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View Full Version : He who lives by passion may fall by passion



Denver Native (Carol)
03-08-2009, 11:41 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11862597

When The Dude was little, I used to consult with him on sports issues of the day to get a kid's perspective, or a fan's. But in the case of Brandon Marshall, I went to him as an expert.

The Dude, son of a sportswriter, is taking a college class called "Brain and Behavior," which was obviously the question I had about Marshall.

I wanted to know how a bright guy who lectures kids about making good choices keeps making bad ones himself. I wanted to know if it had something to do with the limbic system, sometimes called the emotional brain.

Flash back nine months to Wyatt-Edison Charter School, where Marshall stood before a couple dozen of the older kids in the Rev. Leon Kelly's after-school program.

"If you Google my name, you'll see a lot of negative things because I made mistakes," he told them.

"So I'm not someone here talking to you guys because I'm Mr. Perfect. No. I'm from the same neighborhood you guys are from, the same type of environment, and I'm speaking to you guys from my heart, and it's real.

"I don't want to live like my mom and dad, or some of my family members, where it's week by week, check by check, where it's a struggle. You guys know how it is. No hot water. Bills ain't paid. No cellphone. No food in the 'frigerator.

"I been through it. I been through a whole winter where I didn't have no hot water, no heat. We heated up our house with the oven. So I know what some of you guys are going through. I know it. I still have family that's going through the same thing. You don't want to live that way. You have a chance to make your own decisions and your own choices right now. . . .

"Like I said, I made mistakes. I made mistakes recently, I made mistakes a long time ago. It's what you do, it's how you bounce back from it, if you become a better person."

Marshall's arrest on disorderly conduct charges in Atlanta a week ago for a fight with his fiancee on the sidewalk near his home is similar to his previous run-ins with the law — other than the DUI, subsequently pleaded down — except it was a different girlfriend. All the others had involved the same woman. There was some hope among his friends and supporters that if the two of them stayed away from each other, everything would settle down.

Last weekend's incident wouldn't be a big deal if Marshall weren't a famous athlete with a rap sheet. Neither party was injured, neither wanted to testify against the other and charges were dropped the following morning.

Still, the big wide receiver's propensity for violent confrontations with women grows more disturbing with each incident and clearly violates the NFL personal conduct policy, which specifically includes "domestic violence and other forms of partner abuse" among the acts likely to draw league discipline.

Commissioner Roger Goodell gave Marshall a three-game suspension last year for a similar incident, then reduced it to one on appeal. Outsiders are guessing anywhere from four to eight weeks on this one. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said it would be inappropriate to speculate.

"We will review the facts," Aiello said. "There is no firm timeline. It will be addressed as expeditiously as possible."

When I asked if it will matter that charges were dropped, he said it would be one factor. When I asked if Marshall's suspension last year would matter, he said that would be a factor, too.

So I asked The Dude if Marshall's conflicting behavior — his rationality with kids and irrationality with fiancees — might be a right brain/left brain thing, or a thalamus thing, or even a hypothalamus thing. Unfortunately, The Dude responded not as a college student but as a football fan.

Marshall, he said, seems to be ruled by his emotions pretty much all the time. He cited his passion playing the game, a few of the things he's said and his relentless attempts to extend plays, even when there's nothing there.

The week of his suspension last year, I asked Marshall if he thought he would have a better grip on himself going forward.

"You know what?" he said. "I'm still the same person. I'm still the same guy. All I can do now is continue to put myself in better environments, but I'm the same guy."

Truer words he has not spoken.

topscribe
03-08-2009, 12:05 PM
Thanks for the read, Carol.

BMarsh's foibles are not the tear-apart-the-locker-room, trash-the-quarterback
types. They are the need-to-grow-up types. He hasn't bashed the coach, nor
has he tried to rob anybody.

He may need some counseling on temper in his private life, and I direly hope
they provide (yea, require) it if that is the case. Indeed, that is ultimately
more important to him than football.

As for me, I am a Broncos fan. My concern and meddling goes as far as how
he produces on the football field (and whether he can stay there). If I'm going
to start criticizing people for their private sins, I need to start with yours
truly first.

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BroncoWave
03-08-2009, 12:50 PM
Thanks for the read, Carol.

BMarsh's foibles are not the tear-apart-the-locker-room, trash-the-quarterback
types. They are the need-to-grow-up types. He hasn't bashed the coach, nor
has he tried to rob anybody.

He may need some counseling on temper in his private life, and I direly hope
they provide (yea, require) it if that is the case. Indeed, that is ultimately
more important to him than football.

As for me, I am a Broncos fan. My concern and meddling goes as far as how
he produces on the football field (and whether he can stay there). If I'm going
to start criticizing people for their private sins, I need to start with yours
truly first.

-----

When his private sins start causing him to miss time on the football field, they become fair game to criticize IMO.

atwater27
03-08-2009, 01:15 PM
Marshall is a little bitch that hits women (2 of them now) and ****s over his teammates. He needs to go, and has needed to go for 2 seasons now. And to think he helped put Obama in office.

Zweems56
03-08-2009, 01:40 PM
Marshall is a little bitch that hits women (2 of them now) and ****s over his teammates. He needs to go, and has needed to go for 2 seasons now. And to think he helped put Obama in office.

Not even touching the first part but..... ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????

??

atwater27
03-08-2009, 01:49 PM
Not even touching the first part but..... ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????

??

You like that? A personal touch. Remember the black power TD celebration his teammates made him re-think before he did it? He said he was doing it for Obama. Hey, for me just another reason to not like him. You know, besides dropping a high percentage of passes thrown to him and brutalizing his women. (that old chestnut)

Zweems56
03-08-2009, 02:07 PM
You like that? A personal touch. Remember the black power TD celebration his teammates made him re-think before he did it? He said he was doing it for Obama. Hey, for me just another reason to not like him. You know, besides dropping a high percentage of passes thrown to him and brutalizing his women. (that old chestnut)

I'm 99.9% sure that NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND voted for Obama because of that stint. But maybe thats just logic...

atwater27
03-08-2009, 02:21 PM
Marshall did. Therefore he and people like him helped Obama get elected. Don't know why it had to get to that level of explanation.

atwater27
03-08-2009, 02:24 PM
But back to the point of the thread...

Do you think Marshall and that rapper that smacked around Rihanna get together, kick back a few beers and discuss the best ways to bitch slap a girl into submission?

atwater27
03-08-2009, 02:34 PM
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6246/rihannaphotobeatingzm6.jpg

That pic stimulates Brandon. It moves him to be the man he is.

topscribe
03-08-2009, 02:42 PM
When his private sins start causing him to miss time on the football field, they become fair game to criticize IMO.

Um . . . I think I mentioned that?

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SmilinAssasSin27
03-08-2009, 03:04 PM
I facilitate a Betterers group in the prison I work at. They all have similar issues/stories. Daddy did it to mommy. I'm too cool to let some bitch show me up. Male privilege. Have no power anywhere else in life so at least I can control my hoe. Dick is too small. whatever...it's all weak, punk ass bullshit.

BeefStew25
03-08-2009, 03:06 PM
I facilitate a Betterers group in the prison I work at. They all have similar issues/stories. Daddy did it to mommy. I'm too cool to let some bitch show me up. Male privilege. Have no power anywhere else in life so at least I can control my hoe. Dick is too small. whatever...it's all weak, punk ass bullshit.

Do you offer an online class? I will pay Mo's tuition.

SmilinAssasSin27
03-08-2009, 03:09 PM
Do you offer an online class? I will pay Mo's tuition.

I'm sure I could develop an online curriculum.

BeefStew25
03-08-2009, 03:22 PM
I'm sure I could develop an online curriculum.

Ok. Lets keep in touch Smile. Together we can move mountains.

JKcatch724
03-08-2009, 05:50 PM
Marshall did. Therefore he and people like him helped Obama get elected. Don't know why it had to get to that level of explanation.

Must be pretty bitter still if you're gonna place some blame on Brandon for Obama getting elected. :rolleyes: Irrelevant.

I just want Brandon on the field doing what he does. It's unfortunate he keeps missing games but there's no reason to give up on him now. That would just be idiotic IMO

atwater27
03-08-2009, 07:36 PM
Must be pretty bitter still if you're gonna place some blame on Brandon for Obama getting elected. :rolleyes: Irrelevant.

I just want Brandon on the field doing what he does. It's unfortunate he keeps missing games but there's no reason to give up on him now. That would just be idiotic IMO

So you don't have a problem cheering for a man that hits girls? And yes, I'm bitter.

MOtorboat
03-08-2009, 07:42 PM
So you don't have a problem cheering for a man that hits girls? And yes, I'm bitter.

I think he needs to really clean up his act.

That has nothing to do with politics.

atwater27
03-08-2009, 07:48 PM
Indeed it doesn't. But you know I can't help myself.

JKcatch724
03-08-2009, 09:07 PM
So you don't have a problem cheering for a man that hits girls? And yes, I'm bitter.

I root for the player on the field. I'm not gonna make assumptions about the kind of guy he is.