Off key
It appears that Darren McFadden really doesn’t want to be picked by the Miami Dolphins. The Arkansas junior running back has had a curious streak bad judgment that continued last night when he got involved in an altercation at a one of Little Rock’s dueling, dueling piano bars (they are located across the street from each other).
McFadden was handcuffed and then released by police. This incident took place not long after McFadden was spotted rolling around in a new Cadillac Escalade before the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl beatdown Arkansas received from Missouri. Although McFadden was ruled eligible to play after a KARK-TV in Little Rock mistakenly reported that the running back and sports agent Mike Conley were seen purchasing the vehicle at a Fayetteville car dealership, Arkansas- all-time leading rusher began attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. NFL teams will most assuredly take note of McFadden’s recent behavior and that’s not good. In fact, it could cost him some money. Here’s more from the AP story:
“He wasn’t the one that was fighting. It was his little brother — someone had jumped on him,” Muhammad said. “He was agitated because his brother had a bloody nose.”
“Darren was not fighting — please make that be known,” she added.
Hastings said bar employee Brant Hankins was advised that he could pursue charges against the person who hit him. The police report classified the incident as misdemeanor battery.
In the summer of 2006 in a fight outside another Little Rock club, McFadden severely injured his toe, but recovered in time to play in the Razorbacks’ season opener.
This doesn’t even merit being newsworthy. Tell me something like Wally Hall has been fired and I’ll read the article. You’ve probrably done nothing wrong in your life either, have you Rainer??? Please don’t become the next Wally Hall, believe me, you won’t last long, and I like you. You are a fresh start from that old fart. And we are tried of his negativity. Concentrate on the good and positive things at the U of A. Thank you.
Colorado,
I appreciate your response. But please don’t shoot the messenger. This is a newsworthy story. I worked for the AP and if it believes the incident is worth reporting on it’s legit. McFadden is a public figure and as a result he is held to a different standard. That’s the nature of the beast, unfortunately.
DMAC, get a grip, man. Everyone in the state of Arkansas is pulling for you. Many fans elsewhere, like myself, also want you to do well.
In my opinion, one of the detriments in allowing underclass athletes to declare early is the maturity level [or lack thereof] which runs along with it.
Unfortunately, Rabin is correct. Celebrities, high profile athletes, politicians and virtually any entertainer are held to a different standard. The more unfortunate thing is that the rabid, sensationalist and rating hungry electronic and print media are tripping over each other to get these “basically worthless” stories out before or as a result of competitors. This is a social disease these days as the more trash and misfortune is reported, the more the less acclimated and informed seem to take in and continue to “spread the word”. Hey, misery just loves company and these stories associated with these high profile individuals perhaps just instills a small amount of “Man, I’m sure glad I’m not him/her!). It would be nice if a media outlet would choose to take the high ground and not give any mention of these useless bites. If the AP declares Bankruptcy tomorrow, will your news organization Rabin? Give me a break and give your readership a little credit for not being totally naive! Remember that song from Don Henley, Dirty Laundry? It certainly applies here as with the AP and everyone else who picks these types of stories up throughout the media. Who knows, hopefully we can read about this in the National Enquirer also next week!
Ohiohawg,
Your argument — “If the AP declares Bankruptcy tomorrow, will your news organization Rabin?” — is intellectually dishonest. To answer your question, no. But if a Ford dealership decided it wasn’t going to sell the Explorer, it would be at giving a competitive advantage to a Ford dealership that had the Explorer in stock.
And the AP didn’t pick this story up in the “media.” It gathered its information from a police report. Because of McFadden’s fame and standing in the sports world, this became a story of interest. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Rabin,
Interesting analogy as you are talking about an innate, material object with the Explorer and last I heard, DMAC is a flesh and blood human being equipped with thoughts, dreams and feelings (not to mention a family). Nice try. I am fully cognizant of the fact that the AP picked up the story from police reports. Do they report on everything that they pull from the FOIA or public record? No - as no one would care if they couldn’t associate a famous name/face with it. Sounds like a form of ambulance chasing doesn’t it??
Ohiohawg:
But a lot of people do care because it is a famous person. If I tripped and fell and hurt my knee, no one would pay any attention. But if McFadden did they would.
Does this really need to be debated?
My apologies as my comments are intended to be to Rainer (not Rabin).
Rainer - actually you do have the choice to not respond. On another tangent, if I were either DMAC or FJ, I’d get out of the state as quick as I could and that “Peyton Place” atmosphere that they’ve had to endure there for the past 3 years. Sure, that could go on anywhere but it’s been ridiculous in the state of AR. Doom, doom ,scandal, scandal bring it on and keep stoking those fires!!
[...] it doesn’t excite us very much, we suppose we should weigh in on D-Mac’s most recent run-in with the law (Rule 325, Section IV, Sub-section G of the official Sports Blogger Code of Conduct states that all [...]
When you have a great deal of public recognition you are compensated for the constant lack of privacy. Get a minimum wage job and noone cares if you are in a bar disturbance. Life in a fishbowl is the same for local politicos, athletes and entertainment figures. Having watched the reports of professional athletes in Atlanta fofr several years it is obvious a lot of celebrities just don’t get it. I hor DMc accepts there is a camera phone at every seat in a public place and he is only one cross word from page 1.
I agree that this is news worthy for the Entertainment networks — either E! or ESPN — they’re both about the entertainment. What bothers me is that all we have gotten out of Razorback football this year is negativity. Mr. Rainer, I enjoy reading your articles and appreciate the job that you do. I also understand that this story is something that sells papers, increases the hits on a website, and drives TV ratings. However, is there anything good you can report also. How is Marcus Monk doing? Is he focusing on the combine to prove he has fully recovered. Any setbacks? Where are the “experts” projecting all the other guys to be drafted? Call me sensitive, but I need some positivity to feel good about my Hogs.
We are trying to sell ourselves as the best option available to the recruits. When I say we, that SHOULD mean the coaches, players, fans, ARKANSAS PRESS, everyone. How does it look that everytime you pickup a paper, or watch the local sports all you here is this crap! If your interested in these things, get it from the National Press. Why can’t Arkansans work together to promote our teams instead of digging up dirt and complaining publicly at every oportunity. Myself, I’m sick of this!
Sorry, hogfan 1509, but while I would like to agree with you…this story about McFadden is news in the fact that for the second time in less than two years…the kid was somewhere where he wasn’t old enough to be (by law) and obviously if the kid was his younger brother, he wasn’t either. Darren is a public figure in Arkansas just like the governor, the coach, etc.
If Mike Beebe or Bobby Petrino had been in an altercation outside a night club…it would have certainly made the news. What some of you guys are saying is that “if it pertains to the Razorbacks” it should be swept under the table. Botton line is…Darren has too much time on his hands now that there is no reason for him to stay on “the Hill” and attend class….and his guidance system (Houston NUtt and staff) are gone.
‘cuse me…make that “is gone”. (now my former english teach won’t be upset)
I read about this story on aol when logging in to check my email before this was ever posted here. So, give me a break, this site is about HOGS and should reflect HOG news. I think we all stand behind DMAC and wish him well. I hope he realizes that it just isn’t good for him to go to places that put him into a situation that could lead to trouble.
Rainer did nothing wrong in posting this story - it’s out there on National Media outlets. I’d rather hear it from “family” than from outsider writers who don’t know what’s going on in the State of Arkansas. Just because we love our hogs doesn’t mean we should bury our heads in the sand when it comes to stories that some of us don’t necessarily want to hear about.
OK txhogfan - what did you get from this story of any value? Did it make an impact with you or do you think it would with anyone else? Did it make your day to hear about his unfortunate run-in? Same sort of thing when we had the quick hitter about Charles Thomas a while back on his woes with his girlfriend. Oh and let’s not forget that scandulous Patrick Beverly article recently ran outlining to all his paternity issue (that’s really big news to all of us - NOT). In my mind, Rainer is only the messenger and sure he did nothing wrong. The wrong is that journalism today covets this sort of stuff as really newsworthy when it’s anything but. I can tell by reading many of the Hog Nation posts the past several months that many folks are also really fed up with this Britney Spears, Gotcha mentality of the media nowdays. Will it ever stop - not likely but that still doesn’t stifle the fact that it is a very unfortunate sign of the times when media scramble over one another to get “dirt” out quicker than their competition. I’d like to think there are bigger and better thing to write/read about.
You know, this is Rainer’s job and this is what this website does - report on HOG sports and all that that implies - i.e., coaches, team players, etc. Did I get anything out of it? Well, let’s see, what was I supposed to get out of it? Other than another sports star (whose abilities I very much admire) who chooses to put himself in precarious situations that could lead to trouble, a lot of trouble. (That’s a statement on our society as a whole.)
And if I don’t like to read things that are being posted, I don’t read them. (You are welcome to do the same…) But do I think there shouldn’t be any posting of it on here - no. Let’s see, he’s a Razorback; he was our star player for the last two years. The story wasn’t a rush to judgment like the big Conley/Cadillac story. It didn’t accuse him of anything. It was a report of an incident that happened in a bar with under-age college kids. That’s kind of illegal, isn’t it?
Whatever your feelings, I hope DMAC wakes up and smells the coffee. He’s too good of an athlete to make stupid decisions. It’s time to grow up and be responsible. I hope he does. I look forward to watching him on Sundays.
GO HOGS!
I don’t have an issue with reporting the incident, my issue is with the depth of the report, and the zeal that some seem to have digging up this stuff and impacting the opinion of others. Once again, we are Arkansans, this is about OUR sports teams, and this crap definitely helps form the opinion others have of us. These indepth looks into teenagers private lives is sick! I want to read about there performances, abilities, etc. not there last DWI, pregnant grilfriend, etc. Get a grip sports fans, your playing a role in tearing down the very thing you want to build. Let their parents, coaches, and administrators deal with the issues that are so prevelent in the private lives of many many young people and get back to supporting your team! PLEASE…
hey rainer, anything to the rumor that ryan mallett is on UA’s campus this weekend?
txhogfan- let’s look at your last post. Rainer is a sports reporter (YES) employed to write/blog about UA sports and sporting activities on behalf of his employer. Ok - what sport did this article report on (it wasn’t football)? If I read all of this correctly this incident took place off the football field and was a private matter that got turned into a circus and was unfortunately disseminated like Britney driving to a local 7Eleven. Also, is it your place (or mine or anyone else) to judge DMAC’s conduct where ever it may be? Is it my business, your business or the business of any media outlet and/or reporting entity to police and smother these athletes day in and day out? Is DMAC underage and if so, that’s a matter between him and the law and no business of anyone else? Why not report on the illegal activity in the bar and leave him out of it? You see, it’s a vicious cycle and if this is a sports blog, why not discuss sports? Bar brawling, alleged domestic violence, youth pregnancy are not sports that I know of?? Where are the articles analyzing all of the potential Hogs going to the NFL? Where are the open dialogs started discussing the strengths of each player and how those strengths coincide with the first 5 NFL teams in the Draft order? How about more insight to how current Hogs are fairing in the NFL and those not doing so well and perhaps are destined for change?? Just because other news (or gossip in this case) reporting happens doesn’t mean one has to jump on board! Where are all of the purist sports fans that just want to read about just that - SPORTS??
Yes he is. He and his uncle are visiting with coach Petrino. Hope he doesn’t read the paper, blog, or watch TV while he is here. Then again, maybe he deserves to know exactly what he will be dealing with before he decides.
Heaven forbid that he might be a truly gifted athlete with the tough mean streak in him that propels him to excel when the chips are down. Those traits might lure him to act up in his private life. I wonder, do we realy want someone that might do this? Sure we do,
got to get more stock to feed the rumor mill. Nothing better than luring the gifted and tearing them apart is there.
I definitly need to shut up, but this stuff seems to get my blood boiling. Anyway, Ryan, there are many thousands of fans that would love to see you become a Razorback and support you throughout your career. Hope to see you sign, and pledge that we will continue to work to make being a Razorback the envy of the entire nation! GO HOGS! (I’ll shut up now).
Hear hear hogfan1509!! Well said and you get it!!
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