This Elam kid....

[tartan y fronts]

Girls lie alot..Don't know the details of his situatuion, but it sounded to me like he was the fall guy. This kid has alot fo physical tools and upside. He paid for his crime, now let's move on..

wow. you're kidding right? you start off saying "girls lie a lot" (?????!!!!) then move onto give an opinion immediately after saying you don't know the details of his situation.

personally i hope this guy gets nowhere near the team...

 

[painnotpleasure]

I don't know what happened, so I can't judge personally. But I do feel to not to let his past problems be a problem unless he makes it a problem. If the guy is a truly sorry for whatever mistake or mistakes he's made in the past and if he is a talented player (Regardless of what he did or didn't do.)... Isn't that showing us something? Again, I don't know what really happened... but I'm just saying, it obviously didn't stop Saban from signing him. Not to mention all the other teams that were interested in him and could've ended up signing him.

 

[dolfanmark]

Agreed. I'm very disappointed that Saban would even consider a guy like this.

 

[jlfin]

Ok first off anyone who hurts a child should rot it the pits of hell after the worst torture known to mankind whatever that may be (don't believe me become a parent). Second is people who abuse/rape women. With that said:

We are hiring him due to his ability on the field it is against the law for us to deny him the ability to try out based on his past. According to the laws of the land, Yes in fact he has paid his time and continues to do so with the lifetime penalties that are brought upon him by being a felon (has to register with police, no vote, special clearence need for leaving the country, not ever able work a security clearence job, and more i just don't remember them all) If you don't like the punishment thats not his fault write your politicians and get them to fix it.

There already are murderes, rapists, wife beaters, Drug dealers, Criminals, and all other sorts fo characters in not only the NFL but NBA, MLB, and hockey. So why is it ok for One guy to get convicted of murder and play. One guy on our team to hit his wife and be ok, but since this guy YOU don't like. its suddenly not OK. If you want these guys banned you can't just pick and choose which ones you want.

So some of the top guys who have cleared up there past aren't allowed to play anymore.. oh wait just the guys you don't like. You can't have it both ways.

No one is saying that a team shouldn't give him an opportunity. Most of us are just saying that we don't want that team to be the Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins have historically been one of the classiest franchises in the NFL (mostly due to Shula) and I for one, would like to keep it that way. As the father of a 15 yo daughter I don't want a low character individual like Elam on this team.

 

[PHINFAN4LIFE]

U Must Be Kiddn' Me

It is beyond belief the majority thinking on this. Elam is a man first, and all men should be provided THE OPPORTUNITY to support his family, no matter his transgressions of past. Saying that, I feel the need to explain further. As most people know, there are always three sides to every story, the plaintiffs side, the defenders side, and THE TRUTH! If one of you on the plaintiffs side can explain to me why this young lady would be spending the night WITH 3 twentysomething year old men in the first place, I would rethink my position on this matter. If not, then this posts for YOU!
Obviously, Im not dealing with men who've been on the "wild side" of life before, so I'll simplify the evening in question for you. 4 grown *** men sittin around the playstation, doing their everyday thing. Out of the blue, but NOT out of the ordinary, a female fan reaches out to see if she can "TOUCH SOMEONE". The 4 young men oblige, and before the clock strikes 12, the young woman has endulged herself to the point of inhibition. Now at first its all fun and games to her. She's satisfied her hunger for being 'loose' after man #3, so here comes man #4, just following suit, puts his hands on her, and she SCREAMS, "STOP". Man #4, blown away, by the sudden outburts of MORALITY by said young woman, backs away and calls the young lady a d#ck teasin', c*m guzzlin, bald head b@#ch! Which would be the last thing that said young lady remembers from the evening. She goes home, tells fellow chickenheads of her nights events, and after ten minutes of cackling, the flock convinces her that she was somehow wronged. Case goes to court, Men 1-3 are aquitted because of her willingness, and MAN #4 is found guilty of lesser charges, solely because of his testimony of calling the young lady THE B WORD! Bet the Farm on it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway........ way to go Saban, by not sh@#ing on someones civil right to support his family, you may have, (now I dont know anything about this player), but you may have unearthed a true diamond thats been THROUGH the rough! Go Fins!

 

[finfansince72]

Ok first off anyone who hurts a child should rot it the pits of hell after the worst torture known to mankind whatever that may be (don't believe me become a parent). Second is people who abuse/rape women. With that said:

We are hiring him due to his ability on the field it is against the law for us to deny him the ability to try out based on his past. According to the laws of the land, Yes in fact he has paid his time and continues to do so with the lifetime penalties that are brought upon him by being a felon (has to register with police, no vote, special clearence need for leaving the country, not ever able work a security clearence job, and more i just don't remember them all) If you don't like the punishment thats not his fault write your politicians and get them to fix it.

There already are murderes, rapists, wife beaters, Drug dealers, Criminals, and all other sorts fo characters in not only the NFL but NBA, MLB, and hockey. So why is it ok for One guy to get convicted of murder and play. One guy on our team to hit his wife and be ok, but since this guy YOU don't like. its suddenly not OK. If you want these guys banned you can't just pick and choose which ones you want.

So some of the top guys who have cleared up there past aren't allowed to play anymore.. oh wait just the guys you don't like. You can't have it both ways.

Huh? Who are the murderers and rapists in the NBA, MLB, hockey and NFL?

 

[Lazy1]

The cold cut truth is professional athletes get chances in life that most wouldn't or shouldn't get. If Elam wen't to a job interview and had rape charges on his file they wouldn't look twice at him. But who is miami to play angel and be the good guys, if miami doesn't take a guy that they think will succeed they are just hurting themselves b/c some1 else will. In a perfect world people who rape and sell drugs shouldn't be able to make millions of dollars and have little children looking up to them(other cases of professional sports no1 directly). I would agree that most professional sport players are good guys and help out with the community... but honestly i dont know them and at the same time you have to belief that things like Ray Lewis and Jamal Lewis are true(not saying them directly just things you hear in the media) becuase most of the guys in professional sports grow up in bad areas and weren't exactly angels growing up. Lets not be naive and say none of the superstars in the league have commited a crime... but its all a business and sometimes you have to look past the off-field problems and jsut hope they stay out of trouble.

 

[yankeehillbilly]

I don't know what happened, so I can't judge personally. But I do feel to not to let his past problems be a problem unless he makes it a problem. If the guy is a truly sorry for whatever mistake or mistakes he's made in the past and if he is a talented player (Regardless of what he did or didn't do.)... Isn't that showing us something? Again, I don't know what really happened... but I'm just saying, it obviously didn't stop Saban from signing him. Not to mention all the other teams that were interested in him and could've ended up signing him.

All we can go on is what the courts said. I read a summary of the trial and there are parts that sound sketchy, but he was convicted by a jury. (7 men 5 women). Thats everyday people just like all of us, but who saw and heard the evidence first hand.
As for not letting his past be a problem...... how do you balance being a nice person and giving a guy a chance with the need to protect your organization and its employees?

 

[byroan]

Not sure if this was posted or not, didn't want to start a new thread though.

She waited, and worried every day until Tuesday, when the woman who alleged four former Notre Dame football players assaulted her sexually in March 2002 seethed upon learning Elam, the only man convicted in the incident, had signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins.

"Abram Elam is living his dream, while I continue to have nightmares of the attack I endured at his hands over three years ago," said the woman, currently living and working in Chicago. "I can only hope that every football fan who has a mother, daughter, wife, sister, girlfriend or female friend, will express their outrage at this injustice."

Elam, an undrafted safety who finished his career at Kent State after being expelled from Notre Dame because of the off-campus incident, participated in this week's rookie mini-camp with the Dolphins. He has declined all interview requests.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...haugh,1,7278356.story?coll=cs-bears-headlines

 

[fishypete]

First, the Dolphins weren't the only team after this kid....the Pats and 2 other teams also wanted to sign him....so it's not like the Dolphins were the only team that wanted to give him a second chance. What this kid did was wrong....but if any of you think that half the players drafted this last draft didn't get away with some kind of stuff while in college...your just fooling yourself. The two worst things any player can do is bet on the game or desert his team and fellow players...I rather give him a second chance than a player who bets or deserts....any day!

 

[finfansince72]

First, the Dolphins weren't the only team after this kid....the Pats and 2 other teams also wanted to sign him....so it's not like the Dolphins were the only team that wanted to give him a second chance. What this kid did was wrong....but if any of you think that half the players drafted this last draft didn't get away with some kind of stuff while in college...your just fooling yourself. The two worst things any player can do is bet on the game or desert his team and fellow players...I rather give him a second chance than a player who bets or deserts....any day!

...you'd rather have a rapist or worse than someone that bets on his team or deserts? Thank God you are not the GM of this team. Who cares what others are doing and why does that matter? Goes way back to the simple analogy of, 'if someone jumped off a cliff would u jump off a cliff?', let the Pats or someone else have this guy. I refuse to believe some halfway decent talent (Notre Dame isnt the hotbed for talent it once was), with a checkered past is the missing link for us to be a Superbowl contender. This guy making the team won't win a single game for us, hes just not worth the trouble.

 

[Bigbucks24]

:shakeno: You'll get over it.

But will Nick???

 

[TRUDOLFAN54]

:evil: :fire: :yell: I Trust Saban I Belive He Is Doing Whats Best For This Football Team

 

[Bigbucks24]

Elam is a man first, and all men should be provided THE OPPORTUNITY to support his family, no matter his transgressions of past.

As a business owner, I have a problem with this. I have the right to decide if this person is a good risk for my business. I feel no need to provide everyone THE OPPORTUNITY to support his family at my company. Because if he frangresses again, I may not be able to support my family, or the families of the people who count on me to make good decisions. I owe nothing to these people. The Dolphins owe nothing to Elam. They may CHOOSE to give him a chance, but they do not OWE him a chance.

 

[caneinlasvegas]

I am a Florida lawyer who has worked in the area of employment law. I think this is clear, but let me make it so if it is not. There is no law, especially in the state of Florida, that requires employers to disregard a criminal past in choosing to hire or not hire an employee. End of story.

The only issue in this case is if this guy is someone you want to represent your team. I don't care to give second chances to rapists. There are some crimes that speak to character and this seems like all I need or ever want to know about this man.

You of all people should know better than to characterize an individual based on what he plead guilty to, especially since it seems like "that is all you need to know", or "don't ever want to know about this man." By the way, who said he was charged or convicted with rape? Know all the facts before you...