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znModeratorThe Death Of Kalief Browder Is An ‘American Tragedy Almost Beyond Words’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/08/kalief-browder-death_n_7535420.html
Kalief Browder, a young man from New York City who had gained national renown in recent years as a symbol of America’s broken criminal justice system, took his own life this weekend, according to a report from The New Yorker. He was 22.
Browder was just 16 years old in 2010 when he was sent to New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail on a robbery charge that would ultimately be dismissed. He ended up spending three years at the facility, despite not having been convicted of a crime. When he wasn’t in solitary confinement — where he spent an accumulated two years — he faced unspeakable violence at the hands of guards and fellow inmates.
His long, tortuous ordeal — as documented last year in a widely read New Yorker article by Jennifer Gonnerman — came to a tragic end Saturday. Gonnerman reported that Browder hanged himself with an air conditioning cord at his family’s home in the Bronx, New York. She told The Huffington Post Monday that Browder’s family was in a “state of shock.”
“They were angry and confused about why Kalief was gone,” she said.
Gonnerman, who’d spent a great deal of time with Browder, remembered him as an “intelligent, perceptive young man who was trying to do the right thing. All he wanted to do was have a normal life… but he never really got that chance.”
What happened to Browder and his family, said Gonnerman, is an “American tragedy almost beyond words.”
In a New Yorker piece announcing Browder’s death, Gonnerman noted that Browder’s lawyer, Paul Prestia, had told Browder’s family that “this case is bigger than Michael Brown” — a reference to the unarmed black teen fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, last summer. Brown’s death set off massive protests across the country.
“When you go over the three years that [Browder] spent [in jail] and all the horrific details he endured, it’s unbelievable that this could happen to a teen-ager in New York City,” Prestia said hours after Browder’s death, according to The New Yorker. “He didn’t get tortured in some prison camp in another country. It was right here!”
When reached for comment Monday, the New York City Department of Correction said it would release a statement on Browder’s death later that day.
In a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post, Browder recalled how he’d once ripped the sheets off the bed in his jail cell and fashioned them into a noose. Just as he was about to hang himself, he said, guards stormed into the cell, tackled him to the bed and punched him repeatedly.
As punishment for the suicide attempt, Browder said guards “starved” him for up to four meals at a time. Browder would try another four or five times to take his own life during his stay at Rikers.
“Prior to going to jail, I never had any mental illnesses,” Browder told HLN in 2013. “I never tried to hurt myself, I never tried to kill myself, I never had any thoughts like that. I had stressful times prior to going to jail, but not like during jail. That was the worst experience that I ever went through in my whole life.”
A horrifying report from the U.S. Department of Justice last year described the “rampant use of unnecessary and excessive force” by guards against teenage inmates on Rikers. The report also detailed how the adolescent inmate facility, where Browder was kept, was “more inspired” by the William Golding novel Lord of the Flies than by “any legitimate philosophy of humane detention.”
Surveillance footage obtained by Gonnerman earlier this year shows Browder being beaten by a guard and assaulted by a large group of inmates.
Browder always maintained his innocence in the robbery accusation. In 2013, he was offered a deal to plead guilty and be sentenced to time served. If he took his chances at trial, he could face up to 15 years in prison. But Browder didn’t balk. He refused to plead guilty, and a few months later, the charges against him were dropped. He went home.
But after three years of hell on Rikers, Browder struggled to adjust to the outside world. According to Gonnerman, he experienced deep bouts of depression, became increasingly paranoid and made attempts to take his life. He spent time in a psychiatric hospital in Harlem.
Along the way, he also became the face of reform for Rikers Island.
In April, in a statement provided to The New Yorker, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that Browder’s “tragic story put a human face on Rikers Island’s culture of delay — a culture with profound human and fiscal costs for defendants and our city.”
Since Browder’s release from jail, de Blasio and Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte have introduced a series of major reforms at Rikers. Perhaps most significantly, the pair have ended the practice of putting 16- and 17-year-olds into solitary confinement.
According to data released by the mayor’s office earlier this year, of the 10,000 inmates jailed at Rikers, about 1,500 have been there for at least a year without being convicted of a crime. As in Browder’s case, these lengthy pretrial stays are often the result of unaffordable bail, long court backlogs, bad legal representation or a combination thereof. Sometimes, inmates experience protracted pretrial detainment as part of an intentional strategy by their attorneys.
De Blasio said these 1,500 inmates were all scheduled to have a court date last month, with the aim of resolving their cases by the end of the year.
But for many, these reforms are too little, too late.
The activist Glenn Martin spent six years in prison before founding Just Leadership USA, an organization that aims to reduce America’s prison population by half. Martin is now president of the organization.
In a statement to HuffPost Monday, Martin called for the “removal of all youth from Rikers Island,” a move he said would be a “conservative step in the right direction.”
“There is no meaningful reform that involves young people remaining incarcerated on Rikers Island,” he said. “Observers have long known that New York’s premier institution of punishment churns out human carnage on a much grander scale than public safety or rehabilitation.”
“Ultimately, we are all collectively responsible for the death of Kalief, since our insidious criminal justice system exists in our name,” Martin continued. “The heartbreaking loss of Kalief reminds us that criminal justice reform isn’t merely an academic exercise being negotiated in our nation’s power centers — the lives of our children are literally on the line.”
Matt Curtis, policy director at the group Voices of Community Activists & Leaders New York, which opposes mass incarceration, said in a statement Monday that Browder’s death is “a tragedy that should have never happened, especially in a city that boasts its commitment to progressive values.”
“The violence and injustice Kalief endured at the hands of the criminal justice system is inexcusable, and we should be ashamed of the rampant and unchecked violence in our jails and prisons,” said Curtis. “The system we have is designed to dehumanize people of color, people suffering from mental illness, innocent people like Kalief Browder.”
Robin Steinberg, of the legal group the Bronx Defenders, which documents inmates’ stories of solitary confinement, told HuffPost that “Kalief Browder’s death is a tragic and painful reminder that the nightmares of incarceration and solitary confinement do not end upon release. It underscores the urgent need not only to reform the city’s jails but also to end the unconstitutional, inefficient, and — at worst — deadly delays in case processing.”
And Jen Carnig, spokeswoman at the New York Civil Liberties Union, said Browder’s death highlights the fact that New York “is one of only two states that prosecutes children as adults when they turn 16 and sends them to adult prisons.”
“While our lawmakers in Albany play politics these last few days of the legislative session, real New Yorkers lives [sic] are on the line,” said Carnig in an email. “This is a heartbreaking wake up call for action.”
Browder’s story gained the attention of national figures in 2014, among them Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who is running for president next year.
“So when you see people and you see some of this anger at people in the streets and you’re like, ‘Why are they so unhappy?’ Think about Kalief Browder and think about how his friends must feel about American justice, how his parents must feel and about how his community feels,” Paul said Saturday during a campaign stop in Concord, New Hampshire, according to The Washington Post. “If we become the party that cares about the Sixth Amendment as much as we do the Second Amendment, we’re going to dominate.” (Paul expressed his condolences to Browder’s family in a tweet Sunday.)
And talk show host Rosie O’Donnell, with whom Browder had formed a friendship, expressed her deep sadness Monday.
znModeratorThe 49ers’ Turmoil Could Open the Rams’ Path to the NFC West
Anthony Stalter
http://www.101sports.com/2015/06/09/the-49ers-turmoil-could-open-the-rams-path-to-the-nfc-west/
Is that the sound of a door opening?
With drastic changes on every front for the San Francisco 49ers, the path to the NFC West crown is looking just a bit easier to travel.
——
Rams look poised to surpass 49ers in NFC West
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The mass exodus that has taken place in San Francisco this offseason has many wondering just how far the 49ers are going to fall off in 2015.
It started with coach Jim Harbaugh’s departure and then trickled down to the roster via surprising retirements (Chris Borland and Anthony Davis), not-so-surprising retirements (Justin Smith) or free agent movement (guard Mike Iupati). NFL Nation columnist Kevin Seifert put all of those losses in better perspective on Monday by examining the number of player snaps added and lost this offseason.
Seifert finds that the 49ers have the biggest difference between snaps added and snaps lost at 5,697. The Philadelphia Eagles are next at 4,853.
The St. Louis Rams, meanwhile, come in at 3,419 snaps lost. But to put that in perspective, many of those snaps came from the likes of center Scott Wells and guard Davin Joseph, neither of whom was very effective a year ago. The Rams actually retained 93 percent of their defensive snaps from last season with defensive tackle Kendall Langford the only major deletion.
None of this guarantees anything in terms of the Rams’ anticipated progress in 2015. But the Rams did beat San Francisco on the road last year (the Niners handled them in St. Louis earlier in the season) and finished two games behind the Niners in the NFC West. Bigger surprises have happened but with so many moving parts and a new coach in Jim Tomsula, the Rams look like they’re in position to at least move out of the division’s basement this year.
znModeratorDid I mention to you all that I’m having a kid? It’s my first! We’ve been trying forever….three more months …KNOCK ON WOOD
No you didn’t mention that…congratulations!
znModeratorThe 49ers’ Turmoil Could Open the Rams’ Path to the NFC West
Anthony Stalter
http://www.101sports.com/2015/06/09/the-49ers-turmoil-could-open-the-rams-path-to-the-nfc-west/
Is that the sound of a door opening?
With drastic changes on every front for the San Francisco 49ers, the path to the NFC West crown is looking just a bit easier to travel.
Of course, the Rams have had their changes, replacing three starters along the offensive line, trading their one-time starting quarterback, and selecting a running back coming off an ACL injury as the face of their draft.
But, considering what the 49ers have dealt with this offseason, the on-field uncertainty for St. Louis pales in comparison.
Off-field uncertainty (read: relocation) is a topic for another day.
In one offseason the Niners have changed their head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator. They’ve also seen Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Anthony Davis and Chris Borland announce their retirements.
Davis says he’ll return in a year or two, but he’ll nonetheless be absent along San Francisco’s offensive line in 2015.
Also, Mike Iupati, Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Chris Culliver will be playing somewhere besides Levi’s Stadium next year.
That’s a lot of turnover for one season.
With that level of change, it’s too much to envision the Niners improving on their 8-8 record from a year ago. Granted, they still have quarterback Colin Kaepernick. SanFran also drafted Gore’s replacement in Carlos Hyde last year, and added Reggie Bush, Torrey Smith, Darnell Dockett and first-round selection Arik Armstead to soften the blow of their offseason losses. With the signing of Torrey Smith, they even upgraded over what they previously had.
The fact remains that San Francisco faces the challenge of having to replace several core pieces in one offseason.
Recent Super Bowl winners Seattle, New England, Green Bay, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh emphasized how important it is to hit on draft picks. Successful NFL teams build their foundations through the draft, not free agency. General managers can’t be perfect when it comes to adding talent via the draft, but they’d better be consistent when it comes to scouting talent.
It’s no coincidence that the 49ers had a string of success after drafting Gore, Willis, Iupati, Kaepernick, Crabtree, Anthony Davis, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith, Vernon Davis and Joe Staley between 2005 and 2011. A team can build around a core like that.
Throw in sound free agent or trade acquisitions Justin Smith, Anquan Boldin, Donte Whitner and Carlos Rogers, and that’s how a team plays three consecutive NFC title games.
But the Niners received next to nothing from their 2012 draft and are now without Gore, Willis, Smith, Davis, Iupati and Crabtree (not that he’s been the same since undergoing surgery in 2013 to repair a torn Achilles tendon).
Bowman also recently acknowledged that the knee injury he suffered in the NFC championship two years ago is still giving him problems, offering another bleak forecast for San Fran’s linebacker corps.
All of this puts more pressure on the 49ers’ 2013, 2014 and 2015 draft classes to make a significant impact this season, as well as Kaepernick not regressing as a passer. Great quarterback play can mask weaknesses, but Kaepernick hasn’t shown signs of improvement over the past two years. In fact, his interception rate and sack totals are up over the past two seasons, while his yards per pass attempt and QB rating are down.
Granted, it’s not on any one player to win games in the NFL.
But that’s also the point: Kaepernick has less talent around him this year than at any point in his career. If he can’t elevate his play, then it’s not feasible that the 49ers will overcome significant change in one offseason and make a serious run at a playoff berth.
Enter, the St. Louis Rams.
It would be convenient to be optimistic about the Rams’ offseason changes and wonder if the 49ers can withstand theirs. Plus, just because the Niners are due for a decline (they were also 6-2 in one-score games last year, which is another indication they’re susceptible to a regression), doesn’t mean the Rams will gain the wins they need to reach the postseason under Jeff Fisher.
So, how about Arizona?
With Carson Palmer coming off his second ACL injury and Todd Bowles (the mastermind behind the Cardinals’ 2014 defense) now the head coach of the Jets, the Cardinals could be due for a decline as well.
How many times can Arizona defy logic and win with average or below average quarterback production? Just ask the Rams. For as great as Bruce Arians is, at some point the Cardinals will fall off that tightrope.
So, change isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The shift in dynamics in the NFC West this offseason puts even more pressure on Fisher and Co. to finally produce a playoff berth in St. Louis.
Nobody is ignoring St. Louis’ question marks heading into the 2015 season, but suddenly the division, outside of powerhouse Seattle, looks less daunting than it did over the past three years.
znModeratorRams’ Saffold working his way back from surgery
By Nate Latsch
ST. LOUIS — Rodger Saffold is still limited during OTAs while recovering from surgery on his shoulder this offseason, but that hasn’t stopped the Rams’ offensive lineman from trying to set the tone during drills.
“We’ve got the young guys in there, so they need to know how to practice,” Saffold said last week after the Rams’ second OTA session. “If they’re going to give me the go, then I’m going to give it everything.”
Saffold, who turned 27 last week, has surgery to repair a torn labrum following the season. He said he hasn’t had much pain or problems during his recovery period and that being patient with it has been the hardest thing.
While the 6-foot-5, 332-pounder was allowed to do some individual work last week, he said he didn’t expect to be cleared to do team work during OTAs.
Saffold said he was surprised that the doctors didn’t find anything more wrong with his shoulder than the torn labrum. He was also relieved to have had the surgery after playing through pain in the past.
“That I was able to just tough it out and play all 16 games was big for me,” he said. “Which kind of just let me know that doing this thing isn’t the end of the world, so now I can come back and really play. It’s a crazy game. Things just pop up out of nowhere, but right now I’m very, very confident.”
Saffold, who is expected to start at either left or right guard, is now the old man along the Rams’ new-look offensive line going into his sixth NFL season.
Gone are Jake Long, Scott Wells, Joe Barksdale and Davin Joseph — the four players who started on the line with Saffold at the beginning of the 2014 season. In their place are a mix that includes second-year left tackle Greg Robinson, free agent signee Garrett Reynolds, centers Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney and rookie draft picks Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown and Andrew Donnal.
Now Saffold, a second-round pick in 2010, has additional leadership responsibilities in the offensive line room.
“I’m doing my best with that,” he said. “It’s kind of hard because you’re not in practice, but just staying engaged with the guys as far as getting mental reps because a lot of these young guys aren’t going to get a lot of reps. The o-line room was pretty much vacant most of the year, beginning of this year, and now there’s like nowhere to sit. You have to be able to help these guys out. Right now I’m kind of like a coach, I’m just reading the scripts and helping out where I can.”
The offensive line room has gotten significantly younger in the past few months. Now the old guy, it’s a little bit strange for Saffold.
“Yeah, it is,” he said. “It’s kind of different. Especially just with this team, being the longest with this team. Being able to help everybody. Even with Garrett (Reynolds), trying to help him out. Who is a solid addition to this team. It’s a big role but I like those things. I like changes, because that way it keeps you more engaged, things start getting a little less boring.”
znModeratorThat leaves only 33% of snaps where an opposing D can expect to be able to purely get off and rush. Combine that with the uncertainty of down, distance and situational football and it makes it hard for a defense to really pin their ears back.
It being understood of course that if you mix plays up shrewdly, then, you are not as often OBVIOUSLY in that situation where it’s a non-PA pass. That is, the times when the D knows it can tee off get lessened. You just up and throw on them in situations where it’s not clear you will.
And of course another aspect of a PA offense is that (ideally, when it’s working) you can better stay out of 3rd and long.
znModeratorBad news for me.
It’s easy to distinguish between a guard and a tackle. I do it this way:
* the guard is the one who stands in the batter’s box facing the pitcher
* the tackle is the one who crouches behind him, also facing the pitcher, and shoots free throws
znModeratorI’m SOOO looking forward to watching to this Defense…
I mean, I haven’t looked forward to watching a Ram unit since the GSOT.
Yes. This defense could be something special, we all feel it.
znModeratorRams quarterback Nick Foles enjoying working with Chris Weinke
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The thorough renovation that took place on the St. Louis Rams depth chart and the quarterback room this offseason brought nothing but new faces save for the return of Austin Davis.
At the top of the list is a new quarterbacks coach in Chris Weinke and a new starting quarterback in Nick Foles. Weinke came to the Rams from IMG Academy, where he spent time tutoring quarterbacks from teams all over the league.
When Weinke wasn’t running the academy’s program, he was coaching signal-callers ranging from Russell Wilson to Cam Newton to Ryan Tannehill, among others. One could make the argument that no quarterbacks coach in the league has a more diverse portfolio than Weinke even though he’s never coached in the NFL before the Rams hired him in February.
“At the end of the day, I’ve been able to touch a lot of different guys with a lot of different skill sets coming from a lot of different backgrounds,” Weinke said then. “You have to adapt and you’ve got to be able to understand the importance of every quarterback as an individual. You may be able to understand something visually or you may have to write it down. I need to know what my quarterbacks can handle. So I will coach every quarterback with certain fundamentals, let them have some flexibility within that but then understand how they learn because that’s the most important thing.”
Foles sits at the top of Weinke’s to-do list and represents an interesting challenge that requires focus on more than fundamentals and footwork and expands to scheme and system. Foles is attempting to adjust to the Rams’ more buttoned-down offensive approach after cutting his teeth under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.
Part of that is re-learning how to go under center, something Weinke should have no problem helping with given his background tutoring quarterbacks attempting to transition from college spread-based systems to more traditional NFL schemes. Weinke also has the task of learning the Rams offense and helping implement it.
In many ways, Weinke is starting from scratch with the Rams’ new quarterbacks given only a two or three month head start. Foles has been attached to Weinke’s hip in the early organized team activities and has made himself a staple in the quarterback room as he learns the new scheme.
“Chris is doing a great job,” Foles said. “He has a lot of knowledge. He played a lot of football and he played at a high level. I think for us quarterbacks, getting to tutor underneath him, just his knowledge — what it was like under center when he played, he knows what we’re seeing when we drop back, so he can relate to it. So, that helps him with teaching us and relating to us. He’s been outstanding.”
There’s no denying that the Rams need more from their quarterbacks if they are to take a step forward to playoff contender in 2015. To get there, it’ll require Foles, Weinke and everyone in that new-look room to be on the same page.
znModeratorThe Eagles offensive line as constituted in 2013 was a better run blocking line than a pass blocking line. That doesn’t mean they were a bad unit, on the contrary I think they were an exceptional unit. It’s just that they were exceptional at run blocking, and McCoy being an exceptional back, took advantage of what was blocked, which made opposing defenses extremely concerned with him and made life easier for Foles on the play fakes, which constituted 30 percent (give or take) of his attempts.
When these linemen got hurt and/or suspended in 2014, it wasn’t a drop off in pass pro that suffered, but the run blocking took a hit, plus McCoy was playing hurt, so the run game in general suffered. Teams weren’t as concerned with the run game so the play fakes were less successful.
To drive this home. ‘
In 2014, Foles had the highest percentage of play action passes thrown of any qb (32.3%). BUT his qb rating on PA passes was ranked 26th and his YPA on PA passes was ranked 25th.
In 2013, he was third in percentage of play action passes thrown (32.7%) AND his qb rating on PA passes was ranked 2nd and his YPA on PA passes was also ranked 2nd.
Meanwhile, in 2014 the Eagles were 15th in YPA rushing; in 2013, they were 1st.
znModeratorIt probably has something to do with athleticism, size and long arms, but what do you think he really meant by that comment?
Size, IMO. He wants to knock people down.
A lot of the best NFL guards are former tackles. Evans, Nicks, Sitton…for that matter, Harrah and Kent Hill.
znModeratorThe most famous line in the movie, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” was improvised by Roy Scheider the actor who played Chief Martin Brody. The director wanted a real reaction to the shark popping up really close to him, so they didn’t tell Roy Scheider that it was going to happen. It was a total surprise. Not only did he react naturally, it scared him so badly that he forgot the correct line. So, when he looked at Quint, he ad-libbed, and they left in the movie.
znModeratorIs Nick Foles a more vocal leader than Sam Bradford? ESPN’s Nick Wagoner joins The Fast Lane.
He talks about a lot more than that. Pretty good listen actually. Wagoner is never going to give us the Sistine Chapel of Rams commentary, but he’s very solid IMO.
znModeratorYeah that’s true because no matter who the other guard is — Reynolds or Brown — he has played tackle.
znModeratorBritt Back, Striving to Improve
By Myles Simmons
While it may have been a surprise to some, wide receiver Kenny Britt emerged as one of the Rams’ offensive leaders in 2014 — both on the field and in the locker room. He finished the season first on the team with 748 yards receiving, and came in second with 48 receptions. But during OTAs last week, the 26-year-old wideout said he actually feels he’s let himself down in his first six NFL seasons.
“There’s definitely more I can give, because there’s more I want to give, and there’s more that I want to do in my career,” Britt said. “I think every year that I’ve been through, I had more. At the end of the season, I always said, ‘I had more.’ And I don’t want to leave this season saying I left something out there on the field, or I just missed out by just a step or two.”
Britt will be pursuing that goal in a Rams uniform, after re-signing with the club on a two-year deal as an unrestricted free agent in March. The wide receiver said there was no doubt in his mind that he would remain with St. Louis.
“I knew where I wanted to be all along coming out of the season,” he said.
That’s a sentiment echoed by his teammates, as fellow wideout Brian Quick said “It means a lot” to have Britt back.
“His energy, what he brings to the team — we need him,” Quick said. “He just gives everybody a boost. And then what he brings to the field, of course, everybody can see. But as a person and as an individual, he lightens everybody up.”
A significant factor for Britt’s energy and leadership ability comes from his comfort level under head coach Jeff Fisher. Between the Titans and the Rams, Britt has had his most productive seasons under Fisher, which the wideout says is no coincidence.
“Fisher is a guy who will let you be yourself in the locker room, on the field, and off the field. He treats you like a man instead of a child,” Britt said. “Something that you want to be comfortable with is being yourself instead of being up tight and watching what you have to say and what you have to do.”
And according to Britt, that comfort level translates to his on-field performance.
“When you’re more relaxed, you play better and it’s second nature instead of thinking, ‘OK, I have to watch myself around this person, or that person,’” he said. “I can just be myself.”
With that in mind, the wide receiver said he’s already established a connection with new quarterback Nick Foles. Britt said he was surprised by the trade, but the chemistry between the QB and WR has been strong since the first day of the offseason program.
“He’s got a great deep ball. He puts it on the money every time,” Britt said. “We’ve had about a month and a half with him so far, and he can throw every pass in the book, and every route in the tree. So we’re real excited.”
And so as Britt helps lead the offense to the 2015 season, he’ll be working to make sure that once the year ends, his tank is on E.
“I have a chip on my shoulder this year,” Britt said, “and I’ve got a lot to prove.”
znModeratorSurprise! Fisher’s team wins charity softball game
By Jim Thomas
It took a Bump Bailey type effort in the outfield by punter Johnny Hekker, but coach Jeff Fisher’s squad (surprise!) won again in the fourth annual “Coach Fisher & Friends” celebrity softball game.
Fisher’s squad held off a squad coached by special teams coordinator John Fassel 20-17 Sunday night at T.R. Hughes ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo. With a runner on base in the seventh _ and final _ inning, a running catch by Hekker crashing into the fence in right-center field robbed wide receiver Kenny Britt of a home run.
Hekker knocked over a section of the fence making the catch, but unlike Bailey in the Robert Redford movie _ The Natural _ he lived to tell about. Hekker had seven RBIs and three home runs but the night’s MVP award, as awarded by Fisher, went to Hall of Famer and softball game participant Aeneas Williams.
The night’s hijinks included a bench-clearing “brawl” and the usual bending of the rules by Fisher.
Earlier, linebacker James Laurinaitis repeated as home-run derby champion. Although he didn’t win the home-run contest, backup quarterback Case Keenum, who looks like he’s played slow-pitch softball a time or two, hit four out in the first round.
At the end of the evening, as Fisher and the players headed off the field, a couple of fans could be heard yelling: “Stay in the Lou,” and “Stay in St. Louis.” One young fan walked around with a sign that read: “Keep the Rams in St. Louis.”
The event raised money for five charities: The Backstoppers, the Jack and J.T. Snow Scientific Research Center, Mercy Ministries, the Wounded Warrior Project, and Catch-a-Dream Foundation.
znModeratorKenny Britt wants to move past six-year ‘letdown’
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/170080/kenny-britt-wants-to-move-past-six-year-letdown
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt led the team in receiving yards in 2014 and became the first Rams wideout to surpass 700 receiving yards since Torry Holt in 2008.
It was a solid, if unspectacular first go with the Rams, but it was at least better than what the team has gotten from any of its pass catchers since Holt’s departure. It also wasn’t the first time that Britt had ventured into the 50-catch, 700-yard range.
To hear Britt tell it, however, it was just the latest in a series of disappointing seasons.
“There’s definitely more I feel like I can give because there’s more that I want to give and there’s more that I want to do in my career,” Britt said. “I’m going into my seventh year, I feel I let myself down the last six years. I have a chip on my shoulder this year and I’ve got a lot to prove.”
Last season was Britt’s first in St. Louis after spending his first five years with the Tennessee Titans but it wasn’t his first playing for coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher is the coach who drafted Britt in Tennessee and the coach under whom Britt has undoubtedly had his most success in the league.
That’s why, when Britt hit free agency after his one-year, “prove it” contract with the Rams expired, he had no designs on going anywhere else. Even though Britt didn’t sign a new two-year deal with the Rams until a few days into free agency, he said he never really considered any outside offers despite some interest.
“Not in my mind, not in my family’s mind or my wife’s mind,” Britt said. “I know where I wanted to be all along coming into the season.”
And with good reason. Although Britt sounds wholly unsatisfied by his production to this point in his career, his drop off when he hasn’t played for a Fisher-led team versus what he has done with Fisher at the helm is striking.
Britt’s healthiest and most productive years have come under Fisher’s guidance. In three seasons with Fisher, Britt averaged 741.3 yards, 44 receptions and five touchdowns while missing four of a possible 48 games. In three seasons without Fisher, Britt averaged 324.7 yards, 24.3 catches and 2.3 touchdowns while missing 19 of a possible 48 games.
Fisher has a reputation as a player’s coach and knows when to ask for more and when to allow for breaks. That helps keep players healthy. Near the end of last season, Britt was one of the veterans Fisher allowed to take a day or two off in practice each week so he could be ready to go on Sundays.
According to Britt, that’s just part of the appeal of returning to Fisher and St. Louis.
“There’s definitely something to that,” Britt said. “Fisher is a coach that lets you be yourself on the field and off the field. He treats you like a man instead of a child. He lets the coaches coach and he lets the players do the plays on the field and off the field. That’s something you can be comfortable is being yourself instead of being uptight and watching what you have to say or what you have to do. I’m definitely more relaxed. And when you’re more relaxed, you play better.”
The question then becomes just how much better Britt can be. The reality is that the Rams offense probably isn’t going to offer a chance for Britt or any of the team’s pass catchers to put up the type of numbers that other top receivers around the league do in more pass-happy offenses.
Last week, Britt offered glowing praise for new quarterback Nick Foles and made it clear that the receivers are building a strong rapport with him. But even if that takes shape, if the Rams’ running game takes off how they envision, there simply might not be much leeway for Britt to improve upon his 2014 production.
One way it could happen is to have Foles connect on more deep balls. Rams passers targeted Britt on throws traveling 20 or more yards in the air 25 times in 2014 but only connected 10 times. On a number of those incompletions, quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Austin Davis simply misfired with an open Britt running down the field.
Although Britt is entering his seventh season in the league, he’s only 26, which means there could be more room for growth. He also seems to be as healthy as he has been in years, playing in all 16 games last year for the first time since his rookie season in 2009.
“I think every year I have more,” Britt said. “I always say I have more. I don’t want to leave this season saying I left something out there on the field.”
znModeratorfrom off the net
==
thehammer
Laurenaitis can really jack the ball…Keenum looks and hits like a good softball player..ditto Reynolds
biggest applause went to Hayes and Long…
looking at Havenstein brought back some Dave Butz memories…Butz is the biggest football player I’ve ever seen..Havenstein runs close 2nd
Miller has the huge square body of a guard..will say Robinson does look 20+ lbs lighter…trying to slim down to play lt..last year looked like a guard looks like a lt now
stadium looked to be 1/3 full..obviously trying to make a pr statement Fisher brought out Jake McQuade, Isiah Pead, Chase Reynolds, Justin Miller?, Brad Smelly, Case Keenum and Austin Davis…
after a player hits a home run all the players run out of the dugout to offer congratulations…when Austin Davis hit his looked like many of the players stayed in the dugout…
game had a Kansas City Monarchs vs St Louis Browns feel to it…not sure if that’s normal…coach Fassel, Ogletree, Quinn, Hekker, Britt, Keenum, Smelly and Brockers were running around with big grins…lot of nice kids having fun
znModeratorI thought Reynolds played better at tackle and not so good at guard. But, maybe I am going senile?
No I think it;s the other way around.
He started 10 games at guard for ATL in 2013, and was okay.
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znModeratorYeah it’s useful.
znModeratorContinued.
Reynolds has a shakey performance history (though less so at guard) but then an OL is not just a sum of its individually graded parts.
For example, in the 2nd half of 2012, when the starters came back, the Rams fielded a good OL. 4% sack percentage (lowest for any Rams qb since the 80s), Jackson getting 4.3 a carry, going toe to toe with 5 top 12 defenses and coming out 4-3-1, which you can’t do with a poor OL.
And 2 of the starters were Turner and Richardson. Turner never did anything before 2012 and hasn’t since, and 2012 was BR’s one decent season, and he was out of football after. The history says that Boudreau has a knack for getting the most out of veterna guys like that. Joseph was the only big spectacular failure, and IMO that’s because he was washed up physically.
The question is, does Boudreau get Reynolds to be another Turner circa 2012? Or is he another Joseph?
So is it possible that Reynolds plays? Well it’s early but on paper it looks like it could happen. And maybe not all year–teams of course often use placeholders until rookies are ready. However, it’s just as possible that IF he starts week 1, Reynolds then keeps the spot all year.
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June 8, 2015 at 9:45 am in reply to: OTAs post-week 1 … Foles the leader, OL issues, Robinson, Keenum, Britt #26004znModeratorBritt: “It’s great to be back”
znModeratorSasser reverts to NFL for 2015, won’t receive salary
Mike Florio
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/07/sasser-reverts-to-nfi-for-2015-wont-receive-salary/
Rams sixth-round receiver Bud Sasser went unclaimed through waivers on Friday, which means he has reverted to the team’s non-football illness list for the rest of the 2015 season. It also means he’ll receive no further pay.
Per a league source, the Rams won’t be exercising the option to pay Sasser while on NFI.
The pay-or-don’t-pay decision is up to the team. In this case, the Rams opted to sign Sasser at a slotted signing bonus of more than $113,000. In theory, the Rams could have simply rescinded their rights to him upon discovering that he has a heart condition that, in the opinion of the Rams, prevents him from playing.
The Rams could release him from NFI at any time, and that could be something Sasser wants, given that he believes he can play. He agent has said that Sasser has received clearance from the Mayo Clinic.
The Rams see it otherwise, and apparently so do the other 31 teams. Sasser would have been a bargain via waivers, given that the Rams already paid the signing bonus. If he had been claimed, a new team could have given him its own examination before deciding whether to let him play.
The Rams see the risk as unacceptable, and it’s apparently not a position that will change. Moving forward, the biggest question becomes whether the Rams at some point will relinquish his rights. If/when Sasser is available, the question then becomes whether another team will clear him to play.
For now, Sasser’s NFL career will consist of a $113,000 parting gift from the team that drafted him.
June 7, 2015 at 6:42 pm in reply to: OTAs post-week 1 … Foles the leader, OL issues, Robinson, Keenum, Britt #25995znModeratorKeenum enjoying second chance with Rams
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1552836-keenum-enjoying-second-chance-with-rams
ST. LOUIS — Case Keenum will be the first to admit it is a pretty crazy story, but the two-time former Houston Texans quarterback is back with the Rams again this offseason.
The University of Houston product was claimed by the Rams early last season after being released by the Houston Texans — to make room for another quarterback, Ryan Mallett, who was acquired in a trade — to join the mix after Sam Bradford’s season-ending injury left Shaun Hill and Austin Davis as the only quarterbacks on the roster.
Keenum was active for two games after Hill suffered an injury in the season opener, but did not appear in a game for St. Louis. After Hill returned, Keenum was released and added to the practice squad. But when the Texans were hit with a rash of injuries, they signed Keenum and he ended up starting two games for them at the end of the season and leading Houston to two victories.
But then the 27-year-old ended up back with the Rams this offseason after they traded a 2016 seventh-round pick to the Texans for him.
“I was very pleasantly surprised,” Keenum said after the team’s OTA session on Friday. “I think when the whole thing went down last year to go back to the Texans for an opportunity to play, it’s hard to pass that up. At the same time, I told Coach (Jeff) Fisher and all the guys that I really, really enjoyed my time here and learned a lot and just the atmosphere and the organization, the people, the team, the coaches, players — it was really special to me, the time here, and I loved it.
“To have the opportunity to come back and make it a little more permanent, as far as the offseason goes, and to go through the team building part of it rather than just get plucked and put on another team, it’s been good.”
Keenum is now one of four quarterbacks with the Rams this offseason, joining Nick Foles, Davis and third-round pick Sean Mannion.
On the same day the Rams executed the trade for Keenum, they made another, bigger deal — sending Bradford, the No. 1 0verall pick in 2010, to the Eagles for Foles and a swap of draft picks.
It was an interesting day, Keenum said.
“I knew I was getting traded,” he said. “The Texans and I talked about it. I talked to Coach Fisher. Then the news breaks about a quarterback trade. I was like, oh, cool. Then I was like, oh, not me. I was kind of a little side blip. But I was still really excited about myself and excited for Nick. It was kind of a funny little day. I was like, oh, wow.”
Keenum and Foles both grew up in Texas — Keenum is from Abilene, Foles from Austin — and were in the same draft class in 2012.
“I’ve known Nick for a while now,” Keenum said, “and so when I heard of that trade I was really excited to work with him and obviously he’s been really successful at what he has been able to do in Philly and it’s been good to get to know him as a football player, not just off the field.”
Keenum is expected to battle Davis in training camp for the No. 2 spot behind Foles, with Mannion expected to serve as the No. 3 so he can develop for the future.
Keenum and Davis both have experience starting games in the NFL.
Keenum has started 10 games over the past two seasons with the Texans. He was 0-8 in 2013 in Houston, but went 2-0 in 2014 when he completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 435 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and a QB rating of 72.2.
Davis, 26, had yet to play in an NFL game when the Rams acquired Keenum last fall, but he ended up playing in 10 and starting eight in 2014. He was 3-5 as a starter, but completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,001 yards, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and a QB rating of 85.1.
Keenum will have more of an opportunity with the Rams this time around.
“It’s nice getting reps, not just scout team stuff,” he said. “Last year obviously during the season it’s kind of the ones and twos taking all the reps and everybody else kind of spreading time around.
“You build chemistry with guys during this time,” Keenum continued. “This is when you go talk to receivers — you make plays and then you go talk about it, what were you thinking, what’d you see. When you get plucked from one team and put on another right in the middle of the season, it’s tough to do that.”
Since Keenum and Foles were traded for on the same day, and Mannion drafted later in the offseason, that means three of the team’s four quarterbacks are all learning the offensive system at the same time.
“Now I’m going through the installs and the meetings and learning stuff right alongside everybody instead of learning a game plan and then trying to go back and learn stuff that those guys learned on Day 1,” Keenum said. “That’s been a big deal being here in the offseason rather than being plucked.”
Still, while Keenum is glad to be back in St. Louis, he recalls his second chance with the Texans fondly. He couldn’t pass it up.
He knew he had a chance to go back to Houston and start games. That the Texans won both of his starts made it all the more special.
“We obviously won the two games and if a few things go here and there we’re in the playoffs, we’re in the tournament,” Keenum said, “and it would have been another chapter to a pretty crazy story of just the back and forth. It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been pretty crazy, but I’m just enjoying it.”
znModeratorBy Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams have finally dived into organized team activities. So yes, we finally have some actual football (such as it is in shorts and jerseys) to talk about.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner and send me questions for the mailbag at any time. Please use hashtag #RamsMail.
Plenty to discuss this week. After an offensive line focus on Saturday, today we’ll take a closer look at some quarterback questions.
Jonathan Hoffman @trinityjon
It’s still early, but how would you compare Foles to Bradford? Delivery? Mechanics? Leadership? What can we expect?@nwagoner: I don’t want to make sweeping judgments on anyone this soon, but I’ve had a couple of takeaways from talking to Nick Foles and talking to his teammates about him. On the leadership front, I get the feeling he’s going to bring a bit more in that regard than Sam Bradford did. Foles seems to have that ability to be a uniter. That’s not to say Bradford didn’t like or respect his teammates, just it’s something Foles seems more comfortable doing. Even Kenny Britt has said he’s had Foles notice when he might not be as enthusiastic as he should be and Foles has taken a minute to get him fired up. That’s usually something Britt does, so to have someone do it for him tells you a little something. On the field stuff, I’d prefer to wait and see. He certainly looks the part, but he’s going to have a little bit of a process to get used to going under center. He’s had a couple of footwork hiccups in the early going though it’s nothing that should be deemed as concerning at this point. On arm strength, Foles seems like he has enough but the ball doesn’t come out of his hand as easily as it did Bradford’s. Bradford was nicknamed “Big Easy” for a reason. He made throwing it anywhere he wanted look easy. Foles doesn’t have that same ability, though I haven’t seen a throw that he can’t make yet.
Brawley Darbon @brawleydarbon
I knw u dont have a crystal ball, but gut feeling, who do you see as #Rams number 2 QB come September? Mannion or Davis?@nwagoner: I wish I did have a crystal ball. Can I borrow yours? But the real question here isn’t Sean Mannion or Austin Davis. It’s Case Keenum or Davis. Mannion is going to stick around as the No. 3 quarterback and Foles is the starter, which leaves the No. 2 job up for competition. Coach Jeff Fisher has already said Davis and Keenum will likely battle it out for the backup job. Davis has an advantage in that he’s been around longer, but the Rams traded for Keenum because they believe he can help. I tend to think given an offseason to get acclimated, this time Keenum sticks around.
Chris Bushnell @BrickBushnell
What are the chances the Rams implement some 5 DL formations this season?@nwagoner: The defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams. There aren’t many defensive formations you could propose to me that I would categorically rule out so long as that’s the case.
Alex @AlexJMacArthur
What was the Rams thought process drafting an injured Sasser with Quick rehabbing and Tre McBride still available?@nwagoner: Well, for starters, they didn’t know Bud Sasser had the heart issue when they drafted him. Now, I’ve seen the arguments that they should have known or figured out a way to find out before he was drafted, but at this point it’s really neither here nor there. But it’s probably a safe bet that had they known the extent of Sasser’s condition, they wouldn’t have drafted him. I have no idea who they would have taken otherwise but this isn’t like they drafted an injured player on purpose.
Steven Spaid @stevenspaid
Are the Rams negotiating extensions with any of their 2012 draft picks?@nwagoner: I don’t know the extent of the conversations they’ve had, but there have been a few preliminary chats that have taken place. Namely, with defensive tackle Michael Brockers. The Rams have already exercised his fifth-year option, so he’s going to be around at least beyond this year but they’d like to get something done. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins could also be in that same boat, though it’s unclear if that process has begun at the moment. Regardless, the Rams will have a lot of decisions to make on free agents after the season, so if they could get a couple of guys locked up before or early in the season, it would make life easier in what figures to be a hectic offseason. They re-signed end Robert Quinn before Week 2 last year and in the past have struck deals with end Chris Long and linebacker James Laurinaitis before the season, so there is some precedent for getting something done.
znModeratorDarnell Dockett: We will still win
Josh Alper
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/07/darnell-dockett-we-will-still-win/
The 49ers lost another player last week when right tackle Anthony Davis said that he would “be back in a year or so” after allowing his brain and body time to heal while sitting out the 2015 season.
Davis joined linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland and defensive end Justin Smith in stepping away from football entirely while players like cornerback Chris Culliver, running back Frank Gore and guard Mike Iupati will be playing elsewhere after leaving the team as free agents. All of those departures came after coach Jim Harbaugh, offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio left the team and the end result for many is a feeling that the 49ers will be taking a step backward in 2015.
It’s not everyone’s feeling, however. Defensive end Darnell Dockett joined the team this offseason and has faith that all will work out.
“Don’t ask me about who’s retired and what’s going on with football this and that,” Dockett wrote on Twitter. “We will still WIN! Just watch! The story in the end will be that much better!!!!”
Dockett’s right about how good a story it would be if the 49ers do succeed on the field come the fall, but narrative appeal rarely determines winners and losers in the NFL. The 49ers are going to need several new pieces, including Dockett, of their on-the-fly overhaul to make a big impact immediately and finding the happy ending to that story has stymied many teams in the past.
June 7, 2015 at 4:19 pm in reply to: OTAs post-week 1 … Foles the leader, OL issues, Robinson, Keenum, Britt #25988znModeratorRams’ Robinson making progress this offseason
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1552803-rams-robinson-making-progress-this-offseason
ST. LOUIS — The transition from college to the NFL has included several adjustments for Rams’ left tackle Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 Draft. Now he’s faced with another.
A year ago, Robinson was working on the transition from playing left tackle in Auburn’s run-heavy offensive scheme to learning two positions — left guard and left tackle — in the Rams’ more diverse offensive system. After starting out last season on the bench, he was inserted into the lineup at left guard but then moved to left tackle after Jake Long’s season-ending knee injury.
On Friday, following the Rams’ third OTA session, Robinson said bouncing back and forth between the positions was the biggest adjustment for him in the transition to the NFL.
“I think a lot had to do with me going back and forth from guard to tackle, so right now it’s just dominantly tackle and I can focus on learning the playbook and just one position,” he said.
Now entrenched at the left tackle spot, the 22-year-old has suddenly found himself as one of the veterans on a Rams’ offensive line that has six rookies on the roster this offseason and could have two in the starting lineup in a few months.
“It’s kind of shocking just to see that, because there’s a lot of guys that was in my position last year,” Robinson said.
The Rams, who will have three new starters on the offensive line in 2015, used four draft picks to select linemen.
They picked Wisconsin right tackle Rob Havenstein in the second round, Louisville lineman Jamon Brown in the third, Iowa’s Andrew Donnal in the fourth and then Fresno State guard Cody Wichmann in the sixth.
They’ve since signed tackle Darrell Williams of South Florida and center-guard David Wang of Virginia Tech as undrafted free agents.
Now Robinson, a veteran of just 16 NFL games and 12 starts, is one of the players being asked the questions by the rookies in the offensive line room at Rams Park.
“Yeah, and surprisingly I can talk to them about it a little bit,” he said.
Robinson said Friday he has trimmed down from being as high as 339 pounds to now at 319 pounds, a strategy that he hopes will make him quicker next season. The weight loss also should help in his recovery from a turf toe injury he suffered in the final game last season and required surgery.
“Unfortunately it was the last game, but I feel like I’m making progress every day,” he said. “They don’t really want me rushing it, so I’m just going with whatever the coaches say and just trying to stay locked in and pay attention as much as possible.”
His surgery has allowed him to rehab at Rams Park this offseason, which has included spending more time with guard Rodger Saffold. Robinson said the two have worked out together and been watching film together, something that should help the youngster this season.
There’s also the adjustment of learning a new or at least slightly different offense after Frank Cignetti took over as offensive coordinator following the departure of Brian Schottenheimer.
Just one year removed from the draft, Robinson feels like he is making progress in his development as an NFL offensive tackle.
“I feel like the game has slowed down a little bit for me just by me going in through the walk-throughs and getting off on the snap counts and stuff,” he said. “I haven’t been making as many mistakes as I was last year, so I think the main focus was just to get in the playbook and try my best to pay attention as much as possible just so I won’t be thinking as much on the line.”
June 7, 2015 at 2:06 pm in reply to: OTAs post-week 1 … Foles the leader, OL issues, Robinson, Keenum, Britt #25983znModeratorCarey Davis on The Turn on the importance of getting the Rams’ O-Line in sync
June 7, 2015 at 12:42 pm in reply to: The Lawrence Philips mini-series (not literally, just a metaphor) #25981znModerator
Lawrence Phillips letters from prisonhttp://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on…n-letters-written-from-prison?ftag=YHR6f8d662
Back in April, former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was named a suspect in the death of his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, Calif, where he’s been incarcerated for almost eight years.
In 2008, Phillips was sentenced to 31 years in prison for convictions that included domestic violence, spousal abuse, false imprisonment and vehicle theft.
Not much is known about the life that Phillips is spending behind bars, until now that is.
In a series of letters written to people who coached Phillips in high school and college, the No. 6 overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft has been painting a harrowing picture of what it’s like to be incarcerated.
The most recent letter was sent on May 3, just 22 days after the death of his cellmate. In that lettter, Phillips told former Nebraska assistant coach George Darlington that he’s “alright.”
Phillips hasn’t yet been charged with anything in relation to his cellmate’s death.
From the May 3 letter (All letters via USA Today)
Dear Coach D,
How are you doing coach? I am doing well.
As far as the package, due to my current situation I may not be allowed it. So if you have not already sent the package do not send it.
I cannot speak of the situation here but I am alright. Please let anyone know who asks you that.
I hear Husker spring practices are a little more spirited. That is a plus. I do not think teams will ever practice how we practiced. … If a team ever comes back to that mentality, they will crush the college ranks.
Alright Coach D, that’s all from here.
Nebraska football is a common theme in Phillips’ letters. When he’s not describing the horrific situation in prison, Phillips spends most of his time talking about the Huskers.
In a May 2014 letter to former high school assistant coach Ty Pagone, Phillips describes what causes a lockdown and mentions that he doesn’t have a cellmate.
Dear Coach Pagone (May 29, 2014),
We are still today on lock down due to some stabbings and assaults between black and white inmates. It has been ongoing for sometime.
I am glad to hear Marie’s wedding was great. Usually an open bar leads to a lot of dancing.
I do not have a cell mate. All of these dudes want to use drugs and (illegible) weapons in the cell. I’m in the process of applying for single-cell status. I will let you know how that goes.
In another letter to Pagone, Phillips writes that the other inmates only care about three things: Drugs, making knives and making alcohol.
At the end of the letter, Phillips also seems to show that he understands why people felt he was a lost cause after an NFL career that included just 25 games.
Dear Coach Pagone (June 15, 2014),
I received your letter and package a day apart. We do get the packages in lock down as the companies do not really want the items back.
We have been in lock down about 80% of the time. You would be surprised at what these altercations are about! Nonsense! But when your world is this small all one has to care about is nonsense. That is why I do not want any of these idiots in the cell with me.
All they they want to do is the drugs, make knives and make alcohol. Then they say when they get out they will not come back. I tell them of course you will. You are doing the same thing that got you locked up. Of course they do not want to hear that. It is like speaking to a brick wall.
Now I understand how people must have felt talking to me. So needless to say I have zero friends inside here. Not one person is in line with my way of thinking.
Well that’s all from here, Pagone. I will stay out of trouble. I might have to endure some write-ups for refusing a cell mate though. Better that than them getting me into serious trouble.
In a letter to former high school coach Tony Zane, Phillips writes that it’s “completely nuts” in prison.
Dear Coach Zane (July 6, 2014),
I hear you were in Hawaii. I am sure you had a good time. Remember when we went out there and kicked their butt in the all-star game and they tried to hold up our bus and all that crap? Good times.
Well there is not much happening here. We are still on lock down because they found a hacksaw in someone’s cell. Apparently people use the saw to cut up the bunks and make knives. It is completely nuts in here. It is pretty much a free for all.
In another letter, written on Sept. 14, Phillips says he sides with the NFL in the then-recent cases involving Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice. Phillips also calls prison a “jungle” and says there’s “trouble everywhere.”
Dear Coach D (Sept. 14, 2014),
Huskers kicked butt out there. I only listened to the radio. The game was not televised here. (Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah) has a real chance at the Heisman and the Huskers could win the Big 10, although the Big 10 is a bit watered down with the injury to O-State Q.B. (Braxton Miller).
NFL is going through some stuff. Unfair to blame the NFL for what guys do. … These misdeeds by the players (are) being used by the liberal parties and the media to further their particular interests. Next they will be forcing out owners like they did with the Los Angeles Clippers owner (Donald Sterling).
Well, there is nothing new happening here. We are still locked down. One of the guards was assaulted so it may be awhile. Coach D, this place is a jungle. Trouble everywhere. One must swallow his pride constantly or one will always be in the hole. But we must deal with the situation we put ourselves in.
Unless he’s paroled, Phillips will be in jail until 2039 when he’ll be 64-years-old. The former Rams running back turned 40 on May 12.
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