Mellinger article on Hill

[jjchieffan]

DJ''s left nut, TTC, and Clay, you may want to avoid this thread. It may get your panties in a wad.

Five seconds on a perfect afternoon is all you need to see to know why. It's why the men in charge of the Chiefs put their own credibility on the line for an admitted domestic abuser. It's why they were willing to drag the franchise through another messy argument, at least temporarily turning much of what they say they stand for into laughable propaganda.

This is a column about football, not morals. But this is also a column about Tyreek Hill, which means the line is blurry. Tyreek Hill made the most exciting, most breathtaking play in the Chiefs' 27-21 win over the Saints on Sunday.

That sentence will make Chiefs fans feel, something. Maybe all you care about is the touchdown. Maybe you will never forgive Hill for his monstrous act two years ago, or the Chiefs for bringing him to Kansas City.

Maybe you're like me, and go sad and sick whenever you think about what he did, and are disappointed the franchise of Jovan Belcher drafted Hill, but think the blame should be less on a football team and more on a justice system shamefully light on sentencing for convicted abusers of women.

No matter where you are on that issue, this column is not intended to change your mind.

This is about why the Chiefs took that risk in the fifth round of the draft back in May, why they've made sure Hill attends his court-mandated counseling, and why they thought the muck would be worth it.

It’s because of these five seconds.

"He's still a rookie, but he's off to the right start," veteran receiver Jeremy Maclin said.

First and 10 at the Saints' 38, and this is a perfect time to throw deep. If it goes incomplete, you have two more downs, and you're already on the edge of field goal range. Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith are famously reluctant to go downfield. You know that, they know that, the other team knows that.

So it's doubly important for them to take those shots, to at least show they can, because otherwise they're throwing tunnel screens against 11 men close to the line of scrimmage.

Hill is freakishly fast — 4.24 seconds in the 40 at his pro day — and could be the Chiefs' best deep threat since, what, J.J. Birden?

"He opens everything up for all of the rest of us," Maclin says.

So, about those five seconds. Smith sees the read he wants — single coverage on Hill, with no safety over the top. He takes a short drop back and makes a trust throw high and long, believing that his guy will win the play. When Smith throws, Saints cornerback Ken Crawley is three or four yards closer to the ball's landing spot than Hill.

"Alex just told me to run as fast as I can," Hill said.

At the 14, the ball still in the air, Crawley is still a yard or two ahead of Hill. From that moment to the goal line, Hill takes seven steps. He runs past Crawley around the 10. By the six, Hill is a step behind the corner. Crawley knows it, too. He starts tugging and shoving at Hill around the five.

Hill is small — 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, the third-smallest man on the roster — but he is also strong. Crawley's hands aren't effective. Receivers coach David Culley has talked about this moment all week, telling his guys they will have to fight downfield against a physical group of defensive backs.

Hill shakes off the coverage, plants his left foot at the 1, and leaps into the end zone. Smith's pass is perfectly placed, and in midair, Hill makes a one-handed basket catch with his left hand, rolling onto the ground with the touchdown.

There is nobody else on the roster who could've made this play. Nobody on any Chiefs roster in recent history could've made this play.

Maybe the Chiefs could've scored on this drive anyway. The Saints' defense stinks. But this was the Chiefs' one big play that was more about a singular talent than preparation or scheme, and the Chiefs won by six.

The front office did not take this kind of risk for a singles hitter.

"We're asking him to do a lot of different things," Reid said. "He's a sharp kid. So we've been able to give him maybe a little bit more than I thought as a rookie that you'd probably be able to do, but he's handled it."

Funny moment after the game. Someone asked Hill about Smith, and to be fair, Smith has played very well two games in a row — 36 for 46 for 438 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in two wins.

Tyreek Hill says extra work with Alex Smith paid off
Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill said extra work with quarterback Alex Smith paid off with a touchdown reception Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Blair Kerkhoff The Kansas City Star
But, then, well, Hill said something of Smith that no serious person has said about Smith since, well, ever.

"He could be a future Hall of Famer, who knows?"

Well, Smith knows. Smith's family knows. His coaches know. You know. I know. But that's not the point. This is where Hill is at the moment, and it's who he's been with the Chiefs. He is eager. He is earnest. He calls everyone sir. Compliments his coaches constantly. Talks more about his mistakes than his successes, and more about his weaknesses than strengths.

He spent training camp driving an enormous old clunker, literally getting around in what his coaches saw as a symbol of humility.

Hill still has much to clean up. He made a mistake with the Chiefs leading late in the fourth quarter, going out of bounds on an end-around, stopping the clock. His teammates say his route running is more advanced than he's shown in games, but so far he's been limited mostly to screens and go routes.

DEFENSE STEPS UP, CHIEFS HOLD ON FOR 27-21 WIN OVER SAINTS

The rest of it may or may not come, of course. He's still young. His ultimate success or failure will be digested by many fans and media as a statement of his character. That will be misguided. It will only be a statement of his ability to play in the NFL. We don't know how any of that will work out.

All we know now is that he's doing the right things, and showing enough to see why the Chiefs took on this significant risk in the first place.

"I feel pretty good," he said. "I'm laughing, each and every day. I'm having fun with these guys. The guys are starting to trust me, and I'm starting to trust them. Once you get that down, you're comfortable."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

[Hydrae]

Ok, I do have one last observation on this topic...

Espinal said Hill was upset and did not want to talk, then threw her phone and laptop into the hallway outside his room. Espinal went to retrieve those items and Hill shut the door. She says the assault — which includes alleged choking, tearing of her shirt, punching of her face and stomach — occurred when she returned to the room.

I don't know about the rest of the manly men around here but I think if I was arguing with someone who then threw my shit in the hall and closed then door I do not think the smartest thing to do is to go right back into the room. I think I might give that person at least a minute or two before confronting them again.

Not excusing his actions in the least but that was a very stupid move on her part in the first place IMO.

Again, hitting a woman is never okay (well, if she starts it then all bets are off in my opinion).

[Willie Lanier]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

There are probably a dozen players on every team who have done worse. There is likely someone you work with right now who has done worse.

I don't support hitting women and as a rule of thumb wish bad things on those people.


That said, I'm watching a football game and when I watch with my kids, we aren't looking at anyone there as a life coach o role model.
I'd wager all of us have done things or made decisions we'd re-do if we had a chance. Most people learn from those moments and move on.

If he helps the Chiefs win, great. We'll cheer that. I'll handle the life coaching and role modeling at home.

This

[KChiefs1]

So Tyreek cut her tits off too?



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[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

I agree. That is the best he can do. It's just the way he is but in year 4 of the same coaches and system it's pretty sad we can't put up more points. We have the players to do it but Smith is not the guy to take advantage.

I really hope they move on next season.

Good Lord, you're an idiot. The only reasons the Chiefs didn't do more in the second half against the Saints were 1) The Saints controlled the clock on a long drive to start the second half and 2) Andy Reid's play calling went very conservative. Nothing that I could see is to blame on Alex Smith. Yes, he may have missed Maclin on that one play (I said as much during the game) but I need to see the all 22 film to confirm that.

[Iowanian]

I'm a person who judges people in real life and I'm not one to overlook past transgressions but most people do.

A couple of weeks ago a group of people were hanging out in my shop and began discussing what a "great guy" someone was...several times talked a bout him being a great guy, hard worker...who makes dumb mistakes when he drinks.....and I couldn't help it and said "Like molesting little girls, F that guy". Buzz kill, but I'm not overlooking that.

Last week, my FB feed hit me with a new "recommended friend"....It was a guy who shot and killed my friend in HS. he's out in the world, and some of our mutual friends had "friended" him. F that guy forever.

There are also people who have done things I didn't respect, but fixed their problems and are now solid citizens and humans.

When Hill's own ex gf was on his side, that's all I need to know in order to watch him play football. IT's not the same criteria I'd be using if he were trying to date my daughter.

[Marcellus]

Hill will never be my favorite player as I tend to like high character guys, people that would seem to be fun to have a beer and a discussion with like Hali, or DJ, but I am certainly not going to invest any of my time on hating the guy.

I wish him luck because if he has any more personal problems its not going to be of benefit for his son. If he turns his life around it is a benefit to his son and exGF or whatever she is now.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

Debt to society means a lot of things. One guy can rape a woman and get 15 years, while another gets 3 months. One guy could beat the **** out of his pregnant girlfriend and get his nursing liscence revoked, thus relegating him to burger flipping status, and the other might be signing autographs for your kid.

Certainly

River Phoenix died in his own puke barely out of his teens
Robert Downey Jr. is the centerpiece of the Marvel film franchise

They were both approximately the same age and were engaging in the same behavior at the same time.

[mdchiefsfan]

Originally Posted by KC Tattoo

Smith has played very well two games in a row — 36 for 46 for 438 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in two wins.




This is all we get out of Smith from playing two of the worst defense this year has to offer? I mean I think we need to do better because defenses don't get much easier well maybe against the Colts but they can also put points on the board with Luck.

In both games we got up by 2 scores going into the half. We played grind it out, chew the clock mode, which lessened the yardage for Smith.

You can complain about the fact that Reid chooses this strategy, but you really can't blame Smith for executing the offense that was called.

[jjchieffan]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

So you know.....that was ****ing hard to find.

http://newsok.com/article/5399812



http://www.si.com/college-football/2...plea-agreement



But let me guess.....she's probably lying....right?

I'm not going to say she was lying. I just hadn't seen that version of the story. That's a pretty horrific story. But at the end of the day, my stance remains the same. As long as it was a one time incident and nothing remotely close to that ever happens again, then I will accept that he knows that he made a terrible mistake and won't hold it against him. If he does ever do it again, then he should be cut immediately and no more chances. He is doing counseling. He is saying and doing all of the right things. now. Keep that up and leave the past in the past.

[Red Dawg]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Good Lord, you're an idiot. The only reasons the Chiefs didn't do more in the second half against the Saints were 1) The Saints controlled the clock on a long drive to start the second half and 2) Andy Reid's play calling went very conservative. Nothing that I could see is to blame on Alex Smith. Yes, he may have missed Maclin on that one play (I said as much during the game) but I need to see the all 22 film to confirm that.

I laugh at you. As if Smith at any time with the Chiefs has ever been the guy that gets our offense points. A hand full of games at best. Last season week after week the defense had to do the heavy lifting. This season dam near the same story. Our offense has a real problem finding the end zone and that is a fact and a direct reflection on his skills. Andy is a problem but it would help if we had a QB that actually is a threat to throw td's. Smith has two legit TD passes in 6 games that actually traveled far enough in the air when the game mattered to be considered what other qb's do every week.

He missed wide open guys that would have gotten easy TD's against Houston, Pitt and another one yesterday. Not everything is his fault but give me break with he's playing well bullshit. He's playing like rookie just hoping not to mess up.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

He punched her in the face. And the STOMACH. WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT.

dont forget the choke part

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

8 weeks pregnant? Still plenty of time to get an abortion that most of would have had no issue with.

So exactly at what amount of time is it NOT ok to hit a pregnant woman in the stomach?

[Beef Supreme]

Mutha****er can run though. Amirite?

[jettio]

I remember Mellinger and all of the other white people in the media who decided their public wanted them to be sanctimonious universally said that Tyreek Hill was not that good of a player because he did not dominate at West Alabama.

They all said the Chiefs were fools to draft someone with his history because he was not very talented on the field.

I like how these sports media people think they are some kind of moral arbiters.

I would suppose the clergy of the different faiths and denominations would have advised that the best thing would be to give the guy a chance and not take away his best chance to make a living for his family.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Hill will never be my favorite player as I tend to like high character guys, people that would seem to be fun to have a beer and a discussion with like Hali, or DJ, but I am certainly not going to invest any of my time on hating the guy.

I wish him luck because if he has any more personal problems its not going to be of benefit for his son. If he turns his life around it is a benefit to his son and exGF or whatever she is now.

Pretty much explains my feelings about him. If his girlfriend & family has forgiven him why can't I? We are living in a world where everyone gets a second chance. It seems like he is trying to earn his.



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