Troubles haven’t slowed down for NFL
Shattered cellphones. Fireworks accidents. Failed drug tests.
The NFL’s endless aggravation raged through an offseason marked by more crime and punishment, rules violations by owners, and the never-ending “Deflategate” saga.
The latest black eye came from Pro Bowl defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who addressed his recent drug suspension by telling his teammates and coaches as they reported to training camp that “they don’t have to worry about my name being in the news again.”
A short time later, reports surfaced of Richardson being charged with resisting arrest and multiple traffic violations in an incident in Missouri this month. Police clocked him going 143 mph and found a loaded gun in his Bentley and a 12-year-old boy among his passengers.
The anguish won’t end when the Eagles and Colts become the last teams to report to camp over the weekend. Tom Brady’s lawsuit seeking to overturn his four-game suspension will hang over the league until a resolution is reached.
Still, it’s time to turn the nation’s sporting attention back to the field.
“I think there’s a lot of positivity going on in the league,” Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “It’s just that 10 percent that’s negative, that’s the news. That’s what people want to see and want to read. Unfortunately, that’s not what you want as a league.
“So, right now it’s good to start football. That’s what fans want to see: guys on the field making plays. So, it’s a good thing that football is back.”
He’ll find no arguments from the league office.
Just a month after Commissioner Roger Goodell handed him the Super Bowl MVP trophy, Brady refused to hand over his cellphone when the NFL delved into allegations the Patriots surreptitiously used underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game.
Brady sued the league after Goodell upheld his four-game suspension this week, with the commissioner ruling the NFL’s biggest name destroyed his cellphone to obstruct the inquiry by investigator Ted Wells.