Monthly Archives: April 2014

Le'Veon Bell

Mike Adams Attackers Found Not Guilty Of Most Charges

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The jury reached a verdict in the trial for 3 men accused of stabbing Mike Adams today. The outcome? Not guilty on most of the charges according to various media outlets.

Michael Paranay was found not guilty of all the counts against him. He faced charges of aggravated assault, attempted robbery and conspiracy. Jerrell Whitlock, was found not guilty of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, attempted robbery and conspiracy. The jury did however find him guilty of the lesser charge of fleeing police. Lastly, Dquay Means was found not guilty of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, attempted robbery, conspiracy and carrying a firearm. He was convicted of escape, though.

The defense attorneys spent a lot of energy portraying Adams as a liar, who was drunk and aggressive. Certainly the surprise witness that the defense called on Monday helped their case immensely. How the jury found all defendants not guilty of any charges related to the actual stabbing of Mike Adams is anyone’s guess.

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Defense Rests In Mike Adams Stabbing Trial

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According to multiple media outlets, the defense has rested their case in the stabbing trial of Mike Adams. Kevin Colbert, who was subpoenaed by defense attorneys, did not have to testify in the courtroom. Instead, according to the Tribune, part of Mike Adams’ contract was introduced as evidence.

While Colbert did not testify, the Steelers head of security Jack Kearney did. Kearney, who is also an Allegheny County sheriff’s lieutenant, testified earlier in the trial that he retrieved Mike Adams’ truck the morning after the stabbing, and brought it to the Steelers facilities. Inside, Kearney said there was a soda and half of a sandwich, which would seem to corroborate part of Mike Adams’ story.

Attorneys for the defendants Dquay Means, Michael Paranay and Jerrell Whitlock were said to be mulling the decision to summon an employee from the restaurant next to the crime scene, to testify about their surveillance cameras. Yesterday, Homicide Detective Robert Shaw testified that there was no usable footage from the restaurant’s surveillance system.

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NFL: Hard Knocks Report “Totally Inaccurate”

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Earlier I passed along a report that claimed the NFL had narrowed down the selection pool for Hard Knocks to 3 teams- the Steelers, Bears, and NY Giants. According to NFL PR spokesman Greg Aiello, the report is “totally inaccurate”.

As I said earlier, the story didn’t pass the sniff test. Love it or hate it, Steelers fans will have to wait a while before they know if the team is forced to appear on the show this summer.

Steelers Hard Knocks

Steelers Reportedly 1 Of 3 Finalists For HBO’s Hard Knocks

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According to Fox Sports anchor Tomm Looney, the NFL and HBO have narrowed down the pool of finalists for HBO’s Hard Knocks to the Pittsburgh Steelers, NY Giants, and Chicago Bears.

While this may be true, it doesn’t pass the sniff test to me at first pass. Those three teams are all eligible to be ‘forced’ to participate under the NFL’s recent rule change which allows the league to select participants if they meet certain criteria. The Steelers, Bears, Giants, Bills, Cardinals, Jaguars, Raiders, and Rams all fall under that umbrella. Teams that meet the following specifications cannot be forced to be on the program:

  • Have made the playoffs in one of the previous two seasons
  • Have acquired a new head coach
  • Have appeared on Hard Knocks within the last 10 years

Obviously the Steelers are not protected by any of those parameters. What raises suspicion though is the fact that the league was reportedly only going to implement the rule if there were no volunteers. According to the commissioner himself last Thursday, there are many teams who are interested.

“There are several clubs that are interested in doing this. I just don’t have an update on which club, whether it’s going to be a volunteer or if it’s somebody who is going to have to fulfill the obligation. But I’m sure that decision will be made pretty soon”, said Goodell last Thursday. He added, “…it’s important for all clubs to contribute to it in some fashion. I think we designed a very interesting concept that allows teams if you have a coaching change not to have that be an issue, but also have some kind of rotation to it.”

I think it’s no secret at this point that the Steelers organization as a whole is not interested in being on HBO. In fact, Mike Tomlin went as far as to say that it was “a joke” when asked about it a month ago. Either way, we’ll know for certain who will be the focus of the show in the not too distant future. Last year, the Bengals were announced as the participants in early June if that has any bearing on this year’s announcement.

le'veon Bell

Ohio State CB Bradley Roby Pleads Guilty To Lesser Charge

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Former Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, who was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired last week, has plead guilty to a lesser charge in court this morning. The draft prospect plead having “physical control” of a vehicle while under the influence, a non-moving charge that carries no license suspension or points on his license. Essentially, after he takes a required 3 day alcohol awareness course this week, the matter will be resolved.

In a statement to ProFootballTalk, Roby’s agent said, “Though my client, Bradley Roby, maintains his innocence and feels he would have been completely exonerated had he taken this matter to trial, Bradley has accepted the prosecutor’s offer of a reduced charge to ‘physical control’ to bring closure and finality to this situation ahead of next week’s NFL draft.”

Roby was reportedly very high on the Steelers radar before this point. How does this effect his stock in the eyes of the Steelers organization? Let us know in the comments or in the forum.

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911 Caller Said Bradley Roby Almost Hit Kids Before Passing Out

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Columbus police have released the 911 call that led officers to find former Ohio State CB Bradley Roby allegedly passed out in his car. According to WBNS-10, the 911 caller stated that Roby was driving his vehicle not long before police found him passed out in his vehicle.

Here is the transcript from the 911 call: “Hi, I’m just leaving BBR on Vine and some black Dodge Charger just almost hit a bunch of kids on the sidewalk. And now, the driver is passed out drunk on the side of BBR in black Charger with Georgia plates.” BBR is a restaurant in downtown Columbus, just down the street from the Convention Center.

When the news broke last week, Roby’s agent released a statement saying that the star cornerback was just sitting in his car when officers approached him, and that he had a BAC of .008 which is well below the legal limit. His agent didn’t comment on why Roby reportedly failed the field sobriety test. After the news broke, Roby himself posted a photo confirming the .008 breathalyzer reading.


With the draft quickly approaching, the Steelers are no doubt investigating this matter, as Roby was one of the top cornerbacks who the team expressed interest in. Roby has a court date scheduled for tomorrow.

le'veon Bell

Mike Adams Told Attackers To Hit Him According To Surprise Witness

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The trial for the 3 men accused of attacking Steelers tackle Mike Adams took an unexpected turn today when a surprise witness for the defense took the stand. According to a report by WTAE, Shariea Cox took the stand today as a surprise witness for the defense. In her testimony, she described Adams as drunk and said he appeared aggressive the night he was attacked last spring.

According to Cox, Adams had trouble keeping his balance that night, and said he was loud and yelled obscenities. She testified that the men suggested that Adams pay for their food, and he refused.  “I’m not paying for anything. Hit me. I want you to hit me. Do you know who I am?”, Cox claimed in her testimony today.

Michael Paranay, Dquay Means, and Jerrell Whitlock are being tried on a range of charges from conspiracy to attempted homicide. In Adams’ account of the events, Means brandished a gun, and Paranay hopped on his truck, saying, “We got a nice one here.” A few seconds later Adams was punched in the side of the face and then stabbed in the abdomen.

Adams said he saw Whitlock’s face as he pulled the knife out, before the defendants ran off. The witness said she saw Paranay punch Adams in the face, but did not see Means show Adams a gun, or see Whitlock stab Adams. I’ll reserve my personal opinion, but something clearly doesn’t add up. Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to share with your friends.

 

David Decastro contract

Report: Antonio Brown Has Fired Agent Drew Rosenhaus, Considering Roc Nation

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Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has fired agent Drew Rosenhaus according to a report by Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports. According to multiple sources, Brown is considering hiring Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation sports is a new agency founded by recording artist Jay Z. The 3 football clients the firm represents are Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Jets quarterback Geno Smith.

If he does in fact sign with Roc Nation Sports, the firm will not see any new money from Antonio Brown. His $41.7 Mil contract runs through 2017. Brown proved he was a true number one receiver last season amassing a career high 1,499 yards, 110 catches, and 8 touchdowns.

le'veon Bell

Arraignment For Ravens RB Ray Rice Pushed Back Until Thursday

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The arraignment for Ravens running back Ray Rice, which was originally scheduled for today, has been pushed back until Thursday according to The Baltimore Sun. Rice was originally facing domestic assault charges, but a grand jury indicted him on a more serious charge of 3rd degree aggravated assault- a felony. Rice’s then fiancée was originally charged with the same domestic assault charge, but the charges against her were later dismissed.

Strangely enough, Rice and his fiancée got married a day after he was indicted. If Rice is convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 3-5 years in jail. Personally, I’d be surprised if he served a day in jail if he’s found guilty. While the NFL can (and should) come down on Rice with a fine or suspension, they haven’t done so yet. The league is likely waiting for the legal process to run it’s course before deciding on a punishment.

The grand jury indictment asserts that Rice did attempt to cause significant bodily injury to his fiancée in Atlantic City on February 15th. You can view the indictment here.

Ray Rice Indictment

Ryan Clark

Antonio Brown And Ryan Clark: An Off-Season Drama

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Antonio Brown didn’t like what Ryan Clark has said about the team in recent months, and Ryan Clark didn’t like that Antonio Brown didn’t like it. In an interview with Tribune reporter Alan Robinson, the Steelers wide receiver shared some of his thoughts on Clark’s recent musings in the media.

“When you see things like that, it shows you how guys feel when they’re not part of the team anymore,” Brown said regarding some of Clark’s comments. “It’s a form of bitterness or taking a shot at the team because you’re not there anymore.” Brown went on to say that comments like Clark’s show a lack of recent camaraderie that the team needs to improve on. Mainly, Brown is referring to Clark’s openness about his teammates using marijuana.

“When you see people taking shots who were on the same team and wearing the same jerseys, that’s a sign of not having that team camaraderie. That’s something we need to get back, something we haven’t had for the past two years.” Brown went on to say that Clark’s behavior likely stems from his affiliation with ESPN. “He’s getting into his career as a reporter and trying to get those things in the works,” Brown told the Trib. “I don’t think he meant any harm taking those shots to players as individuals, I just think he was trying to make pointers and make himself sound smart on ESPN.”

Well, it didn’t take long for Ryan Clark to respond to Brown’s statements. Shortly after the article was published, and the somewhat sensational headline grew legs on social media channels, Clark took to Twitter to share his opinion.

 

At first, Clark doesn’t seem bothered by Brown’s feelings, but in the span of a few minutes, his tone changes rather drastically. Clark isn’t new to sharing his candid feelings on Twitter. The former Steelers safety recently returned to Twitter after deleting his account last year, due to his sometimes blunt opinions not sitting well with certain fans.

After spending a couple months on the free agent market, Clark signed a one year deal with the Washington Redskins last month. Before signing with the Redskins, many people speculated that he was not going to return to playing football, but rather take on a full time analyst gig.

What do you think? Is Antonio Brown right? Are Clark’s opinions due to bitterness, or are they just said in effort to get attention on ESPN?