Tony Washington

[The Dean]

Is he going to run back and start banging his sister?

 

 

For what it's worth, I hear the first time it happened, Tony had just played in a tie game.

 

 

Wait...what?

[CarolinaBill]

I think the commish told all the teams to stay away and they are. usually someone like Snider or Jerry Jones show some cahones and gives these guys a chance. Not this time.

Thats what ive been saying since april

[Thurman#1]

From ESPN Magazine. Very good, in depth article. Sad story. I would take a flyer on him, for sure. I suppose I understand why teams haven't so far, I just don't agree with it.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5497517

 

 

 

Excellent article, Kelly, thanks for posting it.

 

I've always thought that he's not going to do it again, that he'd be a good risk for a football team. But, man, what a P.R. nightmare. Sounds like, though, he could convince reporters that he's at heart a good person and short-circuit the backlash. Hope he gets a chance somewhere.

[agardin]

I would have no problem if the Bills gave the kid a tryout. A weird mistake by young kid shouldn't banish him for life. I think his best move would be to pursue the UFL and if he is good enough move quietly into the NFL next season. If he can play in the UFL it would provide a glimpse to what media exposure and fan reaction might be. Also, most of the coaches in the UFL have NFL connections and would be able to vouch for his character if indeed he is a good guy.

[The Dean]

It would be interesting if These Guys took an interest in Washington and represented him.

[truth on hold]

Thats what ive been saying since april

Goodell is afraid of how it will come across to kids if Washingtons story is told on TV. Remember he's trying to make NFL the all things to all people sport globally.

[NoSaint]

I suspect that he may not be as good of an NFL prospect as many of you are suggesting. If he were, I honestly believe that he would be on some NFL team's roster right now.

 

Really I'm playing devils advocate here but....

 

 

What's the success rate of a maybe second round tackle? Not great - at best?

 

It's not like an NFL superstar that's proven himself getting a second chance on and off the field. He's totally unproven and comes with baggage and distractions. He's never played against an elite rusher. Ever. They said his mechanism in stress was shutting off the outside world- red flag? He didn't realize his sister was a bad partner to choose? Judgement questions? He might be a leader, but do you think guys might worry about following?

 

I'm not saying it's fair but marginal or unproven talent get a shorter leash then a Vick, big ben, etc.... I'm not saying I agree but certainly we understand that to be true? If there's no risk for a gm, he'd be on a team.

[justnzane]

If your going to skew it as his prostitute sister possibly taking advantage of him, couldn't you just as easily say he forced himself on her and was perhaps the cause of her devious sexual behavior in the future? Thats one of the things I don't get, is it just cause we need a LT that he gets a pass? What if he were a 2nd round RB talent? Also, at what level of sex offense do we draw the line in the sand? If she was 12 but not related? 10 and his sister? He lived an awful life but can anyone say he didn't realize it was wrong? Maybe he didn't know it was illegal, but theres no way he didn't know it was very taboo and very deviant at the very least.

 

Also to the commissioner comment -- what should he do? Mandate a tryout?

I work with kids in that age range, and quite often now and days, the girls are the aggressive ones in the relationships. It is a bit different than when i was that age 10 years ago, frankly girls are pursuing boys and asking them out as much as boys pursuing the girls and asking them out. Washington was 16 and his sis was 15. So, he is not a pedophile; he and his sis made a big mistake mutually. If the reporting is unbiased, then there is no reason that he should have had to go to jail and have his name dug through the mud while his sister got juvenile corrections. What really needed to happen for both of their sakes is for both of them to have received counseling instead.

 

I suspect that he may not be as good of an NFL prospect as many of you are suggesting. If he were, I honestly believe that he would be on some NFL team's roster right now.

 

He was rated as high as 2nd round talent from what i saw (and from what i read in the article) and draftek listed him as 151st overall prospect which means with his baggage should have been drafted towards the end of the 5th round.

[Buftex]

Goodell is afraid of how it will come across to kids if Washingtons story is told on TV. Remember he's trying to make NFL the all things to all people sport globally.

 

 

Actually, Washington's story being told on tv would likely play in his favor, and, consequently, the team that gives him a chance. You know how I know? Three pages of responses to this story, and the reaction, for the most part, has been sympathetic toward him. Not only sympathetic, but rational. Let's face it, two bills drive isn't always the most, uh, mature place to tell a story like this...

 

The last few years, I have not followed all the pre-draft hype of the NFL, but all I knew of Tony Washington was that he "raped his sister, scumbag"...I read that on two bills drive, I am sure. I took it at face value, and wrote Washington off as someone I wouldn't want the Bills to give a chance to. But, after reading the story... I feel a lot different.

[The Dean]

Actually, Washington's story being told on tv would likely play in his favor, and, consequently, the team that gives him a chance. You know how I know? Three pages of responses to this story, and the reaction, for the most part, has been sympathetic toward him. Not only sympathetic, but rational. Let's face it, two bills drive isn't always the most, uh, mature place to tell a story like this...

 

 

 

Let's not forget I managed to throw in a tasteless comment, too!

 

But I agree with your assessment.

[NoSaint]

I work with kids in that age range, and quite often now and days, the girls are the aggressive ones in the relationships. It is a bit different than when i was that age 10 years ago, frankly girls are pursuing boys and asking them out as much as boys pursuing the girls and asking them out. Washington was 16 and his sis was 15. So, he is not a pedophile; he and his sis made a big mistake mutually. If the reporting is unbiased, then there is no reason that he should have had to go to jail and have his name dug through the mud while his sister got juvenile corrections. What really needed to happen for both of their sakes is for both of them to have received counseling instead.

 

 

 

He was rated as high as 2nd round talent from what i saw (and from what i read in the article) and draftek listed him as 151st overall prospect which means with his baggage should have been drafted towards the end of the 5th round.

 

Realistically I'm not pretending I know what happened, I was just frustrated someone framed it as he's this poor kid who was raped by a prostitute when in reality we don't know mug about that night, and it was probably poor judgement and mutual lust at work.

 

Let's say he's more realistically the 5th round talent then the 2nd-- how often do those guys get a second chance? If the video shows 5th and you have baggage gms tend to not even worry about kicking you to the curb. At that point they are looking for ways guys stand out, and if its with a rap sheet instead of on film, they are off the board in a heartbeat.

 

I really don't think this is a conspiracy, as much as a gm not seeing enough reward to risk the pr.

 

I also question if we weren't thin at tackle if wed be as forgiving here. I remember predraft, and even post when vets were available... when we might have picked up another guy, people were much more hesitant, and what happened hasn't changed.

Edited August 27, 2010 by NoSaint

[wardigital]

I don't see what it would hurt to put him on the roster during training camp and pre-season and give him a shot. There are men who have been charged with murder in the NFL. It's not like the team would be tied to the guy if he sucked. Nothing really happened after the Eagles signed Vick. He was booed for a couple of weeks and then the masses got distracted by some other shiny thing.

[truth on hold]

Actually, Washington's story being told on tv would likely play in his favor, and, consequently, the team that gives him a chance. You know how I know? Three pages of responses to this story, and the reaction, for the most part, has been sympathetic toward him. Not only sympathetic, but rational. Let's face it, two bills drive isn't always the most, uh, mature place to tell a story like this...

 

The last few years, I have not followed all the pre-draft hype of the NFL, but all I knew of Tony Washington was that he "raped his sister, scumbag"...I read that on two bills drive, I am sure. I took it at face value, and wrote Washington off as someone I wouldn't want the Bills to give a chance to. But, after reading the story... I feel a lot different.

I just think Mr. Image Goodell wishes he would go away. He doesn't want to have to deal with an uncomfortable situation like this. Drugs and violence are one thing, but my hunch is that Goodell thinks incest is just too weird and doesn't want the NFL to be associated with it.

[Russ 'Em]

Realistically I'm not pretending I know what happened, I was just frustrated someone framed it as he's this poor kid who was raped by a prostitute when in reality we don't know mug about that night, and it was probably poor judgement and mutual lust at work.

 

Let's say he's more realistically the 5th round talent then the 2nd-- how often do those guys get a second chance? If the video shows 5th and you have baggage gms tend to not even worry about kicking you to the curb. At that point they are looking for ways guys stand out, and if its with a rap sheet instead of on film, they are off the board in a heartbeat.

 

I really don't think this is a conspiracy, as much as a gm not seeing enough reward to risk the pr.

 

I also question if we weren't thin at tackle if wed be as forgiving here. I remember predraft, and even post when vets were available... when we might have picked up another guy, people were much more hesitant, and what happened hasn't changed.

 

 

Though he wasn't a 5th rounder, 3rd rounder Chris Henry got a litany of second chances. And yes, you brilliantly deduced that the interest on this board may be due to the lack of quality LT play we have on our team. Second chances aren't solely for 1st round draft picks who think they own the world and can get away with murder (well at least beating your girlfriend or killing a few dogs.) Second chances are actually for people who own up to the mistakes they made in their past and learn from said mistakes. How many more times will Big Ben have to forcibly impose himself on a woman before his second chances are up?

[bowery4]

or how many porn stars must Tiger Wood impose his 3 wood on? 2nd chances are as American as illegal immigration

oh wait.....

[Bufcomments]

Read the piece, damn that is a sad story. Feel for the kid but and here is the thing, they had sex twice. I think that is the holdup in the Commish eyes.

 

I think they were old enough to know what they were doing was wrong. Kids grow up very fast these days and they know more than what we adults give them credit for.

 

But they were kids and the cops took advantage of that, that was wrong. But I believe it true that the commish is telling teams to shy away from Washington which is also wrong. If his lady can overlook his past and judge him on his present and future so can the NFL.

[MyHorseAteTheKid]

From ESPN Magazine. Very good, in depth article. Sad story. I would take a flyer on him, for sure. I suppose I understand why teams haven't so far, I just don't agree with it.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5497517

 

I read about this guy before the draft... At first I thought NO WAY!!! But I have softened my attitude, now I wish the Bills would give him a try out..

[truth on hold]

Just read the whole thing ... so silly. The guy is not a sex offender. I'm sure plenty of people have skeletons in their closet of equal or greater magnitude. As a taxpayer, it's a waste of my money to jail someone like that. These people had tough enough lives as it was, they didn't need to add this on. Sounds like cops were trying to reach some kind of arrest quota.

[Frez]

One thing you never do in life is...............

 

 

 

Bang your sister!

[Acantha]

I don't blame the cops as much as many here do. I don't think the way they went about things is exactly good, but I would assume for every case like this, there's hundreds where it's an abused girl in a horrible situation who is just too scared to say anything. While I can't say it's acceptable to falsley accuse someone of something like this, it's also very important to make sure actual sexual assault is dealt with immediately. That being the case, mistakes will be made.

 

I find far more fault with a system that is too busy or too strict to take the full story into account. Much like the case of that high school football player that was sent to jail for having sex with his girlfriend who was like two years younger (can't remember all the details, but it was all over ESPN, Oprah, 60 Minutes, etc... a couple years ago), sometimes you have to let the dust settle and let common sense take the place of swift judicial action. When all the details come out in a case like this, the sex offender label should come off.

Edited August 27, 2010 by Faustus