More problems for Falcons

[03EBZ06]

Cornerback Williams faces drug possession charge

Posted: Monday July 23, 2007 10:22PM; Updated: Monday July 23, 2007 10:22PM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jimmy Williams faces a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in Goochland County.

State police charged the Hampton native on June 2, according to Goochland County General District Court records. An initial court appearance scheduled for July 16 was postponed until Dec. 3.

The incident was first reported by CBS television affiliates WTVR in Richmond and WGCL in Atlanta. The stations reported that Williams said he is innocent and that Falcons president Rich McKay and head coach Bob Petrino had a copy of the police report and were discussing the matter Monday.

Williams' Arizona-based agent, Ethan Lock, told The Associated Press on Monday night that he had talked to his client about the matter. However, he declined further comment.

The case is another distraction for the Falcons, who are dealing with star quarterback Michael Vick's federal indictment on dogfighting conspiracy charges. Vick and Williams, 23, are former Virginia Tech standouts.

Williams, a second-round pick in the 2006 NFL draft, played in 13 games and started five last season.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/07/23/bc.fbc.falcons.williams.ap/index.html

 

[tunahelper]

Maybe it was basil leaf in the plastic bag?

Dont rush to judgement people!

 

[cowboyed]

He heard the news about Vick got very upset and started smoking marijuana.

 

[Green28]

Another Hokie...anyone see a trend forming?

Go Cavs!

 

[superpunk]

Maybe it was basil leaf in the plastic bag?

Dont rush to judgement people!

Not even the dumbest police would confuse basil with marijuana. Maybe you were searching for another spice.

Also....ha-ha.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Hum.......bad timing Mr. Williams

 

[Yeagermeister]

Not even the dumbest police would confuse basil with marijuana. Maybe you were searching for another spice.

Also....ha-ha.

Ginger? Scary? Posh? Sporty?

 

[Cajuncowboy]

The NFL is quickly becoming the NBA.

What's next, an official brought up on charges of gambling?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The NFL is quickly becoming the NBA.

That's exactly why the NFL is getting serious about this stuff. In the 70s, I think it was (before I was old enough to know), the NBA had all kinds of cocaine incidents, and the resulting image problems almost brought down the whole league. There's no way the NFL is going to let that happen to itself.

 

[superpunk]

That's exactly why the NFL is getting serious about this stuff. In the 70s, I think it was (before I was old enough to know), the NBA had all kinds of cocaine incidents, and the resulting image problems almost brought down the whole league. There's no way the NFL is going to let that happen to itself.

I think it's almost assured that over the past 15 years, the NFL has been much worse, and had far more volume of incidents than the NBA. But the game and style is so exciting that it doesn't matter. The NFL isn't losing viewers over conduct - it's gaining all the time because it's the most exciting setup in sports.

The NBA has been brought down for a ton of reasons, and very few have to do with the league's image. You might sell that with regards to it's attachment to the rap culture and it's lack of white superstars (and the subsequent lack of identification with a large portion of America) - but mostly the NBA is unpopular because the games are bad, there is no excitement until the playoffs, and nobody cares about Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. If popularity was directly tied to image, the NFL would be on it's death bed by now, instead of flourishing. As it is, the NFL's empirical stature, and refusal to reach out to fans via new media outlets and forms is going to hurt them more than run-ins with the law. The "geniuses" who decide they're not going to watch sports anymore because of irrelevant acts of idiots off the field are too few and far between to make any difference in the success or failure of a league.

 

[aikemirv]

Goochland courthouse is 10 miles from my house and I have some buddies on the police force. I will have to ask them about this. We had a big marijuana bust a few years ago in the county.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

First, I disagree about the NFL having more off-field incidents than the NBA.

Second, I'm not talking about now and the declining ratings of the last few years. I'm talking about decades ago, years before Magic and Bird brought things back. The NBA is relatively very healthy compared to what it was then. (Or at least before this recent NBA ref scandal broke.)

And finally, I totally disagree that the league image can't be brought down by off-field incidents, no matter how popular the actual game is. There are tons of casual fans out there who don't follow the game like we do and now will associate Vick as "that guy that was fighting dogs". You let that happen enough, and soon the casual fan will associate the league with a bunch of thugs, no matter how untrue it may be.

 

[superpunk]

First, I disagree about the NFL having more off-field incidents than the NBA.

I think you'd be very wrong, if we compared them side to side. The sheer volume of players makes it almost assured, and once you add up all the drug suspensions, DUIs, drug possessions, assaults and more the NFL has been the clear winner in that sordid race.

Certainly in the past two years or so, the NFL is way out in front. The police blotters are extremely busy with NFL players.

Yet the league is more popular than ever because it is the best game there is - every game is a playoff game and the competition is excellent. Hordes of die-hard fans drive interest in their teams, and more fans become interested in other teams through fantasy football and DirecTV. With the volume of incidents over the past two years, I'd imagine if a decline was coming, we'd have noticed it by now. Instead, ratings soar. People whine and moan about having to tolerate all these "thugs" (as though this personally affects them), and cry about the difficulty in finding role models for their children - but they keep watching the games, because they are fantastic.

The train isn't slowing down because a couple idiots do drugs and fight dogs. There are precious few idiots willing to stop watching the greatest game on earth in protest of a tiny percentage of league "characters". There are less and less casual fans of football and NASCAR. In a time when most sports are declining and cable television is driving ratings of everything down, football is flourishing despite a few bad apples.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think you'd be very wrong, if we compared them side to side. The sheer volume of players makes it almost assured, and once you add up all the drug suspensions, DUIs, drug possessions, assaults and more the NFL has been the clear winner in that sordid race.

Certainly in the past two years or so, the NFL is way out in front. The police blotters are extremely busy with NFL players.

Yet the league is more popular than ever because it is the best game there is - every game is a playoff game and the competition is excellent. Hordes of die-hard fans drive interest in their teams, and more fans become interested in other teams through fantasy football and DirecTV. With the volume of incidents over the past two years, I'd imagine if a decline was coming, we'd have noticed it by now. Instead, ratings soar. People whine and moan about having to tolerate all these "thugs" (as though this personally affects them), and cry about the difficulty in finding role models for their children - but they keep watching the games, because they are fantastic.

The train isn't slowing down because a couple idiots do drugs and fight dogs. There are precious few idiots willing to stop watching the greatest game on earth in protest of a tiny percentage of league "characters". There are less and less casual fans of football and NASCAR. In a time when most sports are declining and cable television is driving ratings of everything down, football is flourishing despite a few bad apples.

NFL roster has 53 players on each team and how many do they have on each team in the NBA?

 

[Vintage]

NFL roster has 53 players on each team and how many do they have on each team in the NBA?

15

character limit.

 

[superpunk]

NFL roster has 53 players on each team and how many do they have on each team in the NBA?

It varies. I'd say there are probably about 1,000 more players in the NFL than the NBA.

Somewhere above 1500 in the NFL and close to 600 in the NBA.

 

[Doomsday101]

It varies. I'd say there are probably about 1,000 more players in the NFL than the NBA.

Somewhere above 1500 in the NFL and close to 600 in the NBA.

I agree with you the numbers alone would be a good indicator that more NFL players get in trouble. Even MLB rosters are half the size of NFL not counting players within a team minor league clubs.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Vick is a mega-star not just in football, but in the entire sports world. A guy like him getting in this kind of trouble means more than a hundred Tank Johnsons whom the average sports fan has never heard of.

And I guess we can just disagree that enough incidents like this could hurt a league and cost it tons of money.

 

[Doomsday101]

Vick is a mega-star not just in football, but in the entire sports world. A guy like him getting in this kind of trouble means more than a hundred Tank Johnsons whom the average sports fan has never heard of.

And I guess we can just disagree that enough incidents like this could hurt a league and cost it tons of money.

I think lowering the boom on guys like Vick will tell fans that no matter who you are you will be held accoutable for your actions. The most common thing I hear on sports radio is how many feel that these guys can get away with anything. I also feel Goodell is doing what should have been done a long time ago.