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Kellen Winslow Jr. (not a good dude)

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Wnslow likely done for the year
By MIKE McLAIN Tribune Chronicle



BEREA - The joy ride Kellen Winslow Jr. took on his motorcycle last Sunday is expected to cost the Browns highly-touted tight end the 2005 season.

The Tribune Chronicle has learned that Winslow suffered a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Surgery will be required, which means that Winslow will likely miss the upcoming season.


Timetables for recovering from ACL surgery vary depending on the severity of the tear and the individual. A common reference point is a minimum of eight to 10 months, but it's possible that Winslow might need a full year to recover from surgery.

The Browns issued a statement Wednesday afternoon confirming that Winslow was still hospitalized, but no details of the knee injury were given. The statement did say that concern remains with the right knee. It went on to say that the team wouldn't comment on any aspects of his contract.

Winslow, the seventh overall choice in the 2004 draft, was hurt when he lost control of his Suzuki GSX-R750 and hit a curb in a parking lot of a community college in Westlake. Winslow, who was traveling an estimated 35 mph, was thrown over the handlebars and landed in a landscaped area. His helmet flew off, but he didn't suffer head injuries.

A report on the "CBS Sportsline" website stated that Winslow might have punctured a lung and hurt a kidney. The kidney injury is believed to be a bruise.

Winslow spent Sunday night at Fairview Hospital. He was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic Monday to be evaluated by Browns' physicians.

Missing the 2005 season could cost Winslow plenty of money because of a breach in Paragraph 3 of his contract that states he must refrain from participating in hazardous non-football activities that involve a significant risk of injury. Activities include, but aren't limited to, skydiving, hang gliding, mountain climbing, auto racing, motorcycling, scuba diving and skiing.

The team could recover $5 million of his initial $6 million signing bonus and the entire $4.4125 million option bonus that was triggered in early March. Winslow received $2 million of that bonus in March, but the remaining $2.4125 isn't payable until July 15.

Agents Kevin and Carl Poston negotiated a six-year, $40 million contract for Winslow last year, which is the most lucrative ever for a NFL tight end. The total value was reduced to $29.4175 million when Winslow failed to meet an incentive for playing time because of a season-ending ankle injury suffered in a week two game against the Dallas Cowboys. The one-time incentive would have activated $5.367 million in future bonuses and $5.215 million in future base salaries. Winslow is the latest in what has become a long list of Browns first-round draft choices that haven't panned out. Quarterback Tim Couch (1999) is out of football with a sore arm. Defensive end Courtney Brown (2000) had an injury-riddled five-year run and was released in March. Defensive tackle Gerard Warren (2001) never played up to expectations and was recently traded to Denver. Running back William Green (2002) was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana and is in Stage 2 of the NFL's drug program. Center Jeff Faine (2003) has finished both of his seasons on injured-reserve with leg injuries.
 
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The Soldier has earned another purple heart. May you recover to see the field of battle again soon.

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Kellen: Get Well - Then Apologize
By Les Levine
Date: May 5, 2005

News continues to seep out confirming Wednesday's story concerning Kellen Winslow's injuries. Browns fans shake their heads as yet another blow is dealt to their football hopes. Les Levine offers his thoughts on Winslow's accident, and gives the second-year player some advice...
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For quite some time after word got out about Kellen Winslow’s motorcycle accident on Sunday, the only thing we heard from the Browns was that the injuries were ‘not life-threatening’. They didn’t add anything like ‘he only suffered some cuts and bruises’, which led us all to believe that the injuries were somewhere in between ‘cuts and bruises and non life-threatening’.

That announcement came at the same time as the deadline for season ticket holders to get their money in to the Browns offices for what they thought would be a promising season. After all, the Number One pick in the draft was Michigan Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards. Edwards was not only at the top of the Browns draft board, he was taken to compliment an up-graded offense, with the addition of two veteran linemen, RB Reuben Droughns, and the expected return by Winslow. The Browns figured they are a long way from getting good on defense, but had a chance to have a pretty potent offense.

Had they known about Droughns’ contract demands (they actually probably did know) and that Winslow might not be available for the entire year, would they still have taken Edwards? Probably. But, despite the depth at tight end, the emphasis on the tight end position will be lightened, if Winslow, in fact, is gone for the season.

I couldn’t care less about the clause in the contract that probably will cost Winslow millions of dollars. To be honest, he probably got screwed out of millions in incentives last year after the season-ending injury in the second game of the season. While it makes total sense to forfeit money after a non-football related injury, it doesn’t seem right that he should have been penalized for an injury that took place on the field. There was criticism of Coach Butch Davis at the time, for putting Winslow in the position to be hurt trying to recover an onside kick. But that is unfair to Davis. Every team puts their ‘hands team’ out there in that position, and Winslow probably was the first guy that should have been out there. Imagine the outcry if one of the ‘hands team’ members had a chance to recover the kick, but couldn’t hang on to it.

But what I do care about is the long suffering and frustrated fans. With a new coach and General Manager, there seemed to be genuine optimism out there. Although we may never know how good Winslow could have been, the fans feel betrayed. The public knows very little about Winslow, except for some ill-advised sound bites during his senior year at Miami, so it is hard to feel bad for him personally right now. But he does owe the fans something---an apology.

If Winslow is out for the season, and perhaps for his career, he gets added to the list of first round failures since the Browns franchise returned in 1999. In addition to injuries to Tim Couch and Courtney Brown, lack of common sense contributed to the failures of Gerard Warren, William Green, and, now, Winslow. In the first six years of the return of the franchise, who would have thought that Jeff Faine would emerge as the most successful first round pick?

Even though Winslow apparently had a permit to drive the motorcycle, a couple of thoughts come to mind. Wouldn’t you think he would have mentioned the purchase of the bike to his father? If so, why didn’t he put a stop to it? Wouldn’t you think some Browns fan out there would have seen Winslow riding the bike? If so, why didn’t that fan call the Browns and warn them? And by the way, wouldn’t a Browns fan notice that it was Winslow that attempted to get a license several times? I realize the sales guy who sold him the bike wouldn’t want to jeopardize the sale, but shouldn’t somebody else have noticed?

I guess it boils down to something that should have been said at one time by Yogi Berra. If a guy wants to be stupid, there’s nothing we can do to stop him.

‘More Sports & Les Levine’ can be seen M-F from 6-7pm and 11-midnight on Adelphia Channel 15 in northeastern Ohio. E-mail [email protected] or www.leslevine.com

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Kellen: Get Well - Then Apologize

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</td> <td valign="top"> Kellen: Get Well - Then Apologize
By Les Levine
Date: May 5, 2005

News continues to seep out confirming Wednesday's story concerning Kellen Winslow's injuries. Browns fans shake their heads as yet another blow is dealt to their football hopes. Les Levine offers his thoughts on Winslow's accident, and gives the second-year player some advice...
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For quite some time after word got out about Kellen Winslow’s motorcycle accident on Sunday, the only thing we heard from the Browns was that the injuries were ‘not life-threatening’. They didn’t add anything like ‘he only suffered some cuts and bruises’, which led us all to believe that the injuries were somewhere in between ‘cuts and bruises and non life-threatening’.

That announcement came at the same time as the deadline for season ticket holders to get their money in to the Browns offices for what they thought would be a promising season. After all, the Number One pick in the draft was Michigan Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards. Edwards was not only at the top of the Browns draft board, he was taken to compliment an up-graded offense, with the addition of two veteran linemen, RB Reuben Droughns, and the expected return by Winslow. The Browns figured they are a long way from getting good on defense, but had a chance to have a pretty potent offense.

Had they known about Droughns’ contract demands (they actually probably did know) and that Winslow might not be available for the entire year, would they still have taken Edwards? Probably. But, despite the depth at tight end, the emphasis on the tight end position will be lightened, if Winslow, in fact, is gone for the season.

I couldn’t care less about the clause in the contract that probably will cost Winslow millions of dollars. To be honest, he probably got screwed out of millions in incentives last year after the season-ending injury in the second game of the season. While it makes total sense to forfeit money after a non-football related injury, it doesn’t seem right that he should have been penalized for an injury that took place on the field. There was criticism of Coach Butch Davis at the time, for putting Winslow in the position to be hurt trying to recover an onside kick. But that is unfair to Davis. Every team puts their ‘hands team’ out there in that position, and Winslow probably was the first guy that should have been out there. Imagine the outcry if one of the ‘hands team’ members had a chance to recover the kick, but couldn’t hang on to it.

But what I do care about is the long suffering and frustrated fans. With a new coach and General Manager, there seemed to be genuine optimism out there. Although we may never know how good Winslow could have been, the fans feel betrayed. The public knows very little about Winslow, except for some ill-advised sound bites during his senior year at Miami, so it is hard to feel bad for him personally right now. But he does owe the fans something---an apology.

If Winslow is out for the season, and perhaps for his career, he gets added to the list of first round failures since the Browns franchise returned in 1999. In addition to injuries to Tim Couch and Courtney Brown, lack of common sense contributed to the failures of Gerard Warren, William Green, and, now, Winslow. In the first six years of the return of the franchise, who would have thought that Jeff Faine would emerge as the most successful first round pick?

Even though Winslow apparently had a permit to drive the motorcycle, a couple of thoughts come to mind. Wouldn’t you think he would have mentioned the purchase of the bike to his father? If so, why didn’t he put a stop to it? Wouldn’t you think some Browns fan out there would have seen Winslow riding the bike? If so, why didn’t that fan call the Browns and warn them? And by the way, wouldn’t a Browns fan notice that it was Winslow that attempted to get a license several times? I realize the sales guy who sold him the bike wouldn’t want to jeopardize the sale, but shouldn’t somebody else have noticed?

I guess it boils down to something that should have been said at one time by Yogi Berra. If a guy wants to be stupid, there’s nothing we can do to stop him.

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Found this on the SC board:

Winslow's Injuries Turn Out To Be Truly Serious

Officials Re-Create Accident

<text id="txt_posted">POSTED:</text> 5:13 pm EDT May 6, 2005
<!--startindex-->CLEVELAND -- Browns tight end Kellen Winslow's injuries are much more serious than first thought, NewsChannel5 reported. <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="10" width="200"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#000000"><table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#dddddd">
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5 On Your Side Health Team Anchor Lee Jordan reported sources close to the Winslow story said the Sunday motorcycle accident left Winslow with a broken tibia and femur, along with a fracture to the large bone in his thigh. His ACL was damaged, possibly torn and there are lacerations on his liver and kidney. <table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr></tbody> </table> NewsChannel5's source continues to stand by the information. One media outlet is even suggesting Winslow's football career is over, WEWS reported.Winslow previously had two surgeries on the right leg the he broke last fall. Re-Creating Accident

Meanwhile, officials in Westlake re-created Winslow's accident by duplicating the motorcycle's skid marks in the parking lot of Cuyahoga Community College. The test, which involved using a special device, was designed to help gauge Winslow's speed when he crashed his motorcycle Sunday night. <table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="10"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
WEWS reported police didn't have a bike similar to Winslow's, so a Channel 19 reporter, with nearly the same bike and tires as Winslow's volunteered to do the skid test. Police gave him the green light.Westlake police repeatedly cautioned the rider to go slowly, so they could estimate Winslow's speed.He ended up falling off the bike when attempting to stop. Officials said the reconstruction closely resembled what happened to Winslow. "As everybody saw, you can see how easy it is to lose control on a motorcycle when you're braking," said Lt. Bill Eschenfelder of the Westlake Police Department.
Click to expand...

http://www.newsnet5.com/sports/4460612/detail.html
 
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:slappy: :slappy: :slappy:

Wild rides lured Winslow Winslow's wild ride
Injured Brown emulated stunt cyclists, but lacked their training

Saturday, May 07, 2005
Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

One afternoon in March, Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. was playing paint ball with friends in the back yard of his Westlake home when he heard a rumbling in the parking lot behind his house.

He looked and saw someone performing wheelies and other stunts on a motorcycle.

He went to the lot and introduced himself to the rider, Jason Campana.

Campana and Winslow exchanged phone numbers. Before long, Campana was hanging out at Winslow's house talking about motorcycles, according to interviews with Westlake police and sources close to Winslow.

Winslow was so pumped about what Campana could do on his Suzuki GSX-R600 that he decided to buy a bike. Campana, 19, hooked him up with his buddies at State 8 Cycles in Cuyahoga Falls.

Because Winslow is 6-4, 250 pounds, Campana thought he would be better suited to the Suzuki GSR-R750 than the 600. It's more powerful than Campana's bike, but Campana and the salesman at State 8 both thought the 750 was the right choice.

Winslow, a novice, bought the shiny, red bike about April 9 and received it a few days later. Soon, Campana was teaching him how to ride, how to shift gears and operate the clutch. Campana, who has been riding motorbikes since he was about 8, advised Winslow to take a safety course at Polaris Career Center, but the tight end did not follow the advice, he said.

Before long, Winslow and Campana were riding around Winslow's Westlake neighborhood, much to the chagrin of neighbors. On April 16, one got fed up and called the police.

"He was going up and down the street about 50 miles per hour," said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. "He was popping wheelies and dogging it. I got tired of it and called the police. There's eight to 10 children right around where he lives."

Lt. Ray Arcuri of Westlake police said a sergeant was sent to the Cornerstone development where Winslow lives, "but by the time we arrived, we were unable to locate anybody doing it."

Another neighbor, Dr. Robert Nahigian, a dentist and president of the Cornerstone Homeowners' Association, tried to stop Winslow.

"One day he and someone else went down the street about 15 times doing wheelies," he said. "One of them did a wheelie right in front of my house. After about 15 minutes, I waved him down."

Nahigian told Winslow that he didn't think he should be doing stunts in a residential area. "I also told him that I was concerned about his own safety," Nahigian said. "He told me he wasn't going over the speed limit."

Nahigian questioned why Winslow would perform such dangerous acts when he was still rehabbing from a broken right fibula and ligament damage in his ankle.

"He would walk his dog and he wasn't even walking well before the accident," said Nahigian.

When he wasn't practicing, Winslow would often pop in a tape of the Starboyz, a stunt riding team whose three main riders are from Akron. The Starboyz travel all over, performing stunts.

A day or two before Winslow's motorcycle accident, he burned out the clutches on his bike attempting a burnout, a trick that involves spinning the back wheels, said Scott Caraboolad, president and founder of the Starboyz. Caraboolad said one of his Starboyz associates works at State 8 and sold Winslow the new clutches. Then, Caraboolad said, the State 8 guys fixed his bike for him.

"The guys at State 8 were trying to get Kellen to come take private lessons with us," said Caraboolad. "We wish we would've gotten the chance to teach him how to do things the right way."

On May 1, Winslow, Campana and a few friends rode their bikes to Canton to watch the Starboyz perform live at Hardings Park Cycle.

After the show, Winslow and friends went inside to shop for motorcycle paraphernalia. Working security was Eric Stanbro, an off-duty Canton-area policeman who always works the show - even though he has a general disdain for the Starboyz, who wear "Cops Lie" T-shirts and other anti-police messages.

"Some guy said, 'Grab a paper and pen, Kellen Winslow's in here,' " said Stanbro. "I went over and looked and it was him. He spent about an hour in there shopping and looking at things. He signed about half a dozen autographs and took some pictures with fans."

When Winslow and friends left, they turned onto Ohio 62 and some popped wheelies. Stanbro said Winslow, who was last, was one of them.

"He popped up his front wheel and just gunned it," said Stanbro. "He was going about 40-50 mph and held it about 100 feet. He was just flying. A bunch of people were watching him and I think he was showing off."

Stanbro said he's positive it was Winslow because he was wearing a bright red Budweiser jacket, the same one that appeared later that night on the security video at Corporate College in Westlake.

"All of the other guys were wearing leather and looked like much more experienced riders," said Stanbro.

But one of the other riders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it's doubtful that the inexperienced Winslow could perform such a difficult wheelie.

"He was in back of us, but I don't think Kellen is able to do that yet," he said. "He was taking it slow and being responsible on the bike. He enjoyed the ride down there and we were watching out for him."

When the riders got home, they split up for a while, but agreed to meet again later that evening at Corporate College because one of the riders' friends wanted a picture with Winslow. Winslow and Campana brought their bikes. They took the picture, and then Campana and Winslow started riding around the lot.

According to interviews, they were practicing stunts and tricks while the other two watched. Then came the accident. Campana was off in one corner of the parking lot and Winslow was in the other. The two others were half-watching, half-talking to each other.

Suddenly, Campana wheeled around only to see Winslow fly over his handlebars and land in the shrubbery. The three men rushed to Winslow's side and found him unconscious. According to sources, the friends didn't know if he was dead or alive. One of them grabbed his hand and began saying, "Kellen, Kellen, Kellen."

Winslow regained consciousness, but was in extreme pain and they didn't move him. They called 911. Winslow was transported by ambulance to Fairview Hospital and then taken the next day to the Cleveland Clinic, where he remains with potentially serious injuries to his right knee and shoulder, along with internal injuries.

The Browns said Friday they had no further update on Winslow's condition. There is concern within the organization that Winslow has multiple injuries to his right knee and leg. There is also concern Winslow injured his kneecap in addition to suffering ligament damage and a possible hairline fracture of the right femur.

The eyewitnesses gave their accounts to police but the versions conflicted. One thought Winslow was attempting a reverse wheelie or "endo" and the other thought he was trying something else. Campana told police he had no idea what Winslow was doing and wishes he could ask him. He told police it could've been a freak accident.

Caraboolad, the Starboyz president, said the accident could have been prevented.

"I was so busy performing that day that I didn't have a chance to talk to Kellen, he said. "If I had, I could've given him some advice and maybe talked him into attending one of our wheelie schools to learn the right way."

Caraboolad said one of the first things he would've told Winslow is to not practice stunts in a parking lot. "It's totally the wrong place," he said. "Even professional stunt riders have a hard time in parking lots. You need a race track a half-mile long to accelerate."

The Starboyz, who used to "raise hell on the streets of Akron and Canton" and have been arrested for performing on roadways, now have an operating agreement with Thompson Raceway Park outside Painesville. It's where they teach their increasingly popular wheelie classes.

"The sport is so dangerous that we decided to start a wheelie school so that guys wouldn't kill themselves," he said. "I've seen 30 or 40 people wreck right in front of me."

He said the Starboyz are scheduled to teach Michael Jordan and his race team how to do stunts this summer.

"We wish we could've done the same for Kellen before it was too late," he said. "He's very lucky to be alive."
 
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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/nfl/20050508-9999-1s8graney.html

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<!---- END STORY TITLE -------->Winslow paying stiff price for inherent brashness
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<!--ClickabilityRefresh=10m--> <!--- SAFE:SafeMode ---> By Ed Graney UNION-TRIBUNE May 8, 2005

<!-- BODYTEXT --> In his first few seasons as an NFL player with Kansas City, Donnie Edwards never wore a seat belt while driving. Not going to practice or games. Not going to the store or a movie. Not going to pick up his lunch or dry-cleaning.

The linebacker's ego was free to move about behind the wheel.

<!---------- BEGIN BIGBOXAD ----------> <script language=\"JavaScript\" src="http://www.signonsandiego.com/scripts/oas_x32.js"></script><script language=\"JavaScript1.1\" src="http://oas.signonsandiego.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.cgi/www.uniontrib.com/sports/nfl/20050508-9999-1s8graney.html@x32"></script> <!---------- END BIGBOXAD ---------->"I felt bigger, stronger and faster than most people in the world," said Edwards, entering his fourth season with the Chargers and 10th overall. "It's a false sense of mortality. You never think anything is going to happen to you. . . .

"But when we lost (former Chiefs teammate) Derrick Thomas to a car accident in 2002, that was a big wake-up call. I've worn a seat belt ever since. Look, there are consequences before you do anything in life. Before you make any decision or choice, you have to know what they are."

Kellen Winslow II understood the risks of his actions last week. Be sure of that. He is lying in a Cleveland-area clinic with serious injuries because he made a ridiculously idiotic judgment more from an overinflated sense of self than any innate lack of intelligence.

You can label what happened ironic, if it weren't so predictable.

The same brashness that helped earn Winslow a potentially promising NFL career might have now nearly destroyed it. At the very least, it appears his wallet could be several million dollars lighter. He should give thanks for such a lenient outcome.

Winslow's contract with the Browns forbids the second-year tight end from riding a motorcycle, so what did he do? He purchased a rocket. Before obtaining a learner's permit, the former Scripps Ranch High and Miami standout bought a fancy street bike called a Suzuki GSX-R750.

It goes 0-60 in less than three seconds and does a quarter mile in less than 10. It tops out at more than 170 mph. It would be like taking your first singing lesson one day and trying to star in an opera the next. Winslow had as good a chance at controlling his motorcycle as he did winning a contest for modesty.

"Even the most skilled rider can wreck a bike like that," said Paul Ferrarese of Fun Bike Center in San Diego. "It's not for beginners. That's just crazy. There is an insane surge of power in that bike."

Do you think Winslow realized this before or after he hit the curb and flew over the handlebars? It's a good thing he was wearing a helmet. Which, of course, was unfastened.

Why then, of all times, when stories are circulating that he was ripping up and down the streets of his Ohio neighborhood in recent weeks, popping wheelies at 50 mph where small children play, that he was acting in such a reckless manner while still rehabbing from a broken leg that cost him most of his rookie season, should we now hope for the best?

Why care at all?

"You go through life and wonder who has never made a mistake," said Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal. "I'm sure people are out there saying, 'How can he do this when he's making all this money?' But no one is perfect except God.

"Has (Winslow) made some bad choices? Without a doubt. He put himself in this situation. He made his bed. It's an honor to play in this league, and he hasn't proven himself at all in it. The perception is he's an idiot who runs his mouth. But maybe the reality is the kid is insecure.

"Those closest to him now need to show him more than ever he is loved. I feel bad for him, but he's 21. Hopefully, this will make him a stronger and better person."

Neal is as smart as he is tough. He makes the point that we are all born with some level of confidence. You. Me. The mailman. But few venture through life having their self-image raised to such unfathomable levels by others – fans, coaches, friends, parents – than premier athletes.

We coddle and adore and create individuals who view themselves as indestructible with unlimited powers. Is it any wonder Winslow – the same guy who once proclaimed himself "The Chosen One" and promised to one day join his Hall of Fame father in Canton – made such a brainless choice?

If injuries – his right knee and shoulder are believed to be seriously hurt and there are internal injuries – cost Winslow this season, he should pay dearly in the form of signing and option bonuses. The Browns have every right to recoup all $4 million or more, and yet it's not that simple. If Cleveland doesn't release him outright (which you have to believe it won't) and demands a refund, can it risk the bitterness its potentially best player might feel for years?

There is no pleasant avenue for the team to travel here, but there is an obvious one for Winslow: Grow the hell up.

Until then, we'll hope for the best.

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