Winnipeg Free Press > Sports > Blue no longer pursuing 'Pacman' Jones

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Blue no longer pursuing 'Pacman' Jones

By: Ed Tait

2/09/2009 7:50 PM | Comments: 36

Ex-Cowboy Adam Pacman Jones could be returning kicks for the Bombers in Regina on Sunday. A deal is close, agent says.

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Ex-Cowboy Adam Pacman Jones could be returning kicks for the Bombers in Regina on Sunday. A deal is close, agent says. (TONY GUTIERREZ / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)

WINNIPEG — The Adam Pacman Jones ‘era’ in Winnipeg is over before the NFL bad boy ever pulled on a Blue Bomber jersey or crossed the border into Canada.



The Bombers issued a press release at 7:30 Wednesday night indicating they will no longer be pursuing the services of the talented, but troubled defensive back/kick returner, a former first-round draft pick who was most-recently released by the Dallas Cowboys.

Pacman rap sheet

July 2005 -- Jones is arrested on charges of assault and felony vandalism after a fight in a bar.

March 2006 -- Charged with marijuana possession in Fayetteville, Georgia. At the time, he claimed to know how to beat the NFL's drug test.

August 2006 -- Arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication after a dispute and claims that a woman stole his wallet.

October 2006 -- Cited for misdemeanor assault for allegedly spitting in the face of a woman at a bar.

February 2007-- Involved in a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club. Jones is alleged to have entered the bar with rap artist Nelly and the two men engaged in throwing dollar bills in the air. A fight ensued and shots were fired, hitting three people, including a security guard and former professional wrestler Tommy Urbanski, who was paralyzed from the waist down. Jones pleaded no contest to one charge of conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct and was given a suspended prison sentence of one year plus probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. Urbanski later filed suit, stating Jones was responsible for the incident.

June 2007 -- Jones is sought by police for his involvement in a shooting at an Atlanta strip club.

October 2008 -- Jones gets into alcohol related incident which turned into a physical confrontation with bodyguards that had been assigned to him by the Dallas Cowboys.

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Bomber head coach Mike Kelly just addressed the media at the club’s offices, stating:



"After deliberating and further investigating, we feel at this time it is not in the best interest of our football club to pursue Adam Jones and I wish him all the luck in his future endeavours," said Kelly.



"This has nothing to do with his ability to get across the border. It was instigated by me and then after having further discussions with (Bomber president and CEO) Lyle (Bauer) I just didn’t feel it was in the best interest of our football club to include Adam Jones."



The Bombers have spent much of the last few days dealing with the Jones story, ever since director of player personnel John Murphy indicated the team’s interest in Jones to an on-line reporter for Sports Illustrated. But the club kept insisting Jones had not signed even as the story grew. Ultimately, the team backed away partly  because of concerns of how he would fit into their locker room.



"We feel very good about the culture and the atmosphere that we’ve created here and I have the utmost respect for our players," said Kelly. "I just don’t feel like it would behove us to continue this route.



"Here’s what’s unfortunate: people in our organization and outside our organization jumped the gun. When I stood there and said we would do our due diligence  - and we look at a lot of football players and pursue a lot of football players – and then we want to find out about the rest of the package above and beyond the physical tools. When all this broke, our due diligence was not complete at that time. Information was released and presumptions made that were inappropriate at that time."

Last-chance league

The CFL has long been considered a place for outlaw football players to earn a second chance. Here are some big-name bad boys who made the CFL home after the NFL shut them down.

  • Ricky Williams -- Suspended by the NFL for violating the league's drug policy, the running back signed with the Toronto Argonauts. Williams got his game and life back in order in Canada and is now back with the Miami Dolphins.
  • Lawrence Phillips -- The Heisman Trophy candidate ran into trouble with the law in the U.S. and after washing out of the NFL, came to the Montreal Alouettes. The experiment was short-lived and Phillips was sent packing. He's now serving a 10-year prison sentence in the U.S.
  • Mike Sellers -- The bruising fullback, now with the Washington Redskins, came to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after a drug arrest cooled interest in the NFL. Sellers stayed clean in Winnipeg and is now enjoying a fine NFL career.
  • Dexter Manley -- Won a pair of Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins and was a Pro Bowler before failing his third drug test. Left the NFL for the CFL and signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders in the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Was arrested for cocaine possession in 1995 and served a prison sentence.
  • Todd Marinovich -- Drug use pushed Marinovich out of the NFL and into the CFL twice. The former USC star tried out for the Bombers but blew out in his knee and claims he was introduced to heroin during his recovery from that injury. A second stint in the NFL ended with more drug problems and in 1999 Marinovich joined the B.C. Lions, but his increased crack and heroin abuse ended that comeback attempt quickly.
  • Art Schlichter ---- Was banished from the NFL for gambling on games and then joined the Ottawa Rough Riders for a short stint, but was released in mid-season. Has been in and out of jail but has been clean for several years and is the founder of the Gambling Prevention Awareness non-profit organization.

 

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 2, 2009 C1

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36 Commentscomment icon

Whoever came up with this idea should be fired. What were they trying to do? The reputation of the Bombers organization is being ruined! This has got to stop.

If Kelly was behind this, I want to kick his ass!

just like the game in the 80's, Pacman's days were numbered.

ok Ive read thru the list of players that were ousted from the NFL to end up in the CFL for whatever reason/crime. What about Micheal Vic ??? You can get ejected from the NFL in a heartbeat for doing drugs or basically causing harm to yourself. But rampant years long inhumane cruelty to animals is ok ?!!! I watched a show about a dog rescue in Arizona that rehabilitated two of the dogs that were part of his fighting ring. One was a female pitbull that was horrified of people (gee I wonder why), after a vet took x rays of its mouth they discovered all of the dogs teeth were very precisely and surgically removed. Why ? So they could breed it with out it putting up a fight. This coward deserves to be hooked up to his dogs "rape rack" and left to rot. But no.. he's been signed by the Eagles. I fail to see why other players are being banned for doing something that is only causing themselves harm.

Haha, after his video interview on youstream.com, I'm HAPPY he's not comin' in.

"Yeah, I hope to impress my Winnipeg fans by playing for the U-F-L." Blah blah blah. "Oh yeah... I meant the CFL... Yeah, CFL, that's right."

Bonehead. We didn't need him!

argghhhh.... for a second there i had hope we were improving the team by getting a player who could make a difference.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers = Bush League

All the hype and then don't sign a guy who would have made an impact. Bauer, Kelly and Murphy gotta go!

If they had signed this guy the Bombers could never, ever again claim to be a "community-minded" organization. What communities do you know of who promote criminals as role models?

Mike Kelly/Lyle Bauer remind me of Bush/Cheney. Time to take a cue from Toronto and look at leadership who have the community's interest at heart (Pinball).

Must be that the Bombers were dealing with Pacman internally, viewed him as non-issue, and not talking about it until today... hahaha

Just bring in Armstrong and Ramonce Taylor and they are good enough for CFL standards. I am sure they will be self disciplined through management reformative proceedures. At least we know who they are and I am sure players learn from their past mistakes. We need to win therefore give a serious consideration to sign them.

Anybody who say his youtube video and say a normal person, raise your hand...Did'nt think so. The guy seemed to be totally wasted or something. And for all those people who wanted to "give hime a second chance", Did you read his rapsheet listed in the paper?? Seems like he has had about 15 second chances. And for whoever mentioned Mack Herron in a favorable quote the other day, folow up on him. After he was released by theBlue, he was busted for heroin possession and became better known as Smack Herroin. No bull

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