NFL suspends Donte' Stallworth for 2009 season

[TrailerParkBoys]

BEREA, Ohio -- The NFL has suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth without pay for the 2009 season because of violations of the league's substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies, the NFL announced this morning.

Stallworth pled guilty to DUI manslaughter on June 16 after killing pedestrian Mario Reyes while driving drunk on March 14. It was the morning after Stallworth earned a $4.5 million roster bonus from the Browns.

Stallworth reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the Reyes family and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus two years of house arrest and eight years probation.

On June 18, Commissioner Roger Goodell put Stallworth on indefinite suspension. Goodell met with Stallworth and his and NFL players union representatives earlier this month. The league disclosed that Goodell also met privately with Stallworth on Aug. 10 at Stallworth's request.

Stallworth will be reinstated after the Super Bowl in February 2010. He may not participate in any team activity during the 2009 season. He reacted to today's news on his account (www.twitter.com/@D_Stallworth18) on Twitter.com, a social networking site.

""I'M A LITTLE WOUNDED, BUT I'M NOT SLAIN; I WILL LAY ME DOWN 4A WHILE 2 BLEED, THEN I'LL RISE & FIGHT WITH YOU AGAIN" -John Dryden," Stallworth wrote, invoking a quote by the 17th-Century British writer and poet.

A judge in south Florida recently amended the terms of his house arrest, allowing Stallworth the privilege of working out five days a week with trainers.

The suspension actually is good news to the Browns because now they don't have to release him and suffer a sizable hit to their 2009 salary cap. It's possible the salary cap will be abolished for 2010. If so, there would be no penalty to the club for releasing him after he is reinstated.

The Browns will get a credit on this year's cap for Stallworth's $745,000 base salary. They still must honor the $4.5 million roster bonus, and, in fact, have paid $2.25 million already.


Last week, Browns coach Eric Mangini declined to comment on whether or not he would have welcomed Stallworth back this season.
"It's a league matter," Mangini said at the time. "Once the league makes whatever decision they're going to make, we'll address it that way."

The NFL this morning released the content of Goodell's letter to Stallworth:

"As you recognized both at and following the hearing, guilt or innocence as a matter of criminal law is not the same as a violation of NFL policies. Here, longstanding league policies make clear that discipline is warranted "if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law...relating to the use of alcohol." The degree of discipline may take into account "aggravating circumstances, including but not limited to felonious conduct or felonious injury or death of third parties..."
All of those factors are present here. There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family, and that you have violated both the Substances of Abuse and Personal Conduct Policies. In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL."
"Nor do I find that the outcome in the Florida courts is controlling in terms of determining disciplinary consequences within the NFL. The considerations that applied in Florida, particularly with respect to criminal standards of proof, claims of contributory negligence, consideration of crowded court dockets, and the like, do not enter into this decision. Without regard to the merits of the disposition of the criminal case, I believe that further consequences are necessary."
"In my view, the essential facts are that you had alcohol in your system well above the legal limit, made a conscious decision to drive, and struck and killed a man. As you recognize, this conduct and the loss of life has caused serious damage to the NFL and NFL players generally. Legal arguments that focus on criminal liability under Florida law do not diminish that damage or your responsibility for your conduct."
"Despite a repeated emphasis on the importance of avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol, you chose to drive under circumstances where you were legally impaired. And you did so even though safe and confidential alternatives, such as the "Safe Ride" program, were available to you. Your conduct endangered yourself and others, leading to the death of an innocent man. The NFL and NFL players must live with the stain that you have placed on their reputations."

[be47320]

Originally Posted by Canadian Bacon

BEREA, Ohio -- The NFL has suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth without pay for the 2009 season because of violations of the league's substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies, the NFL announced this morning.

Stallworth pled guilty to DUI manslaughter on June 16 after killing pedestrian Mario Reyes while driving drunk on March 14. It was the morning after Stallworth earned a $4.5 million roster bonus from the Browns.

Stallworth reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the Reyes family and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus two years of house arrest and eight years probation.

On June 18, Commissioner Roger Goodell put Stallworth on indefinite suspension. Goodell met with Stallworth and his and NFL players union representatives earlier this month. The league disclosed that Goodell also met privately with Stallworth on Aug. 10 at Stallworth's request.

Stallworth will be reinstated after the Super Bowl in February 2010. He may not participate in any team activity during the 2009 season. He reacted to today's news on his account (www.twitter.com/@D_Stallworth18) on Twitter.com, a social networking site.

""I'M A LITTLE WOUNDED, BUT I'M NOT SLAIN; I WILL LAY ME DOWN 4A WHILE 2 BLEED, THEN I'LL RISE & FIGHT WITH YOU AGAIN" -John Dryden," Stallworth wrote, invoking a quote by the 17th-Century British writer and poet.
A judge in south Florida recently amended the terms of his house arrest, allowing Stallworth the privilege of working out five days a week with trainers.

The suspension actually is good news to the Browns because now they don't have to release him and suffer a sizable hit to their 2009 salary cap. It's possible the salary cap will be abolished for 2010. If so, there would be no penalty to the club for releasing him after he is reinstated.

The Browns will get a credit on this year's cap for Stallworth's $745,000 base salary. They still must honor the $4.5 million roster bonus, and, in fact, have paid $2.25 million already.


Last week, Browns coach Eric Mangini declined to comment on whether or not he would have welcomed Stallworth back this season.
"It's a league matter," Mangini said at the time. "Once the league makes whatever decision they're going to make, we'll address it that way."

The NFL this morning released the content of Goodell's letter to Stallworth:

"As you recognized both at and following the hearing, guilt or innocence as a matter of criminal law is not the same as a violation of NFL policies. Here, longstanding league policies make clear that discipline is warranted "if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law...relating to the use of alcohol." The degree of discipline may take into account "aggravating circumstances, including but not limited to felonious conduct or felonious injury or death of third parties..."
All of those factors are present here. There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family, and that you have violated both the Substances of Abuse and Personal Conduct Policies. In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL."
"Nor do I find that the outcome in the Florida courts is controlling in terms of determining disciplinary consequences within the NFL. The considerations that applied in Florida, particularly with respect to criminal standards of proof, claims of contributory negligence, consideration of crowded court dockets, and the like, do not enter into this decision. Without regard to the merits of the disposition of the criminal case, I believe that further consequences are necessary."
"In my view, the essential facts are that you had alcohol in your system well above the legal limit, made a conscious decision to drive, and struck and killed a man. As you recognize, this conduct and the loss of life has caused serious damage to the NFL and NFL players generally. Legal arguments that focus on criminal liability under Florida law do not diminish that damage or your responsibility for your conduct."
"Despite a repeated emphasis on the importance of avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol, you chose to drive under circumstances where you were legally impaired. And you did so even though safe and confidential alternatives, such as the "Safe Ride" program, were available to you. Your conduct endangered yourself and others, leading to the death of an innocent man. The NFL and NFL players must live with the stain that you have placed on their reputations."

the is the best part, stalworth quoting 17th century british poetry

[cheezer]

Too bad the chap he slain also just lied there and bled 4a while. Alas, there will be no risin' and fightin' for that guy again.......

[Slyce]

30 day sentence still the biggest joke of all...should be doin at least 10 to 15 yrs for taking a human life while driving under the influence...guess the almighty dollar still rules the court room