Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

[RuthlessBurgher]

[url]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4579393[/url]

Updated: October 20, 2009, 2:50 PM ET

Agent says Reed didn't resist arrest

ESPN.com news services

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says kicker Jeff Reed will play in Sunday's home game against the Minnesota Vikings despite a recent brush with the law.

Reed is charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness for allegedly scuffling with Pittsburgh police outside a bar near Heinz Field in the hours after Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns.

Police were citing Reed's teammate Matt Spaeth for allegedly urinating outside the bar when Reed intervened. Police say Reed took a "fighting stance" and challenged the officers.

Reed is expected to receive a court summons in the mail.

Police say Reed took a "fighting stance" when officers arrived, and became unruly when police tried to restrain him. But the kicker's agent, Don Henderson, said Reed didn't raise his fists in front of police.

Henderson denied that allegation in comments to Pittsburgh media outlets Monday, but declined to elaborate when asked about it by The Associated Press.

"We're contesting it," Henderson told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It involved somebody else on the team, [Reed] got out to try to help and basically got attacked by the police. He was with his parents. He got out and tried to help and evidently they didn't want to hear that. ... It was somebody else trying to do something and Jeff ended up getting slammed in the middle."

This is Reed's second brush with the law this year.

He paid $543 in fines and restitution after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal mischief for damaging a paper towel dispenser in a convenience store bathroom in New Alexandria in February.

"He may try to talk him to death, but he's not going to try to hit him," Henderson said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "That's just not his personality at all. He's about as nonconfrontational a person I know."

The Associated Press could not immediately locate Spaeth's agent for comment Tuesday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[steelblood]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Tomlin has to start reed. If he doesn't he'll have to cut someone to make room for another kicker. Punishing another player to sit Reed is silly.

[Ghost]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

What about his lost security clearance?

[eniparadoxgma]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Non-confrontational, eh?

Tell that to that poor paper towel dispenser.

[proudpittsburgher]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Honestly, this is a much different story than what we heard originally. That being said, I know we have to look at the source, which is Skippy's agent. Either way, I wish some of these guys would just go home and read a friggen book by the fire after a game. Or something, anything. Watch porn on skinamax, I don't care, just don't jeopardize the rest of the team by actign like an idiot.

[JTP53609]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Honestly, this is a much different story than what we heard originally. That being said, I know we have to look at the source, which is Skippy's agent. Either way, I wish some of these guys would just go home and read a friggen book by the fire after a game. Or something, anything. Watch porn on skinamax, I don't care, just don't jeopardize the rest of the team by actign like an idiot.

...i know i lead a boring life, work, coach and my wife and i go crazy by going out to eat every saturday night after church,...i am not asking them to live the life i do, but have some common sense, go out and have a good time but dont be dumb and confront police, when i see those players get in trouble at night clubs, half the time it is at 4 in the morning or some kind of ridiculous time, go home at a reasonable time. it gets annoying when i see players get arrested, or even shot and it happens at 5 in the morning, some need to just grow up and stop acting like they are invincible....

[Oviedo]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Tomlin has to start reed. If he doesn't he'll have to cut someone to make room for another kicker. Punishing another player to sit Reed is silly.

It sucks he is a "specialist" and he is in a one deep position on the team because I would love to see him benched.

However, punishing another player by releasing him because of Reed may make that player so angry he might beat the living crap out of Reed and that would be well worth it.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Honestly, this is a much different story than what we heard originally. That being said, I know we have to look at the source, which is Skippy's agent. Either way, I wish some of these guys would just go home and read a friggen book by the fire after a game. Or something, anything. Watch porn on skinamax, I don't care, just don't jeopardize the rest of the team by actign like an idiot.

...i know i lead a boring life, work, coach and my wife and i go crazy by going out to eat every saturday night after church,...i am not asking them to live the life i do, but have some common sense, go out and have a good time but dont be dumb and confront police, when i see those players get in trouble at night clubs, half the time it is at 4 in the morning or some kind of ridiculous time, go home at a reasonable time. it gets annoying when i see players get arrested, or even shot and it happens at 5 in the morning, some need to just grow up and stop acting like they are invincible....

Yeah, so this taking place at 9:00 p.m., with Reed's parents in the car, makes it seem all the more strange.

[JTP53609]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Honestly, this is a much different story than what we heard originally. That being said, I know we have to look at the source, which is Skippy's agent. Either way, I wish some of these guys would just go home and read a friggen book by the fire after a game. Or something, anything. Watch porn on skinamax, I don't care, just don't jeopardize the rest of the team by actign like an idiot.

...i know i lead a boring life, work, coach and my wife and i go crazy by going out to eat every saturday night after church,...i am not asking them to live the life i do, but have some common sense, go out and have a good time but dont be dumb and confront police, when i see those players get in trouble at night clubs, half the time it is at 4 in the morning or some kind of ridiculous time, go home at a reasonable time. it gets annoying when i see players get arrested, or even shot and it happens at 5 in the morning, some need to just grow up and stop acting like they are invincible....

Yeah, so this taking place at 9:00 p.m., with Reed's parents in the car, makes it seem all the more strange.

i was ranting and raving over something that delt nothing with reed, reed just has no common sense as we all have found out the past few months....he could get drunk at 9 at night or 4 in the morning and he would still be a skippy the drunky

[rpmpit]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Tomlin has to start reed. If he doesn't he'll have to cut someone to make room for another kicker. Punishing another player to sit Reed is silly.

It sucks he is a "specialist" and he is in a one deep position on the team because I would love to see him benched.

However, punishing another player by releasing him because of Reed may make that player so angry he might beat the living crap out of Reed and that would be well worth it.

Good point. Cut Silverback

[anger 82&95]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Could someone please indulge me with a definitive description of what is meant by the term “fighting stance?” If Reed squared off in a martial arts stance against armed police personnel he is either a ridiculous drunk, a complete imbecile, or both.

[proudpittsburgher]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Could someone please indulge me with a definitive description of what is meant by the term “fighting stance?” If Reed squared off in a martial arts stance against armed police personnel he is either a ridiculous drunk, a complete imbecile, or both.

I am sure the truth lies somewhere between the two stories. But with Skippy, I am leaning a little more toward the police officers than I am him. It's about credibility, and Skippy has done his best to lose whatever credibility he has. Is it fair to think this way, probably not, but Skippy created this persona, now he gets to live with it. I still think he needs to have the C taken off his jersey. Don't tell him, just take it off and hang it back in his locker. Let it resonate with him. If it doesn't change anything, well, then we just have to part ways with a guy who is an assett to us. It's unfortunate, but if you start putting up with this crap , you open up a pandoras box, and end up like the Bengals.

[anger 82&95]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Could someone please indulge me with a definitive description of what is meant by the term “fighting stance?” If Reed squared off in a martial arts stance against armed police personnel he is either a ridiculous drunk, a complete imbecile, or both.

I am sure the truth lies somewhere between the two stories. But with Skippy, I am leaning a little more toward the police officers than I am him. It's about credibility, and Skippy has done his best to lose whatever credibility he has. Is it fair to think this way, probably not, but Skippy created this persona, now he gets to live with it. I still think he needs to have the C taken off his jersey. Don't tell him, just take it off and hang it back in his locker. Let it resonate with him. If it doesn't change anything, well, then we just have to part ways with a guy who is an assett to us. It's unfortunate, but if you start putting up with this crap , you open up a pandoras box, and end up like the Bengals.

I’m not sure how such matters are handled in Pittsburgh, but in Southern California squaring off against the police will typically gain you a quick introduction to a nightstick followed up with a healthy dose of pepper spray.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Could someone please indulge me with a definitive description of what is meant by the term “fighting stance?” If Reed squared off in a martial arts stance against armed police personnel he is either a ridiculous drunk, a complete imbecile, or both.

I am sure the truth lies somewhere between the two stories. But with Skippy, I am leaning a little more toward the police officers than I am him. It's about credibility, and Skippy has done his best to lose whatever credibility he has. Is it fair to think this way, probably not, but Skippy created this persona, now he gets to live with it. I still think he needs to have the C taken off his jersey. Don't tell him, just take it off and hang it back in his locker. Let it resonate with him. If it doesn't change anything, well, then we just have to part ways with a guy who is an assett to us. It's unfortunate, but if you start putting up with this crap , you open up a pandoras box, and end up like the Bengals.

That will be difficult to do, since the Steelers do not actually use the "C" patch on their jerseys to signify which players are the captains. Although we all know that the captains are Ben, Hines, Farrior, Harrison, Reed, and Fox, none of those guys wear a special patch like many other teams use.

[rpmpit]

Re: Tomlin says kicker Reed will start despite arrest

Could someone please indulge me with a definitive description of what is meant by the term “fighting stance?” If Reed squared off in a martial arts stance against armed police personnel he is either a ridiculous drunk, a complete imbecile, or both.