Is "He" worth the headaches?

[michael89156]

Is Tampa Bay Bucs' Aqib Talib worth the headaches?


By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist

In Print: Tuesday, March 29, 2011


 

There is a point when even talent is not worth the trouble. There is a line where a team has been embarrassed enough. There is a time when an employer's patience is no longer a virtue.

In the case of Aqib Talib, it is time to ask:

Aren't the Bucs there yet?

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Talib is in the headlines again. Of course he is. This time, he is a "person of interest" in a shooting incident near his hometown of Dallas, which should just about complete the Aqib Talib Self-Destruction Tour.

For a long time now, Talib has been a talented troublemaker, a walking bad decision followed by controversy and headed toward scandal. He does not hear the scolding, he is impervious to lapel-shaking, and he is beyond the benefit of doubt. The drugs in college. The fights with teammates. The assault. The suspension. And now this.

Here's a question: Can Talib's career withstand another scandal?

Here's another: Should it?

By now, don't even the Bucs have to be fed up with Talib? After all, it is their reputation, as much as his, that keeps getting diminished. If Talib is out of control, what does that say about those who pay him and who, on occasion, have protected him?

Remember, this is a franchise where one of the goals is to be liked again by the community it represents. In other words, the Bucs aspire to be one of those organizations that stand for something more than touchdowns and that represent more than entertainment.

Ticket-buyers, too, want to believe in the athletes they cheer. They want to believe that beneath the money and the adulation, they're good guys who are willing to like them back. Players like Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott. Players like John Lynch and Derrick Brooks.

Note to the Bucs: Talib isn't helping.

He doesn't get it. By now, it is obvious he isn't going to get it. And be warned: Because he doesn't get it, this isn't going to be the last headline for Talib.

Let's be honest. I don't know what happened in Garland, Texas, any more than you do. I've read the reports, but I assume there is a reason they don't have a TV show called CSI: Garland. My guess is this case won't amount to much in court since the victim, Shannon Billings, isn't the most savory character himself. There is plenty of room for confusion as to who fired and in what direction.

Of course, the NFL — which has suspended Talib before — doesn't need a court case for a suspension. Then again, perhaps the Bucs shouldn't wait for the NFL. Perhaps they should punish on their own.

I know, I know. Over the course of Talib's rap sheet, the easy thing always has been to say it's someone else's fault. The other player started the fight. The cabbie was looking for a payday. The referee he was cursing shouldn't have cursed him back. And on and on. The stories keep spinning, and the excuses keep coming, and Talib keeps getting a pass.

If the latest allegations are true, however, if he fired a gun at another human being, how can the Bucs defend Talib this time? Other than the usual way, of course, which starts by talking about his considerable talent.

Let's agree on that. Talib is a gifted player. He's the most skilled player on the Bucs defense. He makes the team better. And, yes, turning him loose would make winning games a little harder.

Let's face it: On a lot of franchises, the more talented a player is, the easier he is to believe. And to believe in.

That said, the discussion shouldn't be about talent. It should be about how much trouble a franchise should endure in order to hang on to it.

As the Bucs have internal discussions about Talib, here's a question they need to ask. Besides talent, what matters?

If the answer is that nothing else matters, so be it. But if the team colors stand for something, if the franchise represents the community, then act accordingly.

It's a tough choice, but for the Bucs, it is time.

The next time something is fired, it ought to be Talib

[SunnyD]

The guy is a hood rat.

If Raheem Morris cant control him. No one will.

Somking dope is one thing (T-Jax) but unloading your Glock 9 at your sisters girlfriend? You're an idiot. An idiot that cannot learn from his mistakes.

I want him to stay...sure. He is a probowl corner.  Our defense gets worse when he leaves....Sure.

But if we keep him, something will happen in nine months. I gurantee it; and eventually the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a criminal reputation like the Bengals.

I dont want that. If it's time to bail on Talib and give Biggers, Myron, Ronde and a Draft pick the reigns. Then so be it.

[ufojoe]

unloading your Glock 9 at your sisters girlfriend? You're an idiot. An idiot that cannot learn from his mistakes.

He shot his gun at his sister's girlfriend? Really?

Not only do you not have the basic part of the story right, you're guessing at what happened.

Sorry but it's way too early to be saying anything about this incident. Let's wait for the police to complete their investigation.

[tbucsfan56]

Well regardless he needs to think before he does anything. When you are in the public eye you need to think before you act. I like him, best cb I have seen in a long time but this stuff is out of hand.

[Scholty]

Folks:

Let's get the FACTS of the story straight - his SISTER is getting ASSAULTED by her BOYFRIEND 'Billings' who has two outstanding records for violence against Talib's SISTER.

She CALLS Talib and he rushes over there.  He shows a weapon and during the altercation tries to pistol whip Billings (the attacker) INSTEAD of SHOOTING him.

Billings wrestles away the gun from Talib and then in POSSESSION of Talib's gun starts running. 

Talib's Mother then fires 3 shots at Billings who STILL has the weapon, at which point Talib (allegedly) took the gun and fired two more shots.

Here is the thing:

To add:

On March 27, 2007, Governor Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 378 into law, making Texas a “Castle Doctrine” state which came into effect September 1, 2007.[290] Residents lawfully occupying a dwelling may shoot a person who “unlawfully, and with force, enters or attempts to enter the dwelling”, or who removes or attempts to remove someone from that dwelling, or who commits or attempts to commit a “qualifying” felony such as burglary, arson, rape, aggravated assault, robbery or murder. In addition, a shooter who has a legal right to be wherever he/she is at the time of a defensive shooting has no “duty to retreat” before being justified in shooting; the “trier of fact” may not consider whether the person retreated when deciding whether the person was justified in shooting.

Billings satisfied the requirements:  he committed an aggravated assault on his sister,  and he was in possession of Talib's gun.  At this point he has the right to defend his property and does NOT have to retreat.

Notice that Billings was arrested, NOT Talib.

However, since the discharging of a firearm is illegal without proper cause (you can't just shoot the mailboxes across the street) the cops and prosecutor have to investigate.  That is what is happening now.

He is a person of INTEREST and NOT a SUSPECT.  Big difference...

Everyone needs to take a BIG breath...   So far - according to the police report we have some thug attacking Talib's sister and him defending her. 

[mgchat76]

If he was defending his sister from assault, that is commendable.  Why didn't he call the police when he got the call that his sister was being assaulted?  The bottom line, though, is that he and his immediate family need to find a way to surround themselves with better people.  Bad situations don't just happen this many times to someone unless they allow themselves to be put in those situations.

[mgchat76]

And who the hell pistol whips somebody, anyways?

[JDog]

The guy is a hood rat.

If Raheem Morris cant control him. No one will.

Who has Morris been able to control?    The team has had more off the field problems since he took over than they have in their entire history.

[dexmonkey]

aqib talib thats who

[SunnyD]

unloading your Glock 9 at your sisters girlfriend? You're an idiot. An idiot that cannot learn from his mistakes.

He shot his gun at his sister's girlfriend? Really?

Not only do you not have the basic part of the story right, you're guessing at what happened.

Sorry but it's way too early to be saying anything about this incident. Let's wait for the police to complete their investigation.

I'm SOOooo sorry.

He shot his Mother's gun at his sisters boyfriend.

I was typing in a hurry, and that slight difference doesn't change anything.

[JDog]

unloading your Glock 9 at your sisters girlfriend? You're an idiot. An idiot that cannot learn from his mistakes.

He shot his gun at his sister's girlfriend? Really?

Not only do you not have the basic part of the story right, you're guessing at what happened.

Sorry but it's way too early to be saying anything about this incident. Let's wait for the police to complete their investigation.

Isn't it strange how Mike Alstott, John Lynch or Lee Roy Selmon never had such a strange event?   I guess Talib's just unlucky.

[SunnyD]

[SunnyD]

On March 27, 2007, Governor Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 378 into law, making Texas a “Castle Doctrine” state which came into effect September 1, 2007.[290] Residents lawfully occupying a dwelling may shoot a person who “unlawfully, and with force, enters or attempts to enter the dwelling”, or who removes or attempts to remove someone from that dwelling, or who commits or attempts to commit a “qualifying” felony such as burglary, arson, rape, aggravated assault, robbery or murder. In addition, a shooter who has a legal right to be wherever he/she is at the time of a defensive shooting has no “duty to retreat” before being justified in shooting; the “trier of fact” may not consider whether the person retreated when deciding whether the person was justified in shooting.

Does this apply when the individual is sprinting away from the residence?

And I'm sure Talib also lawfully applied for his concealed carry permit. Which is why he is cooperating with investigators.

Talib has a shot here (no pun intended) because this happened in Texas, but at the very minimum I see him getting charged with discharging a firearm and unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon due to lack of permit.

(I'm hoping he has his permit but not holding my breath)

The NFL has stated they will track arrests during the lock out for future punishment, so lets hope he doesnt get cuffed and stuffed.

“The Personal Conduct Policy continues.  It applies to everybody in the league.  I don’t know how it would apply to the players under this circumstance, but it’s something that I feel strongly about, that we owe to our fans,” Goodell said.

So the league won’t be be able to enforce the policy during a lockout, but they will be keeping track of infractions with an eye towards enforcement after the work stoppage is over.

[BucNY]

 He shows a weapon and during the altercation tries to pistol whip Billings (the attacker) INSTEAD of SHOOTING him.
 

Haha I love it....

Give Talib a break he wasn't going to shoot the guy just pistol whip the **CENSORED** out of him! haha.

I'm making fun but it was actually a very informed and knowledgable post, if what you say is true.

On another note something tells me that Aqib did not know about the law that was passed in 2007, but it may work in his favor.

Cut him and lets move on. Sign another underrated smart, hard worker and we'll be fine without him.

I wonder if Gerald McCoy is pistoling whipping people? Talib is just not a good decision maker.

[SunnyD]

Could not have picked a better state to try to pistol whip and shoot at a home invader.

His sister's first call should have been 911, not to Talib IMO.