Less than two weeks after the New York Jets made headlines for their questionable treatment of TV Azteca reporter Inés Sainz, the spotlight has been shone brightly on Gang Green again for an incident completely unrelated to their play on the field.
According to ESPN.com, Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards was arrested early Tuesday morning on Manhattan’s West Side for driving while intoxicated (DWI). Police officers initially stopped Edwards for excessive tinting on his white Land Rover but Edwards’ bloodshot, watery eyes and the strong smell of alcohol in the vehicle prompted further investigation.
Subsequently, Edwards consented to and failed a breathalyzer examination where it was determined that his blood alcohol content was 0.16, twice the national legal limit of 0.08, leading to his arrest. Among the four passengers in Edwards’ vehicle at the time of the arrest were teammates D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Vernon Gholston.
General manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement released by the team:
"We are very disappointed in Braylon’s actions this morning. The Player Protect program is in place for our organization to prevent this situation. Braylon is aware of this program and showed poor judgment.
We are reviewing the information with the league and will impose the appropriate disciplinary measures."
PlayerProtect is a 24-hour full-service security and security driving company that works exclusively with professional athletes. PlayerProtect agents are current or former law enforcement officers. Services include security driving for trips to New York City, dinners, clubs and media and social events.
Ironically, in March 2009, Edwards was drinking with former Cleveland Browns teammate Donté Stallworth, the morning Stallworth struck and killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes in Miami, Florida. Stallworth was legally drunk at the time of the accident as his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.12.
Stallworth was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and second degree manslaughter in April 2009 and, after pleading guilty to the charges, received a sentence of thirty days in jail, 1,000 hours of community service, two years under house arrest, and eight years probation. In addition, Stallworth received a lifetime suspension of his Florida state driver's license.
Prior to his release from prison in July 2009, Stallworth and the Reyes family reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount to circumvent a civil lawsuit.
On August 13, 2009, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Stallworth for the entire 2009 season without pay. However, since his reinstatement after Super Bowl XLIV, Stallworth has found a home again in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens.
Although his punishment should not be as severe, the NFL and the New York Jets must act swiftly to discipline Edwards for behavior that could have easily led to the same tragedy that befell the Reyes family when Stallworth got behind the wheel of his car with a lower blood alcohol content than Edwards had at the time of his arrest.
Select Jets’ coaches and players may have gotten off with a slap on the wrist when it came to their behavior toward Inés Sainz, but Goodell and the Jets organization must be unified in their commitment to establish a zero tolerance policy when it comes to DUI/DWI; especially in light of what happened to Donté Stallworth less than two years ago.
As it stands, if he’s convicted or pleads no contest, Edwards’ arrest for DWI could be viewed as a second violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, leading to a possible suspension.
In October 2009, Edwards was accused of punching a man outside of a Cleveland nightclub. The victim was an acquaintance of LeBron James. Edwards pleaded not guilty at the time, but he ended up pleading no contest to misdemeanor aggravated disorderly conduct. He received probation and a $1,000 fine.
Currently, Edwards can only face discipline under the NFL’s substance abuse policy, in which he faces a maximum fine of $50,000.
Therefore, all eyes will focus intently on the Jets organization and how they deal with Edwards as an important divisional game against the Miami Dolphins looms on the horizon; and the team as well as the NFL can ill afford unmerited leniency when several of those eyes belong to the family of Mario Reyes.
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NFL, NY Jets must punish Braylon Edwards swiftly and severely
