Rolling Stone Aaron Hernandez Story

[HammerDown]

Can you validate this please?

I would think that they just happened to be the first team that decided to take that risk rather than the only team willing to try.

Up to that point, no other team was willing to take a consensus first-round talent. Only the Patriots. That's all I'm saying.

 

[HammerDown]

SONNY, here's the Rolling Stone article:
Aaron Hernandez: Patriots Tight End Violent Evolution | Rolling Stone

HAMMER, I didn't really get the same feeling regarding Kraft that you did. I read that AH had almost a split personality, one that obviously killed people, and another where he's kissing Kraft on the cheek and thanking him for taking the chance on him. Easy for Kraft to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially considering I doubt Kraft knew of him capping people while fucking with PCP...I'm guessing Kraft WASN'T privy to this info.

If you look through this thread and others on SportsHoopla about this issue, you'll see that you're not the first to use this argument to justify Kraft and the Patriots dreadful mishandling of this whole thing.

Here's basically what you're saying (and countless others too)...

"Robert Kraft couldn't have possibly known that Aaron Hernandez would be a mass murder."

NO ONE EVER SAID HE DID.

The fact is, they KNEW FULL WELL that Aaron Hernandez, while still a teen in Gainesville was a violent criminal involved in illicit drugs. That is not debatable. THAT IS FACT. Again, THEY KNEW FULL WELL about Hernandez' (mis)conduct and comings-n-goings, associating with known criminals and gang members in Boston nightclubs in the middle of the night. The fucking Boston police made sure that Patriots security (made up of retired FBI Special Agents) was fully aware of this.

The Patriots response? Pay Hernandez $40,000,000 and look the other way.

"The Patriot Way."

If you choose to accept this "golly geez" story from Robert Kraft like all Patriots fans want you to is your business. But it's a bold-faced lie. Robert Kraft was NOT "duped" and the man isn't a simple-minded old man like he'll have us believe in this case. He's extremely shrewd and surrounds himself with very intelligent people. Their arrogance enabled a mass murderer and I think it's sickening to keep putting him on a pedestal for it.

 

[HammerDown]

Very good piece, and disturbing, if BB and Kraft weren't aware, it's because they didn't want to be, which is absurdly indifferent to their own peril. BB was obviously aware of some level of this fiasco, this will do nothing to dispel the dark image he has cultivated, Darth Bill with another fat smudge on his cheek. Kraft has damage control no doubt, but should probably start thinking about tightening up his background and pre-screening of potential 7-8 figure prospects.

If Bob Kraft really wanted to know what his employees were doing out on the Boston streets when they weren't working I'll bet he could find out pretty easy.

Good article by Ron Borges.

Especially when he employs people with strong ties to Boston law enforcement. His shirking of any responsibility in this case is deplorable. Not only did he come out with his "I was duped" bullshit but then had to go a step further and try to turn it into a PR stunt with his cheap-ass "we did the right thing" statement.

Who enabled this behavior more? Urban Meyer in Gainesville (by "vouching" for Hernandez to law enforcement to make a case go away quietly) or Robert Kraft in Foxboro for looking the other way?

You decide.

 

[Xponentialchaos]

Up to that point, no other team was willing to take a consensus first-round talent. Only the Patriots. That's all I'm saying.

"The clear and simple fact is, they took a known violent criminal when NO OTHER TEAM in the draft would because they're arrogant and felt they could "fix him."

That's not what you said in the above quote. If you're changing this statement to include "up to that point", then you have an incredibly weak argument against the Patriots.

Common knowledge would suggest that many other teams in the league would eventually pick him if he kept sliding down. The Patriots just happened to be the first team, of several, who were willing to take that shot on him.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Indicted for two more murders. Can't wait for the update from Rolling Stone.

"We had no idea there was even a problem." - Robert Kraft

That picture is just wrong.


Those should be spent shell casings.

 

[melmaan]

Hammer .... check your blood pressure !

 

[dredinis21]

If you look through this thread and others on SportsHoopla about this issue, you'll see that you're not the first to use this argument to justify Kraft and the Patriots dreadful mishandling of this whole thing.

Here's basically what you're saying (and countless others too)...

"Robert Kraft couldn't have possibly known that Aaron Hernandez would be a mass murder."

NO ONE EVER SAID HE DID.

The fact is, they KNEW FULL WELL that Aaron Hernandez, while still a teen in Gainesville was a violent criminal involved in illicit drugs. That is not debatable. THAT IS FACT. Again, THEY KNEW FULL WELL about Hernandez' (mis)conduct and comings-n-goings, associating with known criminals and gang members in Boston nightclubs in the middle of the night. The fucking Boston police made sure that Patriots security (made up of retired FBI Special Agents) was fully aware of this.

The Patriots response? Pay Hernandez $40,000,000 and look the other way.

"The Patriot Way."

If you choose to accept this "golly geez" story from Robert Kraft like all Patriots fans want you to is your business. But it's a bold-faced lie. Robert Kraft was NOT "duped" and the man isn't a simple-minded old man like he'll have us believe in this case. He's extremely shrewd and surrounds himself with very intelligent people. Their arrogance enabled a mass murderer and I think it's sickening to keep putting him on a pedestal for it.

I'm am by no means saying that Kraft was or is a saint, but at the same time, I don't really believe that it was flat out neglect on the part of Kraft. The reality is that SOMEONE would have taken a chance on AH, if not the Pats. Maybe not in the 4th round, but someone would have taken a flyer on this guy. Did he have any theft/murder raps while with the Pats prior to the re-signing? I'm guessing no...but I'm not sure because I'm on the West Coast and frankly don't give a rat's ass about the Pats. If so, then I stand corrected.

With AH getting drug tested by the NFL (I'm assuming no PED pops? I don't remember any) and not getting popped and with a lack of criminal charges while with the Pats, it may be perfectly understandable that Kraft may have seen AH's issues as minor in comparison to what was happening while in college.

Look, at the end of the day, you can blame Kraft if you want, but Aaron Hernandez is the only one worthy of TRUE blame. The word ENABLED, I don't feel, is being used in proper context. If something that Kraft did was able to alter Hernandez's path, then I doubt they would have ignored that...if for no other reason, because AH helped them WIN. Ultimately, AH apparently was able to get his hands on guns and drugs well before he ever became a Pat. That's the bottom line to me.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Very good piece, and disturbing, if BB and Kraft weren't aware, it's because they didn't want to be, which is absurdly indifferent to their own peril.

This is pretty much all that needs to be said.

 

[HammerDown]

I'm am by no means saying that Kraft was or is a saint, but at the same time, I don't really believe that it was flat out neglect on the part of Kraft. The reality is that SOMEONE would have taken a chance on AH, if not the Pats. Maybe not in the 4th round, but someone would have taken a flyer on this guy. Did he have any theft/murder raps while with the Pats prior to the re-signing? I'm guessing no...but I'm not sure because I'm on the West Coast and frankly don't give a rat's ass about the Pats. If so, then I stand corrected.

With AH getting drug tested by the NFL (I'm assuming no PED pops? I don't remember any) and not getting popped and with a lack of criminal charges while with the Pats, it may be perfectly understandable that Kraft may have seen AH's issues as minor in comparison to what was happening while in college.

Look, at the end of the day, you can blame Kraft if you want, but Aaron Hernandez is the only one worthy of TRUE blame. The word ENABLED, I don't feel, is being used in proper context. If something that Kraft did was able to alter Hernandez's path, then I doubt they would have ignored that...if for no other reason, because AH helped them WIN. Ultimately, AH apparently was able to get his hands on guns and drugs well before he ever became a Pat. That's the bottom line to me.

"We did the right thing." - Robert Kraft

What did the Patriots do when Boston law enforcement made them aware that Hernandez (a violent criminal) was hanging out with hoods and gangsters all night?

 

[HammerDown]

"The clear and simple fact is, they took a known violent criminal when NO OTHER TEAM in the draft would because they're arrogant and felt they could "fix him."

That's not what you said in the above quote. If you're changing this statement to include "up to that point", then you have an incredibly weak argument against the Patriots.

Common knowledge would suggest that many other teams in the league would eventually pick him if he kept sliding down. The Patriots just happened to be the first team, of several, who were willing to take that shot on him.

If you keep on you'll convince yourself that the Patriots never even drafted him.

 

[HammerDown]

Hammer .... check your blood pressure !

Were you one of those proud Patriots fans standing outside the courthouse demanding that Hernandez be released?

 

[dredinis21]

"We did the right thing." - Robert Kraft

What did the Patriots do when Boston law enforcement made them aware that Hernandez (a violent criminal) was hanging out with hoods and gangsters all night?

What did you want him to do? He hadn't committed any crimes (up to that point) and he wouldn't be the first nor the last athlete to hang out with the wrong crowd. The problem is that you definitely have a pure hatred for the Pats (not that there's anything wrong with that!) and it's blinding you a little on this.

How many times did PacMan Jones fuck up before finally being released? And it wasn't until the NFL dropped the hammer that the Titans did anything about it?

From WIKI:
After his junior year, Jones opted to forgo his senior year and declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft. He was the first defensive player drafted, taken sixth overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2005 NFL Draft. He then missed most of training camp, holding out in a contract dispute. According to Titans then-general manager Floyd Reese, the Titans were concerned over several off-the-field incidents. Reese said that contract talks broke down when Jones balked at the Titans' proposed safeguards, but agreed that he would not be paid any guaranteed or bonus money if he were convicted of a crime.[3]

When drafted, Jones was on probation for a fight in West Virginia. He encountered more legal trouble before playing a down for the Titans. On July 14, 2005 Jones was arrested on charges of assault and felony vandalism stemming from a nightclub altercation in Nashville. On September 5, 2005, Jones was a guest at the annual Nashville Sports Council Kickoff Luncheon. After a loud verbal tantrum in which he was told to wait in line for his vehicle, Jones was counseled by the police. He refused to pay for any valet services used that evening, because he did not have money. Subsequently, the State of West Virginia filed a petition alleging that Jones had not made regular and sufficient contact with his probation office or reported his July arrest in a timely fashion. The court ordered the probation extended for 90 days, although the state requested it to be extended one year.

During his rookie season, he had 44 tackles and 10 pass deflections, but no interceptions. On special teams, Jones totaled 1,399 return yards and one TD. Jones and Reynaldo Hill were the only rookie duo to start at least ten games each at cornerback in the NFL.

In February 2006, Jones was arrested in Fayetteville, Georgia after an incident outside a home. Charges of marijuana possession were quickly dismissed, but the state pressed charges for felony and misdemeanor counts of obstruction of justice.[4]

A Cadillac with Jones' nickname "Pacman" stitched in the headrests was seized during an April 2006 cocaine bust. The car was not registered to Jones then, but Jones told a local TV reporter that it was his car and that he had loaned it to Darryl Jerome Moore for a music video. Police sources confirmed that Moore was the main target of their investigation. Jones later bought the car at a police auction.[5]

On August 25, 2006, during training camp, Jones was arrested in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for disorderly conduct and public intoxication at a nightclub after he spat on a woman he accused of stealing his wallet. Police said they ordered Jones to leave several times, but he refused, continuing to shout profanities at the woman. A judge granted him six months' probation on the conditions that he stayed out of further trouble and away from the nightclub.[6] On October 26, 2006, Jones was cited for misdemeanor assault for allegedly spitting in the face of a female Tennessee State University student during a private party at Club Mystic, a Nashville nightclub. He was suspended by the Titans for one game.

Las Vegas shooting case & subsequent suspension[edit]
On the morning of February 19, 2007, during the 2007 NBA All-Star Game weekend in Las Vegas, Jones was allegedly involved in an altercation with an exotic dancer at Minxx, a local strip club. Jones and American rap artist Nelly patronized the club that evening. Nelly, along with someone known as Richard Rich, showered the stage with hundreds of one-dollar bills; an act known as "making it rain." Jones then joined Nelly by throwing his own money for "visual effect." Club promoter Chris Mitchell then directed his dancers to collect the money. According to the club's co-owner, Jones became enraged when a dancer began taking the money without his permission. He allegedly grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head on the stage. A security guard intervened and scuffled with members of Jones' entourage of half a dozen people. Jones then allegedly threatened the guard's life.[7] During this time, Mitchell and a male associate left the club with a garbage bag filled with $81,020 and two Breitling watches, which police later recovered.[8] After club patrons left following the original confrontation, the club owner claimed a person in Jones' entourage returned with a gun and fired into a crowd, damaging equipment and hitting three people, including the security guard involved in the earlier skirmish. The guard was shot twice, and one of the people hit—former professional wrestler Tommy Urbanski—was paralyzed from the waist down. Jones maintains that he did not know the shooter, although the club's owner insists that Jones did. On March 26, 2007, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recommended to the city's district attorney that Jones be charged with one count of felony coercion, one misdemeanor count of battery and one misdemeanor count of threat to life.[9]

More trouble followed Jones after the altercation, when drug dealer Darryl Jerome Moore was arrested. After the arrest, Moore told the police about his phone conversations with Jones. "We gotta slow down, man. We gotta get him focused on football, man." Moore is alleged to have said. Wiretapped phone conversations between Moore and his friends revealed Moore talking about how Jones bet on college games to earn quick money. "You know, I was talkin' to him the other day about smokin', and he was like 'man, if I didn't smoke I couldn't take all the stress that I'm dealing with right now,'" Moore said.[10] Jones has not been connected to the Moore drug arrests or convicted for the Vegas stripper incident.

On April 21, a document revealed that Jones paid $15,000 to various people involved in the Las Vegas shooting.[11]

Near the 2007 NFL Draft, Jones' numerous off-the-field problems led to speculation that the Titans would cut or trade Jones before his third season, despite his breakout second year. At that time, Reese himself said that he and others on the Titans had spent "countless hours" trying to set Jones straight. He also said that while Jones had been everything the Titans hoped for on the field, he'd been "nothing but a disaster off the field" during his two years in Nashville.[3]

On April 10, 2007, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced a one-year suspension for Jones for violation of the NFL player conduct policy, to be re-evaluated after the tenth regular-season game, pending disposition of current cases, which Jones appealed.[12][13] This was the first time in 44 years that a player was suspended for an offense other than substance abuse. Jones took out a full page ad in The Tennessean, promising "he'll win back trust" of his teammates and fans." "To my family, teammates, coaches and fans, I recognize that I have lost the right to ask for your patience and understanding," Jones wrote. "However, I will do everything in my power to regain your trust and respect." Jones also wrote in the letter, his plans to re-enroll and finish his degree at West Virginia University. "The basis of the appeal ... will be to clarify some of the facts and address the unprecedented punishment that was imposed," Jones wrote in the letter. However on June 12, Jones withdrew his appeal.

I'm not trying to throw stones because Lord knows that we have Aldon fucking up every which way possible, including ways I hadn't thought possible, but I posted this to prove that EVERY owner wants to make money and win...and there are no TRUE safeguards against this. In PacMan's case, it took Goodell to step in and suspend him for the year before the Titans did anything with teeth.

 

[Xponentialchaos]

If you keep on you'll convince yourself that the Patriots never even drafted him.

Umm, what? That's ridiculous. I guess that's your way of side-stepping the argument.

See ya.

 

[HammerDown]

He hadn't committed any crimes (up to that point)

If you don't know about the Gainesville cases, you shouldn't be in this thread trolling, my man.

And the Pacman stuff? Come on. Try harder.

 

[HammerDown]

Umm, what? That's ridiculous. I guess that's your way of side-stepping the argument.

See ya.

Two facts that you can't dispute or distract from.

1.) Aaron Hernandez was, by all accounts, a consensus first-round talent out of Florida.

2.) The Patriots are the only team who drafted him.

"Yeah, but..." - Xponentialchaos

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Two facts that you can't dispute or distract from.

1.) Aaron Hernandez was, by all accounts, a consensus first-round talent out of Florida.

2.) The Patriots are the only team who drafted him.

"Yeah, but..." - Xponentialchaos

After the Patriots draftewd him...no one else could...C'mon HD, you can do better than that.

 

[HammerDown]

After the Patriots draftewd him...no one else could...C'mon HD, you can do better than that.

Consensus first-round pick drafted in the fourth round. By who? The Patriots.

This is truly beyond belief how the Patriots get a free pass on this. If it were the Raiders, the whole world would be throwing rocks through their windows but since it's Jesus Chr... err, I mean Robert Kraft and the Patriots? Fucking crickets!

 

[Xponentialchaos]

Two facts that you can't dispute or distract from.

1.) Aaron Hernandez was, by all accounts, a consensus first-round talent out of Florida.

2.) The Patriots are the only team who drafted him.

"Yeah, but..." - Xponentialchaos

I haven't disputed either of those facts. I'm fully aware of both (1) and (2), but they still don't justify your argument for one simple reason:

Other teams WOULD HAVE selected Hernandez if the Patriots hadn't. Therefore, it's stupid to try to single out the Patriots because "2.) The Patriots are the only team who drafted him".

I think you just have a personal issue with the Patriots and you're trying to make an argument (illogical as it may be) to try to bring them down. I honestly don't think you're incapable of seeing how obvious this is.

 

[BigKen]

HAMMER....answer me this...................Can you name ne one professional franchise that has ever come forth and stated that they knew that a player was a coke addict, a regular user of angel dust, a beater of his wife or a ******er of children??? Your hatred of the Patriots is so obvious that your arguments are hollow. You put the Patriots out as the most crooked, horrible franchise in history and yet you never say anything about Irsay who was stopped with bags of cash and dozens of bags of illegal drugs..............Oh yeah, he's an alcoholic who's going to get rehabbed.

You really need to go into the bathroom, fill the sink with cold water and hold your face under it for about 15 minutes and cool off.

 

[sonnyblack65]

After the Patriots draftewd him...no one else could...C'mon HD, you can do better than that.

He can't be drafted by other teams as well?