POINT/COUNTERPOINT- Aqib Talib

Editor's Note:   POINT/COUNTERPOINT is simply an exchange of ideas between Niko and Buc Wild to present both sides of a story.  

Anyone listening to Steve Duemig on 620 this past week heard the story of the guy who also got into some trouble over a cab ride. He took a cab every day for 6 months to work, and it was always $7.20. One day he got in and it was a new driver, who took him a slightly different route. He told the driver dont go this way but the driver said " Dont tell me how to drive" or something to that effect. The bill was 9.40, a whole two dollars more which would amount to a 60.00 monthly increase if used daily. The end result was the guy paid the bill....with quarters, and it sounded like a fight ensued. The man used poor judgement. When the rest of us have something like that happen, we dont use that cab anymore, or call the company and complain. There are proper channels.

Can anyone tell the main difference between this story and Talib's?

Niko:  The difference is...we dont have Talib's story. We DO have the Cab driver's side of the events, heck we have a full video thanks to the local media. But no one has anything on Aqib's side of the story. 

Dont get me wrong. Im 90% sure what ever the cabbie did, if anything, did not justify battery. May have deserved it, but you have to use your head, especially when youve developed a reputation already. 

These are minor charges, they are simple misdemeanors, right above a parking ticket on the scale of offenses. 

If you cuss out a police officer while your being arrested, that too is resisting arrest without violence. If Talib had gotten out when the Officers told him to, this whole thing may not have even reached us. 

Is Talib guilty of using poor judgement? Maybe.

Probably.

Does he deserve to be called an idiot by Joe Henderson? No. Find another way to stop the decline is subscriptions Joe. 

What Aqib does deserve is less trial by court of public opinion without having his side of the story being presented.  A Judge will be appointed to make a decision. We can relax, not one of us will be called on for that role. Lets hope at least then Talib's side will be heard.

Buc Wild:  Those are some interesting points.  I won't disagree with you that what Talib did was moronic.  The difference between your average Joe Q Public and Talib is pretty significant though, at least in the law's eye and the public's eye.  He has a history of this.  Now, I'd love to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but when assault type instances are prominent on his record (check with Cory Boyd and Torie Cox), it makes it tough to defend the guy.

He was out with buddies after the last night of training camp, probably had a few drinks (assumption on my part, but a warranted one), and he did the right thing in taking a cab home, no questions there.  What we don't know is what ensued or prompted the beatdown from the backseat. 

Whether they are minor charges or not almost seems insignificant.  The dude has already developed this reputation, and if he so much as sneezes without covering his nose and mouth, the public is gonna be on this guy.  You get the benefit of the doubt when you're a Manning, or an athlete who serves in the community.  But as a player who has tested positive for marijuana (in college), and already been rung up by the league and by the team, he's gonna be viewed as the villain.

This also hurts Morris and the Bucs.  I'm actually not surprised that Morris and Dominik didn't do anything, because as you said, it's a minor violation.  But the perception is that they are letting him run wild (notice i said perception).  He's one of Morris' guys, and that seems to be the story that has gotten some legs. 

I'm all for letting him have his day in court, but the people's court has already tried this guy and he was found to be guilty of being a neanderthal-like idiot.  The story has slowed down a bit, and it makes me wonder if anything will come out of this.  If nothing else, it's a tiny black eye on Morris' young tenure, and I hope it stays as just that.  This team has enough distractions, doubters and issues, we don't need to have a first round pick try to beat his way out of the league.