Redskins Sign Larry Johnson

[Pocket$ $traight]

Originally Posted by ethat001

Didn't Haynesworth step on someone's face (sure, it was a Cowboy - (Gurode?), but still...) Ray Lewis killed a man, so did Stallworth while drunk driving,

These guys clearly are not Boy Scouts. Now, I don't like paying to watch hoodlums play, and I'd rather have our Redskins untarnished with these guys.. But the reality is that it's not uncommon for the football players to get into trouble off the field.

Personally, I'm a little dubious of a trouble-maker RB who's 30yrs old doing anything for a struggling franchise. But I'll reserve judgement for now..

Dude, do a little homework before you present someone as a murderer.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Mc2guy

Your point is not lost on me. I am not looking for perfect people, there are none that I've ever met.

I guess I just have to draw the line somewhere, and LJ is it. I can handle a guy who makes juvenile mistakes or is even a real jerk off the field. I have no problem with petty jerks so long as their crimes are "victim-less." TO, or Romanowski come to mind. When I see, however, a series of repeated mistakes over time, disrespect for women, disrespect for teammates and coaches, and generally a nuisance to society, I take issue with that person being a part of the team I have been a lifelong fan of.

I am no boyscout, nor am I looking for the players to all be Kurt Warner types. There are certain things that just can't be ignored, and for me, this is one of them. Any man capable of beating or abusing a woman is a pathetic human and no one I want near the Redskins.

So how do you plan on reconciling your differences here? What if we plays a critical role for us this season. What if we're down by 4 late in week 5 against the Giants and LJ breaks off a 25 yard rd for a TD to give us the lead and ultimately the win? Will you be cheering for the Redskins (and LJ) or not?

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

So how do you plan on reconciling your differences here? What if we plays a critical role for us this season. What if we're down by 4 late in week 5 against the Giants and LJ breaks off a 25 yard rd for a TD to give us the lead and ultimately the win? Will you be cheering for the Redskins (and LJ) or not?

Personally I only care so much. By the time the Redskins are truly competitive again (like championship contenders), LJ will be all but useless and that could be in as little as two years though it will more then likely be 3 or 4. In the meantime we might have to settle for a "happy to be a playoff team" type attitude.

In the meantime, as I said before, the only way I can really reconcile this is to point to the fact that in terms of violence towards women, LJ's record is relatively tame. To my knowledge he has never outright hit a woman. Opting instead to spit, wave a gun, and yell verbal obscenities. Death threats are reserved for boyfriends of spitting targets.

One day all athletes will have the intangibles of Tim Tebow, and what a glorious day that will be. He truly is a savior.

[Longtimefan]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

So how do you plan on reconciling your differences here? What if we plays a critical role for us this season. What if we're down by 4 late in week 5 against the Giants and LJ breaks off a 25 yard rd for a TD to give us the lead and ultimately the win? Will you be cheering for the Redskins (and LJ) or not?

That question will definitely get your attention!..Larry Johnson's short term future is with the Redskins, and that which is past and gone is irrevocable, I'm only concerned with the three years he'll be here if he fulfills the contract.

I'm reminded of something you made mention of in an earlier post....we don't know that we're not rooting for players every sunday that share in Johnsons' transgressions. We should really be more concerned about what he does as a Redskin, only he has to live down his past. Dope users..Woman beaters in the HOF. Like someone mentioned earlier, this is the NFL not the boy scouts.

[SolidSnake84]

My only question is can he carry the load for 10 to 12 games however many when Portis gets hurt or struggles....you know it will happen.

Can Larry Johnson go almost a full season? I hope so. I hope we can make a good player out of him...he had a lot of issues.

[dirtythirty]

DUI Manslaughter and testing positive for dope at the same time = murder in my book. A man was killed. I bet if it were a regular 9-5 working man the outcome would be differnt. There are tons of players who have messed up just like LJ. I dont think it makes him a horrible person. He appolgized and realized what he did was wrong. Give the guy some credit. He is human just like us. I know I have made mistakes in my life that some could say are just as bad. Lets wait and see how he acts as a redskin.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by dirtythirty

DUI Manslaughter and testing positive for dope at the same time = murder in my book. A man was killed. I bet if it were a regular 9-5 working man the outcome would be differnt. There are tons of players who have messed up just like LJ. I dont think it makes him a horrible person. He appolgized and realized what he did was wrong. Give the guy some credit. He is human just like us. I know I have made mistakes in my life that some could say are just as bad. Lets wait and see how he acts as a redskin.

Yeah, I'm thinking, or at least hoping that LJ has reached an age of maturity and being tossed around to the Bengals and Redskins without much interest from other teams would be a wake-up call that he needs to make the most of his remaining time on the field as it comes closer to the end. The days of him going #1 in fantasy drafts are long gone, but it doesn't mean he's completely finished. He DID have horrible lines in KC and really doesn't have too many carries on him compared to other backs his age...in a split role with Portis, they could both be productive and stay on the field, prolonging each other's careers.

[12thMan]

This thread is starting to sound like a family therapy session. Only LJ is the missing prodigal son coming home for Thanksgiving, and we're sort of fighting over where he should be seated. Interesting.

Anyone here know which side of thirty John Riggins was on he joined the Skins? I'm just curious.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

Johnson's father, Larry Johnson Sr., played one season with the Redskins, as a linebacker in 1974, according to his bio, though he doesn't seem to be listed in the team's media guide.

Thanks SFREDSKIN. Isn't it odd that it all seems based on his bio? He's not pulling a George O'Leary here is he?

[SolidSnake84]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

This thread is starting to sound like a family therapy session. Only LJ is the missing prodigal son coming home for Thanksgiving, and we're sort of fighting over where he should be seated. Interesting.

Anyone here know which side of thirty John Riggins was on he joined the Skins? I'm just curious.

He was actually 26 years old and turned 27 during the season in 1976. But he was also not a worn-out 26. he was relatively fresh.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

This thread is starting to sound like a family therapy session. Only LJ is the missing prodigal son coming home for Thanksgiving, and we're sort of fighting over where he should be seated. Interesting.

Anyone here know which side of thirty John Riggins was on he joined the Skins? I'm just curious.

heh.. guy I used to lift with came home for Thanksgiving from WVU; his parents paid for him to stay at the Courtyard for a week as opposed to having him around the house

[Mc2guy]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

So how do you plan on reconciling your differences here? What if we plays a critical role for us this season. What if we're down by 4 late in week 5 against the Giants and LJ breaks off a 25 yard rd for a TD to give us the lead and ultimately the win? Will you be cheering for the Redskins (and LJ) or not?

It's a good question. I'll have to figure that out by the time the season roles around.

No matter what I end up deciding, it will certainly dampen my enthusiasm for the team if he plays a major role, and that is really the reason that the Skins should consider carefully picking up these bad character guys.

My wife, for example, won't watch ANY game with Mike Vick in it, including when the Skins play the Eagles. It's a dollars and cents thing...if she doesn't watch, buy a ticket, or put our kids in Skins gear, that's less money for the franchise, and she's not alone. This forum is really the minority of true-red-blooded fans who will forgive just about anything for a winning team. There are lots of "fair-weather" fans that don't pay attention to details, yet get turned off to the sport when they hear about players acting the fool and getting away with it.

Again, I'm not looking for a team of angels, just "normal" citizens who like all of us may make mistakes, but who respect their fortune and try hard on the field. As for the comment about "slice of society," while it may be true there are other abusers/thugs out there in society, I am not paying part of their salary by watching the team either. (BTW, I have the same opinion of any team that would employ Leonard Little, Donte Stallworth, or Brandon Marshall).

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by tryfuhl

heh.. guy I used to lift with came home for Thanksgiving from WVU; his parents paid for him to stay at the Courtyard for a week as opposed to having him around the house

Were they fans of the Virginia Cavaliers or something?

[MTK]

I'm not a fan of LJ the person, but if he can produce on the field, I can be a fan of LJ the player.

[freddyg12]

LJ seems bright enough. I saw him on cold pizza a few years back & he spoke like someone who's pretty mature. Of course, he hasn't acted that mature at times. I hope being in his home area will have a positive impact on him. The timing is right for both he and the skins. I wasn't excited about his signing, but at the same time I think he's got more in the tank than LT & fast willie, maybe more than TJ too.