Bengals WR Maurice Purify arrested early Tuesday morning
by Craig Conrad on May 4, 2010 6:29 AM EDT
in Legal/Off Field Issues
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PrintAs first seen on Twitter here linking to the initial report from WCPO here, Bengals Wide Receiver Maurice Purify was arrested early this morning following "a disturbance at a Northern Kentucky bar."
With the Bengals' recent moves at Wide Receiver and Tight End, you've got to think this may not end well for Purify regarding his Bengals career. The young man was given his chance (at the behest of one Carson Palmer) last season and contributed in such a manner as to get himself released to waivers thereafter. Perhaps it's a misunderstanding and perhaps it is not, but it highlights a trend we continue to see among our athletes, being that many of them seem to be completely unable to understand the situation they are in. Whether Maurice was doing anything wrong or not is largely irrelevant, as he placed himself in a situation which could end up poorly to say the very, very least (see Ben Roethlisberger and Adam "Pacman" Jones).
I'm sure the team will have no comment until the legal system is able to take its course as per usual, but I'm afraid this will toll the end for Purify. When one is going to struggle to get ahead of folk like Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, Quan Cosby and Matt Jones/Dezmon Briscoe as it is, one perhaps should not go out to bars and get one's self into trouble with the law.
For my money, Purify's out. As much as I crow about not caring what players do off the field as long as it doesn't impact their play on the field, the Bengals have gathered enough "character concern" players at this point that, I don't know, maybe the line that needs to be walked for balance and chemistry is a bit finer than we all hope. I think this would be a good time to make an example of someone and make it clear to the rest of the team that stupid behavior won't be tolerated in the Cincinnati Bengals locker room. This is a guy that Palmer wanted brought to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad last year, so he's not a completely unknown commodity to these guys. Yes, we know that many of you have made mistakes in the past, and we brought you to Cincinnati knowing that. However, when you hit this locker room door and that FieldTurf at Paul Brown Stadium, you'd best have figured out how to stop messing up.
In the meanwhile, as we listen to the cacophony of "Bengals are criminals" chants and ballyhoos from the anti-Bengals crowd, let's all take solace in the fact that as of this writing Purify hasn't been reported to have raped anyone or caused any scenes that ended in security guards losing their lives.
Or boarded any airplanes with a loaded gun with a round in the chamber.
Or thrown his drink in anyone's face.
Or beat his wife/girlfriend/fiancee.
Or been accessory to murder.
Or been involved in the moving and sale of illegal drugs.
Or, well...you get the picture.
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time to send a message
cut him. cut him today.
we have enough wrs, don’t need another distraction. send a message, clear out his locker loudly, in front of everyone. then fredo him.
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
by palewook on May 4, 2010 6:40 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
+100
Time to be partying in No. Kentucky is over with. It’s NFL season time.
Send the message to everyone on the team. Tell them exactly why he is being let go. AT this point in time all players should be knee deep in training and getting into football shape.
I want to be rid of this stigma as much as anyone
but let’s be honest here…..we wouldn’t be talking about cutting him if he were a star, or even a starter for that matter. If this was Carson, or Chad, or Rey, no way would we be calling for his head. I’m a HUGE fan of Hall (looking at my signed and framed jersey right now), but it was at about this time two years ago when he got his dui. Look, I’m not saying don’t punish the guy, as I stated in my subject line, I would love nothing more than for the Bengals to be rid of this reputation they have as being a bunch of immature guys who are always in trouble with the law. The fact of the matter is that we are going to carry that stigma for a long time, even though we all know that the vast majority of pro sports teams has their legal issues, and as of late ours pale in comparison to many others, including teams in our division. If we really want to take a hard line with this kid, then we have to be willing to do the same when one of our stars gets in trouble. These guys are young, they have lots of expendable income, they’re going to get into trouble. Hell I got into trouble WITHOUT lots of expendable income when I was younger. Unless someone consistently proves that they are a repeat offender and they just don’t get it, cut them a little slack.
Starts somewhere?
Yeah, it starts with innocent fun in Northern KY & ends with falling out of a pickup truck & landing on your head. Sadly these guys don’t get it. 100% of a teams problems off the field can be attributed to 5% of the team. Cutting players like this is an investment in team unity & stability. When it goes bad the team suffers, we saw that last year.
by Vman in Germany on May 4, 2010 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
And that’s the case with every sports team out there. They always use the low guy on the totem pole for the example, unless they absolutely can not with the star. (Holmes)
Sorry Purify, your the low guy… snip, snip
but the example doesn't mean a thing
to the stars if they know they won’t get the same punishment. My problem isn’t punishing guys for doing something stupid…I think we should! These guys get paid well to play a game and stay out of trouble. If they can’t do that then they should forfeit that opportunity. My problem is that we don’t treat them all equally.
by Phil Francis on May 4, 2010 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
I agree about the equally. I’ve been vocal about the fact that I, personally, LOVE the fact that the Bengals give second chances. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and with the second chances I’ve been given I have turned my life around. I think if you cut him then you have to stand firm and do the exact same thing to the next player that puts themselves in the position. Would we cut Carson for a Disorderly Conduct???? I mean this is a very minor charge, in most cases. I know we don’t have the specifics but that is just another reason that we need to wait to see what the situation was. I think Purify should get the same second chance that the Bengals have given other players. I think it is also important to note that I am not and have never been very high on Purify so it is definitely not a biased opinion on just him.
Treating people equal will never happen in today's society...
This is a capitalistic society and who ever brings in the money for your business will get pass after pass until it starts taking money away from the business. This happens not just in sports but in just about every aspect of business. Why did they get rid of Holmes rather than Rapistburger? Why not both? Don’t tell me they tried to get rid of Ben b/c they could have gotten a 2nd or 3rd round pick for him. Hell, they got a 5th for Holmes. Who is the bigger star?
I agree with treating people equally but it will never happen. They get paid well to play a game and stay out of trouble, but the fact is, if your not a star then you have to use the low guy for an example and hope it works with the media and maybe it will send a message to the rest of the team. At least to the low guys on the totem pole.
It’s not right but that’s the way it is…
I agree that people won't get equal treatment mostly but...
You have to be very careful here. If not you can seriously disrupt the locker room. If most of the players feel that the stars are getting special treatment then it can tear a locker room apart. I know they are going to get some special treatment but… If you cut a guy for a Disorderly Conduct from the PS and then let a starter get by with DUI’s or sign a guy like Pacman then you are sending a mixed message that can destroy the locker room. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be punished in some form but the punishment needs to fit the crime. He probably don’t make the team anyway so…..
I agree with the Business aspect...
I agree it’s all about the money. If a player is signed for a minimum contract but is a liability greater than that contract, well it’s time to go. This works with whatever contract and liability. I think, in Pitt’s case, it could have been about business or product integrity. Purify needs to go because he’s not adding in value to the team. We have a lot of talent at WR now. The arrest has made him a liability that outweighs his current value.
It’s sad because a lot of these guys are soo disposable to the business. But one has to learn to deal with the consequences of this business just like dealing with any consequences from our actions. We don’t need a team of criminals. And I very much believe in second chances. Roethlisberger is a sleeze!
oops
leon’s dewie was last year, my bad. It seems like longer ago than that.
+1
I think we need to wait and no more about the situation. I agree if you are calling for his head then you have to be willing to do the same for the veteran starters. If not you send the wrong message to your team. This can hurt the locker room. If players think the stars are getting special treatment it can be a major detriment to the rest of the players. You have to treat the Stars and the Practice Squad players the same way. If you cut him then you have to be willing to do the same for EVERYONE. This is a very minor charge. He could have been arrested for Disorderly Conduct for simply being to loud. I’m sure there is more to this BUT we need to get the full story.
I disagree that you have to treat all players the same
In very few businesses are all employees treated the same and rightfully so. The employees who are much more replaceable (i.e. guys like Purify) and aren’t distinguishable have less rope than others who have proven to be more valuable. If an entry level guy getting paid by the hour shows up to work late every day or takes a longer lunch than he’s supposed to, he gets canned and you get a new guy that can behave as desired and do the same job because there are many replacements out there. The CEO though, can typically come into the office when he pleases and take two hour lunches if he fancies. They aren’t equals in terms of value, so the reaction to their behaviors is typically different. And we don’t have to be talking about the law here. I’m sure Ocho can skate on falling asleep in a film session whereas Purify wouldn’t.
by AB on May 4, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree that's how it is
but not how it should be.
by Phil Francis on May 4, 2010 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
No way
AB – You have basically just defined hypocrisy. If the boss isn’t working as hard as his employees, then guess what? He’ll get fired and somebody else will get promoted because he’s made himself less valuable than his employees. If he gets away with it, it causes an acrimonious (yea I just used the word acrimonious) work environment (see Brandon Marshall, Santonio Holmes) that good hard working employees won’t be a part of.
Working hard and being valuable are two totally different things
Take two salesmen. One work 60 hours a week and sells 100,000 worth of product a year. The second works 40 hours a week and sells 1 million worth of product a year. Who is working harder and who is providing more value?
by AB on May 4, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
right
but we’re talking about punishment and discipline. If the guy making 1,000,000 is caught stealing from the company, he’ll get canned just as fast as the guy making 100,000. Although I see your point, the guy making 1,000,000 is likely to make you hesitate…
Hypocricy noted
Everybody’s got to be treated the same, whether you are Tom Brady, or Maurice Purify. For the league’s part, I think they do a good job of being even handed, but it’s also true that if you have a butt-load of talent then you’re going to get more chances.
Also, I looked it up:
Acrimonious: caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.: an acrimonious answer; an acrimonious dispute.
This is our year!
Well, it depends on what and how much he was stealing...
1,000,000 is a lot compared to 100,000. And i guarantee that the guy bringing in 1,000,000 will get another look or even another chance. It happens all the time in today’s society.
But stealing is another subject than getting arrested for something other than. Stealing in a business is like committing murder. Getting arrested for disorderly conduct and PI is not.
It depends on the crime too
If he was stealing from the company he is most likely fired. However if he is say, taking an extra 30 min. break they likely give him a second chance. This is simply a disorderly conduct. I think where you have to be careful is cutting a guy for a disorderly conduct when you have routinely given passes on DUI’s and are willing to bring in and sign a player like Pacman. You have to be careful because you can split the locker room. Once you do that you have no Team philosophy. Purify should be punished but I think you have to watch cutting him, especially before all the facts are gathered.
I'm going to assume
I’m going to assume someone will bring up big “dirt bag” Ben… so I’ll point out that the guy was never actually arrested for anything and even still was suspended for 6 games. All this is to say that I think that if Purify makes the team based on his merits, great, but its hypocritical to “make an example” of him
Also
I’d like to point out that you can’t make an example of the lowest guy on the team. That doesn’t hold guys who are theoretically above him to a higher standard at all. In fact, it sends the message that as long as your not on the verge of being cut anyway, you can do whatever you want.
EXACTLY!
making an example out of a guy who isn’t a star doesn’t do any good if the ones who are know they’re safe anyway!
by Phil Francis on May 4, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Hypocrisy happens all the time
and will happen again…
Making an example out of him will send a message throughout the locker room to the others that aren’t stars. That’s the message being sent. Not to the stars.
You're right about hypocricy
it does happen all the time. The question is, should we be hypocritical towards players on our team? I say no. What’s the point of holding only guys like Purify and Freddie Brown accountable? They barely reflect on our team as it is.
As a fan,
I have the duty to support the team and if we have one Purify doing something and we let him get away with it, then Brown does something, then we let it go, then Simpson does something, should we accept it.
This sends a message to all of the guys that aren’t stars. Stars are dealt with diffrently and they should in todays society. They should get worse treatment, but don’t. It’s not right but I’m not calling for Carson or Chad’s head if they get a DC and RA.
They are handled differently
But where I think your wrong is they shouldn’t be. Thats what causes Ben and Pacman to do the things they have done. Because of this special treatment they have a sense of entitlement. That being said I have said all along he should be punished. How do you cut him today when there has been NOTHING done to REY??? You can divide the team real quick if your not careful.
That is why the NFL steps in.
Then the players can’t blame the owner for suspensions or other punishments. They actually work together, The owners and Roger GODell. This will be put on Mr. GODells shoulders, watch…
I don't have a problem with that
Like I said I think he should be punished but I don’t think you cut him. The commisioner is NOT going to give Purify a lifetime ban! I have said all along the punishment should fit the crime and if the commisioner doles it out then it most likely will.
+1
Exactly my point. You give the stars a sense of entitlement and you give your lower tier players a sense of resentment. Then all of a sudden you throw all sense of the “TEAM” concept out the window. IMO you punish Purify but you don’t cut him. They haven’t even determined anything to do to Rey and some people are already calling for Purify to be cut. That sends the wrong impression!
No need to punish a player you're going to cut
He was insurance late last year when our WR shelf was empty.
This year, he’s so far down the totem pole his name wasn’t even brought up in the last 4 threads about WRs.
He might not make it to training camp at this rate, even without this incident. All this does is give them one more reason to cut him loose.
If you cut him
You should NOT do it for this reason. Again this would send the wrong impression. Your right he will not make this team so let him go through camp and give it a shot. This way you don’t tell the stars on this team they are above the team. Thats all I’m saying. You just have to be careful that you don’t divide the locker room and give the stars the thought that they are above the team.
Trade him to the Jets
Better yet send him to Afghanistan with Villanuava, let him go to a place where courage isn’t bottled & see how fast he is crying for a helmet with a facemask. One day there is a story of character the next day a story about a character. To bad the latter seems to always win out!
So Rey goes too?
cause he recently committed some jackassery in NKY.
Actually
I agree but I don’t know if you can even compare this to Rey’s incident. IMO Rey’s is a much more serious incident and charge. DUI is very serious, he could have easily hit a Mother with her 3 young children in the car. Luckily he didn’t. I love Rey but I’m just trying to make a point that a DUI is much worse then a Disorderly Conduct, in most cases. From what we know about this incident (which is not much at all at this point)is that it was simply a Disorderly Conduct. You can be charged for this for saying the wrong thing to a Police Officer. Lets wait till this story plays itself out. Like I and others have said in here. If you cut Purify you have to be willing to do the same for the Stars. If not you risk dividing the locker room.
agreed 100%
we’re on the same page here. I’m the ‘other’ who is sharing your sentiment in this post LOL (I don’t always read the name of the person posting either). I agree Rey’s charge is much worse (assuming this one against Purify doesn’t turn into something else), but I was using him as an example because his trouble was recent, and he’s a starter. To the guys who are calling for Purify’s head, they have to be willing to send Rey packing too. HAVE TO.
by Phil Francis on May 4, 2010 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
I agree but like you said even comparing the two, how would you cut Purify. I was just adding that if you factor in that Purify’s charge is minor compared to Rey’s and then you really have to think about it. I really think you have to watch pulling a “knee jerk” reaction because you could divide the locker room. NFL teams are, more than any other sport, built on team work. Playing together as a team, in the NFL, beats out a more talented team that is playing as individuals. If you divide the locker room all that talent means WAY less!
actually they are NOT
Disorderly Conduct is commonly only a ticket and normally not even a “criminal” charge. It can be upped to a Misdemeanor in the 4th degree. A DUI is a misdemeanor in the 1st degree. Its like saying that felonious assualt is the same as Murder just because they are both felonies. So they are actually TOTALLY different.
You used to get arrested back in my day for a DC
and it is a misdemeanor. A speeding ticket is a misdemeanor. A jay walking ticket is a misdemeanor. Look it up. You can actually be arrested for any charge if you don’t sign the ticket. Therefore it’s a misdemeanor. Just b/c there is a different degree to them only means that a DUI is a little more serious. Back in my day, a disorderly conduct wasn’t a ticket, you got arrested and went to jail. I know b/c it happened to me. Nowadays, I’ve seen people get DUI’s and did not go to jail that evening. They were able to go home. Depends on the officer and how much the jail house is filled.
When you get into felonies, then you get more serious. I know this too b/c I was arrested for felonious assault and it was dropped to aggravated assault. I still fought it and it was dropped b/c of self defense.
You forgot
“Or Shot himself in the leg”
This is our year!
by Paul Cannon on May 4, 2010 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
A couple more...
“Or ran over a pedestrian with a car.”
“Or flipped his motercycle over the hood of a car.”
"A fear of heights is illogical. A fear of falling, on the other hand, is prudent and evolutionary."
- Dr. Sheldon Cooper
meh...
let’s see what comes of this before i can give my honest opinion.
i was at a bar on friday and this dude got in a fight because these guys wouldn’t leave him alone. he was minding his own business for the most part, just doing a little light jawing. out of nowhere this belligerent fuck spits on him and it was on. both of them got arrested. according to his friends, he’s not a bad guy—he owns his own company, has a wife and a kid. he was just out drinking and somebody started shit with him.
"Laynce, hit a homer here, I will never, ever say another bad thing about you." - Ash
+1
Exactly. If I was in a bar enjoying a bear like most everyone in here probably does from time to time and some IDIOT spits on me!!! OH we have issue’s immediately. I would think the majority of people in here would agree. I think you have to watch giving a “knee jerk” reaction before gathering all the facts. Especially considering you have given so many passes in the past. As we are discussing this they are considering bringing in Pacman Jones for crying out loud.
Jefferson Hall at 2am
That pretty much tells you the whole story. Have you ever had the pleasure of having one of their bouncers forcibly push you out the door while they grab drinks out of your hand and are just total a-holes? J-Hall might be a fun place to hand out, but their 2am bouncer free-for-all has got to get its act cleaned up. The news coverage of this arrest is a mountain out of a molehill…
If this is the case, then maybe Maurice didn't start any shit
but
why go to a place like that? I don’t care how much hot tail is in the place. Go to a place that knows how to treat a customer with respect. He’s out of college now, so why go to a place that thinks of their customers like it’s a frat party.
Agreed on Jefferson Hall
I was back from Iraq on R&R and just having a good time with friends. The bouncer grabbed my drink and when I got smart with him he smacked me with a bottle and another one hit me from behind. Real assholes in that place.
for guys saying pittsburgh didnt do anything when it was a marquee player
santonio holmes. posting drug references on twitter. telling a fan to commit suicide. suspended for failing a drug test. talking smack about the front office in the papers. was going to be cut unless someone offered a pick for him.
ben only gets a pass so long, regardless of his ability, another chick starts screaming rape this year, watch how fast rooney boots him.
steelers also had no problem dumping Cedrick Wilson after had become a go to guy either. domestic violence arrest, cut the following day.
james harrison gets a battery charge and gets a pass.
the steelers have shown the ability to tolerate bad behavior the greater the talent of the player. this is nothing new. the bengals do this too. how many chances did henry get? how many did mcneal get?
purify is one of the wrs on the roster on the bubble, not a good time to end up on the police blotter. its just the nature of the nfl. it could cost him his career.
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Let's be honest though
He probably wasn’t in the discussion to make the roster anyways. At best, he’s a practice squad guy.
This is our year!
another day, another dick comment from florio about the bengals
florio always has something to say about cincy. rarely is it objective, witty, or even current.
"wherever Brad St. Louis is and Shayne Graham is about to be." -R.F. Mehl
Well.
Can we insert a “stay out of Kentucky (except for training camp)” clause in contracts?
I hope this doesn’t end up being an episode of Justified…
WE caught a break here or I should say Purify handed us one.
We don’t need him and ML can put his foot down and make an example of him as a warning to the rest of the team. By hanging his head from the yardarm it will send a message that he is a his limit and though we are willing to give second chances there is a saturation point. Too bad for Purify but he did bring it on himself. He probably doesn;t make it out of camp anyway. It will just be an early exit. Maybe he can catch on somewhere else. He does have talent.
"If we always agree, one of us is not necessary"
My take
As if you guys were totally waiting…
I think Groove said best.
You guys know me and I’m more lenient on these type of things and character players (Pacman Jones notwithstanding).
But this was a fight. As we all know, fights happen for a million reasons. Maybe Purify’s girlfriend split with him for another man and that other man showed up at the bar. Who wouldn’t want to knock that guy around?
Just saying. We don’t know, but of all things that could happen, fighting with someone else seems to me to be the least worrisome about character — until, of course, we know more (hell, he could be picking a fight with anyone and that would be a problem).
Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.
Exactly
He is a football player for crying out loud. We don’t know the situation so we shouldn’t cut him just because. He could have been protecting someone, we don’t know we weren’t there. I just think that we have to be careful not to divide the locker room. Oh wait we may have done that with offering Pacman a contract, lol.
the report actually said
the saw him fighting with AT LEAST one other person. maybe he oklahoma drill’d the entire bar.
RIP Slim.
But...
They said they came out and he was fighting with atleast one other person. What I’m saying is that we have NO clue what started the fight. He could have been protecting someone and they came out and all they saw was him fighting. He could have been spit on. We really just don’t know. Need to get all the facts is all I’m saying.
TO is primed for a contract in Cincy!
Another “troubled” player on the cheap for Mike Brown to pick up.
He will snag him, you just watch. That guy couldn’t pass a yard sale to save his life.
“I don’t really need another set of golf clubs, heck I don’t even play, but these are Jack Nicklaus “The bear” irons. Katie, put these in the truck, they’re goin home with Papa!"
too bad
Purify was an excellent WR in college
He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is
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