Waterbuffalo
05-16-2008, 06:13 AM
Yep. You gessed it.. Seattle's #1 got arrest in Kirkland two days ago for a fateful mistake. And he's going to pay dearly not from just the NFL and Seahawks but also possible Jail time.
You can find Jerry Brewer's BLOG and comments here:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2004415229_brewer15.html
"Not the finest, most trustworthy, young Seahawk.
Not the $42 million linebacker who will soon be the face of the franchise.
If Lofa Tatupu can wind up in handcuffs, it can happen to any athlete, no matter the amount of integrity in his veins. In a sports world dependent on 20-something stars, you cannot avoid embarrassing mistakes. They are inevitable, and for a Seahawks team that boasts making character-based decisions, this is a humbling reminder that it can never excuse itself from the NFL's troubling character dilemma.
Tatupu is not a criminal. Even now, he barely registers as a concern. Despite his drunken-driving arrest Saturday, he remains one of the most likable Seahawks, although his reputation now requires some maintenance work.
He represents everything the Seahawks preach. Tatupu is talented, dedicated, responsible, team oriented and community conscious. When he signed his new contract in March, he was celebrated as a most deserving recipient.
Still, he made a bad choice last weekend. His arrest comes a month after defensive tackle Rocky Bernard was taken into custody for allegedly punching a woman in the face. (And on the periphery, the Seahawks have watched legendary quarterback Warren Moon, now one of their broadcasters, struggle through drunken-driving charges.)
After a couple of quiet years, the character question has crept back into Seahawks headquarters.
Two incidents do not make a problem. But while Seahawks President Tim Ruskell understands the errant ways of youth, he could not have expected to encounter unlawful acts bunched this closely together. The Seahawks seemed beyond such mischief. In reality, no 53-man roster is safe.
There are too many different personalities to manage, too many outside influences, to have a team that behaves all the time. That's not meant as an excuse for either Tatupu or Bernard. If Tatupu is guilty of drunken driving, he deserves to be punished by both the court and the NFL. If Bernard is guilty of hitting a woman, he should receive even harsher discipline.
Nevertheless, if you're running a football team, you must accept that not all your players will be husband material. Most teams are too accepting of this fact. They would rather have plenty of bad guys on their roster. The Seahawks are one of the few NFL franchises that truly seek as many goodie-goodies as possible.
Ruskell has been lauded for this approach. Commissioner Roger Goodell had Ruskell speak about his efforts at the owners' meetings a year ago.
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The Seahawks grade players on a scale that is weighted as much for character as it is for ability. They look at several facets of character to try to ensure they pick good citizens and good teammates. They do an amazingly thorough job.
And still, they have issues.
No team is immune.
Last year, I asked Ruskell if he still worried about his players getting into trouble. He said no. He said he expected more from his guys. But he also added, for protection, "That's not to say it won't happen."
He is very passionate about his methods, but during interviews about this subject, he also tries not to sound too virtuous. But because he has taken such a strong stance, he gets that label anyway, and surely someone in the league is looking at his current situation and chuckling just a tad.
Before we declare the Seahawks the next Cincinnati Bengals, however, we consider something else: the difference between a mistake and a character flaw.
Ruskell is quite diligent on this point. During his time in Tampa Bay, he was entangled in a debate over whether to draft Warren Sapp, who had failed a drug test. With Ruskell's input, the Bucs wound up selecting Sapp 12th overall in the 1995 draft, and he enjoyed a Hall of Fame-caliber career without any major off-field incidents.
"When you have a situation like that, you have to look at the guy and say, 'Is that him? Is that really him?' " Ruskell said in an interview last summer. "Kids will make mistakes, but you have to figure out what they're really all about."
In Tatupu's case, it is safe to say, no, he will not spend his career in and out of handcuffs. He released a statement Tuesday about his arrest that shows his character. He accepted responsibility for his arrest, apologized and vowed it will never happen again. The learning has already begun. I'm guessing something positive will come from Tatupu's poor judgment.
Because of Ruskell, the Seahawks will never suffer from a string of embarrassing player arrests. But like every team, they will have problems.
If Lofa Tatupu can get arrested, then the Seahawks' noble pursuit of character will always be a tiresome journey."
You can find Jerry Brewer's BLOG and comments here:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2004415229_brewer15.html
"Not the finest, most trustworthy, young Seahawk.
Not the $42 million linebacker who will soon be the face of the franchise.
If Lofa Tatupu can wind up in handcuffs, it can happen to any athlete, no matter the amount of integrity in his veins. In a sports world dependent on 20-something stars, you cannot avoid embarrassing mistakes. They are inevitable, and for a Seahawks team that boasts making character-based decisions, this is a humbling reminder that it can never excuse itself from the NFL's troubling character dilemma.
Tatupu is not a criminal. Even now, he barely registers as a concern. Despite his drunken-driving arrest Saturday, he remains one of the most likable Seahawks, although his reputation now requires some maintenance work.
He represents everything the Seahawks preach. Tatupu is talented, dedicated, responsible, team oriented and community conscious. When he signed his new contract in March, he was celebrated as a most deserving recipient.
Still, he made a bad choice last weekend. His arrest comes a month after defensive tackle Rocky Bernard was taken into custody for allegedly punching a woman in the face. (And on the periphery, the Seahawks have watched legendary quarterback Warren Moon, now one of their broadcasters, struggle through drunken-driving charges.)
After a couple of quiet years, the character question has crept back into Seahawks headquarters.
Two incidents do not make a problem. But while Seahawks President Tim Ruskell understands the errant ways of youth, he could not have expected to encounter unlawful acts bunched this closely together. The Seahawks seemed beyond such mischief. In reality, no 53-man roster is safe.
There are too many different personalities to manage, too many outside influences, to have a team that behaves all the time. That's not meant as an excuse for either Tatupu or Bernard. If Tatupu is guilty of drunken driving, he deserves to be punished by both the court and the NFL. If Bernard is guilty of hitting a woman, he should receive even harsher discipline.
Nevertheless, if you're running a football team, you must accept that not all your players will be husband material. Most teams are too accepting of this fact. They would rather have plenty of bad guys on their roster. The Seahawks are one of the few NFL franchises that truly seek as many goodie-goodies as possible.
Ruskell has been lauded for this approach. Commissioner Roger Goodell had Ruskell speak about his efforts at the owners' meetings a year ago.
advertising
The Seahawks grade players on a scale that is weighted as much for character as it is for ability. They look at several facets of character to try to ensure they pick good citizens and good teammates. They do an amazingly thorough job.
And still, they have issues.
No team is immune.
Last year, I asked Ruskell if he still worried about his players getting into trouble. He said no. He said he expected more from his guys. But he also added, for protection, "That's not to say it won't happen."
He is very passionate about his methods, but during interviews about this subject, he also tries not to sound too virtuous. But because he has taken such a strong stance, he gets that label anyway, and surely someone in the league is looking at his current situation and chuckling just a tad.
Before we declare the Seahawks the next Cincinnati Bengals, however, we consider something else: the difference between a mistake and a character flaw.
Ruskell is quite diligent on this point. During his time in Tampa Bay, he was entangled in a debate over whether to draft Warren Sapp, who had failed a drug test. With Ruskell's input, the Bucs wound up selecting Sapp 12th overall in the 1995 draft, and he enjoyed a Hall of Fame-caliber career without any major off-field incidents.
"When you have a situation like that, you have to look at the guy and say, 'Is that him? Is that really him?' " Ruskell said in an interview last summer. "Kids will make mistakes, but you have to figure out what they're really all about."
In Tatupu's case, it is safe to say, no, he will not spend his career in and out of handcuffs. He released a statement Tuesday about his arrest that shows his character. He accepted responsibility for his arrest, apologized and vowed it will never happen again. The learning has already begun. I'm guessing something positive will come from Tatupu's poor judgment.
Because of Ruskell, the Seahawks will never suffer from a string of embarrassing player arrests. But like every team, they will have problems.
If Lofa Tatupu can get arrested, then the Seahawks' noble pursuit of character will always be a tiresome journey."