Shaun Rogers escapes suspension - faces fine
You don’t have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to know that it’s a bad idea to try put a gun in your luggage at the Airport. Shaun Rogers apparently didn’t know this. Earlier this year Rogers was detained at the Hopkins International Airport with a .45 calibre packed in his luggage. The gun was loaded and cocked even though the safety was turned on when security at the airport found it during an X-ray of Roger’s luggage.
Rogers spent that night in jail and was charged with possession of a concealed weapon, a third degree felony. The Cleveland Brown’s nose tackle escaped trial after the arrest by submitting to a diversion program. The program included 40 hours of community service and 10 hours in a gun safety class.
With that behind him the only reminder of the mistake was the expected NHL reaction to the whole incident. Until the legal process continued the NHL and commissioner Goodell reserved judgement on Rogers. That judgment has finally come about.
It was speculated the league would slap Rogers with a suspension but instead the league opted to place a hefty fine on Rogers.
Popular opinions hold that Rogers got off rather easily. The irony is that while NHL passed over suspending the Browns’ nose tackle for a federal offense the Browns are lobbying to have Ndamukong Suh suspended over a personal foul. That’s just how things are in the football world.
In Goodell’s opinion, trying to take a loaded gun onto a commercial flight isn’t that big a deal . Recently Goodell praised Rogers for helping police officers stop a drunk driver in a Cleveland suburb. “It's a great example of a young man making a mistake on one hand and then doing something positive on the other,” Goodell said.
Before the $400,000 or one game check fine was announced for the felony charge, Rogers said that he could live with whatever the outcome of league’s deliberation could be. “If that's what it is, that's what it is,” Rogers said. But after the announcement was made, Rogers took a u-turn and said that he would appeal the decision. The fine is being levied against Rogers for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The fine costs Rogers the same as a suspension would have but atleast he is now eligible to play. “How's it better?” Rogers said jokingly. “Well, I'm still losing money. I don't play for free.” But that is if he is able to play at all. Currently Rogers is on the Physically Unable to Perform list. He was placed on the list after a lower leg surgery during the off season. The Browns have not released the particulars of the surgery or the details of the injury he sustained last year. So far Rogers has missed all the practices and has not appeared in any of the Browns exhibition matches. Unless Rogers is off the list before the Browns’ first regular season game begins, he would stay on it for the next 6 weeks.
Coach Eric Magnini is hopeful that Rogers would be ready to play before then. “Each week he's made steps forward and we have some time here before Tampa,” Mangini said. “I'm going by what our doctors and trainers say”
Rogers isn’t the only players on the Browns roster to have been caught at an airport with a gun. His teammate Robaire Smith was stopped at a Michigan airport last year but so far no disciplinary actions have been taken against Smith.
Smith said that he didn’t want to get his hopes set one way or another adding that their cases were different and the incidents occurred in different circumstances. “It's just an unfortunate situation for both of us. It was an honest mistake.” Both Rogers and Smith maintain that they forgot that the guns had been packed in with their luggage.
The former Pro Bowler Rogers has 465 tackles and 35.5 sacks in 125 career games in 10 seasons with the Lions and Browns.
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