Chargers' Pharmacy Surrenders To DEA

By: Tyler Ward

The pharmacy that recently supplied ex-Charger safety Kevin Ellison with illegal prescription drugs has surrendered it's federal registration and can no longer provide prescriptions to any members of the Chargers team.

RSF Pharmaceuticals apparently surrendered their registration numbers on June 30, just one day after San Diego County served ten administrative inspection warrants. DEA spokeswoman Amy Roderick said that the Padres also received a few of the warrants.

The DEA said that RSF Pharmaceuticals Inc supplied Ellison with Vicodin, and police found 100 pills in his car after pulling him over earlier this year. The Chargers believe that the team did not supply the Vicodin to Ellison, saying, "The Vicodin in Kevin’s possession was not provided by the Chargers, its physicians or anyone affiliated with the team."

Ellison pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was given a court date on October 5th.

The DEA investigation comes several weeks after Ellison was cut from the Chargers, after being arrested in Redondo Beach. He has signed with the Seahawks twice and currently remains on their roster.

Packers' Jolly Suspended For 2010 Season

By: Tyler Ward

The NFL suspended defensive tackle Johnny Jolly for the 2010 season without pay for violating the league's substance abuse policy. 

In July 2008, Jolly was arrested in a Texas parking lot that has been known to house drug and gun use. After 1 A.M., a police gang unit pulled over Jolly for playing his music too loud and the bass turned all the way up. According to the police report, the gang unit smelled the strong odor of codeine. They found at least 200 grams of codeine on Jolly, who was immediately arrested. The unit sent the codeine off to a lab, and they verified it as being codeine. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

In July 2009, Jolly's charges were subsequently dropped so lab technicians could learn how to use their new machines. After a five month hiatus, they tested it again and came back positive - Jolly was reindicted in December 2009.

However, this wouldn't stop Jolly from messing up. In May, flyers were found in a parking lot, advertising a party that Jolly was allegedly hosting. 

At court, the judge placed Jolly on a serious form of probation. He would have to submit a hair sample for every drug test and also abide by a curfew of 6 P.M. - 6 A.M. In addition, he could not go to any places that served alchohol or anywhere where drug use was happening. Jolly would also have to be evaluated by a drug counselor and would not be able to miss one appointment.

Ryan Pickett, a friend and teammate of Jolly, said last month, "If this stuff doesn't cause you to change, what will?" Pickett said. "All this stuff he's going through -- you're missing practice, you can't be around your teammates, that'll make you feel isolated from the team. So if this stuff doesn't change, then that's an issue. I'm expecting him to be changed by this experience, definitely."

Jolly could be in serious trouble and the Packers didn't want to sink at an already thin defensive line. In this year's draft, they drafted defensive tackle Mike Neal in the second round. With the loss of Jolly for the season, Green Bay would have to heavily rely on Neal to shore up the defensive tackle position. The Packers are expected to be one of the elite teams in the NFC and they can't afford a mishap in their new 3-4 defensive scheme.

With an offense that includes Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, and Greg Jennings, they are expecting to win the division, regardless of Brett Favre's retirement decision. Rodgers can now be considered a perennial 4,000 yard passer, with Jennings being a 1,000 yard receiver. Last year, Grant didn't do as well as many thought, but he could ultimately be a 1,000 yard rusher year after year, barring inuries. Led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson and a solid linebacking corps, the Packers will have a Top 5 defense. 

Without Jolly, they lose a run-stuffing tackle that can dominate the opponent's offensive line. Neal will not immediately play like Jolly and that leaves a big gap for the defensive line. They will have to rely on their blitzing schemes to get to the opposing quarterback. The 3-4 scheme is primarily known for having two linebackers rush the quarterback, while the other two go back in coverage. They lose a heavily relied-on player that can significantly help the team.

Packers GM Ted Thompson said in a statement today, "Johnny is a good player that loves everything about the game of football. We appreciate the contributions he has made to the Packers the past four seasons. His focus and priorities now lie elsewhere -- our thoughts are with him during this difficult personal time." The Packers had no additional comments and have not released any further information regarding Jolly.

Jolly was selected in the sixth round of the 2006 draft by the Packers. After playing in a total of 16 games his first two seasons, he has participated in every game since then. He has not had a high number of sacks in his career - only having 2 along with 113 tackles (88 tackles, 1 sack the past 2 seasons).

The Packers will not be expecting Jolly to come back this season, and he could possibly miss more. Facing possible jail time, he could serve many years in prison. He could also never play another down in the NFL, which is why players shouldn't associate with illegal activities. It's a dark day for Johnny Jolly and the Packers as they both forced into a horrible situation.

JaMarcus Russell Arrested

By: Tyler Ward

Ex-Raiders Quarterback, JaMarcus Russell, was arrested today at his home for possession of a controlled substance (codeine syrup). Spokeswoman, Lori Myles, said that Russell was booked at Mobile County Jail at 4:22 PM. A few minutes later, Russell was bailed out on a $2,500 bond. 

Russell has to go to court on July 20. A bond hearing will be set for July 7.

This hurts Russell's chances of landing with a new team after the Oakland Raiders released him in May. The New York Jets have reportedly expressed interest in Russell, and they would undoubtedly not sign Russell. He went 7-18 as a starting quarterback with the Raiders after being taken #1 overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He is considered by many to be one of the biggest busts of all-time, having a QB rating of 65.2 with 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

I never had any confidence in Russell. I thought that he would be selected in one of the middle rounds. I was astounded to see him go #1 overall, and immediately thought he would be a bust and owner, Al Davis, would eventually regret his decision. The only reason he got selected #1 overall was because his LSU team defeated the next best QB, Brady Quinn, and Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, 41-14. He did not deserve to be the #1 overall pick, and he considerably ripped the Raiders off for approximately $36.4 million. He played horrible, only winning seven games in three years with the Raiders. This arrest makes Russell's stock plummet even worse and he may not even be in the NFL again. If I were a GM, I would never take a chance on Russell as my starter. Even though he played on a horrible Raiders team, his stats may not have been better if he played for a perennial contender like Indianapolis or New England. Even if he does sign with a team, he shouldn't be signed to a multi-year deal. He is not worth it and will only bring doom to whichever team he may go to.

Michael Vick In Deeper Trouble

By: Stephen Patterson


BREAKING NEWS JUST RELEASED: Michael Vick has not been ruled out as person of interest or suspect, as previously thought.


Michael Vick has taken a fall from grace possibly faster than any other athlete in sports history. Formerly with the Atlanta Falcons, Vick is entering his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles after serving 21 months in prison for dogfighting. When he was taken first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, Vick instantly became one of the most popular figures in sports. With his electrifying running abilities, Michael Vick was easily capable of embarrassing any defensive player in the league if they let him past the line.

Now, however, Vick is lucky to be on the field for a few plays a game. Often he isn't even used as the quarterback, instead he is occasionally lined up as a decoy at wide receiver. Hopefully he will see the field more this season with Donovan McNabb being sent to the Washington Redskins, but at this rate Vick may never be on a field again after his current deal. Last Thursday, Vick's co-defendant (Quanis Phillips) in his dogfighting case was shot at his 30th birthday bash. The event was open to the public, and while video shows Vick leaving before the shooting, he has again handled another situation poorly.


Having already lied to Roger Goddell about his involvement in the dogfighting investigation, Vick again lied about when he left the party. While his attorney said Vick was "long gone" by the time of the shooting, there is a video from the restaurant, named Guadalajara, showing Vick leaving only three minutes prior to the shooting. This again makes Vick look bad in the public view and does nothing to help him rebuild his shattered image.

When Vick was with the Falcons, I was a huge fan of the team and always cheered for him to succeed. I'm a still a fan of Vick on the field, but no one should look up to him as a human being. While Vick may have previously been seen as a role model to some people, it has become blatantly obvious he will not change as a person off the field and should be admired by no one.


While with Atlanta, Vick became the NFL's first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards during the regular season (1,039). That same season, he lead the league in average yards per carry with an astonishing 8.4 ypc. Along with running back Warrick Dunn, who rushed for 1,140, the duo became just the fourth pair of teammates to rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season. While Vick can be electric on his feet, he has never been known for his arm accuracy. Vick's career accuracy is 53.7%. That's not exactly a stat to brag about while killing time in the yard. Although Vick has thrown 72 touchdowns in his career, he also has 52 career interceptions. That's also not a very impressive ratio.

Vick desperately needs to work on changing as a person and fixing his public image. If Vick has any plans of playing beyond this season, he will have to show team owners he is worth the media attention and baggage he brings along. If he can't stop throwing public parties, and being involved in serious criminal cases, I can't imagine many Vick being signed by another owner.

With this most recent news having just broken on ESPN, it further lowers any chances Michael Vick may have had at extending his career. Having already lied about when he left the event, Vick may now be facing much larger problems and his career may not be the most important thing in jeopardy. If Vick was involved in any way, shape, or form, his career likely has already ended. Vick was given a second chance at a life most people never have a shot at, and he has apparently already blown it. This is a very disappointing day for Michael Vick fans. Again, I'd like to stress regardless of whether or not you like him on the field, no one should admire Vick as a person.