Foster arrested at 49ers’ hotel, then signed by Washington
Reuben Foster lived on the edge of the law when he played linebacker at the U of Alabama and was closely monitored by head coach Nick Saban. Foster did nothing alarming enough to scare away the San Francisco 49ers from choosing him in the first round of the 2017 draft. He played well as a rookie (70 tackles in 10 games) but since last season ended he’s been arrested three times, twice for allegedly hitting a woman – the same one but months apart. Foster was arrested Sunday morning at the 49ers’ hotel in Tampa. The team released him, and on Tuesday he was claimed on waivers by the Washington Redskins, whose owner, Daniel Snyder, has never shunned controversy. Knowing that Foster had a prior suspension for domestic violence they placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, making him ineligible to play this season. But they’re hoping to have him at some point next season. The Philadelphia Eagles, who held waiver rights ahead of Washington, called the Tampa Police Dept. on Monday to inquire about Foster’s rap sheet. After their due diligence they decided not to touch him.
Dear Mr. Snyder: You didn’t want to hire Colin Kaepernick because he would be a constant distraction for your team. By embracing Reuben Foster you’re once again on the wrong side of history.
Man shot in Carolina during Thanksgiving argument about Kaepernick protest
An argument about NFL players protesting injustice led to a North Carolina man being shot by his father during Thanksgiving with the family. TMZ reported that Jorge Luis Valencia-Lamadrid, 51, was discussing Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest with his two sons, and the conversation became heated. Valencia-Lamadrid reportedly fired a shotgun, and pellets hit his son Jose in the hand and leg but did not cause severe injury.
MLB embarrassed by donation to senator who likes Confederate hats and flags – and hangings
Major League Baseball’s Political Action Committee made three donations totaling $10,000 to the 2018 senatorial campaign of Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi. But when she stirred a firestorm of criticism for expressing fondness for public hangings and posting photos of herself in Confederate uniform, Commissioner Rob Manfred was mortified. She apologized for anyone she “might have offended,” but insisted the hanging comment was meant in jest. She couldn’t understand so much sensitivity by people living in the state that leads the union in lynchings. MLB asked her to return its contributions. Many fans wondered why the sport is contributing to political campaigns in the first place. It wasn’t that Hyde-Smith is a favorite of Manfred or anyone in MLB. But since she was already in the Senate, she’s someone who could be a valuable ally in issues involving interstate commerce or labor activities. For example, MLB contributed $8,500 to the campaign of Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, who introduced legislation in 2016 to exempt minor-league ballplayers from federal wage and hour laws.
Dear Commissioner: If the objective is to avoid national embarrassment, MLB should have kept quiet about this legal bribery.
Jalen Ramsey talks trash, literally
All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey of the Jacksonville Jaguars is known for incessant trash-talking his opponents, and the team in general is prone to distraction. In an interview with GQ last summer, Ramsey made critical comments about several NFL quarterbacks and was especially harsh on Buffalo’s Josh Allen: “trash.” In a surprising case of doubling down, Ramsey approached the Bills’ sideline in a game Sunday and screamed at several players: “You trash . . . You trash . . .” Late in the third quarter, with the game tied at 14, a skirmish developed, and Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, who was not in the game at the time, ran from the other side of the field the enter the melee. He threw a punch and was ejected. “Jacksonville likes to talk,” Allen said. “The fight hurt them because they lost their running back for the game, and they missed him.” Buffalo won 24-21, and Ramsey had a tough day, implicated in Allen’s completions of 32 and 75 yards. The Jags player did have the decency to seek out Allen after the game to shake his hand. “I guess it was a sign of respect,” Allen said. The 3-8 Jags are a team in turmoil. On Monday they fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and benched QB Blake Bortles in favor of Cleveland Browns castoff Cody Kessler.
Mayfield resents Hue Jackson for accepting a job with Bengals
When Hue Jackson was fired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, he was quickly offered a job as an assistant for the Cincinnati Bengals, a previous employer. Baker Mayfield, the starting QB of the Browns, considered it improper for Jackson to go to work for a division rival so soon after he was one of them. After the Browns thrashed Cincinnati 35-20 Sunday, Jackson tried to hug Mayfield, but the player backed away from his former coach. “Didn’t feel like talking,” Mayfield said later. “He was in our locker room, asking us to play for him, and then goes to a team we play twice a year. Everyone can have their spin on it, but that’s how I feel.”
Dear Baker: You left Texas Tech to play for another Big Twelve team, Oklahoma, which you quarterbacked to victory over your previous team. Did the Red Raiders forgive you?
Eric Murray loses 72% of his weekly salary for one dubious penalty
During last Monday’s game between Kansas City and the Los Angeles Rams, Robert Brooks was trying to make a catch near the goal line, and Chiefs safety Eric Murray hit the receiver in the chest with his shoulder, dislodging the ball. Although the hit was not violent and caused no injury, a flag was dropped because of a new rule that makes it “unnecessary roughness” to “hit a defenseless receiver.” Murray was fined $26,739. Given that the third-year safety earns $630,000, he lost 72% of his game check.
Between the Lines: This was a prime example of football losing its balance between offense and defense. It’s difficult to tackle a quarterback or receiver without risking penalties and a grievously unfair fine.
