Are the Falcons (two arrests now) falling apart? I say no
Eric Weems apologized to the Falcons on Wednesday. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
At such an ugly moment, piling on comes easy. A team is losing. A team sees a defensive lineman and then a wide receiver arrested — actually, it was the other way around, but the Eric Weems arrest came to light only today — on charges involving automotive travel and drugs (in the lineman’s case) and alcohol (in the receiver’s). At such an ugly moment it’s easy to characterize an organization as in tatters and its high-mindedness as a facade.
I resist that temptation.
I believe the Atlanta Falcons are doing it the right way. Maybe they’re doing it with one or two of the wrong men, but even the strongest organization has weaker links. I believe Arthur Blank and Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith when they say they’re looking to win not in the worst way but in the best. Maybe that makes me Pollyanna. But I’d rather be that than a raging cynic who sees every professional team as a seeker of the path of least resistance. Because I don’t believe every professional team is.
Do teams seek athletic talent over hearts of gold? Sure. If they didn’t, the NFL draft would be restricted to seminary graduates. But I believe the Falcons are trying to win not just on the scoreboard but in the community. I believe Blank, who’s infamous in-house for sending scathing e-mails in red letters, sees every shade of red when one of his men messes up publicly.
But, to borrow from Tony Soprano (who messed up a time or two himself), whaddaya gonna do? Athletes are human beings, and human beings make mistakes. You can’t monitor adults 24 hours a day. And even if you could, that wouldn’t be real discipline. Discipline is a personal thing. Discipline is what you do when nobody’s watching.
At such an ugly moment, it’s easy to portray an organization as ham-handed at best and disingenuous at worst: “Hey, Jonathan Babineaux played on Sunday after getting arrested on Thursday!” And I concede two arrests in the space of a month isn’t good in the best of times and looks exponentially worse when you’ve lost six of eight. But I reject the notion that these Falcons are flawed at the core.
I believe they’re an organization that has been embarrassed by two employees. (Neither of whom, we must stipulate, has been convicted of anything.) I also believe the values the Falcons claim to espouse are the values that will see them through this and any other tempests. Maybe that makes me a sap. But it’s how I feel.
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196 comments Add your comment
Herschel Talker
December 16th, 2009
8:20 pm
MB:
I’m a huge Falcons fan, but this nonsense about character is a facade and insults our intelligence. Otherwise Babineaux would have been sitting on Sunday. A complete disgrace that they put up with this behavior, and an even bigger disgrace that they think we’re stupid enough to fall for their “character” schtick.
john s.
December 16th, 2009
8:20 pm
bet i’m not first!
South Georgia Republican
December 16th, 2009
8:21 pm
First because no one else cares-
Herschel Talker
December 16th, 2009
8:21 pm
john s. –
Despite not being first, I still bet you’re a tool. Get a life.
Wooderson
December 16th, 2009
8:22 pm
Alright, alright, alright…
Fire them up boys and just chill out.
Party at the moon tower tonight…
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:23 pm
I believe the NFL’s agreement with its players association prevents a team from penalizing a player for being arrested.
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:24 pm
Otherwise the Bengals would have been down to six men a while back.
(Sorry. Easy joke.)
Falcons Go Home
December 16th, 2009
8:26 pm
Atlanta’s always been a minor league organization, with a bunch of players who act like they are in a rap song—smoking weed, getting arrested, hittin’ the clubs instead of preparing for games, etc. It will never change. And these guys get millions for mediocrity—absolutely amazing. I will not go back to watch these thugs.
haywood...
December 16th, 2009
8:26 pm
what exactly was the receivers arrest for?
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:28 pm
DUI and driving on a laned surface. I’m not entirely sure what that means.
haywood...
December 16th, 2009
8:32 pm
i missed that tidbit in the article. he probably won’t miss a game.
speaking of dui’s, do u think dunlap plays in the sugar bowl?
a disgrace if he does imo. college different than nfl.
Curious
December 16th, 2009
8:32 pm
If the Falcons truly value character, they would have shown some by giving a second chance to Michael Vick. Had they done so, think about where the team would be right now.
Maybe the hypocrisy explains Elam’s mechanical snafu, Weems tendency to drink and drive and Babineaux’s need to chill.
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:33 pm
I’d agree with that. There’s no players association in college football.
gatorboy
December 16th, 2009
8:33 pm
It would be acceptable for isolated incident, but going back to the Michael Vick era, Blank is willing to look the other way when his players transgress. As an owner, he should suspend, fine and even kick players off the team. Yes he can’t monitor men (I say boys) 24×7, but the penalty can be sereve enough to make one of them think twice.
haywood...
December 16th, 2009
8:35 pm
i can die happy now.
bradley commented to me 2 times in a 5 minute span
and he agrees with me.
there is a God.
RomeDawg
December 16th, 2009
8:38 pm
Dear Santa, (or Arthur)
I just want 2 winning seasons in a row! Let’s be rational, atleast Babs didn’t have meth and atleast Weems WAS on a laned surface.
Think Positive, Think Positive!
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:39 pm
Haywood, believe me: Hearing from me is no big deal. Ask the Bradley daughters.
john s.
December 16th, 2009
8:41 pm
ohhhh Herschel….you always waz a talker, yak yak yak yak
About police, atlanta falcons, marijuana, jonathan babineaux | Find me About
December 16th, 2009
8:45 pm
[...] At such an ugly moment, piling on comes easy. A team is losing. A team sees a defensive lineman and then a wide receiver arrested — actually, it was the other way around, but the Eric Weems arrest came to light only today — on charges involving …Read Original Story: And now another arrest: Are the Falcons falling apart or what? – Atlanta … [...]
Yunel Asscobar
December 16th, 2009
8:47 pm
Mark,
It’s really very simple. Organizations that truly want to change the culture [God knows that was needed within the Falcons] and lead with high character, integrity, etc., have to make hard decisions. You either talk a good game, or you demonstrate your commitment to the “talk” by taking the tough stand when necessary. Talk about it every day if you want, pay for billboards that promote, and say all the right stuff, but the proof is in the action that is taken. The fact that these two played Sunday speaks volumes. The actions tell us all we need to know. It’s not really about change and commitment to character; it’s about winning at all costs, overlooking the elements that contribute to the demise of team morale, chemistry, and unity.
haywood...
December 16th, 2009
8:48 pm
3 times! slim crowd tonite, mark.
i guess a reply from you tonite is kinda like
winning a tournament that tiger isn’t playing in.
oh well…thanks 2 u anyway.
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:48 pm
In other news, Tiger was voted the AP’s athlete of the decade today. Supply your own punch line.
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2009
8:49 pm
Here’s the thing, though: A pro team exists primarily to win. If it doesn’t, nobody will pay any attention to all its good works.
coach
December 16th, 2009
8:49 pm
i guess the train is about to wreck . i thought they got all the convicts off the team.we got a dog killer and the weed man for a defensive tackle, recievers drivin drunk, whats next a murderer atrhur blaNK U OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED AT WHAT THIS FRANCHISE HAS BECOME .
haywood...
December 16th, 2009
8:49 pm
…like what the AP should stand for!?
jim
December 16th, 2009
8:50 pm
Real world and real people folks. People drink and drive all the time. In fact, someone once told me there are only two kinds of people who drink and drive – those who have been caught and those who have not.
All of us know someone who has been busted and usually, they are overall good people. Piling on is easy and tacky too.
coach
December 16th, 2009
8:52 pm
cut ties with matt ryan , mike smith, dimitroff, bring back dan reeves , mike vick
what up chris?
December 16th, 2009
8:54 pm
u rhb.
Driver 8
December 16th, 2009
8:54 pm
We could probably lose 6 of 8 without these guys.
Imagine if Blank didn’t have his legendary Falcon Filter in place to weed (npi) out the bad apples…..
Meanwhile...Beelzebub is not on the roster
December 16th, 2009
8:54 pm
Not a good day for Weems. But at least the Falcons haven’t sold their soul to the devil for a return man, just to win a Super Bowl, like the Raiders did with Greg Pruitt in 1983. Leave it to the Raiders! LOL
Mark and the rest of you, I’m throwing out this challenge. If you can figure out why Greg Pruitt might be kin to old Beelzebub himself, that would truly be an impressive piece of detective work.
tmac
December 16th, 2009
8:55 pm
Character starts at the top. The players will get away with whatever they can…
Curious- The Falcons could not afford to give MV a 2nd chance and keep him on the team. You can’t pay a backup qb what he was making for 2 years while he’s in jail. Not to mention the PR hit MV caused A.Blank and the Falcons. I do believe they enabled MV with their “hands off and no consiquences approach” and they are headed in the same direction with SS Babs… Very frustrating as a Falcons fan.
jdub
December 16th, 2009
8:55 pm
“Curious” – In case you already forgot….
Vick gave a woman Herpes then publicaly (sp?) got treated under a false name, then he publicaly got busted with a marijuana-concealing fake water bottle, then he privately funded a ghetto fabulous dog fighting ring and decided he would kill a couple dogs to be extra “hard”, then he lied to the FEDS and the Owner who treated him like one of his own sons, and who gave him $70 MILLION!?!?
Yeah, guess you’re right…he DESERVED a second chance…..he only effed up, uh, how many times.
Oh yeah, forgot one – he decided to give his own fans the finger after one of his slacker BS performances.
I’m curious as to why you don’t follow you hero to Philly, Azzhole.
I’m guessing if he was here right now, we would still have Petrino as our coach and D-Hall and Vick would have turned the rest of our young guys into slackers who think they can get by on their “god-given talent” and their wannabe gangster atitudes.
I don’t care if we have a losing record again next year too – as long as we don’t have “fans” like you who think Blank dick*d Vick. Stay away from the Falcons so real fans can cheer for professional athletes who like to earn their living and consider it a privelage to make millions while firefighters and teachers barely make minimum wage.
I agree Mark – our team is headed in a much better direction!
RomeDawg
December 16th, 2009
8:56 pm
Am I the only one who expects this from pro atheletes? A pro athelete that smokes pot or cheats on his wife just seems common place. I don’t agree, but that is just a fact. I ain’t sayin’ they are all bad but I don’t want my kid to idolize pro atheletes. Most have been handed everything in life and don’t seem to understand or care about consiquinces. I watch pro sports to seem my team win and I have learned to expect VERY little in terms of character.
Old Falcon
December 16th, 2009
8:56 pm
I agree with Mark. This season is in the toilet, but I believe the organization is going in the right direction. Arthur Blank is no Rankin Smith. Blank gets the best person for the job. If that person is not, he lets them go or moves them. Rich McKay was not a good player personnel director. He is out of that position. Demetrof is doing that now. We are not going to the play-offs this year, but the sky is not falling.
And now another arrest: Are the Falcons falling apart? | Mark Bradley | NFL Topics Blog
December 16th, 2009
8:57 pm
[...] NFL.com Staff wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMark Bradley of the AJC rejects the notion that the Atlanta Falcons, who have had two players arrested in a month, are falling apart on and off the field. [...]
Gdawg 84
December 16th, 2009
8:57 pm
A laned surface is the proposition that all publicity, no matter how bad, is great news for UT.
old coach
December 16th, 2009
9:01 pm
Coach…. Yes bring back Vick? You must have lost what little mind you ever had! The ones you want to run off are building a TEAM here not a bunch of I,ME,MY,players. Give these men a couple of years. You do not build a pro team in one or two years. Have a clue!!!
Yunel Asscobar
December 16th, 2009
9:01 pm
The pro team exists primarily to win…and to become an asset to the community. Civic pride and the cool vibe around a team so also important. I would argue [and pay money to support] that a team filled with genuinely solid citizens adds more value to the community, than a team that wins more but is filled w/trouble-makers. In addition, the chemistry w/in teams filled with high character guys is a huge intangible, allowing them to achieve more than a team w/greater talent, but less character. I’m probably in the minority, but have not watched nor attended an NBA game since Iverson’s first stint with Philly. Compare him, to the truly greats of the game…Russell, Havlicek, Duncan, et al. The guys you’re writing about have put themselves and their interests ahead of the team and ahead of the game.
haywood...
December 16th, 2009
9:02 pm
no charges filed in the henry accident?
how bout driving enough like an idiot that he gets
thrown from the vehicle
and not stopping or returning after he obviously does
fall out.
kinda like a hit and run only throwing, not hitting.
am i missing something? how can those 2 things not
be considered crimes?
he was later found in the street, perhaps left to die as
far as that “girlfriend” knew!!
tmac
December 16th, 2009
9:04 pm
Jdub- don’t forget getting caught by the feds for smoking weed after they told him not to do anything wrong while waiting sentencing.
That must have been the federal gov’t fault. lol
willie martinez
December 16th, 2009
9:07 pm
all i ever hear mark is haywood.
old coach
December 16th, 2009
9:07 pm
I just love all the 2nd chance for Vick folks!! How about 10 or 12 chances he had in Atlanta and NEVER learned.
kettle
December 16th, 2009
9:09 pm
willie, willie, willie.
kind of like the pot…
jim
December 16th, 2009
9:11 pm
RomeDawg, You have hit it exactly on the head. People looking at these guys to be “role models” are crazy. They are entitled entertainers, nothing more and nothing less. Sit back, be entertained, and keep expectations at a minimum.. Nuff said
willie martinez
December 16th, 2009
9:11 pm
be warned kettle, do not test my mettle
jdub
December 16th, 2009
9:12 pm
haywood-
i thought the same thing…wtf? But then I thought – what if she was scared for her life and he was trying to bust her up? Then its self-defense so far until they find otherwise. But leaving him behind in the street?…..thats cold.
tmac-
Thanks, yeah I forgot about being so stupid he puffed down while waiting to go to trial…..but hey, he probably thought his “god-given talent” would keep him from being caught.
k483
December 16th, 2009
9:13 pm
I believe the harder of punishments will be at the end of the season, when they are cut loose by the organization over this. They would much rather sit out a game or two.
willie martinez
December 16th, 2009
9:13 pm
norm van brocklin would have known how to handle these little episodes.
coach
December 16th, 2009
9:16 pm
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY NEED TO MOVE THE TEAM HEADQUARTERS DOWNTOWN AND GET OUT OG GWINNETT THERE IS A LOT OF RACIAL PROFILING IN THE AREA. THE PLAYERS STAND OUT IN THAT AREA AND THEY ARE A TARGET
Matt "Choke" Ryan
December 16th, 2009
9:16 pm
BRADLEY
Of course you would say no, afterall you stated the CHOKE is the “BEST” rookie qb of all time, although he CHOKED in the playoffs.
Your constant denial is no surprise