The recent news about New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez isn’t as disturbing or surprising as you might think.
The guy has a penchant for trouble. His draft stock plummeted coming out of Florida because of several alleged failed drug tests. Still, New England took him in the fourth round. A day after the draft, Hernandez admitted to marijuana use. Hernandez said, however, that he only failed one drug test in college. Either way, why would any athlete risk losing the type of money you lose when you go from a first-round pick to a fourth-round pick? It shows me that Hernandez has never been quite there.
And, now comes his recent troubles. Police spent several hours at Hernandez’s North Attleboro home looking for clues in the death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. According to reports, Hernandez and Lloyd had been seen together at several nightclubs, and Lloyd was found dead near Hernandez’s home.
An arrest warrant is being worked on for allegedly obstructing justice. Hernandez’s cell phone was smashed on purpose, according to law enforcement officials, and the security system in Hernandez’s home was destroyed. And, police are questioning why a team of house cleaners were hired to clean Hernandez’s mansion earlier in the week.
You don’t do what Hernandez allegedly did unless you are guilty, or you are trying to protect somebody. I’m more inclined to believe the former, and that’s mainly because of Hernandez’s past. The guy just signed a five-year extension, including a $12.5 million bonus. It’s obvious that he’s smart enough to take a good deal from the Patriots, but not smart when it comes to off-field decisions. His latest misstep lost him an endorsement deal with a California-based company that makes Muscle Milk. CytoSport said it was dropping Hernandez immediately because of the investigation.
The Patriots, who like to fly under the radar, haven’t commented on Hernandez possibly being a suspect in the murder case. One thing is certain, if the Patriots don’t suspend Hernandez if he’s found to be guilty of obstruction, you can bet Roger Goodell will come down hard on the young tight end. If he’s found guilty of murder, he won’t play another down in the NFL.
Why are there so many problems in the NFL and with its players? You don’t hear nearly as much about NBA, NHL and MLB players.
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The annual Sertoma game was a 49-6 blowout on Friday. The attendance was OK, and I do think it’s a good idea that the game was moved to Damonte Ranch. I’d estimate there were probably about 500 or 600 fans in the stands, and that looks much better at Damonte than it would have at UNR’s Mackay Stadium.
I’m still not sold on the game continuing, however. It’s just lost a lot of its luster over the years like most all-star games do, and there were several players who declined invitations for one reason or another. Sertoma could also do a better job of letting the media know when the game is going to happen. I didn’t find out, and get rosters, until about nine days before the event.
There were a few instances where officials had to separate players, but at least no fights broke out.
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Colby Blueberg is currently pitching for the Peninsula Oilers. In three non-league games, he struck out three batters in 3.1 innings and had a save. In two league appearances, he has allowed two earned runs in 1 1⁄3 innings. The Oilers, based in Kenai, Alaska, are a college summer baseball team in the Alaska Baseball League.