Joe - Bad Sporters https://www.badsporters.com News Blogging About Athletes Being Caught Up Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:01:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Giants’ Joe Judge is taking time with DeAndre Baker, Aldrick Rosas situations, and whether to cut them https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/19/giants-joe-judge-is-taking-time-with-deandre-baker-aldrick-rosas-situations-and-whether-to-cut-them/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/06/19/giants-joe-judge-is-taking-time-with-deandre-baker-aldrick-rosas-situations-and-whether-to-cut-them/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:01:33 +0000 https://badsporters.com/?p=7511 Joe Judge was an unknown commodity when the Giants hired him, and still is in some ways. He had never been a head coach before, so how did he convince Giants ownership to pick him as Pat Shurmur’s replacement? Talk to anyone who knows Judge — friends, coaches, players — and their answer starts with […]

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Joe Judge was an unknown commodity when the Giants hired him, and still is in some ways. He had never been a head coach before, so how did he convince Giants ownership to pick him as Pat Shurmur’s replacement?

Talk to anyone who knows Judge — friends, coaches, players — and their answer starts with the same point.

The key phrases: Attention to detail. Detail-oriented. Over-prepared.

That’s Joe, they said.

So, for anyone wondering why Judge and the Giants haven’t decided what to do with their two players arrested recently, start there.

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Cornerback DeAndre Baker was arrested last month in Florida and charged with four counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. Kicker Aldrick Rosas was arrested in California earlier this week and was booked for a misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license.

Both remain on the roster.

Will they still be here when training camp starts at the end of July? Or for the season-opener against the Steelers on Sept. 14?

That’s a decision that won’t be coming just yet. Judge and the Giants still have work to do before any decisions are made. That’s what he’s doing — finding out all of the details before deciding what to do with these two players, both projected to be starters this season.

“The only thing I’m going to say about DeAndre at this point is he’s currently on our roster and I’m not gonna comment on any ongoing legal investigation or legal situation,” Judge told NJ Advance Media’s Matt Lombardo on Monday, before Rosas’ arrest came to light. “That’s going to be my standard answer for anyone in a similar situation.”

The details in the collision report from the scene of Rosas’ alleged hit-and-run don’t paint a pretty picture. Per the California Highway Patrol report, Rosas was driving erratically at 100 miles per hour when he sailed through a red light and T-boned a pickup truck. He attempted to flee the scene, per the report, when his car broke down, then he left on foot. Responding officers found him barefoot and bloody on his hands, leg and feet.

Alcohol impairment, per the report, was believed to be a “factor” in the incident.

The Giants have been in contact with authorities about Rosas’ alleged incident and are gathering all available information before making any decision, a person familiar with the team’s thinking told NJ Advance Media.

Rosas, 25, was arrested for a DUI in California in 2016, though that was before his NFL career had started. He’s due to make north of $3 million this season and the Giants wouldn’t lose any money by releasing him.

With the 22-year-old Baker, in the days after the troubling affidavit for his arrest was announced on May 14 — which involved him allegedly robbing multiple people at gunpoint of thousands of dollars and multiple expensive watches — other information came to light that cast doubt on some aspects of the case. Lawyers for both Baker and Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, also charged, presented signed affidavits from alleged witnesses to the bail hearing judge. It worked, as Baker was released on a $200,000 bond.

Since, his legal team has publicly (and repeatedly) defended his innocence.

“This criminal case is going to eventually be dismissed,” Patrick Patel, a Jersey City-based attorney and Baker’s attorney on NFL matters, said last month.

That seems less likely the more time that passes, as it’s been more than 30 days since Baker was released from jail on May 17.

Baker’s lawyers had a motion approved to allow him to return to New Jersey for work-related purposes. That includes training camp, scheduled for the end of July.

After the arrest, the Giants told Baker to stay away from the team’s virtual meetings on Zoom — he had reportedly missed some meetings prior to the arrest — to focus on his legal situation.

The Giants finished team meetings for non-rookies last week.

In the meantime, Baker has been working out most mornings with a trainer in Miami.

“He’s handling it outstanding,” Patel told NJ Advance Media in May. “He wants to be Ray Lewis, not Ray Rice. That’s the key to this kid’s future. Asking for forgiveness and asking for an opportunity to prove himself. This is the first time he’s ever really done anything. He’s never been in trouble before, he has no history of anything like this.

“This kid is not the typical troubled person,” Patel continued. “I’ve seen a complete change in his attitude, facial expressions, exposure. The kid is scared straight as far as I’m concerned.”

Baker was drafted in the first round last year out of Georgia — before Judge was hired — and came into the league with questions about his maturity. Various reports, including from NJ Advance Media, about his first year indicated he struggled to pay attention in team meetings, and at one point even publicly admitted to his struggle for grasping the team’s playbook.

That ultimately might not factor into Judge’s decision.

When he arrived, Judge emphasized that everybody on the roster was starting with a clean slate. That includes Baker, though his arrest is a separate issue.

Judge spoke about discipline at his introductory press conference in January.

“I would say when we spoke about discipline on the team, that’s something very important to me,” Judge said. “I think you need to have the fundamental foundation of discipline on your team, that you hold players accountable …

“It’s a family business for our ownership and it’s a family business for myself. My children have all been born in this business. Knowing that your passion is football, that your desire to win is what you truly love and that benefits your family and you’re representing something bigger than yourself.‘’

How will the Giants hold Baker and Rosas accountable for their (alleged) actions?

That remains to be seen, especially as the legal process plays out for both players. Rosas’ court date is scheduled for early September. Baker’s situation is still being considered by Broward County (Fla.) prosecutors.

This ultimately will be the first time Judge will have to … be the judge. It’s an important decision for the culture he’s trying to establish, and one he’s not taking lightly.

“He’s kind of a no-nonsense person when he handles players,” Ellis Johnson, one of Judge’s coaching mentors, told NJ Advance Media in January. “He ain’t going to put up with a bunch of bull crap.”

Looking at how the Patriots did things in Judge’s eight years on Bill Belichick’s staff, perhaps that can provide a clue as to how he’ll approach this Giants situation. In that time, seven players were arrested, the first being Aaron Hernandez in 2013.

Of the other six players, three were released shortly after their arrests: Brandon Spikes (hit-and-run), J.J. Worton (assault) and Montee Ball (domestic violence).

The three others stuck around: Alfonzo Dennard (DUI, charge dropped), Duron Harmon (drugs) and Patrick Chung, who was indicted for a felony cocaine possession last year.

At minimum, both Baker and Rosas could be subjected to punishment by the NFL for violating of the league’s code of conduct policy.

Whether that will occur with either player still on the Giants roster remains to be seen, as Judge is takes his time to, well, judge.

“It’s important,” Judge said in January, “to have good people in your locker room.”

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Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.

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Former Saints player Joe Horn pleads guilty in NFL health care fraud case https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/11/former-saints-player-joe-horn-pleads-guilty-in-nfl-health-care-fraud-case/ https://www.badsporters.com/2020/01/11/former-saints-player-joe-horn-pleads-guilty-in-nfl-health-care-fraud-case/#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2020 22:27:37 +0000 https://www.badsporters.com/?p=4668 Horn admitted to signing documents agreeing to conspire with other former players to submit fraudulent claims worth $4 million to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account for medical equipment that was never provided to eligible members. Horn admitted in his plea that he received $149,775 for fake claims submitted in 2018, per NOLA.com. […]

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Horn admitted to signing documents agreeing to conspire with other former players to submit fraudulent claims worth $4 million to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account for medical equipment that was never provided to eligible members. Horn admitted in his plea that he received $149,775 for fake claims submitted in 2018, per NOLA.com.

Federal prosecutors charged 10 former players in the scheme on Dec. 12, including former Washington Redskins players Clinton Portis and Carlos Rogers.

Horn faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, but will likely receive a much more lenient punishment when sentenced in April. The plea likely signals a deal reached with prosecutors.

The original 10 players charged were: Portis, Rogers, Tamarick Vanover, Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Fredrick Bennett, Correll Buckhalter and Etric Pruitt. Horn and Reche Caldwell were charged days later.

Portis declined to comment to ESPN. His attorney, Mark Dycio, said in a statement last week that Portis was “taken aback” by the indictment and “will move forward with the process of clearing his good name and those of his fellow NFL alumni.”

“Many of the players named in the indictment are shocked to the allegations given that most if not all deny any participation in any scheme to defraud the insurance company,” Dycio said. “Clinton Portis has no knowledge that his participation in what he believed to be an NFL-sanctioned medical reimbursement was illegal.”

Authorities accuse those charged with recruiting other former NFL players to allow them to submit fraudulent requests for expensive medical devices, including hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy machines and ultrasound machines, according to ESPN. The average claim was between $40,000 to $50,000.

The indicted players went so far as to create fake invoices and prescriptions for the devices and treatments, authorities allege, though they said there is no evidence that medical professionals signed off on the requests. Players received a portion of the reimbursement checks from the NFL health plan.

Per NOLA.com, Horn also admitted to paying off co-defendants Vanover and Caldwell, as well as others who assisted in the scheme, according to court documents.

Horn played 12 years in the NFL from 1996 to 2008, seven of them with the New Orleans Saints. He went to four Pro Bowls, and caught 58 career touchdown passes. He’s most well-known for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations, including in 2003 when he pulled a cellphone from beneath the padding around the base of the uprights and placing a call as he walked off the field.

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Man gets 30 years for road rage killing of ex-NFL player Joe McKnight https://www.badsporters.com/2018/03/15/man-gets-30-years-for-road-rage-killing-of-ex-nfl-player-joe-mcknight/ https://www.badsporters.com/2018/03/15/man-gets-30-years-for-road-rage-killing-of-ex-nfl-player-joe-mcknight/#respond Thu, 15 Mar 2018 18:38:59 +0000 http://www.badsporters.com/?p=2925 GRETNA, La. — The man convicted of manslaughter in the 2016 road rage shooting death of former NFL running back Joe McKnight was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday. Ronald Gasser, 56, had faced up to 40 years in prison. Defense lawyers argued that Gasser fired in self-defense when McKnight walked up to his […]

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GRETNA, La. — The man convicted of manslaughter in the 2016 road rage shooting death of former NFL running back Joe McKnight was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday.

Ronald Gasser, 56, had faced up to 40 years in prison. Defense lawyers argued that Gasser fired in self-defense when McKnight walked up to his car following a 5-mile confrontation that began on a bridge spanning the Mississippi River in New Orleans and ended with gunfire in neighboring Jefferson Parish.

McKnight’s mother testified Thursday during the sentencing hearing. Jennifer McKnight left the courtroom sobbing after angrily telling Gasser: “You didn’t have to do that.”

Witnesses at the trial said McKnight had been weaving in and out of traffic at high speed before the shooting. Prosecutors acknowledged to the jury that he was, in the words of Assistant District Attorney Seth Shute, “driving like a jerk.” But they argued that Gasser escalated the conflict, following him down an exit that he would not ordinarily have taken moments before the shooting.

Shute acknowledged that McKnight had a hand on the open, passenger side window of Gasser’s car before he was shot. But he said physical evidence proved Gasser lied during extensive police questioning when he claimed McKnight lunged at him.

McKnight had been a high school football hero at Louisiana’s John Curtis Christian School. He signed with the University of Southern California in 2006. In the NFL, he played three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gasser was indicted on a second-degree murder charge. The jury voted 10-2 for the lesser verdict of manslaughter.

Gasser did not leave the scene of the shooting and he was released for a time after being questioned. He is white and his release after the shooting of the black athlete sparked protests from some who said race was a factor.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand, who has since retired, denied that race played any role and noted that a thorough investigation led to Gasser’s arrest and indictment. Prosecutors later recounted a painstaking investigation, including an extensive search for witnesses and physical evidence that eventually led to Gasser being charged.

The case in some ways echoed another New Orleans-area road rage shooting from 2016. Former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith was gunned down in that April incident. The shooter was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years.

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