Patriots Claim Michael Floyd Off Waivers

Jerry Thornton 12/15/2016 4:56 PM


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Cue everybody falling on their fainting couches over the idea that the Patriots would pick up a wide receiver who was put on waivers for the unpardonable sin of getting arrested for DUI. By the time this story hits SportsCenter, Michael Floyd is going to be made to sound like Aaron Hernandez 2.0. Followed by the usual grandstanding moralizing about the dangers of drunk driving. Not to mention what hypocrites the Krafts are for ever fixing their mouths to talk about “The Patriots Way” and [wait for it] … Bill Belichick’s arrogance.

Should you drink and drive? No. Never. Not ever. Does practically every adult in America do it on occasion? Absolutely. So spare me your righteous indignation about how the Patriots have no morals for picking up a guy who could be a difference maker in the playoffs because he’s got a charge against him.

I’m not saying this just because the Patriots picked up Floyd. A lot of people won’t believe me on that. But I’ve got a long, very public career of refusing to preach on this issue. Not because I’ve ever gotten popped. I haven’t. But because my day job all throughout my first go-round with Barstool was in a courthouse. A district court where literally 99% of the trials were OUIs. I have sat through hundreds of these trials, no exaggeration. That makes me an expert. And believe me, it is the ultimate there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I criminal charge. The greyest of grey areas.

It is NOT illegal to drink and drive. If it was, every bar with a parking lot would be surrounded by cops making busts. It’s illegal to drive impaired. What that means is totally open to interpretation. Floyd could have been knee-walking drunk, reckless and dangerous. That would be bad. Or he could have had two beers and had them on his breath so the officer had probable cause to arrest him. That would be … most of us on any given night of our lives. Even asleep at the wheel of his parked car as has been reported, is the kind of thing any decent lawyer could get a Not Guilty on. Which is why the conviction rate on these is so minuscule. Seriously, look it up.

We’ll see how it plays out. But in the meantime, this is isn’t a good move by the Patriots. It’s a GREAT move. With Danny Amendola battling injuries, Gronk done for the year and Brady needing all the options he can get, you just added a 27-year-old 13th overall draft pick with 4 TD catches on the year and who two seasons ago averaged almost 18 YPC. With experience in this offense under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. And he’s now like Brady’s 7th or 8th option.

Do me a favor. Get Michael Floyd an Uber account and Cue the Duckboats!

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