Judge in Odell Thurman Case Blasts NFL and calls them

[oldschooler]

Judge in Odell Thurman Case Blasts NFL For Beer Advertising, Sales

Odell Thurman appeared before a judge this morning for a hearing about his probation violation.

That hearing was continued but the judge in the case, John Burlew, made a statement concerning the NFL and its beer advertisements.

The suspended player missed an appointment with a probation officer in connection with his arrest last year on charges of drunk driving.

Officials say Thurman failed to show up for the meeting just days before he learned the NFL would not reinstate him this season.

In court today, Judge Burlew told Thurman, "It upsets me more than anything else and, primarily with your employer, the National Football League. The allegations are that you had an illegal substance, alcohol, in your body. A substance they advertise and take money from, millions of dollars a year. They're hypocrites. If they are really interested in pursuing this issue, they'd give everybody who went to that stadium and comes out of it a breathalizer, but they won't do it because they want the money."

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story.as...5e-f83ed06c1c84

Judge calls NFL 'hypocrites'

BY SHARON COOLIDGE | SCOOLIDGE@ENQUIRER.COM

A judge told suspended Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman today that the NFL was wrong to suspend him for the season after Thurman was convicted of drunken driving.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge John Burlew called NFL officials “hypocrites” for promoting alcohol consumption during games but punishing players for drinking.

This case upsets me more than anything else, primarily ...with the National Football League,” Burlew said. “The allegations are that you had a legal substance – alcohol -- in your body, a substance which they advertise from and get money from, millions of dollars a year from.”

Burlew said if the league really wanted to crack down on alcohol abuse, they would give everybody who left a football stadium a blood alcohol test.

“You don’t like alcohol, take those Budweiser commercials off TV,” Burlew said. “Stop selling alcohol in the stadium.”

Burlew’s comments came as Thurman appeared in court on a probation violation charge.

Thurman was suspended last season and for the coming season by the NFL for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy after he was caught drunken driving. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said Thurman can apply to get back on the field after the 2007 season.

The suspension comes after the league put in place a tougher personal-conduct policy to protect the league’s image and reverse the wave of off-field incidents involving players.

In June Burlew sentenced Thurman to spend six days in an alcohol treatment program, spend two years on probation and pay a $250 fine on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Thurman was charged last September after Cincinnati police stopped him on Kellogg Avenue in the East End and a Breathalyzer test showed Thurman had a blood-alcohol level of 1.8, more than twice Ohio’s legal limit to drive.

Thurman said in court that he was an “alcoholic and will be one the rest of my life.”

Thurman said after his arrest he spent four months at an in-patient alcohol treatment program followed by out-patient treatment.

Thurman was arrested earlier this month for violating his probation by failing to report to his probation officer by July 24. Thurman, who at the time also owed $574 in fees, fines and costs, was arrested on the charge Aug. 7.

He served six days at Turning Point, an alcohol-treatment program, and was released. The probation violation case was continued for two weeks to give Thurman time to get a lawyer.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...EWS01/308210037

Suspended Bengals Probation Violation Case Continued, As Judge Lectures NFL

Last Update: 2:20 pm

Suspended Cincinnati Bengal Odell Thurman had his probation violation case continued in Hamilton County Municipal Court today. The continuance came after Municipal Court Judge John Burlew had some harsh words for the National Football League about how it handles alcohol at games, and alcoholism among its players.

Burlew said the NFL was being "hypocritical" for not giving the linebacker from the University of Georgia better support has he tries to overcome his "disability of alcoholism", as Judge Burlew referred to it. The judge suggested the NFL should give breath tests to all fans leaving its games after allowing companies to widely advertise alcohol during the game and on television.

Burlew complimented the 23-year-old for now following through with his probation officers. Thurman was in court because of a probation violation stemming from him allegedly not showing up for a meeting with his probation officers in July.

The probation comes after the Thurman was arrested and charged with drunk driving. Originally sentenced to 90 days in jail, Judge Burlew reduced the punishment to a six day in-service treatment program after Thurman admitted to being an alcoholic and spent several months in rehab earlier this month.

Thurman was suspended by the NFL for the entire 2007 season, after several arrests and charges in Cincinnati and in Georgia.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?...ac-9c172b876d47

[agreen_112]

Wow! This is spectacular. Judge Burlew has to be a Bengals fan... Odell, I hope you get paid homeboy because you most definitely have a suit on your hands.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Holy F**kin' S**t! Way to go judge!! Give Goodall HELL baby!

[Stripes]

I don't think this will amount to anything, and I don't think NFL executives are hypocrites for selling beer at games while refusing to condone drunk driving.

[Bobcat Bengal]

I don't think this will amount to anything, and I don't think NFL executives are hypocrites for selling beer at games while refusing to condone drunk driving.

Well, they better have a fleet of cabs waiting outside the stadiums.

And that's not the point.

They're hypocrites for allowing a product to be advertised and sold to its consumers, but not allowing their players to consume it during down-time.

If it's such a bane, then why allow your consumers to indulge in it at the game?

[HoosierCat]

I don't think this will amount to anything, and I don't think NFL executives are hypocrites for selling beer at games while refusing to condone drunk driving.

I don't think anything will come of it either, but I can see the hypocracy argument. The extension of Odells suspension wasn't about the DUI, but about some (alleged) missed AA meetings. If the NFL is so concerned about alcohol that a couple missed meetings are grounds for a season-long suspension...then yeah, I think it's legit to point out how hooked on Budweiser they are.

[Stripes]

If it's such a bane, then why allow your consumers to indulge in it at the game?

The same reason beer is sold at any restaurant in America. Employees and customers are not congruent.

[Stripes]

I don't think this will amount to anything, and I don't think NFL executives are hypocrites for selling beer at games while refusing to condone drunk driving.

I don't think anything will come of it either, but I can see the hypocracy argument. The extension of Odells suspension wasn't about the DUI, but about some (alleged) missed AA meetings. If the NFL is so concerned about alcohol that a couple missed meetings are grounds for a season-long suspension...then yeah, I think it's legit to point out how hooked on Budweiser they are.

I had thought the suspension was due to the missed probation meeting... if not, then yes, the judge's outburst makes much more sense.

[HairOnFire]

What it points out is how little Goodell has done in trying to solve real problems at their source. Instead, he's simply sacrificed the careers of several players in his media driven strategy of protecting the NFL's image.

Meanwhile, the NFL stil heavily promotes Shawn Merriman, a steroid user, as one of it's biggest stars, Michael Irvin was just elected to the Hall of Fame, and Ray "Stabby" Lewis is prominently featured in commercials promoting the NFL.

[COB]

That new story called Burlew a judge of the "Hamilton County Common Pleas Court." How did Thurman's drunk driving case end up in Common Pleas Court?

[Bobcat Bengal]

Meanwhile, the NFL stil heavily promotes Shawn Merriman, a steroid user, as one of it's biggest stars,

How do you know its steroids?

IIRC, they never mentioned what the substance was.....

[Kazkal]

He was using something that the NFL doesn't allow otherwise he wouldn't have missed 4 games,Anyways Goddell better just back step on this one and let Mikey pay odell otherwise be coming out of the nfls pocket.

[DesperateDerelict]

In court today, Judge Burlew told Thurman, "It upsets me more than anything else and, primarily with your employer, the National Football League. The allegations are that you had an illegal substance, alcohol, in your body. A substance they advertise and take money from, millions of dollars a year. They're hypocrites. If they are really interested in pursuing this issue, they'd give everybody who went to that stadium and comes out of it a breathalizer, but they won't do it because they want the money."

It must be an election year . . . .

[jjakq27]

Meanwhile, the NFL stil heavily promotes Shawn Merriman, a steroid user, as one of it's biggest stars,

How do you know its steroids?

IIRC, they never mentioned what the substance was.....

Don't forget to throw Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor in there too.

What it points out is how little Goodell has done in trying to solve real problems at their source. Instead, he's simply sacrificed the careers of several players in his media driven strategy of protecting the NFL's image.

Meanwhile, the NFL stil heavily promotes Shawn Merriman, a steroid user, as one of it's biggest stars, Michael Irvin was just elected to the Hall of Fame, and Ray "Stabby" Lewis is prominently featured in commercials promoting the NFL.

I am not sure how Goodell can solve the problems at their source when the source is more sociological than a flaw in the NFL. Is alcholism or drug abuse a problem only in the NFL?

[HairOnFire]

Meanwhile, the NFL stil heavily promotes Shawn Merriman, a steroid user, as one of it's biggest stars,

How do you know its steroids?

IIRC, they never mentioned what the substance was.....

But Merriman did when he made excuses/lied about it being a one-time mistake. To be perfectly fair he never identified if the performance enhancing drug he used was steroids or HGH, but that's besides the point. Either substance makes him a cheater whose transgression relates directly to the spirit and fairness of competiton. By comparison, Odell Thurman was dealt with far more harshly for things that he did in his private life that had no impact on his onfield performance.

BTW, we can take this argument as far as you're willing to go. For example, Hall of Fame player Lawrence Taylor, said by many to be the finest defensive player ever, wrote a book detailing how he had played games while under the influence of cocaine. Taylor also claimed that Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells knew of his addiction, as did other members of the coaching staff and front office, and all involved deliberatly looked the other way because of Taylor's incredible talent.

Hypocrisy? Absolutely.

Perhaps the better question is what the NFL's image really is.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Meanwhile, the NFL stil heavily promotes Shawn Merriman, a steroid user, as one of it's biggest stars,

How do you know its steroids?

IIRC, they never mentioned what the substance was.....

BTW, we can take this argument as far as you're willing to go.

Perhaps the better question is what the NFL's image really is.

Not trying to get in a argument at all.....I was just wondering...lol

The NFL's image? How about we label it a double-standard, hypocritical type?

[ArmyBengal]

You KNOW that judge is a Bengals fan !!!

WHODEY !!!

[BengalszoneBilly]

That new story called Burlew a judge of the "Hamilton County Common Pleas Court." How did Thurman's drunk driving case end up in Common Pleas Court?

I dunno, but here he stands:

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

You KNOW that judge is a Bengals fan !!!

WHODEY !!!

You KNOW that judge is grandstanding for re-election!!!

Seriously, Odell's DUI had sh*t all to do with the NFL at the level the judge was dealing with it. NFL didn't make the arrest. Booze wasn't consumed in an NFL facility. Odell got drunk, drove drunk, got arrested by the cops, got probation from a judge, and had to come to court again because he violated his probation. Didn't have a thing to do with the NFL. As far as I know, no one from the NFL was even in attendance. So I have a feeling he was trying to get some publicity, and succeeded.

Personally, I think the judge should be ashamed for using the bench and this case as his personal re-election campaign, regardless of what one thinks of Odell, or of the NFL.

[agreen_112]

You KNOW that judge is a Bengals fan !!!

WHODEY !!!

You KNOW that judge is grandstanding for re-election!!!

Seriously, Odell's DUI had sh*t all to do with the NFL at the level the judge was dealing with it. NFL didn't make the arrest. Booze wasn't consumed in an NFL facility. Odell got drunk, drove drunk, got arrested by the cops, got probation from a judge, and had to come to court again because he violated his probation. Didn't have a thing to do with the NFL. As far as I know, no one from the NFL was even in attendance. So I have a feeling he was trying to get some publicity, and succeeded.

Personally, I think the judge should be ashamed for using the bench and this case as his personal re-election campaign, regardless of what one thinks of Odell, or of the NFL.

I disagree, I thinks it's his oppinion. I don't think it has anything to do with an election... Although I can't say that I'm not going to vote for him now though!

[COB]

Thanks for the pic, Bill. The seal on the floor clearly shows he is in Municipal Court, not Common Please Court. Pretty significan error by the Enquirer.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I disagree, I thinks it's his oppinion. I don't think it has anything to do with an election... Although I can't say that I'm not going to vote for him now though!

I think it's awfully coincidental that he's up for re-election next year. Note that your last statement lends credence to my theory.

[SteelerFan87]

DC Bengals Fan is right. This has nothing to do with the NFL. Thurman broke the law, and that's why he was arrested, not because the NFL wanted him to be. The NFL is only refusing to reinstate him because he violated his probation, and is considered by the NFL to be another incident that reflects badly on the NFL. As for the NFL selling beer, beer isn't illegal. Getting drunk, and then driving, is. Just because you sell alcohol doesn't mean you advocate drunk driving. Besides, aren't some teams imposing limits on how much beer can be bought at the stadium, or stopping the sale of alcohol in the 4th quarter, or something?

[kenyon1977]

I don't think the NFL is hypocritical. They don't have rules saying the players have to drink after the game before leaving. I swear I don't understand how any of the players in the NFL could get a DUI. It's stupid. All the "hanger oners" and friends and coaches and personal assistants and family out of all these people they can't get a ride????

The NFL makes money from advertising dollars from alcohol, they make money from the sales at it's games.

YOU are the one that's responsible not to get behind the wheel not the NFL.

[Kazkal]

He's also applying that there will be people who do drink and drive just not fact their selling it and yes Odell got a DUI but has he gotten once since his first?