Pacman should be banned for life after this article.

[SunDevil]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2867740

Paralyzed Vegas shooting victim rebuilding his life
Associated Press

DENVER -- Tommy Urbanski fidgets in his electronic wheelchair, trying to find a comfortable position.

No luck. The pain just shifts.

Urbanski, paralyzed from an inch above his belly button on down, was shot at least three times Feb. 19 at a Las Vegas strip club during the NBA All-Star weekend.

The pre-dawn shooting followed a scuffle involving Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones and a security guard inside the club. Las Vegas police have recommended felony and misdemeanor charges against Jones for inciting the fight that police say led to the triple shooting. The identity of the shooter remains a mystery, and prosecutors want to hold off on filing charges until more details emerge.

Now, Urbanski spends his time navigating his chair down the hallways of Craig Hospital, a Denver facility that specializes in spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. The 6-foot-6, 390-pound former professional wrestler attends three to four physical therapy classes a day, learning how to get in and out of his chair, dress himself and put toothpaste on his toothbrush. All are still struggles as he regains strength in his arms.

Some days, the 44-year-old just can't get out of bed -- the pain is too intense. Even so, he's grateful.

"There are people worse off than me," Urbanski said.

He tries to remain upbeat for his wife, Kathy, who's almost always nearby, even sleeping by his side on a fold-out couch. And for his father, Don, who came up from Florida to help.

After three weeks in a medically induced coma, lung and rib infections, bowel and bladder complications, pneumonia, multiple operations on his wrists and the removal of his spleen, progress has been slow.

"That's the worst moment in his life? Try being put in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. This changes everything."
-- Tommy Urbanski on Pacman Jones' published apology.

"I make a step forward and then take two steps back," said Urbanski, who has a 9 mm bullet permanently lodged in his spine.

Former Detroit Lions offensive guard Mike Utley understands.

Utley was paralyzed Nov. 17, 1991, in an NFL game and gave a memorable "thumbs up" gesture as he was wheeled off the field. Now he reaches out to spinal-cord patients to give them hope.

"This injury has never changed who I am, who I was or who I want to be," Utley said. "I want out of this wheelchair real bad. But it will never stop me."

Recently, Urbanski's kidneys temporarily shut down, causing him to gain 57 pounds in water weight and his legs to swell to nearly three times their normal size. He's wearing size 17 shoes just so he can squeeze in his feet. He frequently stops in mid-sentence as a jolt of pain overwhelms him.

"A good day for me? Physically, I haven't had one," said Urbanski, who couldn't get out of bed Wednesday due to intense headaches he ranked at 20 on a 1-to-10 scale. "Mentally, looking over and seeing my wife by my side is always a good day. But the pain -- it doesn't stop."

It all began in the early morning hours of Feb. 19.

Urbanski, who worked as a real estate broker during the day, was working at the Minxx strip club as a manager to earn extra income to send his wife to law school.

He arrived at the club at 4:45 a.m., entered through the back door, clocked in, grabbed a portable radio and was told there was a problem in the dancers' dressing room.

After breaking up the dispute, another employee asked Urbanski to keep an eye on the front door. As he stepped outside the club, he remembers seeing a muzzle flash out of his left eye and then crumbling to the ground.

"I didn't even feel the pain of the bullets," Urbanski said. "I didn't feel anything."

As Las Vegas police work to fill in the gaps, the Urbanskis are upset over what they consider a lack of progress.

"Mentally, looking over and seeing my wife by my side is always a good day. But the pain -- it doesn't stop."
-- Tommy Urbanski

"We're taking it very seriously," said Lt. George Castro, leader of the Las Vegas Police Department's violent crimes unit. "We are still working on and looking at everything that comes in. We've never closed our doors or said enough's enough."

According to a Las Vegas police search warrant, Jones was showering dancers on stage with thousands of dollar bills. Minxx strip club co-owner Robert Susnar has said the shooting happened after Jones threatened to kill a bouncer, whom the club owner said intervened when Jones allegedly attacked a dancer after she grabbed money on the stage.

Jones' attorney, Manny Arora, didn't respond to a phone call or an e-mail from The Associated Press. But in February, Cheryl Moss, Jones' publicist, disputed parts of the search warrant, telling The Tennessean of Nashville that Jones didn't punch a dancer and doesn't know the shooter.

"Did it [throwing the money] incite them in a violent fashion or in excitement? We don't know," Castro said. "But when you call fire in a building, you're still liable if someone gets hurt. There's a certain amount of responsibility."

Jones, who has been questioned by police in nine other incidents since being drafted two years ago, has been suspended for the 2007 season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

He's appealing the suspension and recently took out a full-page ad in a Nashville, Tenn., paper that read, "Learning that I would be suspended from the NFL was one of the worst moments of my life."

Urbanski shakes his head.

"That's the worst moment in his life?" Urbanski asked. "Try being put in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. This changes everything."

His wife is busy trying to get their life in order for when they return to Las Vegas in late July. On this day, she was on the phone, feuding with a worker's compensation company that wouldn't approve a bigger, more wheelchair-friendly bedroom.

"My moods are determined by his pain," said Kathy, who'll leave June 20 to return to her job teaching third-graders at a Las Vegas public school and will fly back on weekends. "Everyone in [the hospital] would rather be in that chair than their loved ones."

"In a heartbeat," said Don Urbanski, who has a hospital-issued apartment a short walk and an elevator ride from his son.

When asked how difficult this has been, watching his son adjust to his traumatic injuries, Don Urbanski put his hands over his face and sobbed.

His son stays focused on the small triumphs -- playing the guitar or cooking balsamic chicken and wild rice for his family and the Craig Hospital staff.

"I'm alive. When you come to think of it like that, I got off easy."
Tommy Urbanski

It's those glimpses of his former life that uplift, and devastate, Urbanski.

Take an upcoming Harley Davidson fundraiser June 3, when dealerships in New York and Las Vegas will raise money for Urbanski's care. Though appreciative, he wishes he were riding his motorcycle with them.

"I was always on my bike," he said, staring at his hands. "It's so nice that so many people care."

Bring up his professional wrestling days, and his eyes light up. Known as the "Mad Russian" and the "Polish Prince," he wrestled World Wrestling Federation stars such as Hulk Hogan, Sergeant Slaughter and Junkyard Dog. He fought mostly in smaller venues but had a couple of WWE television appearances.

"I was usually the bad guy," Urbanski said with a laugh. "It was fun being the bad guy."

Now, that role's being played by others who have yet to be identified in the shooting.

"I didn't know these scumbags," Urbanski said. "The guy could've walked up and put one between my eyes and I would've been done.

"I'm alive. When you come to think of it like that, I got off easy."

[Chief Rum]

I read that earlier and it pissed me off, too.

Not ready to ban anyone for life from football yet, though, until more evidence comes out. Assuming Pacman was not the gunman, but the accomplice was part of his retinue, I am fine with a year suspension right now on the basis of his legal history and the likely involvement in this one. If more evidence comes out that someone his posse was definitively that gunman, then he should face more punishment from football and a lengthy prison sentence. And if he himself was the gunman, I wouldn't be against the chair, and life in prison minimum. Football would be the last thing to consider.

All that said, I would really like the cops to catch the gunman, whoever that is, and put him away for life.

[JeeberD]

And then there was this, which made me chortle...

link

Goodell aware of Jones' pre-hearing visit to club
By Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com

On the eve of his appeal to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Adam "Pacman" Jones probably should avoid what he did the last time he was in New York for the meeting that led to his one-year suspension.

Jones went to a strip club, sources close to the league, the NFL Players Association and Jones have confirmed.

The night before his April 3 meeting with Goodell to talk about his off-field conduct, Jones made a late-night trip to an adult New York club. Jones was spotted inside the club shortly after he had a face-to-face meeting with two leading veteran players, Takeo Spikes and Troy Vincent, who traveled to New York to urge Jones to clean up his act.

When Goodell and Jones met the next day, the commissioner already was made aware of Jones' late-night excursion because security from the strip club tipped off NFL security.

Rather than directly confront Jones, the commissioner gave him a test, sources said.

According to these sources, Goodell asked Jones what he was doing to help himself to change his lifestyle. Jones gave a lot of the right answers, such as volunteering that he was going to avoid the nightclub scene.

The commissioner asked him if the self-imposed ban included strip clubs. Jones said yes.

Goodell then asked Jones the last time he had visited a strip club.

Jones became a bit fidgety, perhaps suspicious that the commissioner was on to him, before he answered, "A day ago," sources said.

Technically, Jones told the truth, even though his actual timeline was less than 24 hours by the moment he met with Goodell.

Nobody but Goodell knows for sure how it factored in his decision to suspend Jones for the 2007 season.

Friday's appeal will be a more formal hearing in which Jones' legal representatives will present a list of 283 NFL players who have had off-field issues or encounters without being suspended for an entire season. In other words, they will attempt to show there was no recent precedent for Goodell's harsh decision.

The problem for Jones is that his case is appealed to the commissioner -- the same person who made the decision to suspend him for the 2007 season for conduct detrimental to the league on numerous occasions. Jones' off-field conduct has included 10 incidents for which he was interviewed by police; the most recent took place in a Las Vegas strip club during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Even with a spirit of cooperation between the NFLPA and Goodell on the issue of player conduct, the goal of having the new policy drafted into the collective bargaining agreement hit a wall.

Gene Upshaw, executive dirtector of the NFLPA, refused to adopt the new conduct policy into the CBA unless suspensions of one year or longer could be appealed to an independent arbitrator. The commissioner refused, citing the proposal as a last-minute ambush by the union, sources said.

Goodell certainly will cite that his suspension of Jones includes the ability for Jones to be reinstated after the 10th game if he stays out of trouble and is cleared of pending cases in Las Vegas and Atlanta.

If Goodell lets his original decision stand, there are legal scholars -- some of whom have lofty positions in other professional sports leagues -- who believe Jones might have a case if he seeks a remedy through federal courts.

Chris Mortensen covers the NFL for ESPN.

[Easy Mac]

Leonard Little killed someone and missed 4 games... Pacman will have to work harder.

[Crapshoot]

Shit, why don't we just shoot him now? Sure, there's no proof, but why is that relevant?

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Shit, why don't we just shoot him now? Sure, there's no proof, but why is that relevant?

You do so have to shoot me now! I demand that you shoot me now!

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Axxon

You do so have to shoot me now! I demand that you shoot me now!

.45 or Shotgun?

[Galaril]

If it wasn't some albeit an apparent dirtball's life going do the toliet it would be funny.

Pacman stopped for speeding.

http://www.wsmv.com/sports/13305173/...=nash&psp=news

Quote:
His latest incident only involved a traffic citation, which included not having his driver's license.

Jones was stopped at 12:45 a.m. Monday on Interstate 65 heading into downtown after an officer clocked him on radar at 79 mph in a 55 mph zone. Jones was driving his red 2004 Cadillac XLT he bought at police auction last fall.


It doesn't seem like this cat gets it huh?

[Eaglesfan27]

Especially since one of the promises he made the commish was that he wouldn't be out after midnight.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I'm liking Goodell more every day.

I hope Urbanski sues "Pacman" and gets so much money from him that the next time we hear about him being pulled over for driving like an ass, we hear about his Chevy Citation.

Yes, there will be a next time... Some things are inevitable... Ask Ricky Williams, man...

[RendeR]

I hope he never plays another down in the NFL.

People who don't show real remorse beyond their own loss and stupidity don't deserve the privilege of being in top flight sports.

I think the injured man should sue. They have enough evidence already to push through a civil court case against pacman. His actions instigated everything, he's liable.

I'm feeling more and more the same about Chris Henry, the idiot just doesn't fracking get it.

If you fuckup with the law more than once the league should dropkick your ass out permanently. Those players are idols to our children, they need to be taught to ACT like it.

[Izulde]

How stupid can you be? I definitely agree with giving someone a second chance, third chance, even a fourth in extenuating circumstances.

But how many chances has this fool had? How many people have told him he needs to straighten out his act? He just doesn't seem to really care.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

And then there was this, which made me chortle...

link

Goodell aware of Jones' pre-hearing visit to club
By Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com

On the eve of his appeal to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Adam "Pacman" Jones probably should avoid what he did the last time he was in New York for the meeting that led to his one-year suspension.

Jones went to a strip club, sources close to the league, the NFL Players Association and Jones have confirmed.

The night before his April 3 meeting with Goodell to talk about his off-field conduct, Jones made a late-night trip to an adult New York club. Jones was spotted inside the club shortly after he had a face-to-face meeting with two leading veteran players, Takeo Spikes and Troy Vincent, who traveled to New York to urge Jones to clean up his act.

When Goodell and Jones met the next day, the commissioner already was made aware of Jones' late-night excursion because security from the strip club tipped off NFL security.

Rather than directly confront Jones, the commissioner gave him a test, sources said.

According to these sources, Goodell asked Jones what he was doing to help himself to change his lifestyle. Jones gave a lot of the right answers, such as volunteering that he was going to avoid the nightclub scene.

The commissioner asked him if the self-imposed ban included strip clubs. Jones said yes.

Goodell then asked Jones the last time he had visited a strip club.

Jones became a bit fidgety, perhaps suspicious that the commissioner was on to him, before he answered, "A day ago," sources said.

Technically, Jones told the truth, even though his actual timeline was less than 24 hours by the moment he met with Goodell.

Nobody but Goodell knows for sure how it factored in his decision to suspend Jones for the 2007 season.

Friday's appeal will be a more formal hearing in which Jones' legal representatives will present a list of 283 NFL players who have had off-field issues or encounters without being suspended for an entire season. In other words, they will attempt to show there was no recent precedent for Goodell's harsh decision.

The problem for Jones is that his case is appealed to the commissioner -- the same person who made the decision to suspend him for the 2007 season for conduct detrimental to the league on numerous occasions. Jones' off-field conduct has included 10 incidents for which he was interviewed by police; the most recent took place in a Las Vegas strip club during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Even with a spirit of cooperation between the NFLPA and Goodell on the issue of player conduct, the goal of having the new policy drafted into the collective bargaining agreement hit a wall.

Gene Upshaw, executive dirtector of the NFLPA, refused to adopt the new conduct policy into the CBA unless suspensions of one year or longer could be appealed to an independent arbitrator. The commissioner refused, citing the proposal as a last-minute ambush by the union, sources said.

Goodell certainly will cite that his suspension of Jones includes the ability for Jones to be reinstated after the 10th game if he stays out of trouble and is cleared of pending cases in Las Vegas and Atlanta.

If Goodell lets his original decision stand, there are legal scholars -- some of whom have lofty positions in other professional sports leagues -- who believe Jones might have a case if he seeks a remedy through federal courts.

Chris Mortensen covers the NFL for ESPN.

Honestly, that story made my day, and possibly even my whole weekend. It's just funny on so many damn levels.

[Richard Weed]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Gene Upshaw, executive dirtector of the NFLPA, refused to adopt the new conduct policy into the CBA unless suspensions of one year or longer could be appealed to an independent arbitrator.

Dirtector...he detects dirt? He should've been all over Adam Jones.

[Richard Weed]

Originally Posted by stevew

Honestly, that story made my day, and possibly even my whole weekend. It's just funny on so many damn levels.

You can say that again.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by RendeR

I'm feeling more and more the same about Chris Henry, the idiot just doesn't fracking get it.

Did Henry do something else I am not aware of? As far as I know he has been quiet about his suspension, and has stayed out of trouble, except for some stupid seat belt violation or something to that effect.

I think Henry may actually have a good enough head on his shoulders to stay out of trouble so he can continue to play football. He hasn't done anything wrong for a year or so except for the seat belt thing, which was dropped.

From ESPN.com
-----------------

Regarding his gun charge:

Henry, 23, faces a felony gun charge in Florida stemming from a Jan. 29 incident in which he allegedly possessed a firearm outside an Orlando nightclub. Henry is charged with possession of a concealed firearm in that incident, a third-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Two other charges from that incident, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper exhibition of a weapon, were dropped.

Regarding his OVI- (Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence)

Sgt. Kevin Long of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Henry was stopped on Interstate 275, on the east side of Cincinnati, at 1:18 a.m., after being clocked driving 82 mph in a 65 mph zone. Because officers detected the odor of alcohol, a field sobriety test was conducted, and Henry was subsequently transported to the Milford, Ohio police station.

Long said that Henry registered a .092 reading on the blood-alcohol test. The legal limit in Ohio is .08.

"Mr. Henry agreed to the test and he was polite, courteous and cooperative the entire time," Long said, citing the police report. "He was issued a traffic citation and he [eventually] left with a friend. There was no bail involved and he was issued a court date."

Regarding his Marijuana charge-

In December, the former West Virginia University standout was arrested in Covington, Ky., and charged with possession of marijuana. Henry pled guilty to the charge to avoid jail time, paid a fine of $250 and agreed to spend 28 days in a drug rehabilitation program, a stipulation which he has already completed.

Also, in the situation where he provided alcohol to minors-

The girl that accused him of raping her in the incident later had a warrant issued for her arrest for providing a false statement regarding the rape. Turns out she was arrested 2 months later anyway, for prostitution.

Now, I don't think its right to provide alcohol to minors, and messing around with a prostitute isn't in the best of taste. But to me, its clear that someone was out to make some money off Henry in this particular situation. I'm sure quite a few people could say they have bought alcohol for minors in the past as well.

To sum it all up, it is very obvious IMO that there is no comparison as far as Chris Henry and PacMan Jones go. Henry hasn't had a REAL incident with the law since June of '06. He has done everything that has been asked of him, been proactive, and stayed out of trouble. I think he gets it now.

For Pacman, I don't think the same thing can be said. For Henry to be mentioned in the same negative way as Jones, while not entirely off base, seems unfair.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

I'm liking Goodell more every day.

I've liked hims since day one when it meant that Rich McKay would continue to screw up, I mean GM the Atlanta Falcons.

[Karlifornia]

I was really hoping Pacman would change....but it just doesn't look like it's going to happen. Sad.