Sometimes my wife nails the truth with a simple statement.
Such was the case when the Broncos traded Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins and he subsequently signed a $47.5 million contract that made him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history.
“Let me get this straight,” Nancy said to me. “Here is a guy who was a bad teammate, acted like an immature jerk and got into trouble off the field. Now he gets the biggest contract ever? Yeah, that really makes a lot of sense.”
I bring this up today because I just got done reading a profile on Marshall in the Miami Herald.
It’s a good read, and thankfully, it doesn’t dodge Marshall’s inglorious past.
“The two-time Pro Bowler is focused on a much more critical restoration project,” writes Michelle Kaufmann. “He is trying to fix his reputation, polish up his exterior and mend his interior after a string of scrapes with the law in three states, repeated domestic disputes with his ex-girlfriend, contract squabbles, and petulant behavior during three years with the Denver Broncos. Although he has not done any jail time, and charges were either never filed or dropped in the domestic abuse incidents, he arrives in Miami with a tarnished image.”
In the article, Marshall, of course, goes into overdrive trying to put a positive spin on his reputation.
“I’m trying hard to get past it, but it’s hard to do that when everyone keeps bringing it up, dredging up bad memories,” Marshall said. “Those things happened so long ago, they’re history. Yes, I’ve bumped my head in the past. But I learned from it, and I have fixed it. I’m at peace now. I’m on track, and I don’t think anyone can derail me.”
Those things “happened so long ago?” Didn’t Marshall get benched for the final game last season for acting like a 6-year-old brat?
But now he’s got his sparkling new $50 million contract. Now he can party on South Beach. So now he’s happy. Now he’s a changed man. Yeah, right, I’ll believe that when I see it. Read the
Trivia time
Prior to Marshall’s deal, what receiver had the richest deal in the NFL? (Answer below)
Quotable
“I’m trying, I’m trying to beat them. I’m trying to do everything I can in my power to beat the Jazz. But, at the end of the day, I need some help. I’m not sitting here pointing fingers or nothing. As a unit, we’ve got to do this together. I can’t do this by myself.” — Nuggets forward Carmello Anthony in by The Post’s Mark Kiszla.
Reader’s rant
“The Nuggets are dead to me. No longer will I support this group of individual players! They have all the skills in the world. What they are lacking is EFFORT and TEAMWORK. They look a lot like the 2006-2008 Broncos. That team was stacked full of talent as well. It just goes to show that talent doesn’t mean squat if you don’t have a TEAM concept and you aren’t willing to put in the EFFORT! How PATHETIC!” — Dave M, posting about the Nuggets’ Game 4 loss to the Jazz.
In case you missed it
It’s not just the Nuggets who are struggling. The top-seeded Lakers are in danger of going down to the Thunder and the second-seeded Mavericks are on the brink of being eliminated by the Spurs.
Mark Heisler, the excellent writer for the Los Angeles Times, says Kobe Bryant and the Lakers may not have the legs left to stand tall.
“One way or another, the Lakers aren’t going far unless everything falls in line, tactically, medically and/or spiritually,”
This day in sports
On April 26, 1990, Nolan Ryan tied Bob Feller’s record by pitching his 12th one-hitter. Ryan was 43 at the time. For the record, Ryan threw seven no-hitters and 18 two-hitters in his Hall of Fame career.
Trivia Answer
Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, who averages $10 million per season.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
