11/21/24
August 12, 2012
Dolphins Dump Chad Johnson After Arrest: The Miami Dolphins have terminated wide receiver Chad Johnson's contract 24 hours after he was arrested in a domestic battery case involving his wife. Johnson's wife Evelyn Lozada accused him of head-butting her during an argument in front of their home. He's been charged with misdemeanor simple domestic battery.
posted by Mr Bismarck to football at 11:45 PM - 24 comments
Can't wait to see how this gets covered on Hard Knocks.
posted by Bonkers at 01:26 AM on August 13, 2012
Is this what he meant by being himself again so he can play better?
posted by NoMich at 06:57 AM on August 13, 2012
Right - why regret that the Pats wouldn't let you get fined when you can go out and get arrested?
It wasn't until after he was signed that Philbin found out how casual Ojocincson is about learning the playbook and running precise routes. Might have made the decision that much easier to make.
I wish Coach Philbin well, but I can't help but find the irony in his wanting to roster a team of upstanding character guys so he can send them out on the field to represent the greater Miami/Metro Dade area.
posted by beaverboard at 07:40 AM on August 13, 2012
Turns out Johnson's wife, Evelyn Lozada, is the former fiancee of Antoine Walker. An otherwise unknown woman with an eye for professional ball players?
Now, I'm not suggesting we let the athlete formerly known as Ochocinco off the hook here, but I'm wondering if she may have pushed a few buttons on him that no "loving wife" would ever think to push.
posted by NerfballPro at 09:20 AM on August 13, 2012
Now, I'm not suggesting we let the athlete formerly known as Ochocinco off the hook here, but I'm wondering if she may have pushed a few buttons on him that no "loving wife" would ever think to push.
Right, because it couldn't possibly be the story that is in the linked article about a receipt for a box of condoms. Let's find a way to find fault in the wife without a shred of evidence to support it!
posted by dfleming at 09:25 AM on August 13, 2012
There is no button a person could push that makes it acceptable for their spouse to hit them. That kind of thinking does let people off the hook for domestic violence. Police believe he head butted her in their car during an argument, leaving a three-inch gash on her forehead. His mugshot shows no injuries on his head.
As for her being "otherwise unknown," she's been a reality TV star for two years on Basketball Wives. Given the level of celebrity these days for reality stars and the current state of Johnson's career, she might have brought more assets to the marriage than he did.
posted by rcade at 09:59 AM on August 13, 2012
Put me down as another on the "no excuse" list here.
(And also on the "If he'd been meshing well with the team and the coaches, they wouldn't have released him for this" list.)
posted by Etrigan at 10:07 AM on August 13, 2012
"Hey, Stu, Stu! I promise I'm getting arrested while we're off."
posted by yerfatma at 10:14 AM on August 13, 2012
reality TV star
An oxymoronic phrase that I wish didn't exist.
More seriously, this bums me out. I've always been an ardent supporter of Chad Johnson the human being, if not Chad Johnson the football player. If he really did head butt his wife (his story is that she initiated the contact), then put me in the inexcusable camp and take my name the hell off of his fan list.
posted by tahoemoj at 11:16 AM on August 13, 2012
As someone who has seen the Basketball Wives show, she has started more than her fair share of fistfights (if there is even such a thing as a fair share). I don't get into blaming the victim, but her behavior on the show indicates that she is both hot-tempered and likely to engage in fisticuffs to deal with her temper. Still, he is a grown person and responsible for his own behavior and his own choice of partner. Good for Miami for choosing to use Johnson as a high-profile example of what happens if you embarrass yourself and the team.
posted by bperk at 11:45 AM on August 13, 2012
If I were running a football team, I would never pick up a player that New England cuts loose. It seems Bill B. runs a tight ship and if he cuts loose a talented player like a Chad Johnson, or Randy Moss, or Albert Hainsworth there must be a real good reason. The teams that take these guys usually find out why the Patriots won't tolerate them.
posted by Atheist at 11:46 AM on August 13, 2012
Yep. I'll take the hit for my previous comment, and now withdraw it. Missed the part about the condom confrontation. Thanks for calling me out on it.
posted by NerfballPro at 12:37 PM on August 13, 2012
The teams that take these guys usually find out why the Patriots won't tolerate them.
Yeah, I bet the Raiders regret taking a chance on that bum Richard Seymour.
posted by bperk at 12:42 PM on August 13, 2012
The teams that take these guys usually find out why the Patriots won't tolerate them.
To be fair, I think if you went through the league, guys cut for "character issues" in general don't typically turn it around all that often.
Yeah, I bet the Raiders regret taking a chance on that bum Richard Seymour.
I think that situation was a lot different; Seymour was a talented veteran in his prime who the Patriots did not want to give a long-term contract to and who they dealt for a first round pick. It wasn't really about character, so much as it was the Pats' position that very few players deserve a big, long-term contract.
Seymour was kind of a dolt at times about his contract on '05, but generally he was a respected player in NE.
posted by dfleming at 01:11 PM on August 13, 2012
Yeah, they didn't cut him, they traded a valuable player they didn't think they could resign in addition to Wilfork. I'm sure there are examples who weren't "system fits", but I can't think of too many guys the Patriots cut who have come back to haunt them. As Taylor Price can attest.
posted by yerfatma at 03:30 PM on August 13, 2012
The Pats also get periodic reminders that their system is more comprehensive and demanding than that of some other teams. Resulting in player performance that might not be equaled if one of their players went to another team.
I don't think the Pats are worried about any player they send to the Raiders coming back to haunt them. When they acquired Andrew Walter from Oakland a few years back, they thought they had a reasonable shot at rostering a guy who could help them.
The Pats were evidently stunned at how unprepared Walter was to play QB in the NFL after several years in the Raiders' system. In their opinion, he did not have a functional pro foundation, and was turned loose in short order.
posted by beaverboard at 04:13 PM on August 13, 2012
Latest news Chad Johnson and his wife had a reality show that just got dropped from its network as a result of this incident.
posted by Atheist at 04:29 PM on August 13, 2012
Both Johnson and the wife are media whores, and the fact he married this woman, with her "reality" past, shows they are a match made in heaven.
posted by dyams at 04:45 PM on August 13, 2012
I'm not sure I like how Johnson has been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion already, and how the Dolphins have acted as judge and jury over this. Has he been convicted of anything? Probably not at this early stage.
It's understandable, however that the Dolphins would want to distance themselves from any bad PR related to this incident, I just don't like how this has gone down.
posted by insomnyuk at 05:03 PM on August 13, 2012
Hell's bells, I get done posting here and migrate to a portal page to find myself staring down the barrel of the following:
Some days, a fella don't know which way to turn.
posted by beaverboard at 05:32 PM on August 13, 2012
I am not sure this is a case of being tried and convicted by public opinion. To me it is more a case of the Dolphins and VH1 not wanting to have their enterprises connected to Chad Johnson and his off field drama, which is within their rights as employers. He has a reputation for having a big mouth and being kind of a media whore. No team really wants the side show of Chad Johnson-Ochocinco-Johnson distracting them or focusing the media on this kind of crap. Even the publicity hungry reality TV network doesn't want to be associated with airing a show about two lovebirds planning their wedding while same two lovebirds are poster children for disfunctional relationship involving domestic violence.
Whether or not CJ is convicted in a court of law has little bearing on what his employers feel is in their best interest or how his alleged behavior reflects on their businesses and public image.
It's actually kind of refreshing that some companies are not willing to tolerate this crap from even a talented athlete although it would be interesting to see if the Dolphins might have been a little more tolerant, had Chad Johnson been putting up great numbers into the middle of a successful season. Probably easier to cut him loose now than had he actually become a productive part of their team.
posted by Atheist at 05:38 PM on August 13, 2012
Reports are that Johnson's grasp of the Miami offense was limited to "hey, I'll run real fast and you throw the ball to me. Pass route? What's that all about?"
posted by Howard_T at 09:34 PM on August 13, 2012
Has he been convicted of anything?
It's a misdemeanor, so there's not likely to be a trial.
posted by rcade at 09:59 PM on August 13, 2012
Man the NFL is really cracking down on illegal hits.