Aaron Hernandez WTF?

[Shoe]

Why does a guy who just signed a $40M contract have 3 rental cars out in his name? Some of this stuff just sounds bizarre.

What seems damning is him:
-getting rid of the surveillance video at his home, for that time period
-physically destroying his cell phone
-hiring a cleaning service following the weekend

I have very little faith in our justice system, but if this guy is able to get off just even knowing those circumstantial bits... I would be amazed.

As it relates to the Cheats*, I agree that this is big news. Gronk has had like 5 surgeries already, and this is after a college career that he was always hurt. I think we've seen the best of him (though he could still probably be a solid veteran type--Jeremy Shockey). Without the TE dimension that these two brought, losing Wes Welker... I mean, Belichick* is certainly going to have to resort to his own "genius" (get the secret taping program back in full effect) to get beyond this.

[feltdizz]

What seems damning is him:
-getting rid of the surveillance video at his home, for that time period
-physically destroying his cell phone
-hiring a cleaning service following the weekend

I have very little faith in our justice system, but if this guy is able to get off just even knowing those circumstantial bits... I would be amazed.

As it relates to the Cheats*, I agree that this is big news. Gronk has had like 5 surgeries already, and this is after a college career that he was always hurt. I think we've seen the best of him (though he could still probably be a solid veteran type--Jeremy Shockey). Without the TE dimension that these two brought, losing Wes Welker... I mean, Belichick* is certainly going to have to resort to his own "genius" (get the secret taping program back in full effect) to get beyond this.

Those 3 things make it look like he was the ring leader of a sloppy set up.

[DukieBoy]

Tebow was his college teammate. Wonder if he was involved in someone. None of this started until the Pats signed Tebow afterall. Or maybe Tebow's done being Mr Nice Guy and framed him to take out his competition?

It's like Tebow going all Lindsey Lohan in "Mean Girls".

[flippy]

It's like Tebow going all Lindsey Lohan in "Mean Girls".

Never saw mean girls, but I can definitely see potential similarities between Tebow and LL.

[Oviedo]

If Ben had sent a clean up crew into the bathroom in Georgia, stole the bar's surveillance tapes and destroyed his phone what do you think we would be hearing on ESPN and the NFL Network?

Kraft has ESPN and Goodell in his back pocket and they will make this back page news as fast as they can.

[flippy]

If Ben had sent a clean up crew into the bathroom in Georgia, stole the bar's surveillance tapes and destroyed his phone what do you think we would be hearing on ESPN and the NFL Network?

Kraft has ESPN and Goodell in his back pocket and they will make this back page news as fast as they can.

I've heard this is all over the news in Boston even with the Bruins in the Stnaley Cup. I've heard more about it lately. I suspect people would care if it was Tom Brady.

This guy isn't even their #1 TE. It would be about as newsworthy as Matt Spaeth killing someone.

[Vader]

I've heard this is all over the news in Boston even with the Bruins in the Stnaley Cup. I've heard more about it lately. I suspect people would care if it was Tom Brady.

This guy isn't even their #1 TE. It would be about as newsworthy as Matt Spaeth killing someone.

Totally different than Spaeth in Pittsburgh. Hernandez isn't just their #2 TE. He has more than doubled Spaeth's TDs in just 3 years. Spaeth has been playing for 6 years and Hernandez has 5 TIMES more yards. Also the Steelers don't use the TE very often. So their #2 is nothing more than another OL on the line. Spaeth is a nobody here and I'm not sure he is even the #2 TE. Still Hernandez and Gronk allowed the pats* to totally change their offense. They are TE centered. The Steelers aren't.

[Captain Lemming]

If Ben had sent a clean up crew into the bathroom in Georgia, stole the bar's surveillance tapes and destroyed his phone what do you think we would be hearing on ESPN and the NFL Network?

Kraft has ESPN and Goodell in his back pocket and they will make this back page news as fast as they can.

What are you talking about?
This story is everywhere.
It was yesterday too when you posted.

Look at earlier posts on this very thread.

And it ain't gonna go away.

ESPN, NFL network, heck regular network news.

[fordfixer]

hernandez could face suspension

[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/new-england-patriots-aaron-hernandez-could-be-suspended-nfl-conduct-standards-062113[/url]

Roger Goodell is expected to meet with Aaron Hernandez as the legal process unfolds.






UPDATED JUN 21, 2013 6:43 PM ET

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez may soon be facing criminal charges stemming from his potential involvement in a recent Massachusetts homicide.


He will probably have a date in Judge Roger’s courtroom, too.


Multiple media outlets reported Friday morning that a warrant was issued for Hernandez’s arrest on an obstruction-of-justice charge related to the unsolved Monday shooting death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd. The Boston Globe subsequently quoted anonymous law-enforcement sources claiming that no warrant was issued but that an arrest could still happen.


As the legal process unfolds and more information is made public, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to meet with Hernandez to discuss the situation.


Goodell has the right to suspend Hernandez under the NFL’s personal conduct policy even if the 23-year-old is never charged with a crime or charges filed against him are later dropped. The former happened in 2010 with Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was accused of sexual assault by a 20-year-old female in Milledgeville, Ga.


Although police never charged him with a crime, Roethlisberger was still suspended six games under Goodell’s premise that the quarterback endangered underage college students by purchasing alcohol for them and damaged the NFL’s reputation with the attention drawn to the incident.


Goodell also ordered Roethlisberger to “undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation by medical professionals” for clearance to return. Roethlisberger complied, and the suspension was reduced to four games.




HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION
Police have been searching Aaron Hernandez's house and surrounding areas.
“There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk,” Goodell wrote in his suspension letter to Roethlisberger. “The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline ‘even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime.’ ”


Such punishment usually isn’t levied against a player such as Hernandez who would be considered a “first-time offender” under the policy or before legal proceedings are completed. However, the rules Goodell instituted in 2006 give him that broad leeway.


Per the policy, Goodell may believe that the “available facts clearly indicate egregious circumstances, significant bodily harm or risk to third parties, or an immediate and substantial risk to the integrity and reputation of the NFL.”


Hernandez could appeal any potential suspension, but such a plea may very well be heard by Goodell himself. The NFL Players Association agreed to continue giving Goodell such wide-ranging authority when negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in 2006. Goodell also could recuse himself from hearing the appeal and give the assignment to another league official as he did with the New Orleans Saints bounty case in 2012.


Hernandez signed a seven-year, $41.2 million contract extension in 2012 that included a $12.5 million signing bonus. With a 2013 base salary of $1.323 million, Hernandez would lose $77,823.53 for each game he was suspended based upon the NFL’s 17-week regular season.


Police are investigating whether Hernandez and several associates are connected to Lloyd’s death. The Boston Globe reported that there is video surveillance footage of Hernandez and Lloyd together from the night of the latter’s death. ABC News reported that Hernandez destroyed his cell phone and home surveillance system and hired a cleaning crew to scrub the residence. Hernandez reportedly hasn’t cooperated with police and has hired an attorney.


Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski have become the NFL’s best young pair of tight ends since being drafted by the Patriots in 2010. Despite the fact Hernandez won the 2009 Mackey Award annually given to college football’s top tight end, it’s widely believed he slipped into the fourth round because of off-field character concerns.


The Patriots may be without both Hernandez and Gronkowski to open the regular season. Gronkowski is expected to enter training camp on the physically unable to perform list following last week’s back surgery.

[flippy]

As the legal process unfolds and more information is made public, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to meet with Hernandez to discuss the situation.

The legal process hasn't slowed down Goodell in the past. Goodell should treat him as though he shot 2 people and suspend him for life.

[Big Ern McCracken]

Could this mean Tebow at TE in 2013?

[MeetJoeGreene]

Goodell also could recuse himself from hearing the appeal and give the assignment to another league official as he did with the New Orleans Saints bounty case in 2012.

.. there is the rub.. Kraft will hear the case!

[fordfixer]

UPDATED JUN 22, 2013 3:24 PM ET

[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/new-england-patriots-aaron-hernandez-arrest-warrant-issued-homicide-investigation-062113[/url]

A day after conflicting stories regarding whether an arrest warrant was issued for Aaron Hernandez for possibly obstructing justice in a homicide investigation, police returned to the Patriots tight end's home in North Attleboro, Mass., the New York Daily News reported.
Police showed up Saturday with two search dogs shortly before 2 p.m. ET, the report said.


The report went on to say that detectives have been combing through a large playhouse in Hernandez's backyard.


In addition, ABC News is reporting that an arrest warrant has been drawn up on obstruction of justice charges but has not yet been issued by the court.


Police are also searching a wooded area near Hernandez’s house, according to Nick Underhill from MassLive.com.







OTHER DEVELOPMENTS


• One endorsement partner has decided to part ways with the Patriots tight end. Hernandez signed a deal in August with Cytosport, which makes Muscle Milk.


“In light of the investigation involving Aaron Hernandez, CytoSport is terminating its endorsement contract with Mr. Hernandez, effective immediately,” a company spokesperson wrote in an email Friday.


• Hernandez tried to work out at Gillette Stadium on Thursday but was turned away by team staff, the Boston Herald reported.


• According to WBZ-TV, Hernandez hired the Boston law firm of Ropes and Gray.


Michael Fee, an attorney at Ropes and Gray, released a statement to the station on Wednesday.


“It has been widely reported in the media that the state police have searched the home of our client, Aaron Hernandez, as part of an ongoing investigation,” it read. “Out of respect for that process, neither we nor Aaron will have any comment about the substance of that investigation until it has come to a conclusion.”


• A law-enforcement official told FOX 25 that Hernandez left a Boston bar in a car with Lloyd and two other men in the hours that preceded the body’s discovery. The source told FOX 25 that Lloyd sent a text that referenced Hernandez. Three men returned to Hernandez’s home, but Lloyd was not one of them, the source told FOX 25. It’s unclear what transpired in the time between. Lloyd’s body was found near Hernandez’s home on Monday.


• ABC reports that video surveillance from Hernandez's neighborhood has been found that shows Hernandez with Odin Lloyd and two others only hours before Lloyd's body was found.


• Thomas Moore, the manager of Rumor nightclub in Boston, told the Boston Herald that Hernandez and Lloyd were at Rumor together last Friday. Hernandez and Lloyd sat together in a VIP section at a roped-off table with several other people.


• Police searched Hernandez’s home for a second day Wednesday. Hernandez was questioned by police on Monday night, SI.com reported.


• A lawsuit has been refiled in federal court in Florida in which a man alleges that Hernandez shot him in the face and caused numerous injuries which required facial reconstruction surgery. The lawsuit was originally filed June 13, but four days later, the case was dismissed because of a paperwork error, according to TMZ.


According to an AP report on Thursday, the lawsuit has been refiled. In it, Alexander Bradley claims that he and Hernandez were with a group in February at Tootsie's club in Miami when the two got into an argument. Later, as they were driving to Palm Beach County, Bradley claims Hernandez shot him with a handgun, causing him to lose his right eye. USA Today is reporting, citing a police spokeswoman, that Palm Beach County police will not be investigating if Hernandez was involved in a February shooting without the cooperation of the alleged victim. The case case could be reopened if Bradley contacted the sheriff's violent crime unit.


• Bristol District Attorney Samuel Sutter's office said investigators were asking for the public's help to find a silver mirror cover believed to have broken off a car between Boston and North Attleborough. According to the Attleborough Sun Chronicle, Massachusetts state police are looking for another rental car in connection with the homicide investigation, a silver 2013 Chrysler 300.


• FOX 25 reported that on Tuesday police stopped two men who attempted to leave Hernandez's property. According to FOX 25, both men were seen later entering the local police station in North Attleboro and were later released. One of the men taken in told a FOX 25 reporter that police had confiscated his phone, and also said he knew nothing about the reported victim.




Members of the Massachusetts State Police walk toward the front door of the home of Patriot's tight end Aaron Hernandez in North Attleborough, Mass., on Wednesday.
Erika Niedowski
• WBZ-TV Boston has also reported “a neighbor of Odin’s told WBZ they had seen Hernandez in the neighborhood and that Odin dated the sister of Hernandez’s girlfriend.” ABC News later reported that Hernandez shares his home with his girlfriend Shayanna Jenkins, who is the mother of his infant daughter and that her sister, Shanea Jenkins, dated Odin.


EARLIER …


• Lloyd's mother, Ursula Ward, said police told her the body was that of her son. "My son is a wonderful child," she said, crying as she spoke outside the family's home in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. "He's a family guy. He hasn't done anything to hurt anyone."


• Tuesday night, police spent hours at Hernandez’s house as another group of officers searched an industrial park where the body was found Monday. According to FOX 25, some authorities walked around Hernandez's driveway and in the garage with flashlights. Before wrapping up their work for the night, one officer took a box out of the massive house. Later Wednesday, at least seven state troopers searched both sides of a road just off the street where Hernandez lives. The officers used thin poles to pull back plants and search through undergrowth along the road.


• Sports Illustrated reported that the original link between Hernandez and the case was a rented Chevrolet Suburban with Rhode Island plates that police had been searching for.


• Hernandez is represented by the Athletes First agency, which said it has no comment "on the Aaron Hernandez situation." His mother said by phone from Connecticut on Tuesday she had no knowledge of a case involving him. "I am aware of the reports, but I do not anticipate that we will be commenting publicly during an ongoing police investigation," Stacey James said.


BACKGROUND


• North Attleborough is south of Boston on the Rhode Island state line, not far from the Patriots' stadium in Foxboro.




FALLS FROM GRACE
Some sports icons were on top of the world until they lost respect with these epic falls from grace.
• The Patriots drafted Hernandez out of Florida in 2010. Since then, he has combined with Rob Gronkowski to form one of the top tight end duos in the NFL.


• In 38 games, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound Hernandez has 175 receptions for 1,956 yards and 18 touchdowns. He missed 10 games last season with an ankle injury and had shoulder surgery in April, but is expected to be healthy for training camp. The Patriots have not said which shoulder was operated on.


• Last summer, the Patriots gave Hernandez a five-year contract. It was worth $40 million, according to reports, and came just months after the team locked up Gronkowski through 2019

[fordfixer]

Patriots have lost their 'Way'

[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-latest-proof-new-england-patriots-have-lost-their-way-bill-belichick-chad-johnson-albert-haynesworth-062113[/url]


UPDATED JUN 22, 2013 12:11 PM ET

Before the New England Patriots won what would be the second of three Super Bowl titles in a four-season span, then-player personnel director Scott Pioli shed some light on how the franchise assembled its roster.






“The things that people refer to as intangibles we do not see as intangible at all,” Pioli told the media prior to New England's 32-29 victory over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII, back in 2004.


“A player’s makeup, his character, integrity, leadership — all those things are very tangible. And they have a say in how we try to build our football team.”


Such a philosophy became known as the Patriot Way.


Almost a decade later, the Patriots have lost their way.


The latest reason to question some of the personnel decisions made in recent years by head coach Bill Belichick: Tight end Aaron Hernandez’s potential involvement in a recent Massachusetts homicide case.


Not that Belichick or the Patriots need apologize for one of the most impressive stretches in NFL history. The results speak for themselves.


New England has won at least 10 games for 10 consecutive seasons. Along the way, the Patriots have played in five Super Bowls and won three of them. They reached two other AFC Championship Games, including last season’s 28-13 home loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore.




HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION
Police have been searching Aaron Hernandez's house and surrounding areas. See Photos.
Yet there was a time when it seemed New England owner Robert Kraft might need to build an extension onto Patriot Place to fit more Lombardi Trophies. Instead, six other franchises — the New York Giants (twice), Pittsburgh (twice), Baltimore, Green Bay, New Orleans and Indianapolis — have captured titles since the Patriots defeated Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.


There is no single factor to explain why the Patriots have fallen short. Some years there were better teams. Tom Brady missed almost the entire 2008 season with a knee injury. Star tight end Rob Gronkowski was gimpy in Super Bowl XLVI.


Pure luck plays a role, too. With a couple of breaks here and there, Brady could have enough rings for both hands.


One of the reasons he doesn’t: The quality of Brady’s supporting cast has gradually diminished. His quarterbacking prowess and the outstanding coaching of Belichick and his staff has largely helped the Patriots overcome the drop in talent.


Trying to compensate for that dip, Belichick has proved more willing in recent years to gamble on players with character issues after finding earlier success with wide receiver Randy Moss and running back Corey Dillon.


Obviously, not every NFL player will have the choir-boy image of Tim Tebow (who, ironically, may end up helping the Patriots weather the likely loss of Hernandez if Tebow converts from quarterback to tight end). But Belichick’s belief that some leopards can change their spots has created its own set of headaches and bad publicity even as the majority of Patriots have steered clear of legal trouble and bad decisions.




* The Patriots dealt draft choices for wide receiver Chad Johnson and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in 2011 after bad behavior with their prior teams got them placed on the trading block. Neither caused problems in New England, but both were major flops.


* New England made cornerback Alfonzo Dennard a 2012 seventh-round choice despite a predraft felony arrest on charges he assaulted a police officer. Dennard recently was sentenced to 30 days in jail following the 2013 season and two years probation.


* The Patriots used three picks in 2009 and 2010 on players who reportedly failed college drug tests — Hernandez, linebacker Brandon Spikes and wide receiver Brandon Tate.


Tate was waived in 2011 and now plays for Cincinnati. Spikes and linebacker-defensive lineman Jermaine Cunningham, another 2010 second-round selection, both have served four-game NFL suspensions after testing positive for banned performance-enhancing substances.


As for Hernandez, his recent troubles have been well documented.


* The Patriots traded with Tampa Bay last October for cornerback Aqib Talib, who served a four-game suspension earlier in the season for a PED violation. Talib served a one-game suspension in 2010 for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy after being arrested for simple battery and resisting arrest the previous season.




* Tampa Bay also sent running back LaGarrette Blount to New England in April. Blount served a 10-game suspension while at the University of Oregon after sucker-punching a Boise State football player in the face.


The current situation with Hernandez stings the most. The Patriots were so confident Hernandez had moved beyond the college character concerns that caused his fourth-round slide in the 2010 draft that he was given a seven-year, $41.2 million contract extension with a $12.5 million signing bonus during the 2012 offseason.


As much as New England’s prosperity during its run of three Super Bowl wins bred contempt among opposing teams and fans, the professionalism of Patriots players was respected. The 2003 roster featured 35 players with college degrees, the NFL’s second-highest total behind Carolina (42) and Indianapolis (37). The Patriots were considered as smart as they were athletically talented. It showed on the field.


Why did this start to change?


Maybe it was Pioli’s departure to Kansas City in 2009. There was a mutual respect between Pioli and Belichick that generated give-and-take and sometimes saved the franchise from taking what later proved to be regrettable risks. Belichick, who has final say on all personnel moves, might not be receiving enough pushback from his current front-office members to avoid making these types of mistakes.


Maybe Belichick placed too much faith in the predraft feedback of friend Urban Meyer. Belichick selected five University of Florida players from when Meyer was the Gators’ head coach. Hernandez, Spikes and Cunningham are three of them.



TROUBLE WITH THE LAW
Several NFL players have been arrested in the offseason. Take a peek at who made the list.
Wide receiver Chad Jackson, a 2006 second-round pick, was a bust. Belichick also cut 2006 seventh-round pick Jeremy Mincey, who has started every game in Jacksonville at defensive end the past two seasons.


Maybe it was just bad luck and can come with the territory when trying to nab a bargain.


There is no guessing about what must come next in New England. Belichick needs to take a long look at the kinds of people he is bringing into the franchise. The integrity that Pioli spoke about must begin to carry more weight again.


Better character on the roster doesn’t guarantee Belichick and Brady will win another Super Bowl before they retire. But with what is transpiring in New England, it sure wouldn’t hurt.

[flippy]

detectives have been combing through a large playhouse in Hernandez's backyard.

His kid is now a suspect?