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Lost by many in the brouhaha regarding the photos of Matt Leinart cavorting with a gaggle of young ladies is the question of whether the girls seen drinking alcohol were of legal age, and if so whether Leinart provided them with the alcohol they were drinking.
It’s only fair. Bengals receiver Chris Henry was suspended for eight games due in part to a conviction for doing just that. If Leinart did the same thing, justice and fairness require that he suffer a similar fate.
Indeed, how hard would it be to identify the girls in the photos? We’ve already received an e-mail from one reader who believes that he knows one of the girls in the pictures, and if she is who the reader says she is, her MySpace profile says that she is under the age of 21.
We’re not saying that any of the girls were/are under 21 or that Leinart gave alcohol to any of them. We’re only saying that the matter needs to be investigated, and if charges are appropriate then charges should be pursued.
If the authorities merely brush this under the rug, a major flaw in the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy will be revealed. Discipline is meted out to players who have been charged with or convicted of crimes; thus, any player who can avoid being charged with a crime apparently can avoid the imposition of discipline by the NFL.
In this regard, the league probably should launch its own investigation. There were indications a year ago that NFL Security was active in connection with the Mike Vick imbroglio. Shouldn’t the league set those same resources in motion to determine whether there’s reason to believe that Leinart gave booze to people who were too young to buy and/or drink it?
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:12 am
If this gets blown off, it will also look like the NFL is more interested in suspending black players than white ones. If the Arizona authorities blow this off, the NFL needs to step up and look into it.
Having said that, the pictures on FOXSPORTS look like 4 young women in their mid to late 20s, so there might be smoke but no fire, although it should still be looked into.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 am
As a Lawyer, I’m suprised that you think that anyone should waste their time attempting to identify and contact these girls. Even if they do find these girls they all know it’s standard procedure to not bite the hand that feeds.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:27 am
Who’s more pathetic in this than Nick Lachey? He’s a 34-year-old boy bander who is bonging beers with 18 year-olds while…
wait a minute…I ENVY the guy!
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
Time out here. Chris henry was found guilty or pled guilty in a court of law THEN the NFL suspended him. Matt as done nothing wrong. That is what the NFL is doing. They are waiting until court documents are filed before reacting.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 am
Well. the way I see it is that players have been told that if you are going to act like idiots, act like idiots at home.
I will give him credit there: At least he wasn’t on a boat, at a nightclub, at a stripclub, driving, etc….
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Rating: 3.25 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:05 am
Didn’t Leinert get enough of this stuff staying in college for an extra year? Didn’t he already lose potentially millions of dollars as your prospective draft spot fell due to that decision? I mean, really - grow up man. You’re supposed to be leading a team as a starting Quarterback….
Oh wait, I forgot… you couldn’t even keep that job. Good idea spending the off-season doing beer-bongs with co-eds instead of trying to actually further your professional carreer.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:09 am
What a joke. Henry was busted for it, that’s why he got disciplined by the league.
Move over Arizona PD, here comes the NFL!
Now Florio wants NFL security to look into every allegation, be them actual crimes, or not. What’s next? NFL security becoming metermaids to make sure that no player double parks. After all, if you break the law, you must suffer the penalties. Look out for the NFL security and their radar traps!
Yeah, the NFL will blow it off, until Matt Leinart starts running down the street, waving a gun and actually doing something.
“If the authorities merely brush this under the rug, a major flaw in the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy will be revealed. Discipline is meted out to players who have been charged with or convicted of crimes; thus, any player who can avoid being charged with a crime apparently can avoid the imposition of discipline by the NFL.”
Kind of like the way it works in life, isn’t it? If you don’t get charged, you get away with it.
I can’t wait until the NFL security starts assisting the NCAA in busting underage drinking at college campuses around the states. After all, if we can stop this then, we will build a better world tomorrow…
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Rating: 4.4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:19 am
ctfwest is correct.
Matt was having a party at his house. Chris Henry was arrested and the girls with him were identified at the scene. There is a big difference between the two and NFL has no reason to investigate this matter at all.
Then again, If Arizona police does an investigation and finds the girls were under the legal limit, then the NFL should step in.
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:32 am
seriously? the dude gets some pictures of him taken with girls that are drinking and you want to launch an investigation? come on now. the nfl and the police have much better things to do with their time. this one of the most blown out of proportion stories by the national media i’ve seen since T.O did situps in his driveway.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 10:38 am
This is absolutely the case of double standards. Leinert is the Golden Boy second-coming of Tom Brady. There’s no way the NFL looks any further in to this and there’s no way this goes beyond the Cards coaching staff slapping Leinert on the wrist. The boy has been coddled his entire life and has gotten away with a lot of stuff other athletes do not get away with.
For example, Marcus Vick. Had Marcus not been kicked of the Hokies he’d be in the NFL starting at QB for any number of teams, but he got in trouble for providing alcohol to minors in the beginning and was labeled a “trouble maker” for the rest of his time in Blacksburg. No matter what he did, the label remained and he began to embody the label everyone gave him, despite never being in trouble BEFORE getting to VT.
Now you have Leinert who was a reported A-hole at USC and knocked a girl up, then claimed feverishly that it wasn’t his and he wanted nothing to do with the baby. Great guy. Now these photos come out.
What’s the difference between Leinert and Marcus Vick? I’m not afraid to say race. To ignore the fact that one is white and the other is black would be ignorant, but go ahead and flame away at the idea that America can still be a racist place. I’ll just sit back and laugh at the morons who think race plays NO role in this.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 am
I love the idiots that are trying to play the race card in this situation. Matt just drank beer in his backyard with some chicks. Marcus Vick pulled out a gun on some kids at a McDonald’s…Chris Henry likes to beat up teenagers and smash out their windsheilds.
In what shape or form does Leinart deserve the same criticism or treatment other than the fact that he’s a pretty boy who’s probably wasting his talent?
And a big NO to an NFL “investigation.” It would be a waste of everyone’s time.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
@hallcr3
“For example, Marcus Vick. Had Marcus not been kicked of the Hokies he’d be in the NFL starting at QB for any number of teams,…”
any number of teams???? if my memory serves me right, he had a chance in the nfl, the dolphins tried him at qb and judged he would be a more valuable 5th/6th receiver, then they dumped him cause he sucked at that too. if vick was truly that good that he could be a starting qb for many teams, he would still be in the nfl, i.e. chris henry and pacman jones are still in. even though they have achieved the mega-turd status, they are talented enough that their upside can outweigh their bad sometimes. no one in the nfl thinks vick could play, or else he would be playing, regardless of his race, or his background.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:04 am
From what I recall about the Henry story, he had not only underage women that he was trying to give alcohol to, but he had them in a hotel room and they were under the age of majority(18) and I thought one was 16. I think that is a far cry from the Leinert scenario, where you appear to have sorority types who are clearly college age. While I am well aware that legal age for drinking is 21, which scenario do you think actually would be more concerning for law enforcement? Seriously, this comparison is lame, unless I have the above presumed facts wrong.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
Sorry,the differences between Leinert’s scenario and Henry’s scenario are as follows:
1. prior run ins with law enforcement;
2. Henry tried to give young women under the age of majority alcohol in a hotel room, one of whom was 16;
3. Leinert appears to be supplying booze to women who appear college age and may or may not be 21.
Which set of facts do you believe more concerning to law enforcement?
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
quick, someone compare this to the year-long legal brooha endured by R.Kelly for something caught on tape.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Remember Mark Chumara with the packers. He was in a hot tub with teen girls, and it cost him his career. They even prosecuted him, though he was found not guilty. If Leinert provided underage girls with alcohol, it is against the law. On the other hand, If I were young single and able, I would be there in a heartbeat (obeying all laws of course!)
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:15 am
Matt hollywood Leinert what a fool letting someone take pictures.He really isnt that good of a pro QB. He’s just very popular.
Hey,halcr3 didnt Marcus Vick stomp on a guys leg during a game.
The Vick brothers are idiots.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:16 am
What’s the difference between Leinert and Marcus Vick? Well, certainly New Mexico has darker skin; but I’d start with his inferior skills, and continue with the fact that he has brandished a weapon in anger. (9 traffic arrests, weed possession, and some questionable hanky-panky as well) Marcus was also at best a mid round pick without the poorly-timed issues, whereas Leinert would have been Alex Smith (#1 overall) if he came out a year earlier. Yes, Virginia, there is racism in the world (and the NFL), but I can’t compare those two QBs based on race….. (I’m much more interested in why College BB commentary amounts to masturbation over decent white guys like Love and Hansbro’) Of course, if there’s a criminal investigation, Leinert should receive commensurate punishment along the lines of Chris Henry (who, by the way is in the news again)
Now, I wouldn’t trust Leinert with my sister, but his sophmoric antics hardly merit our concern. Alcohol, hot tubs and scantily-clad women are a staple diet for most NFL’ers. I agree with most of the comments on here: ain’t nothin wrong with a house party, and I’d only be concerned if it’s crazy enough for the police to get involved (violence, hard drugs, etc) or if it’s happening every night. If we had an omniscient view of all that happens each night with every NFL player, I’m sure this little beer-bong and co-ed party wouldn’t rate above the 25th percentile (no gambling, no coke, no hookers, no violence, no driving, no police).
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:22 am
I don’t even care much about Matt Leinart but Florio this is RIDICULOUS. Who cares if there were some under age girls at the party. American laws on drinking are stupid anyway. You can die IRAQ but can’t buy a beer. This is not a big deal. Its not like the girls are 15, there probably only a few years younger than him. Non Story by Florio trying to create a stir.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:23 am
Hey, halcr3 You bumped your head comparing Lienart and Brady. Brady has class he’s a winner. Lienarts a knuckel head.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 am
So any NFL player who is photographed at a party where there are people who appear to be near the age of 21 should be investigated? We should call the FBI to use facial recognition to find out who those girls are so we can verify their ages?
Double standard my a$$. I’m not a Leinart fan or an Arizona fan, but this is ridiculous. Were the cops called? Were complaints filed? Were underage people arrested? Was Leinart arrested? This does not compare in any way to Chris Henry.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 am
One person who thinks he recognizes a picture? That means nothing. It would be foolish for the NFL to investigate based on that. Why even suggest such a thing?
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
To hallcr3, who seems to believe that Marcus Vick was a stellar QB….
Wake up dude. He sucked. He would never play QB at the pro level because of a LACK OF TALENT, not because of off field issues. He was drafted as a WR, and he sucked at that too.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
Sure hallcr3. It has nothing to do with the fact that Leinart won a championship and a heisman at USC, and the only thing Marcus accomplished was a suspension for stomping on a players leg out of anger. I think you’re confusing race with football skill.
People aren’t scared of taking on Pacman and Chris Henry and other troubled players because of their race. It’s because they’re more likely to do something crazy, get arrested, and the money and draft picks they invested in them.
You can laugh but the issue here is that Chris Henry got suspended because he was charged and found guilty in a court of law. No such thing has happened to Leinart, if he is charged and found guilty in a court of law, he will be suspended by the league. It’s that simple.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
The Difference between Marcus Vick and Leinart is that Vick broke rules and was arrested! That is not a race issue it’s a law issue.
Vick was kicked off of his college team for stepping on the leg of Elvis Dumerville after…
Being suspend for undisclosed reasons,
Being CONVICTED of 3 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (15 year old girl-nice)
Flicking the bird to west Virginia fans
Charged with reckless driving and possession of marijuana
Cited for driving on a suspended license
One guy is a man who cannot follow the rules of his team or the rules of life, the other guy had a party AT HIS HOME, with women over 15, and pictures made it to the internet. If the girls are underaged drinkers and he served them alcohol he should face the fire, but he has not been CHARGED OR ARRESTED like Vick.
Vick had several chances (like his brother) to make better decisions and stop breaking the law. He chose poorly. Leinart has not broken the law. And please don’t bring up illegitimate kids, Vick’s brother has 3…which doesn’t matter either as long as they are well cared for.
Please find a better example
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)