Geaux_Blue

January 19th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^

“Let’s face it,” Edwards said. “I’m not the only athlete to get a D.U.I. I’m not the only athlete to get one this year. But you don’t hear about the other ones because they’re in situations that don’t really matter. Not to disrespect them, but nobody cares about those teams.”

i'm grateful for his time at Michigan but i'm pretty sure my interest in him dies there.

robpollard

January 19th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^

He also refers to himself in the third person three times at the top of the story.

It's fine to be self-involved and be a WR in the NFL.  It seems necessary for greatness for most WRs.

It's not fine, at all, to "feel singled out for the arrest" and punching people in the face when you are constantly promoting yourself. Whatever happened with great power comes great responsibility? Just say something like, "I'm glad it was so prominent b/c it shows people expect me to be better than that, and I will prove I'm better than that." or something similar?

One of the top 3 receivers in Michigan history, but unfortunately, he has major issues.

I will be rooting for Woodley and Foote, not BE, on Sunday (sorry David Harris!).

LSA Superstar

January 20th, 2011 at 9:27 AM ^

I don't like the form of his response, but his comment was true. He received his DUI the week before the Dolphins game. The news of his crime was the ESPN storyline of the game, and he did not play the first quarter.

The unreported issue was that two Dolphins players had received equivalent charges weeks before. Not a peep about that. Niether of those players missed one moment of playing time as a result.

This, of course, does not serve to validate Edwards' crime. Driving under the influence is a massive social ill that kills many people every year. It does, however, lend validity to the position Braylon is taking here - Braylon was arrested for committing a crime. He was crucified in the media for playing in New York.

Geaux_Blue

January 20th, 2011 at 9:30 AM ^

i don't care if the other guys didn't have theirs reported. he committed a serious crime. his response should be solely focused on the fact he never should have done it - not that it was reported differently. if i got into a bar fight that led to someone being hospitalized, i wouldn't point out that none of the other participants were being reported as boldly. i would say i made a huge, life-changing mistake. he doesn't say that. he simply says "everybody does it, i just got pointed at more because I'm Braylon Edwards." fuck that noise. sour.

LSA Superstar

January 20th, 2011 at 9:41 AM ^

Had the deflection been his only comment, I would agree that it was egregious. Regrettably for your frothing rage over this subject, it wasn't:

The Jets dominated the Patriots the night before Edwards was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Manhattan and reached his low point. Not of this season. Of his life.

And:

"It was more, what I can I do to make sure I’m never here again? Not, I’m living terribly, how do I change my life?"

And:

“I’m getting older,” the 27-year-old Edwards said. “Let’s be real. I’m not a kid anymore. I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen good. I’ve seen bad. I’ve seen the right way. I’ve seen the wrong way. I’ve done it the right way. I’ve done it the wrong way. This season, it’s about respect. It’s about my name. I’ve done everything 100 percent right.

“Except for that situation.”

The situation, of course, was the DUI in question.

So to go back to your hypothetical, yes, I agree. Had you gotten in that fight and refused to take responsability while blaming your adversaries, yep - you'd be a shithead. If you'd vowed to not act the same way again and identified the conduct as wrong, however, you might have a valid course for criticizing the other fighters for avoiding shame.

Geaux_Blue

January 20th, 2011 at 9:45 AM ^

is i don't care if he's taking responsibility. when you insert the caveat of how you've been treated unfairly, it deflects taking full responsibility. the "I was wrong but..." has zero value to me compared to "I was wrong." Braylon should stfu, take his lumps and move on instead of trying to find a form of victimization in it. the first block quote is editorialization. The second deflects the seriousness of his crime - driving drunk wasn't "terrible," just improper for his station. The third? it's a "why doesn't anyone point out my good? why do they only focus on that thing with the drinking and the driving?"

i don't want his pound of flesh. i'd just like to see it not be all about Braylon Edwards. even while talking about his ability to function more as a team player he makes it about himself. he even talks third person. it's a train wreck. he's a bullethole in the thigh away from being as embarrassing, or more, as Plax.

nowayguy

January 19th, 2011 at 10:41 PM ^

Always though Braylon was gonna be a great one, hasn't worked out that way but he showed his potential during his Pro Bowl season in Cleveland. Maybe one day he'll get back to playing at that level. 

somewittyname

January 19th, 2011 at 10:51 PM ^

He's done some good things. Done some bad things. He's kinda learned from his bad things but they apparently weren't that bad to being with. He was kinda disgruntled in Ohio and sometimes feels similar now but now he's more mature. It was an important year for him and he did pretty well but not great. Basically, he's a decent scrabble player.

LSA Superstar

January 20th, 2011 at 9:22 AM ^

The point of this article is how he has developed from a malcontent Cleveland couldn't wait to give away (he was traded for a third, a fifth, and two special teams players) to a true number one on a team playing in the AFC Championship Game. The point of this article was how he had changed from being self-involved and absorbed prick and getting in trouble early in the season to becoming a highly respected teammate playing at an elite level. The point of this article was to be a redemption story, and the point of posting this article was to help share a good story about a Michigan Man.

I cannot believe this board sometimes. Every human being has faults, but only some people try and fix them. Edwards' DUI was a dreadful shame. What he has accomplished since then has been highly positive and deserves at least ambivalence rather than the scorn that most posters have heaped on him here.

Section 1

January 20th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^

Braylon's issue wasn't just one DWI.  Few if any of us could give you an all-inclusive list of current and former Michigan players who were guilty of just one dubious bad-judgment incident that got them in trouble with the law.

No; Braylon's a repeat offender:  aggravated assault; driving 120 mph; a paternity action.  I'm not even sure what else.

And even then, Braylon might not be newsworthy or criticism-worthy on this board, apart from some really stupid and inexplicable stuff:  "Lloyd Carr's University of Michigan" among them.

If the fallback position is that Braylon is a flawed but immensely talented "Michigan Man," I'd really like to know how he managed to hang on to the "Michigan Man" part after his stupid attacks on Rich Rodriguez -- the needlessly idiotic Number 1 story; the "He's beyond the hot seat" quote.  Et cetera.

And more than that, it's not as though Braylon Edwards was a standup guy and took an openly, thoughtfully, critical position as to Coach Rodriguez.  Instead, Braylon's m.o. was to pop off to a reporter, and then either later have "no comment," or to use his dad to somewhow claim that he was misquoted or misunderstood, and that, 'No, Stan and Braylon really, really do support Coach Rodriguez...'  If that were true (personally, I think it was a lie), Braylon in particular had a really weird way of showing it.

Braylon had a good year for the Jets, and made some big catches.  Other than that, he's done nothing that was redemptive in any way.

There.  Now do you get it?

Beavis

January 20th, 2011 at 8:38 AM ^

I agree 100%.

Our fanbase is a fucking joke sometimes.  Oh you want wins?  Great.  Oh, but if the player who gets us wins is a "self serving prick" then we have an issue with that?  Fucking A. 

It's not like the guy is out there saying "everybody kills people" or sleeping with 16-year old prostitutes and getting 7 years of probation...

Mich_Faithful

January 20th, 2011 at 12:52 PM ^

I literally just finished reading the final page of the epilogue in Bo's Lasting Lessons, which was hard at times because, surprisingly enough, I felt myself becoming slightly emotional for a man I've never met, unfortunately. It's not just about the transformations on the field, it is also about the transformations as a person. Reading how Bo positively impacted the lives of so many people is amazing, and then to hear Braylon say some of the things that he has is somewhat of a let down.  I wish Bo were still here for many reason's, but I also wish he was still here to give Braylon an old fashioned ass chewing to remind him of the values he was taught while at Michigan.

Section 1

January 20th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^

Braylon benefitted greatly from discipline imposed by Lloyd Carr.  Great credit to Carr.*  So who is supposed to be Braylon's babysitter these days?

*Wouldn't it be ironic if, believing Braylon that his "Lloyd Carr's University of Michigan" stunt was nothing more or less than his personal tribute to Carr, the real credit went to the fact that the undergraduate Braylon needed a serious and extended disciplinary ass-whipping, and Carr was just the guy to deliver it?  

M2GoBlue

January 19th, 2011 at 11:29 PM ^

I hate the Jets and everyone associated, and it is due to their willingess to stockpile arrogant players and coaches. I think I hate Rex Ryan more than anybody in professional sports.

lilpenny1316

January 20th, 2011 at 12:54 AM ^

...jersey would be revoked after that interview.  Probably not, but it doesn't send a good message to the kids regarding DUIs. 

Maybe Lloyd needs to call him and tell that this is not what "Lloyd Carr's University of Michigan" is about.

WorldwideTJRob

January 20th, 2011 at 5:13 AM ^

Weird article, but i do find it funny how LeBron basically was the reason Braylon got shipped out of Cleveland then LBJ bolted out of town himself a few months later.

I guess thats why you can never trust someone from OHIO.

ronmexico

January 20th, 2011 at 9:22 AM ^

Dear Braylon,

If you are reading this, i still still like you.  You are a decent athlete. Thats why i watch you play football. You may be a tird from time to time, but at the end of the day, we are all tirds. The biggest difference is you're kind of tird that can do full extended backflips. 

Wish i was you,

RM