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NFC Notes: Dump Pittman
Michael Pittman lost his mind last weekend. Now he needs to lose his job.
Pittman allegedly rammed his Hummer into a Mercedes being driven by his wife, Melissa, on Saturday in suburban Phoenix. Also in the vehicle were the couple's son, Mycah, and a soon-to-be rich babysitter. And get this, the Tampa Tribune is reporting that the force of impact pushed the Mercedes over a median and tore one of the tires from its rim. Thankfully, no one injured.
"There was
a verbal altercation and when she began to leave the scene, he got into his
car and rammed it into her car," said Lt. Frank Milstead.
According to published reports, the couple was arguing over whether Mycah should
accompany Michael for minicamp in Tampa. In the understatement of the millennium,
Melissa summed up what happened. NFL Tickets
"He just doesn't think rationally when he's angry," Pittman's wife told the Arizona Republic. "We all were scared. When you have a Hummer coming toward you and you're in a car, it's a scary situation and you don't know what's going to happen."
Speaking of scary situations, how would you like to be the man responsible for bringing Pittman to Tampa? General manager Rich McKay knew about Pittman's off-field problems before signing him last spring. However, snowed by the fact Pittman attended anger management classes, McKay rolled the dice on the troubled back—and lost.
"We did the background check that we felt necessary from a police and league standpoint," McKay told the St. Petersburg Times last spring. "I know the facts that we know. I know how he's been through the counseling side of things. I know what people in Arizona say about him. I feel comfortable about Michael."
As we speak, McKay is jamming those words into his mouth with both hands. I don't know who performed the aforesaid "background check," but he needs to check again. NFL Tickets
Pittman is still on probation for being arrested on domestic abuse charges twice in a two-month period in 2001. While playing for Fresno State in 1997, Pittman served probation after being charged with slamming a former girlfriend's face into a car seat. In 1994, a woman alleged that Pittman tackled her, pushed her head into a brick wall, grabbed her around the neck, and pushed her over a bench.
I don't know about you, but I'm anything but "comfortable" with a dude capable of such psychotic behavior.
In addition to facing felony charges on three counts of aggravated assault for Saturday's outburst, Pittman could be punished by the NFL. If he's found guilty, Pittman would face a fine and/or suspension from the league.
Unfortunately, I highly doubt suspending Pittman will do anything to daunt his reign of terror. I'm no expert on criminal justice, but guys with five documented instances of violence against women aren't going to get the message unless it's delivered by a judge—a female judge.
McKay signed Pittman to a five-year, $8.75 million contract prior to last season, but the former-Cardinal did little to validate the millions. In fact, after watching Pittman "rack up" 718 rushing yards and one touchdown, McKay had a right to demand his money back.
Given his lack of aggressiveness as a player and his abundance of aggression as a husband and father, what's the point in keeping Pittman on the roster?
Teams from all sports and all levels have a tendency to gloss over infractions committed by superstars in the name of "fielding a competitive team." Although that philosophy is devoid of ethical foundation, it's common as successful ACL surgery in contemporary sports. NFL Tickets
If Pittman were a perennial 1,500-yard back with no history of violent behavior, you could fathom the Buccaneers taking their time to investigate the situation before making a decision. However, we are talking about a career underachiever who beats up women in his spare time. Every minute Pittman remains on the roster takes a point away from the Bucs in 2003.
The Bucs have no choice but to cut their losses with Pittman.
I realize he rushed for 124 yards in the Super Bowl, but you cannot tell me Aaron Stecker couldn't match Pittman's numbers from the 2002 regular season. A three-year veteran out of Western Illinois, the 5-10, 205-pound Stecker is a shifty back with big-play potential. He had a 59-yard gain last season.
Of course, the Bucs still have Mike Alstott to batter the line of scrimmage and catch a few passes. Last season, Alstott caught 35 balls, rushed for nearly 600 yards, and scored seven touchdowns. Plus, he scuffed the paint four times in three postseason games. Pittman's latest transgression probably will translate into more touches for the original A-Train.
Also on the roster are second-year man Travis Stephens and journeyman Byron Hanspard. Taking it a step further, the Bucs could sign versatile veteran Larry Centers or try to woo Ricky Watters out of early retirement. It's going to take at least a million bucks to round up Rick, and Pittman's release might free up enough cash.
Jon Gruden is the NFL's premier head coach for a variety of reasons, but he's a favorite of mine because he gets it. From benching Rob Johnson to signing Charlie Garner when no one wanted him to guitar shopping with his kid amid rumors he was leaving Oakland for South Bend, Gruden just gets it.
Here's hoping Gruden gets the point and dumps Pittman, who should do the human race a favor by trading his Buccaneer red and pewter for jailhouse orange.
Third-and-Shorts…
It's tough to feel sorry for a pro athlete, but maybe we can make an exception for Rams' quarterback Marc Bulger. After earning Team MVP honors last year as the phenomenal fill-in for Kurt Warner, Bulger was recently re-signed as an exclusive-rights free agent for $365,000. (By the way, "exclusive-rights free agent" means you ain't going anywhere anytime soon.) That may sound like a lot of money, but it's only six percent of the $6 million roster bonus Warner received in March. Bulger will be a restricted free agent next spring, at which point he may be able to name his price. … Despite the presence of new quarterback Kordell Stewart, wideout David Terrell has elected to skip the Bears' voluntary offseason conditioning program to work out in Florida. Is it just me, or did Terrell attend the Bong Morris School of Decision Making before entering the NFL? … Most NFL head coaches would rather lop off a toe than speak candidly with the media. That's why you gotta love t! he outspoken Jim Fassel. In response to Ron Dayne saying he's in the best shape of his career, Fassel hazed the former Heisman winner like a virgin pledge during Hell Week. "If his report is true that he weighs 245, then he's not lost one pound from last year," Fassel told the New York Daily News. "Ron Dayne last year played the whole year at 245-247." Dayne's biggest mistake as a pro was hiring Mo Vaughn's nutritionist.