New Dolphin TE Ben MOA - Gangster turned Football Player

[Phinzone]

I saw his interview a long time ago. And let me tell you, they were trying to spin him in a positive light, as a player who's "turned his life around" and he came off as a big piece of crap. Literally, you can't sit through that interview, and even wtih the nice music, and the spin they put on him, come away thinking that he's anything less than a dumb criminal destined for a prison cell, or the morgue in his life. Sorry to say, i hate to judge, but that's what I see of him.

 

[Surferosa]

I saw his interview a long time ago. And let me tell you, they were trying to spin him in a positive light, as a player who's "turned his life around" and he came off as a big piece of crap. Literally, you can't sit through that interview, and even wtih the nice music, and the spin they put on him, come away thinking that he's anything less than a dumb criminal destined for a prison cell, or the morgue in his life. Sorry to say, i hate to judge, but that's what I see of him.

LOL, I also saw the interview and I know exactly what youre saying. It was a strange segment to say the least.

 

[Muck]

Correct me if I'm wrong Muck, but this has had wayyyyyy more than one mistake to own up to.

......If any of this is incorrect please let me know. It seems to me we're not talking of a guy getting a second chance like Will Poole who had one incident.

You could have saved yourself a whole lot of time if you hadn't misread my post. :tongue:

And signing a camp body who turned his life around AND a guy who also owned up to a mistake doesn't change that fact.

I was referring to Will Poole.

 

[Muck]

LOL, I also saw the interview and I know exactly what youre saying. It was a strange segment to say the least.

I saw it too. He didn't seem too bright.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

You could have saved yourself a whole lot of time if you hadn't misread my post. :tongue:



I was referring to Will Poole.

Did Ben Moa change his life around??

He's pretended to do so, as PhinsMissedFG has posted, many times.

So back to the subject, a Miami player was quoted as saying "Spielman would not change the character of this team" in an article.

Ben Moa is brought to this team and does NOT have the high character that Wannstedt has brought in ever since the Cecil Collins incident, which is what the Miami FO believed in to have a successful team and a high level of players being able to play on Sundays without having to miss games because of off the field trouble they have caused.

What do you think that Miami player that was quoted in the article will think when he sees a "gang banger" in training camp?? It's an interesting question and thought.

Is Spielman being forced, by us fans, to bring in "gang bangers" with high talent so the team can win by ruining the integrity of the team to win just to make the Superbowl? I thought Miami was more than that personally.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

Correct me if I'm wrong Muck, but this has had wayyyyyy more than one mistake to own up to.

If I have this timeline wrong, please someone tell me.

He grows up in a rough neighborhood, joins a gang because that's what he sees and knows. He is a young kid who steals cars, deals drugs, and is generally just a bad person. Gets out of his juve term and then participates in a drive by shooting and kills a rival gang member. (notice he has taken a human life) Gets out of jail after three years. (this is chance number two)

He finds that he is a big kid with some athletic ability and a coach gets him to play ball and try to move away from of his bad habits of the past. (This is chance number three btw)

He goes to college on an athletic scholarship and plays football. While alone in the lockerroom he falls to temptation and steals a wallet. Gets caught and is kicked off the team. He continues to try football and attends a junior college (chance number four) where he meets a young lady he loves and has a child. This young lady tries to leave him a few times due to him not giving up gang activities and the like.

He keeps his nose clean for a period and convinces his coaches there to take him back. His wife comes back from home where she had once left him. (chance number five) While back at Utah, or perhaps this is still at the junior college.

He has a friend tell him that there is trouble with a rival gang. I ask this question, if he has given up gang activities why is another gang a rival? He should have no rival or interest in such activities by now right? While going to this altercation he is shot and almost killed.

He is once again allowed back to the football field. (chance number six)

He now has another chance to make a nice living in teh NFL.(chance number seven)

If any of this is incorrect please let me know. It seems to me we're not talking of a guy getting a second chance like Will Poole who had one incident.

We're talking about a guy who has about a zillion chances to get and he just hasn't.

Will Poole nor Boston have taken someone's life either.

I will not judge due to it not being my place, but I do take umberage that someone would incinuate he hasn't had second chances.

Very informative post. Many of us, like myself, did not know that about Ben Moa. Good post.

 

[P4E]

I never saw the ESPN piece, so I'm relying on that Salt Lake City newspaper link. THAT source does not say that he killed anyone, it says something about the other guy being wounded in the groin. Personally, I consider this a distinction without a difference, in that the difference between a murder and and attempted murder says nothing redeeming about the person firing the gun. But... as a matter of curiousity, did Moa fire a gun at someone and cause his death?

 

[PhinsTD]

I actually learned of his story at a student newspaper write up for Mr. Moa.

As I stated if any of this is incorrect please let me know. This is how I've understood it to be and that the party involved did indeed perish.

As previously stated there is really nothing that can defend it either way. He tried to kill a man for no other reason than simply he had the wrong color on. I could possibly forgive if he had learned from it. It appears to me that even in his interview he is mad and saying he has to forgive those that that have harmed him and himself for harming others.

Where in that does he say anything about being sorry and owning up to the fact he has deserved to be hurt alot more than he has. This is a man who'd be in jail if he couldn't catch a football.

He has a legitimate chance to make this team as the backup FB due to his size, speed, and hands. Just something to think about.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

PhinsMissedFG...

Which goes back to my question in my other posts..

What do you think?

 

[PhinsTD]

I personally am not the one to judge these players neither personally nor professionally.

If you're asking would I want to win a Super Bowl at the expense of my integrity the answer is no.

Maybe Speilman knows something about him that tells him that he will not denegrate the character of this team.

I guess I'm saying that there are probably some guys on the Phins RIGHT NOW who are not good people and we just don't know it. If we were to win a Super Bowl with them we would be happy none the wiser to that fact.

However, since I do know about Moa's past I'd have to say I will not be one of the people rooting for him to make the team and I will not cheer his scores if he does make the team.

This is a touchy subject.

When exactly does a player get the chance to move on past his mistakes and when is it time to say he's had enough?

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

PhinsMissedFG.. I believe this new subject deserves a new thread...

Many posters in this forum are missing out on a great subject

 

[Muck]

Did Ben Moa change his life around??

He's pretended to do so, as PhinsMissedFG has posted, many times.

Opinion, opinion, opinion. Damn, maybe if you say it 10 times fast it'll become a fact.

I'm not saying the guy's a saint. But he's not a gangbanger anymore either.

None of us, not PhinsMissedFG, not you, not I, are experts on this guy. We've seen one interview on him. Rick's staff researched him and obviously felt comfortable with the LOW RISK situation.

It's a struggle. Change is a struggle for some. Just like beating an addiction. I'm apt to give a second chance to a camp body. In a few months, we'll probably have forgotten all about him anyway.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

None of us, not PhinsMissedFG, not you, not I, are experts on this guy. We've seen one interview on him. Rick's staff researched him and obviously felt comfortable with the LOW RISK situation.

Does not take away from the fact that Spielman is bringing in a troubled character, that could stir up the lockerroom, to upgrade this Miami football team.

One Miami player has stated that "Spielman would not change the character of this team"...

And here comes Ben Moa. Whether he is a success or not, he is being brought in as a potential upgrade to make this Miami team.

That is what I'm troubled with and is the point of my thoughts about this.

You obviously try to side step my question, so after many attempts, Should we try again??

Spielman was quoted by saying this about Shawn Andrews weight problem: "Zebra's go back to their stripes, they are what they are."

Don't see what the difference is between the situations. Same goes with Moa.

 

[Mako]

Does not take away from the fact that Spielman is bringing in a troubled character, that could stir up the lockerroom, to upgrade this Miami football team.

And here comes Ben Moa. Whether he is a success or not, he is being brought in as a potential upgrade to make this Miami team.

The guy was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent, with little guarantees that he'll even still be around come August..

It's not as though Miami dumped a high draft pick to get the guy... Also, people DO deserve second chances. Moa has seemingly got his life in order, so what's the harm?

If he does well and keeps his nose clean, Miami has a second option at TE to compliment McMichael.

If he screws up, Miami cuts him without loss.

I don't see too much harm in this.

 

[Quelonio]

well what if being around such good and great role models, he just turns his life around? Why is it that this bad guy is necessarily cause a problem instead of being actually helped by all the good guys around him? you know.

Spielman is doing a good job, don't start trying to call problems on the man, so he got a guy who could be a risk, JJ did the same thing, and in the offseason he was hailed as a genius who could turn Cecil Collins around, and guess what, he wasn't, and Cecil was drafted, and worst of all, he was the starter, and to my knowledge he wasn't exactly a locker room problem, he was more of a problem to himself, to PR and to the coaches.

The guy killed a man, and that is a deplorable horrible act. Morally terrible in a lot of ways, i would personally have a lot of problems with that, but then again, that is why i am not in charge of anything, i have too many moral problems, Spielman thinks this guy could possibly be a good player, or a nice punching bag in camp, god knows, he is looking for what is best for his team, then again he knows what is better, better than us. This kid will not be on the team by august, and he won't be a problem with our veterans, honestly, they are almost thirty, it is not like they are going to be childish and screw a season just cuz they don't like someone in the practice squad.