Really Worth IT??

What is up with these @ss clowns with their weed??  Especially the idiots that already have one strike against them (according to the NFL Substance Abuse Policy).  His performance on the field wasn't anything to boast about as it was, now he will forever be under the magnifying glass because he can't put the bong down.  Pity.

The Cleveland Browns announced today that they have terminated the contract of defensive back Kenny Wright.

The Browns gave no reason for the announcement, which comes less than 24 hours after reports surfaced that Wright was arrested for possession of marijuana in March. Wright was also arrested in April, but he had managed to keep the March arrest under wraps.

Under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, players are required to inform their employers when they’ve been arrested. It is not clear when or whether Wright informed the Browns of the March arrest. The April arrest was widely reported in the media (as was his hideous mug shot) and the Browns obviously learned of that one shortly after it happened whether Wright contacted the team or not.

The 30-year-old Wright played seven games last season, starting one. His multiple arrests make it possible that he’ll be suspended, although that won’t matter if the rest of the league decides that his production on the field isn’t worth the off-field problems he brings with him.

Here is some background on another camp fodder running backs the Oakland Raiders signed last week.

Former Penn State running back Matt Hahn has signed with the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders, who announced the signing last Friday, just prior to the team’s rookie mini-camp.

Hahn joins five other Nittany Lions that played during the 2007 season that were drafted or have been signed by NFL teams. The Dix Hills, N.Y. product joins former Nittany Lion standout tight end Tony Stewart on the Raiders’ roster. Stewart joined the Raiders prior to last season, his eighth in the NFL.

Hahn's brother, Kevin, is a redshirt freshman running back for the Nittany Lions.

Hahn was a consistently productive runner, receiver and blocker for the Nittany Lions from 2004-07. In the midst of having one of the best games of his career, his senior season came to an abrupt end in the Oct. 20, 2007 game at Indiana. Hahn was gouging the Indiana defense in the high-scoring affair, setting career-highs with 43 yards on five carries. But, during a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter, Hahn suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as he was tackled, ending his season and Penn State career. The former St. Anthony’s Catholic School standout played in every game in 2007 with two starts. He gained 82 rushing yards last year on 15 carries for a strong 5.5 average, with a touchdown run against Wisconsin. Hahn also had nine receptions for 47 yards, with a touchdown catch vs. FIU.

Hahn was presented the squad’s 2007 Ridge Riley Award for “sportsmanship, leadership and friendship.” He is on schedule to earn his degree in recreation, park and tourism management this week.

Hmmmmm ...

Suspicious circumstances, considering the last line of this article.  It's a shame IF there were signs of substance abuse in the end.  Young man too.

`The family of former Carolina Panthers center Curtis Whitley says the football player has died at his home in Texas.

Family members told The Charlotte Observer that Whitley was found dead Sunday in his trailer in Fort Stockton, Texas. His brother, Norman Whitley, said Curtis had moved there from Smithfield to get a job.

The 39-year-old was found lying face down in his bathroom. Officials don't suspect foul play. An autopsy is pending.

Whitley played at Clemson and was a fifth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1992. He played for the Panthers in 1995 and 1996, and for the Oakland Raiders in 1997.

He was suspended twice for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

As legend has it, sports broadcaster extraordinaire Al Michaels once proclaimed as to the prospects of working at ESPN that he won’t be working for a four-letter network.  Apparently, that vow still applies.

Per a media source, Michaels has turned down an opportunity to serve as the play-by-play man for NFLN’s regular-season slate of pro football games.

Michaels was pursued by the league-owned network to replace Bryant Gumbel, the big name with small talent who handled the duties for the first two years of the NFLN effort.  Michaels currently provides the play-by-play call for NBC’s weekly Sunday night coverage. 

It’s unclear where the NFL will go from here.  Others who have been linked to the job include Tom Hammond, Brad Nessler, Marv Albert, and Pat Summerall.  Other possibilities, in our view, would be Mike Patrick and Brent Musberger.

We also are intrigued by one or more outside-the-box possibilities, such as our pal Dan Patrick, whose weekday radio show streams live on SI.com — and who from time to time allows us to pollute his air waves. 

Another possibility would be to hire both Albert and our other pal Boomer Esiason (who currently team up for a national radio broadcast of the Monday night games), and make it a three-man crew, with the incumbent Cris Collinsworth, a former teammate of Esiason’s.

And so the roster game goes. Nnamdi Asomugha (and the Oakland Raiders themselves) probably have priced him (Asomugha) right out of Oakland next season (2009).  So, I guess Routt is a viable player to replace him and groom him this season to take that starting spot once it becomes vacant.

Believe it or not, there are members of the Oakland Raiders who were on the roster last season.

A busy offseason has shifted the attention to the new guys, but plenty of Raider vets are also heading into pivotal 2008 seasons.

One of those players is soon-to-be-fourth-year cornerback Stanford Routt. The former second-round pick led all Raiders defensive backs last season in interceptions with three after stealing away a starting CB job from the recently traded Fabian Washington.

In 47 games with Oakland, Routt has registered 88 tackles, 10 passes defended and four interceptions.

Now, Washington is permanently gone after being traded to Baltimore on draft weekend for a fourth-round pick. The starting job opposite No. 1 corner Nnamdi Asomugha would have gone to Routt by default; however, the prior acquisition of two-time Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall shifts Routt back into a familiar place -- third cornerback.

Despite being the 38th overall player chosen in the ‘05 draft, Routt started in only four games in his first two seasons in the NFL. It wasn’t until last season that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan gave Routt a permanent starting nod.

Now, with $9.8 million invested in Asomugha this season and $66.28 million invested in Hall over the next seven years, Routt is looking like he'll be much less involved in the Raiders’ secondary, at least as far as the books are concerned.

Routt will earn $520,000 this season and $545,000 in ‘09 before becoming a free agent in 2010. The Raiders also have two young defensive backs waiting in the wings in fourth-round picks John Bowie (2007) and Tyvon Branch (2008); although, as it appears now, Branch will be making a shift to safety.

For Routt, it’ll be nearly impossible -- pending injuries or a series of major slip-ups from either Asomugha or Hall -- to move into either of the starting CB slots this season. However, it also appears that Routt will be very hard to replace as the primary slot corner.

With the limited one-year tag on Asomugha, though, Routt could make a strong case for himself heading into the 2009 campaign, when Oakland’s heavy spending will begin to catch up on it and keeping Asomugha will be almost financially impossible.

If the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder can prove to be a reliable defender next season, letting Asomugha go may not be such a difficult task, despite his tremendous performance over the past two seasons. It’ll also save the Raiders plenty of money because Asomugha’s price tag has been pushed up considerably since 2006 and franchise tagging him once more would likely cost the team more than $10 million.

“I see myself as a full-time starter right now,” Routt said last season. “No matter what the situation is, I’m usually in the game.”

If Routt plays well enough in the slot in 2008, he’ll certainly find himself on the field in 2009. And, as hard as it may be for Oakland, Asomugha will likely be playing in a different city.

This is a great reply to the above article.

DeAngelo Hall is not just a good player... He is a GREAT PLAYER!!! It's not too often you can get a proven 2-Time Pro-Bowler who is only going to be in his 5th year in the league (also leaving college after his Junior year) with a 2nd round pick. I think you would be hard pressed to find an OT, DE or DT that could have been had with that pick in the second round that will ever has as much impact as DeAngelo Hall... Just look at the players who went in the 2nd round (not too many OT, DE or DT's pop off the board). Anyway, there is not a single player in the 2nd round that I would rather have right now than DeAngelo Hall. You??? Anyway, I love Nnamdi, but there is no comparison really... DeAngelo Hall is the better player. In one less year he has more Interceptions, tackles, pass defensed and touchdowns. Once again, I love Nnamdi, and I think the fact that Routt is relegated to being the 3rd defensive back is a great thing. It's not a knock on his ability, but rather the two exceptional athletes in front of him on the depth charts. Can anyone really name a better secondary right now? I think the Franchise said it best: It's a pretty good problem to have. Plus, Routt will have his opportunities as teams will be forced to throw this year with us finally putting a bunch of points on the board this year:-)