Apparently, the possible baggage Brandon Marshall may be bringing with him from Miami doesn't trouble the Chicago Bears -- and may explain why the three-time Pro Bowler was acquired for just two, third-rounders in a Tuesday morning trade. The New York Post first reported that Marshall may have been involved in an incident at a New York City nightclub on Monday that left his own wife in the hospital and another woman with a black eye.
Marshall was at [Chelsea nightclub] Marquee early Sunday when he got into an argument with a group of friends celebrating a birthday, law-enforcement sources said. At around 4 a.m., Christin Myles, 24, left an upper floor of the posh hot spot to greet a friend downstairs.
When she tried to get back upstairs, a bouncer told her she had to wait because there was a fight between two football players ? Marshall, 27, and an unknown athlete ? who were being thrown out, the sources said. She later met up with her friends, who by then were arguing with Marshall and the other football player outside.�Marshall then allegedly cold-cocked Myles in the left eye. She suffered a black eye. It wasn't clear if he allegedly intended to strike her or one of her pals.
Marshall's wife was hit in the head with a bottle, and he took her to a local hospital. Bears general manager Phil Emery released the following statement on Wednesday morning:
"Both the Bears and Dolphins were aware of what occurred over the weekend," Emery said in the statement. "We decided to move forward with the trade. We have high expectations for Brandon as a Bear."
Marshall's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, released this statement:
"On March 12,2012 Brandon Marshall was the key note speaker at a charitable event in New York. After the event was over he, his wife and close friends attended a function at a local club.�While at the function a fight broke out NOT involving Mr. Marshall or his friends. While attempting to leave to avoid the melee Mrs. Marshall was struck in the face by a thrown bottle. She suffered serious injury.
"While attempting to leave and take his wife to the hospital, the mayhem continued outside. Finally Mr. Marshall was able to take his wife to the hospital where she was treated for serious injuries.�Mr. Marshall is hoping to assist authorities in regards to this matter."
Marshall has a history of run-ins with the law and with officials on his own teams. In 2008, he was suspended by the league for three games (later knocked down to one game) for violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy. In 2009, he was suspended indefinitely by the Denver Broncos for insubordination. That lasted through the final two games of the preseason, but he was suspended again at the end of the season and missed the team's final game.
Traded to the Miami Dolphins for two second-round picks on April 14, 2010, Marshall announced in 2011 that he suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder. "I have a dream home, two nice cars, three beautiful dogs, but I haven't enjoyed one part of it," Marshall said when he announced the diagnosis. "And it was hard to understand why." He said that were it not for treatment and therapy, "I would have thrown away my career, and there was a good possibility, my life. I'm still suffering from the cons of this. Another reason I'm so passionate about it is that I may lose my wife still, and this hurts me."
When Marshall was suspended by the NFL in 2008, then-teammate Jay Cutler, who is once again his quarterback with the Bears, had this to say. "Brandon is not a bad guy, at all. He's a good guy, he means well. It's just he's been in some sticky situations, some things he probably shouldn't get into. ... I think it definitely hit home with this. I don't expect Brandon to be in any more situations like that for the rest of his career and probably for the rest of his life."
It's a complicated situation for the Bears, who are still trying to dig out from the severe embarrassment of the Sam Hurd case. The former Dallas Cowboys receiver was signed to a three-year, $5.1 million contract by the Bears last July, but Hurd was putting together quite the little second career together to supplement his income -- he was becoming a Chicago drug kingpin.
The Marshall move -- or any move involving a player with any kind of questionable past -- should set off even more sirens to a team like the Bears, whose former front office had no clue how to check for character concerns. If Marshall is found to be complicit in the New York case, he's certainly facing a serious suspension, since he's been suspended by the league before.
No comments:
Post a Comment