With all the wam-pum he has you think he could have sprung for a taxi or limo to give him a lift home.

I think he just beat out LaVar for dumbest redskin move of the year.

I think we ought not judge his character. Honestly, how many good people get drunk and do stupid things at his age. I know when I was his age and younger I drank stupidly and acted even stupider. Granted I never jumped in a car and drove around but it was college so I didn't really have to. I think this is a major mistake in judegment but it doesn't say anything about whether he is a good person or not. He is god awful young. I mean for crissakes he was born in the 80's........everyone breathe, breathe. Man typing that out made me feel real old. Anyways...he is young and it was a mistake for sure and guys like Lavar will probably jump down his throat for doing something so dumb. I am sure Gibbs will sit him this weekend (as he should) but I still have confidence in the young man that he will be a model Redskin when he matures.

[QUOTE=irish]With all the wam-pum he has you think he could have sprung for a taxi or limo to give him a lift home.

I think he just beat out LaVar for dumbest redskin move of the year.[/QUOTE]
what did lavar do?

Perhaps GWB may want to pardon Taylor (see my other post).

I agree with FRPLG. It was a stupid mistake but this incident should not be a judgement of his character. Anyway, Joe Gibbs is expected to hold a 1:30 press conference on the matter-not sure if it will be streamed. While I doubt he'll cut Taylor like he did Kevin Ware it is possible he'll bench him. I think more than likely he'll not start him, but he'll still play.

[QUOTE=LadyT]Age is no excuse for what he purportedly did.[/QUOTE]

He is 21 I believe...I think taking his age into consideration when judging the intelligence of the act is prudent. I don't think it is an excuse and I think he should be punished but everyone who is up in arms over how dumb this guy is and how he was a mistake to pick need to settle down and realize his immaturity which will hopefully wane over the next few seasons.

I dont think his age has a single thing to do with it. I'm 18 and I get trashed from time to time. Does that make it ok for me to get behind a car and drive?? I dont because its stupid. I dont care how much money he has or anything. If he's guilty, I hope Gibbs benches him for a couple weeks. There is NO excuse for that, NONE.

I think I am not being understood. I am NOT using his age an excuse for what did. I agree he should be benched this weekend and should pat legally in whatever way is fair. I am simply pointing out that he is young and should be given some leeway in terms of our judgements of him as a person and his intelligence. It was mistake that he should and hopefully will pay dearly for but I won't immediately make any judgements about him other than he is a stupid young kid. If lavar had done this then I would singing a whole different tune. He is mature enough to know better and I would look down on him with great disappointment if he ever did something like this.

There are countless young rookies on other teams who have not caused the problems he has, since he was selected by the Skins. Maturity doesn't always come with age and I'm beginning to fear he will be a continual problem for this team.

Hope I'm wrong and I guess time will tell.

But, please don't try and convince me that his actions correlate to his age. Most 21 year olds don't get arrested for DUI and don't drink and drive. Couple that with the other controversies he's been involved in and a troubling pattern begins to emerge.

This is not the kind of thing you want to see happen to a team that is struggling.

How does one judge someone's character if not by his actions? You are what you do.
Being out at 2:45 the night before practice is a choice, not a mistake.
I'm not saying that his character won't mature... but he is what he is.


[QUOTE=smootsmack]I agree with FRPLG. It was a stupid mistake but this incident should not be a judgement of his character. Anyway, Joe Gibbs is expected to hold a 1:30 press conference on the matter-not sure if it will be streamed. While I doubt he'll cut Taylor like he did Kevin Ware it is possible he'll bench him. I think more than likely he'll not start him, but he'll still play.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=LadyT]There are countless young rookies on other teams who have not caused the problems he has, since he was selected by the Skins. Maturity doesn't always come with age and I'm beginning to fear he will be a continual problem for this team.

Hope I'm wrong and I guess time will tell.

But, please don't try and convince me that his actions correlate to his age. Most 21 year olds don't get arrested for DUI and don't drink and drive. Couple that with the other controversies he's been involved in and a troubling pattern begins to emerge.

This is not the kind of thing you want to see happen to a team that is struggling.[/QUOTE]

I agree with the first part of your statement and hope your second part is correct. Unfortunatly being as I am not that far removed from the age I know all to well that many 21 year olds do drink and drive which is a tragedy. I would agree that MOST don't but I bet a significant amount do.

On another note I didn't realize his father was a chief of police. His daddy's gonna kill him.

[QUOTE=EEich]How does one judge someone's character if not by his actions? You are what you do.
Being out at 2:45 the night before practice is a choice, not a mistake.
I'm not saying that his character won't mature... but he is what he is.[/QUOTE]

I understand what you're saying. Maybe I've just been misinterpreting a lot of what has been written. People seem to want to just write him off permanently for this error. Good people make bad choices.

Disclaimer: My best friend is serving 15 years for the same offense. He made a terrible mistake, ended up in a head-on collision and the driver of the other car died instantly. It was inexcusable what he did and he knows it, but I guess I get a little sensitive when he's labeled a bad person for this incident. He was pretty well known in his town so he was instantly admonished in public and all the good he had done was quickly forgotten because of his actions on one night.

[QUOTE=CRT3]Matty very disappointed in you. 1st of all putting a person on the road while he is intoxicated is very dangerous. He didn't kell anybody but the potential is there. I personally do not like being on the road with people who do not have enough common sense to avoid this type of thing. Suspend him and make him pay.

I thought we drafted him not only becuase he was a great athlete but his character was good to. Go back to the press conference by Gibbs on how they asked multiple people about Taylor. Seems they might have made a mistake in judging his character.[/QUOTE]
First off, I didn't condone what he did.

At the time I posted all the facts weren't out.

I was assuming he was drunk in public or something, which isn't a HUGE deal.

Driving drunk is another story and I'll comment more later.

I'm sorry about your friend... that's terrible for everyone involved.
Your sensitivity is understandable.

[QUOTE=smootsmack]I understand what you're saying. Maybe I've just been misinterpreting a lot of what has been written. People seem to want to just write him off permanently for this error. Good people make bad choices.

Disclaimer: My best friend is serving 15 years for the same offense. He made a terrible mistake, ended up in a head-on collision and the driver of the other car died instantly. It was inexcusable what he did and he knows it, but I guess I get a little sensitive when he's labeled a bad person for this incident. He was pretty well known in his town so he was instantly admonished in public and all the good he had done was quickly forgotten because of his actions on one night.[/QUOTE]

I'm afraid that the best word to describe Sean Taylor is:


MEATHEAD !!


For all of you who think this is something that can be mitigated because of his age and his wealth, please explain to me why this has not happened to each and every rich young player to come into the NFL. If it is inevitable for a young rich guy to get in this trouble then why didn't it happen to guys like Darrell Green, Payton Manning, Donovan McNabb, John Elway, Dan Marino, Champ Bailey - - and the list goes on.

And by the way, the legislature that passed the law that makes driving after consuming alcohol a crime and the governor who signed that bill NEVER once considered putting in a waiver for young rich football players. He does not get a free ride for this and he shouldn't.

Taylor will get off with his wrist slapped by the court unless he does something even dumber than anything he has done in the past such as walking into the court and flipping off the judge. Given what he's done since being drafted, that is a low probability event, but NOT impossible.

His first substance abuse screw up does not get him any heavy-duty punishment from the league, but it does mean that he must be monitored for substance-abuse "issues" from here on. He will get more frequent testing; and if he is dumb enough to get caught again, he could be looking at four games in the owner's box.

Is he dumb enough to do this again? I used to work with a PhD psychologist who said over and over again that the single best determinant for an individual's future behavior is the past behavior of that same individual. So let me ask again, is he dumb enough to do this again? Yes he is. Will he be unlucky enough to get caught again? That is the real question.

Mr Taylor... welcome to the NFL substance abuse program.

[QUOTE=Teemotay]The NFL may not suspend him, but Gibbs may.[/QUOTE]
Yea it's sounding that way. With all that money it astounds me these guys can't just get a freeking cab! I mean come on. How hard is it?

[QUOTE=smootsmack]According to SportsTalk 980 he was pulled over by Virginia State Police shortly after 2:45 am on the Beltway near the Dulles Toll Road (which is a total speed trap, always packed with cops). He failed a sobriety test, refused to take a breathalyzer. He was released this morning on $5000 bond (not sure if I have that number right). Court date set for December 1[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the speed trap info - too late. I was on my way to training camp and got popped for a $2400 ticket.

I [U]may[/U] have been going a little fast.

$2400 ticket?!... Just speeding or what?

In Matty's defense-

After Bruce Smith's DWI, and Leonard Little's DWI(s), there were many voices calling for various penalties. Matty's was one of the loudest for a suspension for our then-starting DE, and removal of Little from the league. I would hardly call him soft on this crime, and I'll stand behind him on this one.

Even if he is voting for Kerry.

[QUOTE=VTSkins897]$2400 ticket?!... Just speeding or what?[/QUOTE]
I was going pretty fast. :doh:

That's like jail bird fast!!

[QUOTE=BrudLee]Thanks for the speed trap info - too late. I was on my way to training camp and got popped for a $2400 ticket.

I [U]may[/U] have been going a little fast.[/QUOTE]

Goodness! What were you doing? time traveling in your DeLorean?

Dont think he will play this Sunday and possibly will be punished if not by NFL by Coach Gibbs. Dont know if you remember Coach saying this but this is exactly what he has stated about what he wants in his players and about this upcoming game. Gibbs said it is ``very unlikely'' Taylor will play in Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers". Also Gibbs has only one team rule -- don't embarrass the Redskins or yourself.
I guess you can take it for whatever you want but I would count that as an embarrassment to the Redskins and Taylor.

First off, what he did was wrong but the next step is not to focus on the action, but what will be done in the future. A suspension is obviously the next step. The main thing is that ST learns from this, obviously he didn't know or care about the seriousness of the situation. I think he just didn't realize the gravity of what he was doing, luckily no one was injured and we aren't dealing with a more serious situation.

Age is a factor in maturity, especially for privileged athletes. His father was chief of police and he was a star player for the University of Miami, think he is fully cognizant of his limits right now? As he's soon to find out his actions have repurcussions and his immense talent is going to dictate that he act in a manner that doesn't embarass the Skins and most importantly himself.

I don't think ST is a fully mature individual yet, however to ask him to be at 21 is unfair. He will have to grow up fast, and the important thing is that he have the support from the coaching staff, his teammates and the fans.

The list of athletes who have struggled with alcohol and drugs is too numerous to even begin to list here. That some players don't is great, it speaks more to their upbringing, support systems and individual maturity. People are different, the only thing that matters from now on is what ST does from now on.

The best thing I've heard is the quote from LaVar and I think it sheds light on what the team is likely to do in this case. The Redskins have a lot riding on ST, and he will have to deal with the repurcussions of this for a long time but the organization has to help this guy. Hopefully this is a wakeup call and we see a more focused ST in the following weeks.

This stuff happens and his age is not a factor, witness Steve McNair this summer. But ultimately the focus has to be on helping ST and not just condemning him or saying he'll never get it. ST should have known better, but clearly he didn't, so the focus should be on making sure he gets it from now on and incidents like this don't happen in the future.

HTTR

i think the point is that regardless of his age, you cant get in a car and drive drunk. you could kill yourself or anyone else. there is never excuse for that, no matter the age. yes, i get drunk, i am in college, i understand exactly what u mean, but he cannot be excused for risking the life of others, and his own

If coach Gibbs were to sit him say this week and let him play next week, and hypothetically speaking after his court case he pleads to some lesser offense such as not obeying a traffic sign, the NFL suspends him 3 games. Will he have to serve all 3, or since Gibbs sat him for 1 he only serves 2?

SC, lots of young rich players do do stupid things though... look at the NBA... or the entire raven's roster.

and a 2400 ticket?? at 40 over the ticket is only 250$ (though the judge would want to throw you in jail... not that i'd know ;))

Unfortunately, in a must win game with a depleted roster,
we have to sit out ST, because we know Gibbs will and he doesnt
deserve to play this game. Jamal Lewis was suspended two games by the NFL for distributing cocaine, so i find it hard to believe that Sean Taylor will serve any more than a 1 game suspension from the NFL.
I still agree with drafting him because he [b]is[/b] that talented. At 2-4, and with a brutal schedule coming up, the offense needs to come through with some points (not FGs or TD, but TD[u]S[/u]!!!) this week. I hope we can pull out a win this week and head out to Detroit with Lavar, ST, John Hall, and maybe even Barrow to try to pull to .500

I dont know if anyone expected Taylor to play, but on Redskins.com it says that he has been inactivated for this weekends game. It might hurt our chances, but I defintley think this is the right decision, I have confidence that Williams will get Franz and Lott in the right positions to make plays. I wonder if McCants or Cartwright will get activated with the extra slot.

WP Article
 

[url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4846-2004Oct28.html[/url]

Inactive and I hope the kid straightens his $##$@ out. He has been having issues from Day 1. Lets hope that as Lavar says its all a matter of how he handles himself during this trying time.

[QUOTE=That Guy]SC, lots of young rich players do do stupid things though... look at the NBA... or the entire raven's roster.

and a 2400 ticket?? at 40 over the ticket is only 250$ (though the judge would want to throw you in jail... not that i'd know ;))[/QUOTE]
At that speed it was considered "Reckless Driving".

Also, I [u]may[/u] have missed the court date.

Well... I hope this doesn't come out if you ever choose to follow in your dad's footsteps. We won't say a word. Promise.

[QUOTE=BrudLee]At that speed it was considered "Reckless Driving".

Also, I [u]may[/u] have missed the court date.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=smootsmack]I agree with FRPLG. It was a stupid mistake but this incident should not be a judgement of his character. Anyway,...[/QUOTE]

I disagree. Drunk driving is a serious problem. too many people are in danger by simply driving home at night by these fools that have self control problems.

my biggest nightmare is killing someone while driving drunk, i dont think i could live with myself. so, the solution is simple, i dont drive drunk EVER!. im not trying to say im better then drunk drivers... well yeah i am. piss on you cowards that drive drunk.

drunk drivin' is what I like to do, I like drunk drivin' with you!

Don't get too crazy it's just some lyrics from a song, can anyone name the band?

[QUOTE=jamf]I disagree. Drunk driving is a serious problem. too many people are in danger by simply driving home at night by these fools that have self control problems.

my biggest nightmare is killing someone while driving drunk, i dont think i could live with myself. so, the solution is simple, i dont drive drunk EVER!. im not trying to say im better then drunk drivers... well yeah i am. piss on you cowards that drive drunk.[/QUOTE]
Thank you, and thanks to Lady T. And to the person whose friend is in jail for killing someone while driving drunk, I agree that it's terrible that his life may be ruined by that one mistake. I must say, however, that my feelings go out to his victim's family more.

I thought there were programs in the NFL, and mentors on the teams, who were supposed to help these college kids with the transition to "fame and fortune?"

[QUOTE=frogprincess]
I thought there were programs in the NFL, and mentors on the teams, who were supposed to help these college kids with the transition to "fame and fortune?"[/QUOTE]
There is but at some point it comes down to being responsible for your own actions. They can't babysit Taylor 24 hours a day.

[quote]my biggest nightmare is killing someone while driving drunk[/quote]
My biggest fear is killing someone period, especially with my car. A car is a death tool and I honestly don't know how we stay alive while cruising along going about 80 on 66 with people passing me on both sides.

I believe that people are allowed mistakes and screw ups, but the way Virginia deals with alcohol is crazy. When I was 20 I got possession of alcohol, my first offense ever. This has nothing to do with DUI or anything of the sort, simply possession. They wanted to put me in jail for a month all but 10 days got suspended, and not even give me a restricted license so I could go to work and school. Where I live that means I CANT work or get to school. all but 10 days, got suspended. Obviously I appealed and got a better ruling. During this time I did a lot of research on these type of things, and I did a report on how MADD inflates their statistics for my VASAP class. I'm not trying to say I agree with drunk driving, but all those "drunk driving" numbers you see means if a guy has a 6 pack in the trunk, he's totally sober, and someone runs into him who is also totally sober, MADD considers that alcohol related.

Ugh, I have some nasty spy-ware I accidentally clicked OK when typing on AIM to some spyware thing. Ad-aware isn't catching it, don't click the links!

Matty, that would be Sublime...if I'm not mistaken the lead singer died of a heroin overdose a few years back right?

Does anyone know what the BAC was? I don't know about Virginia, but I know in Maryland just a couple of beers can put you legally over the limit.