Baltimore Doesn't Need Brandon Marshall
Written by Patrick Delaney, Wednesday September 09 2009
There are few things that make me change the station quicker than anything Anita Marks says (take note, 105.7 The Fan management - this blog is read by 5-7 people a week), but unfortunately, she isn't alone in her certifiably insane advocacy of trading away our future for the likes of troubled Denver wide receiver / toddler Brandon Marshall.
Yes, Marshall has put up elite receiving statistics over the past two seasons - to the tune of 206 receptions and 2590 yards. He is a physical specimen, possessing such talent that one of the best cornerbacks in the game, Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha, said Marshall is "the toughest guy to bring down, one-on-one." Asomugha's defensive breatheren, Brandon Flowers of Kansas City, has been quoted as saying, "Brandon Marshall is a defensive lineman playing wide receiver. He wants to inflict punishment on you. He wants you to try to tackle him so he can shove you off of him and get more yards." That's extremely high praise for a 25-year old wide receiver who's just entering his prime.
Wait...maybe I'm insane?! Why wouldn't every single fan in the entire league want a player of that caliber? Why is a player like that even involved in trade discussions? Has the mile high air inflicted permanent damage on the Broncos' general manager?
Oh, I'm sure Marshall's gotten into a bit of trouble in the NFL. But who hasn't? I mean, as long as he's not shooting himself in the leg or making it rain in a Vegas strip club, there's really nothing wrong with him, right? WRONG! Here's a brief history of Brandon Marshall run in's with the law:
October, 2004: Misdemeanor charges of trespass, resisting arrest without violence, disorderly conduct, refusal to obey and assault on a police officer. (Later dismissed)
April, 2005: Retail theft of $20 bed sheets at Burlington Coat Factory. (Later dismissed)
June, 2006: Reports of domestic violence, no charges ever filed.
December, 2006: Was named as a possible cause that ultimately led to the death of cornerback Darrent Williams via drive-by shooting after spraying champagne on night club patrons.
January, 2007: Incident with his own father that reportedly included gun shots. No charges were filed.
March, 2007: Reports of domestic violence, no charges filed.
March, 2007: Arrested for false imprisonment and domestic violence, charges were later dismissed after attending anger management classes.
June, 2007: Reports of domestic violence, including an “accidental cut” on his girlfriends thigh and a rock thrown at the passenger side of her friends’ car. No charges were filed.
June, 2007: Police respond to “fight-in-progress” call and find girlfriend with noticeable bruises and scratches. No Charges filed.
October, 2007: Cited for driving under the influence, BAC of 0.116.
January, 2008: Girlfriend files for temporary restraining order, was later lifted.
March, 2008: Domestic violence call, ultimately resulting in Marshall fleeing the scene. Girlfriend would then file for another temporary restraining order.
August, 2008: Suspended for three games by the NFL. After appeal, the league reduced the suspension to one game without pay plus a fine.
September, 2008: Charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple battery as a result of the incident the previous March.
September, 2008: A year after being cited for DUI in Denver, Marshall pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of driving while ability-impaired. He was sentenced to one year of probation.
February, 2009: Became engaged to then girlfriend Michi Nogami-Campbell, a different female than the one named in the incidents above.
March, 2009: Marshall and Nogami-Campbell seen in a physical altercation. Situation is “under review” per the NFL. The league later cleared the air on the March, 2009 situation and said that (at least as of now) that Marshall would not have to miss any games for the upcoming season. However, he is still to go on trial for his 2008 arrest. If convicted, do not count out a possible game or two on the sidelines.
He must be one helluva sweet talker, because the majority of these incidents involve those closest to him: his girlfriend, his fiance, his father, and charges were either not filed or dismissed.
I mean, who doesn't steal an occasional bedsheet, throw an occasional rock through a window, beat up the occasional girlfriend/fiance, and get named in the occasional death of a teammate. This is the attitude that the cynical, jaded NFL fan takes in this day and age because we've become numb to news like this. But the problem is...in the real life of those involved in these incidents, these things aren't funny. People are getting shot, cut, hurt, and even killed.
I don't know how long these numbskulls (those wanting General Manager Ozzie Newsome to trade at least at first round pick - and probably much more - for this degenerate) have been following the Ravens, but a player like Brandon Marshall doesn't exactly fit the John Harbaugh "Raven mold." Just ask Chris McAlister how much crap the coaching staff and front office is willing to put up with.
But, let's entertain these numbskulls for a second and completely forget about Brandon Marshall's involvement in over 18 incidents where police were called or reports were filed in the past five years (according to the list above, which is probably incomplete). Is he an exemplary teammate and consummate professional? Is he even an average teammate? If he was, he wouldn't be on the trading block, would he? If he was the type of player around which you build an offense, why is he walking while his teammates jog, swatting balls to the ground that are thrown his way, and punting balls across the field instead of handing them to the ball boy (I mean...the freakin' BALL BOY - what did HE do to deserve that???) -- all while the cameras were rolling no less. Oh, and he said that he is refusing to learn the playbook. Yep, textbook definition of "exemplary teammate" and "consummate professional" right there. This kind of stuff infuriates me to no end!!!
What infuriates me even more, though, is the fact that Anita Marks is leading the idiot brigade on the March to Insanity and still they want Brandon Marshall as a Baltimore Raven. Let's make a deal with Anita Marks: She has to date Brandon Marshall for three years, and there is a no-trade clause in her contract. She can't have a restraining order against him, and she can't install shatter-proof glass in her car. Wait a minute, she rides a Victory motorcycle - she doesn't have windows. Ouch.
We have a franchise quarterback, with a strong arm, who has looked exceptional in preseason action. Yes, Derrick Mason is a year older, but I think we've only gotten better in our wide receiving corps with the addition of Kelley Washington and with Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams getting more experience (and hopefully healthier!!!). Are our receivers above average? Individually, our receivers are probably average at best. But I don't think our passing game is average at best - not with a quarterback at the helm who is the type of player that makes everyone around him better. Not with a (knock on wood!!!) healthy Todd Heap. Not with a much-improved Ray Rice who may figure more prominently in the passing game this year.
NEED another wide receiver? No. Would we LIKE another quality wide receiver? Sure. But we don't need OR want a wide receiver whose teammates talk about him off the record like Scott Garceau probably talks about Anita off the record:
“He is killing his image;” “We don’t know what he is doing. Sometimes you can’t tell whether he’s coming or going;” “He can’t be trusted. I can’t put my name to vouch for how he’s acting right now;” “He’s acting like an idiot, this is not the way to get his money.”
More specifical
I think that says it all. But mark my words, this argument won't die. Hell, in four years these same idiot fans will probably want us to draft Oregon's LeGarrette Blount. What a bunch of suckers.
And on another note...it's good to be back ranting. And the good folks at Players Press have coerced some Ravens to blog on this site as well. Let the good times roll!
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7 comments
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Patrick, this link is to Charles Robinson's article on Yahoo! Sports regarding Brandon Marshall. If you're interested, and still have an open mind about the guy (Marshall), you may find it interesting, especially since a current Raven is mentioned. Brandon still has a lot of growing up to do, but believe it or not, people can move on and grow from bad experiences. He's still a kid (you 25, right?), he'll learn. You don't have to want him on your team (even though the Ravens would be better off, whether you admit it or not), but I'm pretty sure he is not the anti-christ. (link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Av4ZVdkuzL4z0Fr9XLvSbnk5nYcB?slug=cr-disgruntledplayers090809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns) I really, truly hope you're not trying to talk up the Baltimore offense that ranked 18th in points in 2008. Looking at last years stats, BAL scored 8 more points than IND, WOW, but ran 89 more offensive plays. BAL (with a balanced attack) also averaged less yds/game than IND (with a passing game and that's it). Like I said, the stellar BAL defense had a lot to do with the success of their offense (such as leading the league in takeaways with 34 and a +13 TO differential, even with Flacco alone being responsible for 14 turnovers). You have no grounds to be proud of the BAL offense. And about Ray Lewis... Were you present at the time of the January stabbing? Did you personally witness it? I'm not saying he did or didn't do it, but obstruction of justice? That's all? If you honestly believe that is all Ray Lewis did, I'll let it go. Oh, and the jury said OJ was 'not guilty' of murder.
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"...offense was as sh*tty as SF's?" We scored more points than the Colts last year. And the reason I included Marshall's rap sheet was because I like to do a little research and be able to have documentation support my points. And please don't compare Ray to OJ. Ray obstructed justice and probably let one of the murderers take a ride in his limo. He didn't kill anyone.
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Comparing Randy Moss' legal transgressions to Brandon Marshall's is like apples and oranges. Based on what I know, the 2007 charge right before Super Bowl XLII was horsing around with a friend. Why she pressed charges (that were dropped) is unknown. Pushing a cop with his car was stupid, but Moss wasn't using his vehicle as a weapon. And the fight at the bowling alley as a teen, if I remember correctly, Moss was standing up for a friend. Moss was immature at Minnesota, but I never heard anything about him being a bad teammate. In Oakland, Moss did tank it, but his desire was crushed playing on a bad team. I completely understand Patrick's perspective. Marshall has a bad pattern developing and I wouldn't take a chance on Marshall, even if was locked in prison during the week and allowed out only to play games.
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Wow, where's the love people? You act like I ran over your dog. Calm down, lay off the meth man. I don't live back East nor do I follow the Ravens. All I'm saying is wihtout convictions, you have nothing. Money, a good lawyer, whatever, it doesn't matter. Ray Lewis got off clean. So did OJ. I don't know Brandon Marshall, he is acting childish and maybe he is a thug who is up to no good, but since I'm not one of those ignorant morons who believes everything he hears or reads, I'd rather give someone the benefit of the doubt rather than incriminate them on allegations alone, then again, when the police are called, that's the same as a guilty verdict, I forgot. You make the guy sound worse than a murderer, then again, maybe he is. According to you, he got Darrent Williams killed, right? Williams was probably just an innocent bystander in all of it. I'm not quite sure he is THAT bad of a dude, but like I said, I don't know the guy. You obviously do though, downloading and memorizing his rap sheet and all. Congrats on the Ravens making the playoffs last year. Good thing you have an awesome defense, 'cause your offense was as sh*tty as SFs. As for Mason and Bruce, I was simply comparing thier advanced age. Neither had impressive seasons last year, and I know you don't want to compare their career numbers. Besides, unless I'm wrong, and I doubt it, Mason had two arms all of last season, unless one was a very realistic prosthetic. Didn't Mason retire this offseason? Oh, no, he Favre'd didn't he? Decided he couldn't hang it up yet. I sure hope I can find my first girlfriend soon, otherwise I will have to keep playing with myself like a Raven. "Our motto?" What exactly is YOUR role on the team?
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MC Homer, Are you seriously comparing Derrick Mason to Issac Bruce? What rock have you been hidden under for the last year. Last I recall, Mason's arm was hanging on by a thread and he was catching a touchdown passes and raking in 70 plus yards per game. Lets see, 1,037 yards for the season, 5 TDs and I wish I knew how many key third down receptions he had throughout the year. Sure, its not elite, but considering he played with one arm for the majority of the season, thats not too shabby in an offense that ran the ball 60% of the time. As for your "name another good/great reciever thats not a diva" ok, most are, but most don't beat women constantly, get their friend killed, yes killed, fire shots at their father, and act like complete jack-asses during practice. Sure, TO wore a cycling jersey on the sidelines, but when he was between the lines he was all business. Not this guy though. I want nothing to do with this thug. All he would do is ruin the great chemistry this team has built already this year. Our motto is "Play Like a Raven". He's egostical behavior in practice alone shows he's not capable of that.
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Considering we look better than last year and we made it to the AFC Championship game, I'm not too concerned with us not bringing in a clubhouse cancer/diva. Throw on top of that that the Ravens front office is widely considered as one of the best in the league, and I'm fairly confident that they'll do the right thing here - which is pass on a diva, whiney wide receiver and not sacrifice their long-term prospects for the lure of short-term (albeit high risk) success. Again, you fall into the trap of everyone else, re: "guys are going to have rap sheets like this guy has." That's not true in the slightest. Is T.O. a diva? Yes. But he doesn't have a rap sheet like this. Harrison, Ochocinco, Lee Evans, Coles, Wayne, Royal, Fitzgerald, Boldin...someof them may be prima donnas, but they're not constantly bordering on trouble. And please, "...simply having the police called...???" Where there's smoke...there's fire. These aren't isolated incidents. You're living in a dream world if you don't think this guy is bad news. No charges/convictions means he A) Has money and a good law firm, and B) The incidents occurred against family members/girlfriends. Go look up anything credible on domestic violence and you'll see it's one of the most underreported crimes in the country because the victim doesn't want to "make a big deal out of it." Well, it became such a big deal with Marshall because he was a repeat offender with heinous infractions. This wasn't an argument out of control, these are rocks through windows of cars. You're absolutely right, though - given the right situation people can change. But I think when it comes to diva WR's, Randy Moss is the exception, not the rule. I'll take my receiving corps, front office, and coaching staff any day over the 49er's. Despite San Fran being an awesome City.
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The Ravens might be the only team in football with a worse WR core than the 49ers and you don't want Marshall? He is not a high-character guy, but given the right situation, people can change. Have we heard a peep out of Randy Moss since joining NE? Winning changes people Patrick. Besides, name another good-great WR that is not a diva, excluding Andre Johnson (who, ironically enough, is from the U). In today's NFL, guys are going to have rap sheets like this guy has. Maybe you should be a little more worried about someone who was actually convicted 18 times instead of simply having the police called. But a 74 year-old Derrick Mason should be just fine, like the 49ers 86 year-old Isaac Bruce. Hopefully their walker's can withstand the punishment of 16 games.