Joe Mixon is a controversial figure in college football
The last time we discussed a topic like this it was Frank Clark — long before the Seahawks took him in the second round. The community here handled the debate with maturity and I hope that’ll be the case again.
Please be sensitive and respectful in the comments section.
Joe Mixon might be the most explosive player in college football not named Leonard Fournette. That’s not a surprise. Here’s a list of the top-20 2014 High School recruits per Rivals:
1. Da’Shawn Hand (DL, Alabama)
2. Myles Garrett (EDGE, Texas A&M)
3. Jabrill Peppers (S, Michigan)
4. Leonard Fournette (RB, LSU)
5. Quin Blanding (S, Virginia)
6. Adoree’ Jackson (CB, USC)
7. Kyle Allen (QB, Texas A&M)
8. Joe Mixon (RB, Oklahoma)
9. Marlon Humphrey (CB, Alabama)
10. Jalen Tabor (CB, Florida)
11. Travis Rudolph (WR, Florida State)
12. Racean Thomas (RB, Auburn)
13. Sony Michel (RB, Georgia)
14. Rashaan Evans (LB, Alabama)
15. Malachi Dupre (WR, LSU)
16. Bo Scarborough (RB, Alabama)
17. Cam Robinson (T, Alabama)
18. Dalvin Cook (RB, Florida State)
19. Raekwon McMillan (LB, Ohio State)
20. Damian Price (OL, Maryland)
Here are some other select names lower down the list:
26. Malik McDowell (DL, Michigan State)
31. DeShaun Watson (QB, Clemson)
35. Nick Chubb (RB, Georgia)
38. Jamal Adams (S, LSU)
49. Curtis Samuel (WR, Ohio State)
52. Royce Freeman (RB, Oregon)
61. Budda Baker (S, Washington)
77. Christian McCaffrey (RB, Stanford)
It reads like a who’s who of 2017 draft prospects. The best of the best in college football. It’s unusual for the top-20 to have so many names destined not just for the NFL — but as high draft picks. Mixon being at #8 in this group says a lot about his potential.
On tape he is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most impressive prospects you’ll watch this year. Oklahoma’s offense/team is a bit of a mess — but when Mixon is involved it’s must-see TV. Jenni Carlson wrote this piece calling — no demanding — the Sooners feature Mixon instead of persisting with a committee involving fellow running back Samaje Perine.
Mixon has everything you look for. Breakaway speed and the ability to accelerate at the second level, toughness and the willingness to finish runs, ability in the passing game, the physicality to push the pile and break tackles plus the elusiveness to make people miss. As a bonus he’s also a terrific kick returner. Mixon is 6-1 and 226lbs — the same height and 9lbs heavier than Adrian Peterson at the 2007 combine.
He has the freaky athleticism the Seahawks seem to love — plus the suddenness, physicality and ability to turn a good play into a scoring play.
Joe Mixon pic.twitter.com/CULHpgyUKL
— Kyle (@IgglesNest) September 5, 2016
Hello Joe Mixon pic.twitter.com/wuSAW72zvq
— Kyle (@IgglesNest) September 5, 2016
When I wrote about Frank Clark in 2015 — I said something like this: He’s an explosive talent, one of the best in the draft. His tape is incredibly underrated and he dominates. He is a first round, top-20 talent based on what you see on the field. Yet his well publicised character flags involving domestic violence will make him undraftable for many — and some fans and the media will be uncomfortable and find it unacceptable if the Seahawks were to draft him.
This is, unfortunately, a similar situation with Mixon.
In Clark’s case the police report suggested he punched a woman in the face. It also quoted the victim’s brothers as saying they witnessed Clark punch her. He was dismissed by Michigan. After drafting him, the Seahawks claimed they conducted a thorough investigation before making the decision.
John Schneider said the following:
“Our organization has an in-depth understanding of Frank Clark’s situation and background… We have done a ton of research on this young man. There hasn’t been one player in this draft that we have spent more time researching and scrutinizing more than Frank. That’s why we have provided Frank with this opportunity and are looking forward to him succeeding in our culture here in Seattle.”
It was a decision that led to an initial backlash, especially at a time when the league was handling the high-profile Ray Rice domestic violence case. This article on Deadspin used the headline: ‘The Seahawks Didn’t Care Whether Frank Clark Punched A Woman‘
Two years ago Mixon entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor assault charge for punching Amelia Molitor in response to her pushing and hitting him. The incident happened on July 25, 2014.
Unlike the Clark case where there was no video evidence, surveillance video of the incident shows, after the two had a discussion, Amelia Molitor pushing, then slapping Mixon, followed by Mixon punching Molitor. The video hasn’t been released yet but has been shown to reporters and could eventually be released to the public.
The plea allowed him to maintain his innocence while also admitting that the prosecution had enough evidence to convict.
As a consequence Mixon received a one-year deferred sentence and was required to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counselling. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season by the Sooners although he was allowed to take classes and keep his financial aid but not take part in any team activities.
The incident became a heated talking point:
Norman Police Department's official Twitter account, on Joe Mixon in a since-deleted tweet. Wow. pic.twitter.com/sllQSYlN01
— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) October 31, 2014
Mixon was reinstated by the team on February 14th 2015 and played last season. He was kept away from media duties and didn’t talk at all throughout the season — until he was required to speak per the rules of the Orange Bowl. It appears he was advised not to discuss the incident:
#Sooners AD Joe Castiglione said decision to not let Joe Mixon answer non-football Qs was made by legal counsel. pic.twitter.com/MmYrrWCHJ4
— Brady Vardeman (@BradyVardeman) December 29, 2015
There’s a very obvious legal case for why he shouldn’t be talking to the media but some have argued the moment was not handled well by the Sooners:
The footage of the press conference isn’t particularly easy to watch. A well prepared apology or signs of sincere regret upon his return would’ve been preferable — instead this delayed, awkward and forced exchange really didn’t aid the situation.
Mixon hasn’t spoken to reporters since the Orange Bowl in December 2015 but last month Bob Stoops suggested he might be set to speak again:
“It’s something we’ve talked about… I’ve talked about it with the administration. We’re working on that. So there’s a possibility.”
Brady Vardeman notes, ‘It’s unlikely Mixon’s lawyers would allow him to talk about his incident with Molitor given the ongoing civil suit filed by her legal team in July.’
It’s impossible to know how the NFL will handle this. Frank Clark was dismissed by Michigan immediately after his incident but still attended the combine and then became a second round pick. He started his pro-career with no limitations, suspensions or sanctions and people rarely refer to what happened anymore.
Mixon wasn’t dismissed by Oklahoma but did sit out a whole season. In context it really isn’t much of a ‘punishment’ but will it conveniently allow the league or specific teams to judge the situation as at least partially addressed?
Clark didn’t fall much by going in round two. Who knows what’ll happen to Mixon — a legitimate first or second round talent. He could fall completely off the radar and never get a chance, he could be an UDFA or like Clark he could still be an early pick.
Teams will investigate. They will research the incident, the legal case and Mixon as an individual.
As the writer of this blog all I try to do is highlight the talent in college football so we can discuss possible Seahawks picks in the draft. I don’t know if Seattle or any other team would entertain drafting Mixon. This isn’t any kind of endorsement — but the Clark situation suggests we also shouldn’t avoid the subject. Talking about Clark pre-draft at least gave the readers of this website an insight into his backstory before the team subsequently selected him.
Mixon truly has the ability to be one of the great playmakers in the NFL. Seriously. We’ll see if the NFL decides he deserves a chance to prove it.
One other note on Mixon — when asked who his mentors were during a pre-college interview, the first name he gave was Marshawn Lynch:
Great piece. Glad you decided to touch on it.
I for one, and I said it earlier, wouldn’t be surprised one bit if this guy is a VMAC visitor so he can be vetted. Whether they draft him or not, like you said, who knows?
And this is just rumor/speculation and in no way is making excuses, but she supposedly kept calling him a dirty ‘N word.’
Now talent wise? For me it goes LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Florida St’s Dalvin Cook, Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon and Georgia’s Nick Chubb. I think he’s that talented. A legit top 40 kind of talent. Should be one of the most interesting prospects when the interview portions of the combine come around.
And because NFL teams make head scratching, stupid decisions every year, hell every week it seems like, I honestly think he’ll be a 3rd-4th round pick. I could a team use one of their comp (extra pick anyways) picks at the end of round 3 on him.
Agreed, this was a great topic to post on. I think some teams (looking at Carolina here because of the Hardy incident) won’t even consider players like this. We know Seattle will at least vet him, and I think he could be a huge steal in the 3rd round, heck even in the late 2nd round.
One thing I will bring up with Clark, when he got the call that he was drafted he broke down and cried. It seemed like he was very remorseful over the whole situation while Mixon has essentially brushed it off. Does that worry you at all? I’m not sure myself.
Actually, thanks for asking that. I forgot to mention it.
Yes and no.
Yes for the obvious reasons.No, because maybe he doesn’t want to dwell on it and just wanted to dead the question at the time. Focus on the here and now, help your team win ball games, and he knows eventually this will dominate the conversation when it comes to him.
You do have to atone for your mistakes, but at the same time if you live in the past, you’ll die in the present. Especially when it comes to the game of football.
He is a very impressive prospect, and one we discussed a few days ago. Rob did a great job of creating a narrative about his pros and cons. He has so much talent, and as much as I want the Hawks to take a chance on him in the same range they took Frank Clark, I don’t know if they would risk it.
We have a team of not just great athletes, but great men. Where can you find guys like Russ, Sherm, and Doug to help out a group of young guys? We haven’t heard a peep from Clark and Rawls since they joined a year and a half ago. Mixon is in a different situation though. He hasn’t shown remorse, and the fire he plays with IMO isn’t the same kind of fire that our players have. Whereas our players play with a chip on their shoulder and playing to prove people wrong, Mixon might not be motivated by the same factors (I don’t know him so I can’t really say). Give me a guy who has something to prove; someone who has been underappreciated. That’s the fire I think the Hawks look for in their interviews with the various prospects.
Between Cook, Mixon & Chubb do you have a favorite fit for Seattle specifically based on skill set?
The Hawks haven’t shied from red flags regarding the backfield in recent history. Certainly to different degrees but Lynch, Michael & Rawls all have theirs. There is precedent here if Mixon clears the Hawks vetting.
Been wanting Rob to cover this prospect.
I care little for red flags and off the field concerns – as long as it doesn’t interfere with their game availability. Posted this same sentiment on the original Clark piece under a different username. Loved the Clark pick then and would love a vetted Mixon with our rd 2 pick.
I find that pretty extraordinary, but at least you’re honest about it.
I’d find it very, very, difficult to support Mixon – especially if he continues to show little remorse.
I agree for the most part with Aaron. And at what point can we acknowledge that the girl was being racist and physically violent towards Mixon? Now i’m no condoning his actions, because punching a woman is never the right move, but this girl should be held accountable as well.
I’m a bit confused. Obviously in our society (and most in the world) hitting a woman is seen as taboo. It is seen as more wrong than a woman hitting a woman, a man hitting a man and a woman hitting a man. However from this piece and the news clip it sounds like she assaulted him first and she assaulted him twice.
First she says something to him (Volume 12 above said this “And this is just rumor/speculation and in no way is making excuses, but she supposedly kept calling him a dirty ‘N word.” which if true isn’t an excuse but it adds important context) and then she shoves him (assault) and then she slaps his face (assault). He then hits her (assault). But the big story is him hitting her. Now I get why, he is a man, he is a strong man, he is a strong black man, he is a strong black man and she is white, and he is a popular football player.
However I still don’t see this as cut and dry. Society doesn’t see it this way typically but I am of the opinion that females don’t get a free pass, they don’t get to hide behind their being female or wear it like a shield while they berate and assault men. You don’t get to say awful racial slurs and then physically assault a man and expect absolutely nothing to happen because you don’t have the “Y” chromosome in your DNA.
(To be clear, I hate physical violence. Men should not hit women unless they are trying to defend themselves and vice versa. If you can walk away or run away then you should do it, there is no reason this guy needed to resort to violence. But I also believe it takes two to tango, that she is responsible for assaulting him twice and potentially responsible for goading him with awful racial slurs. I’m tired of male on female violence but I am also tired of females getting away with goading men into violence, taunting them, daring them to do it during a verbal fight “hit me! You know you want to big man.” and females themselves physically assaulting males. We have a real problem in this country with domestic abuse against men, and what’s worse studies show it happens a lot, that women over compensate for their lack of strength by using/throwing objects that are more deadly than a mans hands, and that in our society it is seen as a joke and isn’t respected that a female could assault/domestically abuse a male. The court system laughs at it, society laughs at it, and there are no male domestic abuse networks or programs to help them. No places setup for them to stay to be away from their abusive partners. Men have called places and are either laughed at or the volunteer workers assume the man calling looking for help is trying to trick them into trying to find his wife who he’s abusing.)
So all in all, I want to read up more on this and see more. But TBH as of right now I have less of an objection to drafting this kid than I did drafting Clark.
“It is seen as more wrong than a woman hitting a woman, a man hitting a man and a woman hitting a man.”
Because of the enormous difference in power – both physical and societal. He’s a football player, he can inflict hugely more damage on her than she can on him.
He could have walked away, he could have blocked her slap, he chose to punch her. We haven’t seen the video, but here’s a description of what happened:
“After a brief discussion, Mixon looks as if he’s going to walk away, but looks like he says something as he turns. Molitor then pushes Mixon, setting off a quick series of events that were over in three seconds. Mixon reacts to the push by lunging at Molitor with a closed fist at his side. She reacts by slapping Mixon near where his jaw and neck meet on his left side.
Then the punch.
Mixon lands a devastating right hook that knocks Molitor off her feet. First she hits the table on her left ear, then falls to the ground, where she lays still.”
The punch apparently left her with fractures in her jaw, cheek bone, sinus and orbital bone. Regardless of the provocation, he’s incredibly lucky he didn’t see jail time.
And he was what 18 at the time. I think abusing women is pathetic, I also want to hear from a guy before sending him to the grave for a single action when he was not even of age. Again this is not making an excuse for the guy but lets be real.
Something else to recognize is he is still a kid and him not talking does not seem to be a decision that he gets to make. It is his legal team that need to let him talk. And it probably needs to be one on one interviews to start with because someone that has not practiced with the media is going to get eaten alive on this topic whether they are remorseful or not.
Lets treat eachother well in here. Just because someone says something that we may not agree with does not mean we should argue. Debate and critical discussion are way different than personal criticism and argument with a person. Especially when you are not face to face reading body language voice inflection and get to discuss intentions before posting on a blog.
>”Because of the enormous difference in power – both physical and societal. He’s a football player, he can inflict hugely more damage on her than she can on him.”
In this particular situation, among many others, you are absolutely correct. But may I point out a few factors; first of all, no matter the damage, assault is assault, and females being raised to slap a disrespectful man, that they can punch a man and he can’t hit back, etc. All of that is wrong. Another factor is not all men are 6′ tall and 230lbs. Not all women are 5’4 and 100lbs. Women are big now-adays. Whether it is the weight they can throw around being obese or the weight and power they have due to the explosion in the fitness movement (think women who do crossfit). Lots of men are not much taller than their female partners and the power a woman could have if she works out, does some crossfit? Some boxing classes for fun? No joke. Lastly what I already mentioned; women over compensate for their genetic lack of strength by using objects (pots, pans, glassware, lamb, w/e is available).
>He could have walked away, he could have blocked her slap, he chose to punch her. We haven’t seen the video, but here’s a description of what happened:
You’re right. And I think he should have gotten in legal trouble that resulted in him being fairly punished for his crime. But at the same time I believe the female should as well for her two assaults. Not every man (or human being) is Ghandi, if you hit and verbally goad someone there can be consequences for that. I’m not saying that makes it okay, it DOESN’T. But expecting 100% self control and good decision making from all men on Earth when they are being verbally and physically assaulted? That’s not realistic.
I’m just saying that the Frank Clark stuff sounded really bad, like a couple arguing and he gets angry and gets physical, in a real bad way. The fact that this woman instigated it with two physical assaults leads me to be more comfortable with us drafting him than us drafting Frank Clark.
All that MRA/Redpill sort of stuff might be relevant elsewhere, but this is an incident in a bubble that doesn’t need to be contextualised – talking about women in other situations using weapons is a total strawman.
The only information we actually know is that she pushed him, he lunged at her with a closed fist which prompted her to slap him, he then punches her so hard that she’s knocked off her feet and breaks multiple bones in her face. That’s the incident, and it should be seen as such. Some other woman doing Crossfit makes zero difference. I’d have no problem with her getting in some sort of trouble either, but there’s an enormous, enormous, difference between what she did to him and what he did to her.
Plenty of people couldn’t care less about the character of players on the team they support, look at the hero worship of guys like Fitzgerald and Roethlisberger. And that’s fair enough, we all have our blindspots and personal hypocrisies, but it’s not for me. Unless Mixon showed he understood the issues in the community with violence against women, and started doing some work in that area to help, I’d rather not have him on the Seahawks.
He’s lucky enough to have been given a second chance, I hope he makes the most of it.
I hate that physical violence is tolerated in any capacity but i agree with you here Nathan. Women get away with instigating and getting physical first constantly, yes there is a difference in physical strength thats not an excuse whoever lays hands on the other first is responsible for whatever happens and both should be punished it doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman. If you’re a woman and you hit a man it should be looked at no differently because i promise there are millions of men who desl with domestic
Violence and feel that they have no where to turn or will be laughed at. Any situation where violence is involved between a man and a women is avoidable and everyone should be treated equally
There comes a point when, as horrible a situation this is, you can’t hold this over his head forever. If he repeats his behavior, then yes, he shouldn’t be on a college football team and shouldn’t be drafted into the NFL. People can change.
I can get behind this.
On one hand, an apt analogy is that a pedestrian always has the right away in front of a car. Because if a car hits a person, the car is always going to win. But that’s not to say that a pedestrian should just step out in front of a car whenever they want.
I don’t believe a man should strike a woman (at least in this case where the man is physically dominant) but if it were Ronda Rousey it would prob be switched around. That said, if a woman is going to assault a man (and no it maybe not be physically threatening) to the point of reaction, then it sounds like their is fault on both sides. Not to suppose, but if i were to guess what is going on here. She wants a reaction. She keeps pushing until she gets one. And then turns around and plays victim. I have less sympathy for that type of behavior (assuming that’s what the video shows). Yes, he should walk away, but that doesn’t make her innocent in this.
Also would like to comment on Clark. In Clark’s case there was a shadow of doubt that said ‘incident’ ever happened. There was no video, he was never charged and the prosecutor or someone said they didn’t believe he did anything. So it’s hard to ruin a man’s life over something that could very easily never have happened. In this case it is on video so it’s somewhat of a different situation altogether.
You are correct that some women act belligerently, assuming they have impunity; that they won’t be reacted to. Of course that’s wrong, and stupid.
But, a slap or a push from a woman is so much different than a punch from a 6’1″, 226 lb man. You can always take yourself out of the situation, or restrain someone who is attacking you if necessary.
To actually “punch” a woman is extremely brutal. They likely could never inflict that much damage to a man, so responding that way is always a gross overreaction, and it shows the man is violent — not just that he’s been provoked.
I’ve just updated the post — I forgot to add a video at the end that is pretty interesting. Mixon’s biggest mentor? Marshawn Lynch.
Very interesting. It is such a weird, fine line between not allowing people like that into the NFL and seeing the potential (like Pete Carroll seems to) in certain kids that can be rehabilitated and cared for and mentored and they can (like Bruce Irvin as far as we know) turn their lives around.
I mean if this kid really did learn a lesson and since then has matured and is trying his best to be a good guy (not just for future earnings/fame), think about the fork in his life being drafted and playing in the NFL vs being banned from the NFL would be. Ban him and he could have nothing but sports going for him, he could become just another young black male cog in the machine. He could end up in prison or dead or an addict or some low income job. Then look at the other fork, he could get paid in the NFL, that could lead him to paying off his families debts, helping his friends get jobs, putting money back into his community with charities and having a foundation where he helps people like Marshawn does.
Obviously there are more roads he could go down, some good and bad no matter his income level. But still, it’s wild to think about.
I like his personality in the interview video, he seems likely a good kid. I personally won’t judge him by the incident. Violence is never acceptable to me, just walk away and ignore the person who’s being confrontational. People sometimes make rash decisions and those bad choices should not define someone’s character. Repeated offensive behaviour is questionable though. I’m cool with the Hawks taking Joe, ya know what I mean yo?
Go MF Hawks!
She was asking for it? Christ.
I’m out of this thread I think.
I wasn’t there Ishmael. I guess stating she asked for it does sound abrupt. Like I said I don’t condone or like violence at all. I wasn’t there so I don’t know what went down. But please don’t pretend that some people don’t ask for drama.
I sincerely apologise If my words offended anyone.
Go Hawks!
Not offended in the slightest, more frustrated than anything.
Saying she was asking for it is a classic part of mitigating what he did. You see it, or variations on it, in almost every single domestic violence case – whether public (celebrity involvement) or private. While this wasn’t a DV case, it’s still male on female violence with similar power dynamics. It’s like Ray Rice stuff all over again, Ravens fans flocking to defend him because she hit him first and and and.
You’re saying you don’t condone violence, but you then go on to excuse, or at least minimise it, by offering up these reasons: “[she] was being mean and asked for it. She probably liked him romantically and he brushed her off and some girls are narsasistic and spoiled and think they are the Queen of the land.” Having lead into that by saying you didn’t want to judge his actions because you watched one interview and thought he sounded like a good kid. It’s totally cognitively dissonant.
I’m sorry for having a go at you, sure it’s exactly what Rob didn’t want to happen, and I’ve got nothing against you personally in the slightest – it’s just… How many times do we have to see this storyline play out? Player commits act of emotional and/or physical violence against woman, woman gets blamed by fans/player/team, media flashes brief outrage, nothing happens. Over and over and over again.
Anyway, my short take is that for whatever reason he totally lost control and rearranged her face. Unless he’s a changed man, or is seriously committed to dealing with his issues and changing, then I don’t want him anywhere near the Seahawks – no matter how good a player he is.
Touché Ishmael, that was a bad choice of words on my part. I agree if he’s an angry violent man I don’t want him to be a Hawk either. The truth is I don’t even know anything about this subject beyond what Rob wrote. I’m a fool for even stating anything about this incident.
Yes the assertion that ‘she was asking for it’ by the Hawk is Howling is unacceptable and will be edited. A reminder — people need to be very careful talking about this subject or I will delete the post.
Well oops on my part, it was an expression not meant literally. I will always protect my fellow people from harm if I can help especially women. Please don’t judge my improper use of an expression I won’t ever use again. My main goal in life is to be a fair and kind Man. Now I feel bad for offending some, but I learned a lesson of how to be more sensitive about this topic, which I will never post on again.
I apologise Rob and community
Good thought provoking piece, Rob.
I think a lot of it will depend on 1) If he has any other incidents this year/before the draft 2)If there were any other similar types incidents, regardless if police was involved or not, in his past.
I’m one of those who believe a man should never hit a woman unless there was a real physical danger to him…and no getting angry by insults or some slaps from a woman doesn’t count I’m not excusing his behavior here and he’ll be hammered in the media by the release of that video but he is still pretty young and if he keeps his nose clean until the 2017 draft, it’ll be about 3 years since the incident. People can change and grow from their mistakes, especially when they’re younger and not as set in their ways. What he did is much much different than Rice, an older and presumably more mature man, who knocked out his girlfriend/then wife, then reacted in a way that makes us think that this type of physical contact is not unusual in their relationship. It all comes down to how Mixon behaves up to the draft and what kind of history is discovered during the investigation into his background.
I hear you Tien, that was a good post you wrote there. Violence in it’s self is always bad.
Anybody watching the Tulsa or Boise st game?
Cubs / Giants for me
I’m a believer in second chances. You hit a woman you should get punished, and he did. It’s what you do after that. You do it again and it’s a serious problem. Seattle might be good for him, he would have Clark beside him showing how you can use your second chance to your advantage.
Exactly Greg and very well spoken.
Go Hawks!
Have you fellas seen the video of Chad Kelley at his younger brothers high school football game? There was a brawl between the two teams. Chad ran onto the field and was yelling he had to be restrained by a few people. This guy just cant catch a break it already hit ESPN. I would hate to see him get in trouble again he is a hell of a ball player!
Clemson TE Jordan Leggett. Very underrated.
Thought he proved to scouts tonight that he has a ton of blocking ability too.
My own moral judgements notwithstanding, it seems that the Seahawks have really painted themselves into a corner with how they handled drafting Clark.
By saying (something to the effect of), “We will never draft someone who hits women,” and having the plausible deniability that Clark did not — through their internal vetting process — they tried to avoid the ire of the public. Whether they really believed Clark’a story or not, there wasn’t video evidence to the contrary.
But apparently there is with this story. It would take some serious wriggling to get out of that conundrum, given their statements last year.
I have a lot more to say on this subject, but one of the thoughts I have is that I agree with you regarding the Seahawks. Why do people do this? Why do they make blanket statements and — as you said — paint yourself into a corner?
“Violence is always wrong.” Well of course it’s not. Some guy is chasing your family with a gun, knocking him out would be a good thing. “Hitting a woman is always wrong” or “I would never hit a woman.” Well, let’s say it’s a woman chasing your family with the gun, a fatal attraction/stalker situation. You’d still NEVER hit a woman?
“We’ll never draft a player that’s hit a woman.” Really? Let’s say it was as a juvenile. 15-year old with the wrong crowd gets into one of those melees you see once in a while on youtube, shoves a woman/girl in a fight. Eight years later, no further trouble of any kind, still undraftable? What if it was an ex-girlfriend that pulled a knife on him and he had to defend himself? Are these scenarios far-fetched? Sure. But why put yourself in that position?
Just so much smarter to say you’ll evaluate each player on a case-by-case basis, if a player has paid for his mistakes and seems unlikely to re-offend, he’s on our board. What happened to this idea of doing the time? The way people talk, these people are supposed to go their whole lives without access to employment. A mistake turns into a life sentence.
I don’t see why an incident that happened two years ago should affect his draft ability next year. He hasn’t done it again, so presumably he learned from the experience. And he Was punished. I don’t get people who say he hasnt shown remorse- he doesn’t owe anyone a statement (which could be a lie anyway). Remorse is an internal thing- I’m sure sitting a season out gave him plenty of time for that internal dialogue.
I say without hesitation or remorse, if he is good draft value then take him.
Wow rob its kinda weird case with Joe mixon today. You write this nice piece on him and then the next day he has one of the worst games, very strange what happened to him today. Perine has looked better than Mixon but I went back and looked at the stats from the previous games and it has been Mixon who has been the better back. Must just be an off day today for Mixon.
People make mistakes. People that make mistakes and learn from them are the ones who are successful. The ones who make mistakes and don’t learn and continually make mistakes are the ones who fail. Coming from a guy who has made his fair share of mistakes and have had friends who have made even bigger mistakes and have risen above the mistakes, you want guys like that. You want the guys with that grit to admit when they are wrong and learn from it and get better because of it. The Hawks know that more then most and are great at choosing the guys with the grit. So I would not be surprised at all if the Hawks choose Mixon and I would say that would say a lot about him if the Hawks do chooses him just like Clark. this would make for a very difficult job to judge someone’s character and that’s why JS and PC are a couple of the best in the business. I would say none of us have enough info to pass judgement on him or anyone. It’s unfortunate what happened but knee jerk and gut reactions are usually based on emotion and that’s not a good way to pass judgement on a young man. He made some bad choices obviously and I personally hope he raises above it. Being ‘right’ on a hot button topic holds some personal gradification for most I just don’t understand and I hope this young man all the luck in the world on his way to becoming a respectful member of society
First I would say that this is something I have reason from early life to feel quite passionate about, but I still believe in a case by case base, with much reliance from psychologists and my best determination of future behavior that is. Many years ago I dated a girl with some abuse issues or tendencies and I remember getting punched in the Adam’s apple twice in a row. You have to know if you are a big strong guy capable of ripping other humans apart with ease you have zero tolerance for violence towards women at all ever!!! I knew and got out of that situation that could put me in a situation of being that upset. I would hope these young men would start to get it a little earlier. To go a step father, there is a psychology to the way star athletes are treated from a very early age and maybe some responsibility should start to fall to middle and high school coaches to show attention and affection in a situation that isn’t performance based, although certainly as much should fall to the parents when available. Bouncing around a little here, but my question is do you feel that every single member of your team can accept him into the band of brothers, or are you dividing your locker room. His only way in is under the radar slowly worked into the rotation to not piss off your fan base or teammates (maybe year two or three could feature). No matter the talent and fully aware I could regret it, I will say I’m a pass ,unless as a UDFA.