transgression was repugnant but it was mutual consent. Big Ben's are acts of aggression against defenseless women.

Tony made one mistake, Ben has been accused twice.

Tony was underage, Ben is an adult.

Tony's was an act of passion. Ben's was premeditated and occurred with concurrence and enforcement by his police body guards. It was also illegal imprisonment.

Ben has done this before, you can bank on it. That it is not the first time it ever happened and follows a pattern of systemic rape.

I believe Ben's accusers.

"She said no" should ring out at every stadium all year long.

The Pittsburgh rapist should be out of the league and in jail.

There is no way Gooddell suspends the bast@rd if he had any doubt about this.

Time for you sorry-@ssed jock lovers to stand up and be counted.

Mutual consent?? An act of passion??---holy sh**T!!!

 

How do you know this?? His sister consented to having her BIG bro have sex with her when she was 15 (and it started and ended right there?)? You must come from "Tony"'s home town!

 

You believe BR's first accuser when it is clear that she perpetrated a fraud against the state where she filed charges and is in the process of doing the same in civil court? And you believe her? It is clear you have no familiarity with the facts of that case.

 

You arer free to believe what you want, but you can't attempt to convince others to agree with you if you chose ignore what disturbs your view of reality.

[GG]

Ben was never charged. Tony was found guilty and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

 

Which crime is more repugnant - pouring acid on live dogs, getting into a car and smashing into a family killing all of them, raping your babysitter, or having sex with your sister?

 

Only one of those so far has been blackballed by the NFL.