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Latest expose with what probably happened in Appleton, while awaiting the local DA decision. By a common sense standard, the answer is "NO", but knowing, these days, how such legal scenarios play out in legal system....Fans, your vote & prediction?
Club Owner: Packers' Barnett Was Provoked
Things didn't look so good for Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett earlier this week. Shortly after he was arrested for a disturbance at the club "Wet" in Appleton, Wisconsin, it was revealed that he had allegedly shoved a woman to the ground. From that point forward, he was fair game to the media and they went wild. There were reports (that have since been deleted) that he went as far as punching this woman in the face. Now the clubs co-owner, Kathy Peotter, has come forward and said that's not the case at all. "I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion," Peotter said. "I'm not going to say Nick was on his best behavior that night, because he wasn't, but this is getting blown way out of proportion."
Peotter went on to indicate this whole incident was provoked by a few rabid female fans. While Barnett, other Packers players and some of their wives were quietly trying to enjoy themselves, two fans came up demanding autographs. When they were rebuffed, the two women got angry and began to curse at one of the players. It eventually escalated to the point where one of the women threw a drink in Barnett's face. It was then, allegedly, that Barnett shoved this woman.
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Woman tossed drink at Barnett, co-owner of nightclub says. Incident 'blown out of proportion,' according to Peotter
A woman threw a drink at Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett shortly before he was arrested last weekend for allegedly shoving a woman at a downtown nightclub, one of the establishment's co-owners said Thursday. The co-owner, Kathy Peotter, also said she was not arguing with Barnett when police arrived at the nightclub Wet, 344 W. College Ave., and subsequently arrested him on a misdemeanor battery offense. "I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion," Peotter said. "I'm not going to say Nick was on his best behavior that night, because he wasn't, but this is getting blown way out of proportion." Peotter said Barnett has been coming into the club for months, and that there were more Packers than usual at the nightclub because of Sunday's Brett Favre charity softball game at Fox Cities Stadium. She said there were probably a half-dozen Packers in the club that night, at least two of them with their wives. "They just want to be left alone," she said. Peotter said two women who were trying to get an autograph from another player, who was at the club with his wife, swore at the player. Another fan grabbed Barnett's arm and asked for an autograph, she said. One of the bartenders told Peotter that a woman threw a drink at Barnett shortly before a woman was shoved or fell to the ground. Peotter said it wasn't clear if it was the same woman involved in both incidents. Barnett, 26, was jailed briefly early Sunday after the incident at the club, and Appleton police Sgt. Pat DeWall said Thursday that officers investigating the case still are conducting witness interviews. He said the department hopes reports can be sent to Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie Schneider's office early next week. Schneider said it will be a week or more after she receives the report from police before she decides whether to formally charge Barnett. "That's if I need additional follow-up and need to talk to witnesses any more," Schneider said.
Packers public relations director Jeff Blumb said the team would decline comment on the issue other than the extensive comments Packers coach Mike McCarthy made earlier in the week. "I don't know if there is much we can say that he hasn't said anyway," Blumb said. McCarthy said he has discussed the incident with Barnett. The team is concerned because of the NFL's new, stringent personal-conduct policy that allows the commissioner to suspend players for a wide range of illegal or untoward behavior off the field. "I'm not going to sit here and go through the specifics of the incident," McCarthy said Monday. "But there's two sides to every story. I've listened to his side and we'll let the process take its course."
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Watch Out for Flying Drinks
He still shouldn't have allegedly shoved anybody, but maybe LB Nick Barnett was just protecting himself from a flying drink. It's more likely he allegedly shoved someone in retaliation, not in self defense, but either way it gives Barnett a potential legal defense and makes it harder to obtain a conviction. However, it might be harder for the D.A. to drop a weak case when an NFL player is involved.
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Lastest on the Nick Barnett
Here is the latest in the Nick Barnett situation. According to a Green Bay Radio station (WSSP), the woman that Nick Barnett knew the woman that he pushed. Supposedly the woman was bugging Nick Barnett the entire night and he kept telling her to leave him alone. She wouldn’t leave him alone though. When he told her to leave again she supposedly threw a glass at him. She still wouldn’t leave him a lone so he shoved her so she would get away from him. Apparently both parties were extremely drunk. Supposedly the only reason it was made to be a big deal was because Nick Barnett was involved. If this report is true Nick Barnett really didn’t do anything wrong. (I can’t verify that this is true at this point though). The woman wouldn’t leave Nick alone and even threw a glass at him. If this was the case, why wasn’t the woman arrested instead. I think throwing a glass at someone is worse than shoving someone. The woman started the argument as well. If this is true Nick Barnett better not be charged with anything and he better not face any penalties, either by suspension or fine by the NFL. If I hear more about the situation I will post it as soon as I can. (This story might not be totally accurate. We won’t know until the details are released by the Appleton police.)
Push comes to shove
A day after he was arrested for a physical altercation with a woman, linebacker Nick Barnett did not participate in the Packers’ Organized Team Activities practice in Green Bay. Barnett was not available to the media today at Lambeau Field, but the Packers have notified the National Football League of the incident.”We have notified the league, and we have not heard back from them,” said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. “They have been notified.” Meanwhile, Appleton police issued more details of Barnett’s arrest, which occurred about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Wet, an Appleton, Wis., nightclub. According to police, Barnett got into a fight with a female acquaintance inside Wet and pushed her to the floor. A bar owner got involved and the owner’s argument with Barnett spilled out to the street, where police officers became involved.
Continue Story: I knew Nick Barnett’s arrest was blown way out of proportion. Everyone thought he got in this big fight when he only shoved a person. (That was still unnecessary though). The person he shoved wasn’t even hurt. Nick Barnett will not be suspended for this and probably won’t get a fine. He shouldn’t either. If the NFL suspended or fined everyone who shoved someone 75% of the league would either be suspended or fined. If Nick Barnett gets anything from the NFL I believe the NFL has finally gone over the line with their penalties for misbehavior. I think Nick Barnett was stupid for what he did. He never should have pushed a woman. What he did was not enough for a suspension from the NFL. This is based on what we know now. If he actually did more he probably should be suspended. Just for shoving someone though he shouldn’t be suspended. In most states he wouldn’t have even been arrested for what he did. But since it is Wisconsin and we have laws where one party in fights has to be arrested and put in jail for the night he got arrested. The woman also could have started the fight we don’t know at this point. The prosecution is even considering not charging him and if they do it will be a misdemeanor. If every NFL player that has been charged with a misdemeanor was suspended almost the entire NFL would be suspended. Although his actions were stupid Nick Barnett should not be suspended from the NFL.
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Packers LB Nick Barnett’s arrest exactly 15 years after Favre’s
What do you get when you combine a nightclub, alcohol and a muscle-bound professional athlete intermingling with the general population? If you guessed “friendly conversation,” you better go back and reread the question. The answer, of course, is an argument, leading to an altercation – usually physical – followed by the intervention of local law enforcement. Charles Barkley lends himself as a great example. In late 1991, Barkley, then with the 76ers, found himself facing misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges after busting a man’s nose outside a Milwaukee bar. Examples like Barkley’s are too numerous to list – and they continue to compile. Early Sunday morning, June 17, Packers linebacker Nick Barnett was the most recent example of the inevitable consequences of the aforementioned scenario. Barnett was arrested by local police around 2 a.m. outside of WET nightclub on Appleton’s popular College Avenue after reportedly “shoving” a female to the ground inside the club.
Barnett’s arrest came exactly one week shy of the 15-year anniversary of another nightclub incident involving a then untested Packers prospect. In the wee hours of Wednesday, June 24, 1992, Packers backup quarterback Brett Favre, recently acquired via trade from the Atlanta Falcons, was arrested alongside second-year nose tackle Esera Tuaolo after a fight in a Hattiesburg, Mississippi nightclub. According to the Capital Times’ account, “Favre was charged with being drunk in public, disorderly conduct and profanity....Favre’s now wife, but then 23-year-old girlfriend, Deanna Tynes, was arrested for profanity and interfering with a police officer.” Also arrested for interfering with a police officer was Favre’s younger brother Jeffery, then 18.
Despite the similarities between the two incidents, Barnett’s recent altercation appears more serious and will likely result in much harsher penalties – for two salient reasons. For starters, if true, Barnett’s fight involved pushing a female – much worse than if he would’ve pushed a male. After all, what does that say about Barnett’s character if he feels the need to push a female, especially considering his massive size and strength? But the facts have yet to be determined, so until they are, all judgment regarding his character will stay on hold. Most importantly, however, Barnett has to answer to new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his strict guidelines regarding player conduct. In 1992, at the time of Favre’s arrest, the less strict Paul Tagliabue was commissioner. With Goodell, Barnett will likely face fines and suspensions if the allegations against him prove true. Ironically, NFL officials held a mandatory seminar with Packers players bringing them up to speed with the league’s expectations for proper conduct just days before Barnett’s arrest. Either the NFL’s message was lost with Barnett, as his victim’s story seems to purport, or his victim’s story is false or exaggerated (see Duke Lacrosse case). Let’s hope, as Packers fans, that the latter is true.
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How You Conduct Yourself
The best guess at this point is that LB Nick Barnett pushed a woman while at Club Wet. Unfortunately this means that the Packers broke their collective cherry on the PFT Turd Watch. However the real problem...is that Barnett might find himself in trouble with the NFL's updated personal conduct policy adopted recently after the string of high profile crimes and misdemeanors by players finally became too embarrassing for words. Does this new policy really cause problems for Barnett? Unfortunately we will have to wait to find out the answer to that question. If Barnett avoids a conviction, then he should not face any discipline for his arrest....So Barnett have to wait for his case to go through the Outagamie County court and see whether he faces additional punishment from the NFL for conduct detrimental to the league's image. One of the biggest changes was that discipline could occur even if the player isn't convicted. So even if he avoids punishment for this single incident, a repeat arrest alone might trigger a fine and suspension. He isn't talking and the arrest report isn't available, so developing....
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Walking a fine line
Nick Barnett should be disciplined by the NFL for his recent actions at a nightclub, but PackerReport.com correspondent Dylan Tomlinson says that there is a big difference between the incident involving the Packers linebacker and other thugs around the league. The NFL is filled with unsavory characters. Nick Barnett is not one of them. It's impossible to turn on ESPN without hearing about the latest exploits of Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson, Michael Vick, Chris Henry, or the majority of the Cincinnati Bengals' roster. NFL players have gotten in enough trouble that popular website Pro Football Talk actually runs a "Turd Watch" to chart all of the arrests. Fans can even keep track of how their favorite teams have fared during the off-season.
One of the best things Roger Goodell has done since taking over as commissioner is to crack down on the off-the-field antics of NFL players. Previously, if players were arrested, the only discipline the players faced was through the legal system. Now, under Goodell's guidance players know that if they get in trouble, they face a suspension. For the most part, Packers players have done a pretty good job of staying out of trouble, but that changed a little more than a week ago when Barnett was arrested after allegedly shoving a woman at an Appleton nightclub. I'm not going to use this column space to apologize for Barnett. If there's any player on the Packers' roster who should know how to act in a nightclub, it's Barnett, who used to own Club 56 in Green Bay.
If Barnett pushed or shoved a woman, he is in the wrong, even if he was provoked. Various reports state that Barnett had a drink thrown in his face before the incident. Even if that's true, Barnett knows enough to walk away. Goodell is absolutely right to hold NFL players to a higher standard of behavior than the previous regime. Under Paul Tagliabue's direction, players could seemingly do whatever they wanted and as long as they didn't fail a drug test, they would rarely face suspensions. Former Packers running back Ahman Green was arrested multiple times for domestic disturbances, but never was in danger of facing a suspension like Barnett. Perhaps the reason Barnett's arrest is garnering so much attention is that he is one of the last players in that locker room that one would expect to be in this type of altercation. When Green was arrested a few years ago, nobody was surprised. When a player like former Packer Ahmad Carroll was arrested a few months ago, nobody was surprised. But Barnett is one of the most friendly and affable players in the Packers' locker room, so when his name is at the top of a police report, everybody is pretty shocked. While Goodell should be applauded for cracking down on something that has been a problem for some time, let's hope that the NFL crackdown is able to separate the major and the minor offenses. Barnett made a mistake, but he doesn't deserve to be forever lumped with the Pacman Joneses and Tank Johnsons of the NFL. Barnett's actions may merit discipline, but a suspension would seem more than a bit excessive.
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Stupid move! Nick Barnett has no good reason for nightclub incident
Nick Barnett's arrest last week, a day before Brett Favre's charity softball game certainly makes me wonder if NFL players really wear helmets when they play. Their actions off the field suggest their noggins have been kicked more than a football during punting practice.
After what has happened to Pacman Jones for the past two years, and what happens monthly with the Cincinnati Bengals, why in the name of Vince Lombardi would Barnett put himself in the position he found himself in? Barnett was arrested for allegedly pushing a woman to the ground. I wasn't there, don't know what led to this, but you know how it is in clubs with multi-million dollar players. People develop ”liquid“ courage and begin talking smack. The player, at first, doesn't do much, but then can't help himself and goes ”Charles Barkley“ on the person. (Barkley once threw a person through a window at a bar during his playing days).
Now we have a problem. Barnett just signed a $35 million extension in April, and he's Nick ”freaking“ Barnett! This is Wisconsin, where every person with a pulse knows every Packer, front and back. There's nothing Barnett can do, but get in trouble, so walk away. It's the only answer. But Barnett, a fiery competitior on the field, forgets he's not on the field and treats a woman like she's Thomas Jones. Packers coach Mike McCarthy talked with his team about being the spotlight and how to handle it. ”This is part of the lifestyle of being an NFL player, and you've got to be smart out there,“ McCarthy said. ”First of all, you need to avoid that type of environment, and when you're in that type of situation, you need to diffuse it. We'll continue to talk about those things with our football team.“
Barnett's actions are inexcusable. He's a Packer in Wisconsin. You have to watch yourself when in public. In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was at the same nightclub as Barnett, said he drives when he goes out, mainly because it prevents him from drinking a lot. He knows he's driving and can't over-indulge. Furthermore, Rodgers said he knows his position. He's the heir apparent to Favre and a legal incident like this can only go bad. He's smart and realizes the life he's in he can't be dumb and get away with it. Too bad there aren't more players like Rodgers, who think before they drink. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made it clear — off-field legal problems will not be tolerated in the NFL — no exceptions. Yet, Pacman and the Bengals continually show their stupidity by getting in trouble. So does Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick and Chicago's Tank Johnson.
With the amount of exposure these players have gotten, how can Barnett allow this to occur? All you have to do is watch TV or read a newspaper, almost daily, and there's an NFL player in trouble. There's plenty of examples as to why it's not good to get into trouble. You're making millions of dollars, your future is secure, but you can't exercise proper judgment when in a club with a few over-served patrons? Barnett and others can't reason with me in these situations. They are fortunate to have the income they have. What would they do on an average person's salary, working 9 to 5? Goodell is serious about erasing the troublemeakers in the NFL, and nobody gets a free pass. The Packers also are on the same page. ”Obviously, we're not looking for our players or any employee of the Green Bay Packers to be involved in those types of situations,“ McCarthy said. No team is, but once players leave the team headquarters, they're on their own. Unfortunately, some have no idea how to behave like a responsible adult. Barnett is now in that group.
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Push comes to shove. Barnett pushed female acquaintance to ground, police say.
A day after he was arrested for a physical altercation with a woman, linebacker Nick Barnett did not participate in the Packers' Organized Team Activities practice in Green Bay. Barnett was not available to the media today at Lambeau Field, but the Packers have notified the National Football League of the incident. "We have notified the league, and we have not heard back from them," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. "They have been notified." Meanwhile, Appleton police issued more details of Barnett's arrest, which occurred about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Wet, an Appleton, Wis., nightclub. According to police, Barnett got into a fight with a female acquaintance inside Wet and pushed her to the floor. A bar owner got involved and the owner's argument with Barnett spilled out to the street, where police officers became involved. "When the officers initially asked Mr. Barnett for some identification, he was uncooperative and very argumentative and refused to provide ID, refused to give a name or anything of that nature. He subsequently did provide identification but continued to argue with the officers," Sergeant Pat DeWall, Appleton Police Department, said. Officers arrested Barnett. He was booked into the Outagamie County Jail and was released after posting a $500 bond.
Police say they plan to pursue a misdemeanor charge of battery against Barnett, but it's up to the Outagamie County district attorney to decide if Barnett will face charges. The district attorney's office said there is no word when or if Barnett is expected in court. The woman Barnett, 26, allegedly pushed was not injured. Many of Barnett's teammates declined to comment on the incident after practice today....
Club Owner: Packers' Barnett Was Provoked
Things didn't look so good for Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett earlier this week. Shortly after he was arrested for a disturbance at the club "Wet" in Appleton, Wisconsin, it was revealed that he had allegedly shoved a woman to the ground. From that point forward, he was fair game to the media and they went wild. There were reports (that have since been deleted) that he went as far as punching this woman in the face. Now the clubs co-owner, Kathy Peotter, has come forward and said that's not the case at all. "I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion," Peotter said. "I'm not going to say Nick was on his best behavior that night, because he wasn't, but this is getting blown way out of proportion."
Peotter went on to indicate this whole incident was provoked by a few rabid female fans. While Barnett, other Packers players and some of their wives were quietly trying to enjoy themselves, two fans came up demanding autographs. When they were rebuffed, the two women got angry and began to curse at one of the players. It eventually escalated to the point where one of the women threw a drink in Barnett's face. It was then, allegedly, that Barnett shoved this woman.
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Woman tossed drink at Barnett, co-owner of nightclub says. Incident 'blown out of proportion,' according to Peotter
A woman threw a drink at Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett shortly before he was arrested last weekend for allegedly shoving a woman at a downtown nightclub, one of the establishment's co-owners said Thursday. The co-owner, Kathy Peotter, also said she was not arguing with Barnett when police arrived at the nightclub Wet, 344 W. College Ave., and subsequently arrested him on a misdemeanor battery offense. "I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion," Peotter said. "I'm not going to say Nick was on his best behavior that night, because he wasn't, but this is getting blown way out of proportion." Peotter said Barnett has been coming into the club for months, and that there were more Packers than usual at the nightclub because of Sunday's Brett Favre charity softball game at Fox Cities Stadium. She said there were probably a half-dozen Packers in the club that night, at least two of them with their wives. "They just want to be left alone," she said. Peotter said two women who were trying to get an autograph from another player, who was at the club with his wife, swore at the player. Another fan grabbed Barnett's arm and asked for an autograph, she said. One of the bartenders told Peotter that a woman threw a drink at Barnett shortly before a woman was shoved or fell to the ground. Peotter said it wasn't clear if it was the same woman involved in both incidents. Barnett, 26, was jailed briefly early Sunday after the incident at the club, and Appleton police Sgt. Pat DeWall said Thursday that officers investigating the case still are conducting witness interviews. He said the department hopes reports can be sent to Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie Schneider's office early next week. Schneider said it will be a week or more after she receives the report from police before she decides whether to formally charge Barnett. "That's if I need additional follow-up and need to talk to witnesses any more," Schneider said.
Packers public relations director Jeff Blumb said the team would decline comment on the issue other than the extensive comments Packers coach Mike McCarthy made earlier in the week. "I don't know if there is much we can say that he hasn't said anyway," Blumb said. McCarthy said he has discussed the incident with Barnett. The team is concerned because of the NFL's new, stringent personal-conduct policy that allows the commissioner to suspend players for a wide range of illegal or untoward behavior off the field. "I'm not going to sit here and go through the specifics of the incident," McCarthy said Monday. "But there's two sides to every story. I've listened to his side and we'll let the process take its course."
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Watch Out for Flying Drinks
He still shouldn't have allegedly shoved anybody, but maybe LB Nick Barnett was just protecting himself from a flying drink. It's more likely he allegedly shoved someone in retaliation, not in self defense, but either way it gives Barnett a potential legal defense and makes it harder to obtain a conviction. However, it might be harder for the D.A. to drop a weak case when an NFL player is involved.
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Lastest on the Nick Barnett
Here is the latest in the Nick Barnett situation. According to a Green Bay Radio station (WSSP), the woman that Nick Barnett knew the woman that he pushed. Supposedly the woman was bugging Nick Barnett the entire night and he kept telling her to leave him alone. She wouldn’t leave him alone though. When he told her to leave again she supposedly threw a glass at him. She still wouldn’t leave him a lone so he shoved her so she would get away from him. Apparently both parties were extremely drunk. Supposedly the only reason it was made to be a big deal was because Nick Barnett was involved. If this report is true Nick Barnett really didn’t do anything wrong. (I can’t verify that this is true at this point though). The woman wouldn’t leave Nick alone and even threw a glass at him. If this was the case, why wasn’t the woman arrested instead. I think throwing a glass at someone is worse than shoving someone. The woman started the argument as well. If this is true Nick Barnett better not be charged with anything and he better not face any penalties, either by suspension or fine by the NFL. If I hear more about the situation I will post it as soon as I can. (This story might not be totally accurate. We won’t know until the details are released by the Appleton police.)
Push comes to shove
A day after he was arrested for a physical altercation with a woman, linebacker Nick Barnett did not participate in the Packers’ Organized Team Activities practice in Green Bay. Barnett was not available to the media today at Lambeau Field, but the Packers have notified the National Football League of the incident.”We have notified the league, and we have not heard back from them,” said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. “They have been notified.” Meanwhile, Appleton police issued more details of Barnett’s arrest, which occurred about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Wet, an Appleton, Wis., nightclub. According to police, Barnett got into a fight with a female acquaintance inside Wet and pushed her to the floor. A bar owner got involved and the owner’s argument with Barnett spilled out to the street, where police officers became involved.
Continue Story: I knew Nick Barnett’s arrest was blown way out of proportion. Everyone thought he got in this big fight when he only shoved a person. (That was still unnecessary though). The person he shoved wasn’t even hurt. Nick Barnett will not be suspended for this and probably won’t get a fine. He shouldn’t either. If the NFL suspended or fined everyone who shoved someone 75% of the league would either be suspended or fined. If Nick Barnett gets anything from the NFL I believe the NFL has finally gone over the line with their penalties for misbehavior. I think Nick Barnett was stupid for what he did. He never should have pushed a woman. What he did was not enough for a suspension from the NFL. This is based on what we know now. If he actually did more he probably should be suspended. Just for shoving someone though he shouldn’t be suspended. In most states he wouldn’t have even been arrested for what he did. But since it is Wisconsin and we have laws where one party in fights has to be arrested and put in jail for the night he got arrested. The woman also could have started the fight we don’t know at this point. The prosecution is even considering not charging him and if they do it will be a misdemeanor. If every NFL player that has been charged with a misdemeanor was suspended almost the entire NFL would be suspended. Although his actions were stupid Nick Barnett should not be suspended from the NFL.
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Packers LB Nick Barnett’s arrest exactly 15 years after Favre’s
What do you get when you combine a nightclub, alcohol and a muscle-bound professional athlete intermingling with the general population? If you guessed “friendly conversation,” you better go back and reread the question. The answer, of course, is an argument, leading to an altercation – usually physical – followed by the intervention of local law enforcement. Charles Barkley lends himself as a great example. In late 1991, Barkley, then with the 76ers, found himself facing misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges after busting a man’s nose outside a Milwaukee bar. Examples like Barkley’s are too numerous to list – and they continue to compile. Early Sunday morning, June 17, Packers linebacker Nick Barnett was the most recent example of the inevitable consequences of the aforementioned scenario. Barnett was arrested by local police around 2 a.m. outside of WET nightclub on Appleton’s popular College Avenue after reportedly “shoving” a female to the ground inside the club.
Barnett’s arrest came exactly one week shy of the 15-year anniversary of another nightclub incident involving a then untested Packers prospect. In the wee hours of Wednesday, June 24, 1992, Packers backup quarterback Brett Favre, recently acquired via trade from the Atlanta Falcons, was arrested alongside second-year nose tackle Esera Tuaolo after a fight in a Hattiesburg, Mississippi nightclub. According to the Capital Times’ account, “Favre was charged with being drunk in public, disorderly conduct and profanity....Favre’s now wife, but then 23-year-old girlfriend, Deanna Tynes, was arrested for profanity and interfering with a police officer.” Also arrested for interfering with a police officer was Favre’s younger brother Jeffery, then 18.
Despite the similarities between the two incidents, Barnett’s recent altercation appears more serious and will likely result in much harsher penalties – for two salient reasons. For starters, if true, Barnett’s fight involved pushing a female – much worse than if he would’ve pushed a male. After all, what does that say about Barnett’s character if he feels the need to push a female, especially considering his massive size and strength? But the facts have yet to be determined, so until they are, all judgment regarding his character will stay on hold. Most importantly, however, Barnett has to answer to new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his strict guidelines regarding player conduct. In 1992, at the time of Favre’s arrest, the less strict Paul Tagliabue was commissioner. With Goodell, Barnett will likely face fines and suspensions if the allegations against him prove true. Ironically, NFL officials held a mandatory seminar with Packers players bringing them up to speed with the league’s expectations for proper conduct just days before Barnett’s arrest. Either the NFL’s message was lost with Barnett, as his victim’s story seems to purport, or his victim’s story is false or exaggerated (see Duke Lacrosse case). Let’s hope, as Packers fans, that the latter is true.
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How You Conduct Yourself
The best guess at this point is that LB Nick Barnett pushed a woman while at Club Wet. Unfortunately this means that the Packers broke their collective cherry on the PFT Turd Watch. However the real problem...is that Barnett might find himself in trouble with the NFL's updated personal conduct policy adopted recently after the string of high profile crimes and misdemeanors by players finally became too embarrassing for words. Does this new policy really cause problems for Barnett? Unfortunately we will have to wait to find out the answer to that question. If Barnett avoids a conviction, then he should not face any discipline for his arrest....So Barnett have to wait for his case to go through the Outagamie County court and see whether he faces additional punishment from the NFL for conduct detrimental to the league's image. One of the biggest changes was that discipline could occur even if the player isn't convicted. So even if he avoids punishment for this single incident, a repeat arrest alone might trigger a fine and suspension. He isn't talking and the arrest report isn't available, so developing....
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Walking a fine line
Nick Barnett should be disciplined by the NFL for his recent actions at a nightclub, but PackerReport.com correspondent Dylan Tomlinson says that there is a big difference between the incident involving the Packers linebacker and other thugs around the league. The NFL is filled with unsavory characters. Nick Barnett is not one of them. It's impossible to turn on ESPN without hearing about the latest exploits of Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson, Michael Vick, Chris Henry, or the majority of the Cincinnati Bengals' roster. NFL players have gotten in enough trouble that popular website Pro Football Talk actually runs a "Turd Watch" to chart all of the arrests. Fans can even keep track of how their favorite teams have fared during the off-season.
One of the best things Roger Goodell has done since taking over as commissioner is to crack down on the off-the-field antics of NFL players. Previously, if players were arrested, the only discipline the players faced was through the legal system. Now, under Goodell's guidance players know that if they get in trouble, they face a suspension. For the most part, Packers players have done a pretty good job of staying out of trouble, but that changed a little more than a week ago when Barnett was arrested after allegedly shoving a woman at an Appleton nightclub. I'm not going to use this column space to apologize for Barnett. If there's any player on the Packers' roster who should know how to act in a nightclub, it's Barnett, who used to own Club 56 in Green Bay.
If Barnett pushed or shoved a woman, he is in the wrong, even if he was provoked. Various reports state that Barnett had a drink thrown in his face before the incident. Even if that's true, Barnett knows enough to walk away. Goodell is absolutely right to hold NFL players to a higher standard of behavior than the previous regime. Under Paul Tagliabue's direction, players could seemingly do whatever they wanted and as long as they didn't fail a drug test, they would rarely face suspensions. Former Packers running back Ahman Green was arrested multiple times for domestic disturbances, but never was in danger of facing a suspension like Barnett. Perhaps the reason Barnett's arrest is garnering so much attention is that he is one of the last players in that locker room that one would expect to be in this type of altercation. When Green was arrested a few years ago, nobody was surprised. When a player like former Packer Ahmad Carroll was arrested a few months ago, nobody was surprised. But Barnett is one of the most friendly and affable players in the Packers' locker room, so when his name is at the top of a police report, everybody is pretty shocked. While Goodell should be applauded for cracking down on something that has been a problem for some time, let's hope that the NFL crackdown is able to separate the major and the minor offenses. Barnett made a mistake, but he doesn't deserve to be forever lumped with the Pacman Joneses and Tank Johnsons of the NFL. Barnett's actions may merit discipline, but a suspension would seem more than a bit excessive.
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Stupid move! Nick Barnett has no good reason for nightclub incident
Nick Barnett's arrest last week, a day before Brett Favre's charity softball game certainly makes me wonder if NFL players really wear helmets when they play. Their actions off the field suggest their noggins have been kicked more than a football during punting practice.
After what has happened to Pacman Jones for the past two years, and what happens monthly with the Cincinnati Bengals, why in the name of Vince Lombardi would Barnett put himself in the position he found himself in? Barnett was arrested for allegedly pushing a woman to the ground. I wasn't there, don't know what led to this, but you know how it is in clubs with multi-million dollar players. People develop ”liquid“ courage and begin talking smack. The player, at first, doesn't do much, but then can't help himself and goes ”Charles Barkley“ on the person. (Barkley once threw a person through a window at a bar during his playing days).
Now we have a problem. Barnett just signed a $35 million extension in April, and he's Nick ”freaking“ Barnett! This is Wisconsin, where every person with a pulse knows every Packer, front and back. There's nothing Barnett can do, but get in trouble, so walk away. It's the only answer. But Barnett, a fiery competitior on the field, forgets he's not on the field and treats a woman like she's Thomas Jones. Packers coach Mike McCarthy talked with his team about being the spotlight and how to handle it. ”This is part of the lifestyle of being an NFL player, and you've got to be smart out there,“ McCarthy said. ”First of all, you need to avoid that type of environment, and when you're in that type of situation, you need to diffuse it. We'll continue to talk about those things with our football team.“
Barnett's actions are inexcusable. He's a Packer in Wisconsin. You have to watch yourself when in public. In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was at the same nightclub as Barnett, said he drives when he goes out, mainly because it prevents him from drinking a lot. He knows he's driving and can't over-indulge. Furthermore, Rodgers said he knows his position. He's the heir apparent to Favre and a legal incident like this can only go bad. He's smart and realizes the life he's in he can't be dumb and get away with it. Too bad there aren't more players like Rodgers, who think before they drink. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made it clear — off-field legal problems will not be tolerated in the NFL — no exceptions. Yet, Pacman and the Bengals continually show their stupidity by getting in trouble. So does Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick and Chicago's Tank Johnson.
With the amount of exposure these players have gotten, how can Barnett allow this to occur? All you have to do is watch TV or read a newspaper, almost daily, and there's an NFL player in trouble. There's plenty of examples as to why it's not good to get into trouble. You're making millions of dollars, your future is secure, but you can't exercise proper judgment when in a club with a few over-served patrons? Barnett and others can't reason with me in these situations. They are fortunate to have the income they have. What would they do on an average person's salary, working 9 to 5? Goodell is serious about erasing the troublemeakers in the NFL, and nobody gets a free pass. The Packers also are on the same page. ”Obviously, we're not looking for our players or any employee of the Green Bay Packers to be involved in those types of situations,“ McCarthy said. No team is, but once players leave the team headquarters, they're on their own. Unfortunately, some have no idea how to behave like a responsible adult. Barnett is now in that group.
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Push comes to shove. Barnett pushed female acquaintance to ground, police say.
A day after he was arrested for a physical altercation with a woman, linebacker Nick Barnett did not participate in the Packers' Organized Team Activities practice in Green Bay. Barnett was not available to the media today at Lambeau Field, but the Packers have notified the National Football League of the incident. "We have notified the league, and we have not heard back from them," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. "They have been notified." Meanwhile, Appleton police issued more details of Barnett's arrest, which occurred about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Wet, an Appleton, Wis., nightclub. According to police, Barnett got into a fight with a female acquaintance inside Wet and pushed her to the floor. A bar owner got involved and the owner's argument with Barnett spilled out to the street, where police officers became involved. "When the officers initially asked Mr. Barnett for some identification, he was uncooperative and very argumentative and refused to provide ID, refused to give a name or anything of that nature. He subsequently did provide identification but continued to argue with the officers," Sergeant Pat DeWall, Appleton Police Department, said. Officers arrested Barnett. He was booked into the Outagamie County Jail and was released after posting a $500 bond.
Police say they plan to pursue a misdemeanor charge of battery against Barnett, but it's up to the Outagamie County district attorney to decide if Barnett will face charges. The district attorney's office said there is no word when or if Barnett is expected in court. The woman Barnett, 26, allegedly pushed was not injured. Many of Barnett's teammates declined to comment on the incident after practice today....
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