Hawkins said he should not have to apologize for wearing a T-shirt that asked for justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford. "A call for justice shouldn't offend or disrespect anybody," Hawkins said. "A call for justice shouldn't warrant an apology." Hawkins wore the T-shirt during pregame introductions of the Browns' 30-0 loss to the Bengals. On the front it read: "Justice for Tamir Rice - John Crawford." On the back it read: "The Real Battle of Ohio."
Rice was a 12-year-old boy killed by Cleveland police in November as he was carrying an air gun in a public park; the coroner ruled Rice's death a homicide. Crawford was shot and killed in a Wal-Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, in August as he carried an air gun he found in the store. The head of the Cleveland Police Union called Hawkins' action "pathetic" and asked for an apology. Hawkins addressed the media without notes for 6 minutes and 11 seconds. He spoke without taking questions, out of consideration, he said, for the "predicament" that the Browns were in. He spoke directly, and as he talked about his 2-year-old son Austin, he spoke emotionally. "As you all know," Hawkins said, "and it's well documented, I have a 2-year-old little boy. That little boy is my entire world. The No. 1 reason for me wearing the T-shirt was the thought of what happened to Tamir Rice happening to my little Austin scares the living hell out of me."
As he spoke, Hawkins' voice broke more and more. "And my heart was broken for the parents of Tamir Rice and John Crawford, knowing they had to live that nightmare of a reality," he said. "So like I said, I made the conscious decision to wear the T-shirt. I felt like my heart was in the right place. I'm at peace with it. And those who disagree with me, this is America. That's the point. Everyone has the right to their First Amendment rights." Hawkins began by saying justice is "a right that every American should have, and also justice should be the goal for every American." "Ultimately," he said, "it means fair treatment." He stressed his T-shirt was not directed at every police officer.
"I utterly respect and appreciate every police office that protects and serves all of us with honesty, integrity and acts the right way," he said. "And I don't think those kind of officers should be offended by what I did." He said his stance was against "wrong individuals doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons to innocent people" and those who should be offended by his shirt are those who "would assume the worst in me without knowing anything about me for reasons I can't control."
WARRIORS over PELICANS 128 to 122
BULLS over HEAT 93 to 75
WIZARDS over JAZZ 93 to 84
LAKERS over TIMBERWOLVES 100 to 94
THUNDER over SUNS 112 to 88
RAPTORS over KNICKS 95 to 90
SPURS over NUGGETS 99 to 91
WARRIORS over MAVERICKS 105 to 98
NETS over HORNETS 114 to 87
TRAIL BLAZERS over PACERS 95 to 85
MAGIC over HAWKS 100 to 99
BUCKS over CLIPPERS 111 to 106
GRIZZLIES over 76ERS 120 to 115
ROCKETS over NUGGETS 108 to 96
PISTONS over KINGS 95 to 90
Trevathan's star-crossed season is over after he suffered a dislocated left kneecap in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win. Trevathan has suffered two separate fractures in the same leg already this season. As a result of the previous injuries, Sunday's game was just Trevathan's third of the season. "This game is tough, Danny has had a rough season with his knee issues,'' said Broncos head coach John Fox Monday.”Sometimes setbacks are set-ups for better things to come, that will be his mindset as he gets ready for surgery and pretty strenuous rehab to come back. We feel like he'll do a great job.''
Marshall suffered a left foot sprain in the second quarter of the game and left Qualcomm Stadium with a walking boot on the injured foot. Marshall is the team's leading tackler and has been the every down linebacker since Trevathan suffered his first leg fracture, at the top of his tibia, in training camp.
After Marshall and Trevathan left the game, it was Davis who stayed in the lineup as an every-down linebacker, playing in all of the personnel groupings to close out the game. The Broncos spent most of the remainder of the game, after Trevathan's injury, in their specialty packages as the Chargers were in a pass-first mode. When the Broncos were in some of their six defensive back looks, Davis was the only linebacker in the formation. "I just wanted to bring something to the team any way I could,'' Davis said. “I like to stay in my playbook a lot, I got a lot of help from my coaches trying to get me ready, trying to get me prepared.''
Get Your Very Own Broncos Cowhide Wallet: just click here
CARDINALS over RAMS 12 to 6
PENGUINS over FLAMES 3 to 1
CANADIENS over KINGS 6 to 2
PANTHERS over RED WINGS 3 to 2
DUCKS over OILERS 4 to 2
BULLS over TRAIL BLAZERS 115 to 106
WIZZARDS over CLIPPERS 104 to 96
HAWKS over MAGIC 87 to 81
KNICKS over CELTICS 101 to 95
NETS over 76ERS 88 to 70
RAPTORS over PACERS 106 to 94
GRIZZLIES over HORNETS 113 to 107
THUNDER over TIMBERWOLVES 111 to 92
PELICANS over CAVALIERS 119 to 114
PISTONS over SUNS 105 to 103
HEAT over JAZZ 100 to 95
LAKERS over SPURS 112 to 110
THUNDER over CAVALIERS 103 to 94
ROCKETS over KINGS 113 to 109
The Denver Broncos placed Montee Ball on injured reserve, ending a disappointing season for the once-heralded running back. The Broncos needed to create roster space in order to activate linebacker Danny Trevathan from injured reserve/designated to return, prompting the team to place Ball on season-ending IR. Ball has not played since aggravating a groin injury in a loss to the Rams. He originally suffered the injury against the Cardinals.
Ball, who entered the season as Denver's top running back, appeared in just five games this year, rushing for 172 yards and one touchdown on 55 carries. C.J. Anderson recently has emerged as a productive lead back for the Broncos, rushing for 393 yards and four touchdowns in Denver's last three games. Juwan Thompson and Ronnie Hillman, who has been sidelined with a foot injury but hopes to return by Week 17, also have provided depth at the position for the Broncos. A second-round draft pick in 2013, Ball also missed two preseason games after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in August. The Broncos also placed safety Quinton Carter on season-ending IR with a knee injury and signed tight end Dominique Jones to their practice squad.
All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson’s appeal of a league suspension for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy has been denied. Peterson's appeal was heard by former NFL executive Harold Henderson last week in Washington, D.C. Henderson was appointed by commissioner Roger Goodell as arbitrator to hear the sides' cases and issue a ruling. In upholding the NFL’s initial ruling, Henderson concluded that Peterson "has not demonstrated that the process and procedures surrounding his discipline were not fair and consistent." He wrote: "He was afforded all the protections and rights to which he is entitled, and I find no basis to vacate or reduce the discipline."
Peterson said in a phone interview, "I feel like they're handling the situation absolutely wrong," he said. "I think I've been made an example out of. It kind of baffles me how -- I have nothing but love for Ray Rice, I'm happy he has the chance to play. But it's like, how did Ray Rice get reinstated before me, a team has a chance to pick him up, but I don't have the opportunity to come back until April. When has that happened in any other case in the NFL, ever?" Peterson said he has considered retiring. He also said he will appeal the decision in federal court. "I don't really know," he said when asked whether he thought the decision to pursue legal action would delay his reinstatement. "That's something I have to sit back and talk to my team about. I haven't talked to anyone today. To this point, any type of process with the NFL is not the way to go. It's a business; the outcome is going to be in their favor no matter what. Did they appoint Harold Henderson to Ray Rice's case? No. They knew the situation and the facts about that case and what was going to come out. They clearly wanted to get an arbitrator that would rule in their favor." According to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, a lawsuit will be filed against the NFL on Peterson's behalf in federal court in Minnesota as early as Monday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the lawsuit had not yet been filed.
"The NFLPA expected this outcome, given the hearing officer's relationship and financial ties to the NFL," the union's statement read. "The decision itself ignores the facts, the evidence and the collective bargaining agreement. This decision also represents the NFL's repeated failure to adhere to due process and confirms its inconsistent treatment of players. Our union is considering immediate legal remedies." Peterson, the 2012 NFL MVP, hasn't played for the Minnesota Vikings since Week 1 after he was charged with child abuse in Texas. He was placed on paid leave while the legal process played out, and he pleaded no contest Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless assault for injuring his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch. He avoided jail time by reaching the plea deal.
On Nov. 18, Peterson was suspended without pay by Goodell for at least the rest of the season. He will remain suspended and won't be considered for reinstatement before April 15, though he will get to keep the money accrued while on the exempt list. However, Peterson will not serve a three-game suspension at the start of the 2015 season as was initially reported. Rather, he will be charged three additional game checks on this season's salary for a total of six games. Peterson will have the choice of paying the salary back now, or having his wages garnished in 2015 if he plays. The docked game checks are based on this year's salary of $11.75 million and amount to $4.15 million, game payments are based on 17 weeks, not 16 games.
"The facts in this appeal are uncontested," Henderson wrote. "The player entered a plea which effectively admitted guilt to a criminal charge of child abuse after inflicting serious injuries to his four-year old son in the course of administering discipline. No direct evidence of the beating was entered in the record here, but numerous court documents, investigative reports, photographs and news reports, all accepted into evidence without objection, make it clear that Mr. Peterson's conduct was egregious and aggravated as those terms are used in the Policy, and merits substantial discipline. "His public comments do not reflect remorse or appreciation for the seriousness of his actions and their impact on his family, community, fans and the NFL, although at the close of the hearing he said he has learned from his mistake, he regrets that it happened and it will never happen again. I reject the argument that placement in Commissioner Exempt status is discipline."
At the crux of the NFLPA's argument for reinstatement was what NFL executive vice president for football operations Troy Vincent told Peterson last month when the dispute was at its height. Vincent told Peterson he would receive a two-game ban if he attended a hearing on Nov. 14 with Goodell. Peterson declined to meet that day with Goodell, citing uncertainty about the NFL's intent to question him. Goodell then announced on Nov. 18 that Peterson would be suspended for the six games that remained for the Vikings at the time and not be considered for reinstatement until April. A recording and a transcript of what Vincent told Peterson was presented by the NFLPA to Henderson, who oversaw a hearing on Dec. 2. Peterson attended that and listened via telephone as the hearing continued Dec. 4, when Vincent was questioned.
