DONTE STALLWORTH MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES GIVE BROWNS NEW HOPE

April 1 2009

Miami, FL – Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was charged today in the death of 59-year old Mario Reyes, whom he struck with his vehicle on March 14. Authorities had been investigating the case and determined that the 28-year old NFL-er was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Reyes suffered massive head, chest, and stomach injuries in the accident and died later in hospital. While the Cleveland Browns and the NFL have yet to respond to the charges, it is expected that the Browns will look into the incident in order to find ways to shore up its defence for next year.

Known as ‘Hands’ through his college career, Stallworth has had a knack for making almost impossible catches. The sudden appearance of his tackling skills surprised many and brought high hopes for the upcoming season for the less than lowly Browns who finished with a 4-12 record last year and ranked 26th in defence. His probable conviction though puts a damper on those high hopes.

“Obviously Stallworth showed a level of tackling ability that he really hasn’t been known for previously. Unfortunately for the Browns it looks like he’s going to be going to jail for a long time but they have still have a lot to take away from this incident,” said Scrape TV Sports analyst Mark Marvins. “It’s unlikely that the NFL will start allowing cars on the field, nor is it likely that the rest of the league will sign a bunch of 60-year old players, but one thing the Browns can enact is drunkenness. Obviously inebriation can turn even the most effective offensive players into defensive machines.”

The NFL has very strict rules on substance abuse and it is unlikely that they would sanction mass inebriation. Traditionally the use of narcotics or other mood altering has been frowned upon while on the field due the increased risk of death of both the user and potentially of opponents.

“Obviously the NFL is going to put its foot down if the Cleveland Browns start killing their opponents but because of the lack of motor vehicles and the relatively young age of the majority of the players that isn’t all that likely even if they totally smashed,” continued Marvins. “The other advantage this provides the Browns is a whole new connection to their fans. The Cleveland fans have been incredibly loyal to the Browns for their decades and the Browns have reciprocated, well aside from that period when they ditched the city and moved to Baltimore. Nonetheless being drunk would be a good way to really connect to the people of Cleveland and let them know how alike the players and the city really are.”

It should also be noted that Reyes was not wearing officially sanctioned NFL equipment during the incident which may of in part have led to his fatal injuries. It is not expected that the city of Miami or any other city in the United States will start to encourage such actions.

“That equipment is very expensive and the way the economy is going it’s very unlikely that most people would be able to afford such extravagance, especially when they can look both ways before crossing the street and avoid being run over in the first place,” continued Marvins. “You can’t really blame the victim in this case though. Stallworth is a professional football player and a very good one at that. He is trained to be able to see the whole field and chase down and catch those uncatchable balls. Chances are he would have been able to hit Reyes even if he hadn’t been walking across the street. In a fourth down situation you have to make the catch, and that’s what pros like Stallworth do. Hopefully though some good will come from this tragedy and give the Browns at least a couple more wins.”

The Browns have the 5th pick in the NFL draft this year. It is expected that there will be plenty of alcohol available during the selection process.

Alexi Orton, Sports Correspondent

NEWS > SPORTS > DONTE STALLWORTH MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES GIVE BROWNS NEW HOPE