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Linebacker Odell Thurman believes that he has been released by the Bengals because he missed voluntary workouts following the death of his grandmother.
In a press release announcing the move, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis did not refute the allegation.
“The NFL provided Odell the opportunity to earn his way back onto our team, but we have not seen the right steps taken by him,” Lewis said. “With our offseason work in progress and new talent added at our linebacker position, we’ve determined it’s best to keep moving in a direction that does not include Odell.”
So what “right steps” needed to be taken? If it’s anything other than attending all voluntary workouts, the Bengals have violated the CBA. The only remaining question is whether Thurman will pursue a grievance.
The better move, given Thurman’s history, might be to try to land elsewhere and move forward.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Poor job by the Bengals. I understand the workouts are voluntary and guys like TJ and Ocho Droppo dont have to really show because they are veterans. The younger guys and the guys trying to stay in the coaches good graces need to be there to show they are giving it their all. That being said, the guy was at a funeral. The woman was like a mother to him so he should have been allowed a little leeway to help his family with this. Its not like he was home playing Xbox. The Bengals should have absolutely cut him some slack.
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
It’s a blessing, its not like he wants to play for the bengals
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Odell Thurman did not learn anything from his suspension. I am not trying to blow the whistle on this guy, but I work in a restaraunt in the Cincinnati area, and spotted this guy drinking on several occasions. Now if he is foolish enough to do this being a public figure, then he got what he desereved from the Bengals. When the Dallas Cowboys or Oakland Raiders sign this guy they better beware!!!
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Rating: 2.6 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I need a new team… this is going to be another season of the same old stuff
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Hey if I could pass on to the bangles a little food for thought. Check to see how the public reacted to Troy Williamson getting his game check cut because he missed a game when his grandmother died. HE MISSED A GAME. What is so amazing is that most Minnesotans hated Williamson because he always dropped balls. But stood up for him because you just don’t treat people like that during a time of grieving. Now Odell showed more promise than Williamson ever did. And he is being let go because he did not go to VOLUNTARY workouts. I hope the Cincinnati has a good P.R. guy.
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Rating: 2.6 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
“You skipped out on your obligations and millions for what? It’s your GRANDMOTHER, DUDE!!! Even the FMLA doesn’t give us working schmucks time off for dead grandparents!!!”
You mean the same grandmother that raised him after his mother died in 1993? Yeah DUDE, what the hell? It’s only THAT GRANDMOTHER!
DUDE!
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Drinking is not a crime. Maybe he called a cab the time you saw him out drinking.
The Raiders would be smart to sign this guy. They would have the most talented group of LBs in the league to go along with one of the best secondaries in the league.
That would be insane.
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
That is really messed up. Can you imagine if Thurman informed the team that he would miss the workouts but looking for a reason to cut him, they told him it was okay, then cut him? Probably didn’t go down like that, but the next time anyone who was associated with the decision has a family member pass, they shouldn’t miss work, especially if it is not voluntary. They have set a new precedent so I hope that they don’t give anyone “preferential treatment.”
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
yankeemofo, in this case, it was his “mother.” His grandma is the one who raised him.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
hold the press’,this one has yet to fully develope.
let’s wait for the whole story to out befor we start
burning people at the stake.
have you noticed how fans of crappy teams are always
willing to take a chance on people of dubious character?
all is forgiven if you play for my team.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
This guy has been circling the rim of the bowl for so long already he has probably mugged the Tidy Bowl man by now…are we really that concerned with this guy anymore? Obviously Cincy wasn’t and they could have let the guy drown years ago…Sorry about your Grama-ma but welcome to reality. He has one of the most envyable jobs on the planet (as far as I’m concerned) to play professional football. They told him he could go to the funeral, but to be back by a certain date, he didn’t do it and they cut him. It would have been different if he was the poster boy “of” discipline instead of the poster boy “for” discipline…
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
If the Bengals were having an organized game of hide and seek, he needed to be there…..or a picnic….or to sing songs….His grandmother’s funeral was last Tuesday! You would think he would have come to OTA’s and gave everything he had for her since he wont do it for himself.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
As a Bengals fan, I am totally blown away. I was really looking forward to Odell coming back. There is no way this is about Odell attending his grandmother’s funeral. I wonder if he violated the substance abuse program again?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Odell? Oh well. Other teams will be interested but (unless they are as hammer-headed as many of responders) will soon fall to the wayside when they familiarize themselves with the over-all Odell saga/story.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I think alot of people are missing the point. It is not whether they cut him or not. It is timeing. And when you are being paid Millions to represent a team, Be it as a player, Coach, Or staff member. You are expected to make decisions that reflect positively on the organization. Odell more than likely would have been cut before the season began anyways. But the head office should have waited. Gave time to odell wait till camps began then said. “Well you hate cutting good players, But Its a good thing that you have that kind of depth, where your forced into cutting good player” That way Odell would have left on a positive note, The Organization would have looked like they were doing what was in the best interest of the team and the players. Instead they wait till the worst possible moment to do this. Whoever made the decison to do this did not think of how the organization would look. The only way this would make sense is if the team would have been on the hook for a considerable amount of money if he was on the roster for the next week. If I owned stock in the Bangles I would be requesting that the front office run Major Organizational decisions through a reputable P.R. Firm first to see how to put a good spin on things. Some people have tact some dont. Even if a decison is legal, It may not be moral or well received by the patrons of the organization.
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May 19th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
If it was due to substance abuse issues, there is very little they can say to the public. The NFL is very limited in what they can say about violations of the substance abuse policy. This is why Roger Goodell did not have to say why he would not reinstate Odell in 2007. The Bengals have some rookie LBs (besides Rivers) who are looking good. If you are Marvin Lewis, do you cut a young kid who is there, working hard, and doing well in order to keep a guy who is not there, not motivated, out of shape, and one step away from a lifetime ban? Also, the Bengals have a new Defensive Coordinator, Mike Zimmer, who is bringing in some badly needed discipline, and this may be a reflection of that. If this is part of a newer, more disciplined mentality on the Bengals, then bring it on. I just know there has got to be more to this than the funeral issue.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
As usual, the Bengals demonstrate poor timing. Now, while Thurman is on bereavement leave, is not the time to cut the player. This just sends the wrong signal, indicating that the Bengals still don’t know right from wrong, good from bad, or how to run a football team.
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
jgrange: Thurman is not allowed to drink. He is an alcoholic and he’s in the substance abuse program. It would be a violation.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 20th, 2008 at 12:46 am
“jgrange says:
May 19th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Drinking is not a crime. Maybe he called a cab the time you saw him out drinking.”
Actually, for Odell, drinking IS a crime. Part of his plea deal for his DUI was to not consume alcohol or do drugs for a year. So he’s obviously breaking his plea agreement.
I agree with the some of the other posters. This stinks of something going on behind the scene. Was the timing bad, sure. But so was him showing up out of shape, not being in the building since his reinstatment (which Lawson confirmed on radio), and then not coming back to Cincinnati on last Tuesday (the day after his grandmother’s funeral) OR ANY DAY SINCE THEN! I understand grieving and maybe one day wasn’t enough, but it’s been a week since the funeral and he still hadn’t come back. I think that’s a little extravagant…
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 20th, 2008 at 1:40 am
“You skipped out on your obligations and millions for what? It’s your GRANDMOTHER, DUDE!!! Even the FMLA doesn’t give us working schmucks time off for dead grandparents!!!”
You mean the same grandmother that raised him after his mother died in 1993? Yeah DUDE, what the hell? It’s only THAT GRANDMOTHER!
DUDE!
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She’s still not considered immediate family. That’s what it boils down to for me, as harsh as it may sound!
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)