Aaron Hernandez

[corgifan]

So a player that just got a 14 million dollar contract decides to kill a friend/acquaintance along with a couple of accomplices, do the dirty deed at an industrial park about a mile from his house, and destroys his cell phone and home security system trying to hide the evidence. He allegedly did this because he was "talking to the wrong people" at a nightclub some time earlier. WHOA! I can see why he felt he needed to put his entire future at risk! This is going to be an interesting trial. His two buddies obviously flipped on him. Can't wait to hear from them. Further proof that there is no correlation between athletic ability and intelligence.

[CenTexDave]

I've been following this pretty closely. Just unbelievable. From his college days this guy was a loose cannon.
And one that is not nearly as media worthy - the Browns cut a free agent signee, a LB out of Virginia who was charged with attempted murder a few days ago.

[pushup]

When he was up for the draft, experts said that he could have gone in the late first round. However, people didn't like the people he hung around with. He wasn't drafted until the 4th round because of that. Some teams even pulled him off of their draft board. I guess the Patriots should have thought twice about picking him.

[The Torii Fox]

I thought it was 41.1 million. I read that yesterday somewhere. Not like that changes your point much.

[CenTexDave]

And with their other real good tight end, Gronkowski, just undergoing serious back surgery I'd say the Pats won't repeat as division champs this year.

[cnjbond]

And with their other real good tight end, Gronkowski, just undergoing serious back surgery I'd say the Pats won't repeat as division champs this year.
Dude, they have Tebow, guaranteed Superbowl Champs!!!! :)

[corgifan]

I thought it was 41.1 million. I read that yesterday somewhere. Not like that changes your point much.

It's complicated: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4744681/revisiting-details-of-hernandez-contract

[CenTexDave]

Tebow might finally get his shot.
They drafted Josh Boyce, Cove WR who played at TCU. Hope he gets an honest shot.

[kantwin]

3641

[CenTexDave]

Just read he's now the prime suspect in a double murder that happened in Boston a few months ago.

[Grammar Rules]

And that the recent victim might have been killed because he knew of it.

[The Torii Fox]

It's complicated: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4744681/revisiting-details-of-hernandez-contract

I saw that today. Yeah, for once I'm ok with an entity withholding money they were contractually obligated to pay and making someone force them to pay it.

[onetime]

It's complicated: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4744681/revisiting-details-of-hernandez-contract

The contract information is misleading, it is not guaranteed money like baseball or basketball. They could have cut him after next season and we would have only gained that signing bonus and the Million plus for that season. Not condoning his behavior, but the guy probably used his meager "NFL" salary to be a middle man for the drug game. Think Sam Hurd, at best these guys will play 6-8 years maybe longer for him since he was only 20 when he came into the league and are trying to earn as much money as possible, he had some seedy ties before he went to college and then landed right back in his home town. I hear that his is not as uncommon a practice as one would think. Personally I would go into real estate or the practice of pimping young doctors for renting space in a doctor's office.

[cnjbond]

The contract information is misleading, it is not guaranteed money like baseball or basketball. They could have cut him after next season and we would have only gained that signing bonus and the Million plus for that season. Not condoning his behavior, but the guy probably used his meager "NFL" salary to be a middle man for the drug game. Think Sam Hurd, at best these guys will play 6-8 years maybe longer for him since he was only 20 when he came into the league and are trying to earn as much money as possible, he had some seedy ties before he went to college and then landed right back in his home town. I hear that his is not as uncommon a practice as one would think. Personally I would go into real estate or the practice of pimping young doctors for renting space in a doctor's office.
I have a really hard time having sympathy or empathy for any professional athlete concerning money, ESPECIALLY a star athlete. No one told them they have to live like the rich and famous just because they have a lot more zeros on their paychecks than before. I think they could live quite nicely while employing a legitimate financial planner and lawyer...not an entourage of "hype men" and leeches! If I'm not mistaken, the NFLPA gives them access to financial planners and legal advisors as part of their union benefits.

[CenTexDave]

A lot of them can't just handle it. Some come from families of limited means. Went to college on a full-ride athletic scholarship. All of a sudden they receive a huge signing bonus. Gotta buy that Hummer or Vette. Their former friends now are nothing but leeches.
I believe I read that rookie the Browns had signed, and charged with attempted murder and then was cut this week, had just attended the mandatory NFL Rookie Symposium. Pacman Jones, of all players, was a guest speaker who warned of the pitfalls of sudden fame and riches. Guess it didn't sink in.

[onetime]

I have a really hard time having sympathy or empathy for any professional athlete concerning money, ESPECIALLY a star athlete. No one told them they have to live like the rich and famous just because they have a lot more zeros on their paychecks than before. I think they could live quite nicely while employing a legitimate financial planner and lawyer...not an entourage of "hype men" and leeches! If I'm not mistaken, the NFLPA gives them access to financial planners and legal advisors as part of their union benefits.

I wasn't condoning or asking for sympathy, dumb move, just providing perspective on how some blow it. I often wonder how people that win the lottery (15 million or more) and are broke or in trouble with the law a few years later. It happens the guy is a dope

[Ludwig]

He was a member of the Bloods. With them it's "Blood in, blood out" and he may not have been up to the blood out part... that takes a real man.

[bbh]

This is a really well-written, interesting article giving Hernandez's background, plus information on this crime and others. I couldn't put it down.

http://www.rollingstone.com/feature/the-gangster-in-the-huddle

Since it is from Rolling Stone, I sort of expected it to be full of excuses for his behavior but it's definitely not. It does, however acknowledge his remarkable talent and how he threw it all away.