Last year, New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, a St. Louis native, called Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson “a pig.” This season Richardson sits for four games for failing a drug test.
Richardson’s remarks stemmed from a belief that Wilson murdered robbery suspect Michael Brown. A grand jury and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder cleared Wilson of any wrongdoing.
Perhaps what goes around comes around. The NFL suspended the bombastic Richardson for four games of the 2015 NFL season for failing a league drug test. According to numerous media reports, marijuana served as the defensive end’s undoing.
After a grand jury cleared Wilson on November 24, 2014, Richardson tweeted, “They let this pig get off.” Then he doubled-down in the New York Daily News shortly thereafter, telling a reporter, “Darren Wilson is a pig.”
Richardson then supported the ill-informed group of five St. Louis Rams players who entered the field before a November 30, 2014 home game against Oakland with their hands up. Brown didn’t hold his hands up when Wilson shot him during a tussle. This was a false narrative.
“I’m glad somebody else in the league said something besides me,” Richardson declared. “I’m happy about somebody else taking a stand.”
Taking a stand based on a lie?
Richardson’s police-bashing did not go over well in the Jets locker room. Quite a few players disagreed with him but refrained from saying so publicly. One player, who we will not name, rolled his eyes during one of Richardson’s rants.
Richardson owes Wilson an apology. A terribly tragic death happened in Ferguson, but a grand jury cleared Wilson of wrongdoing. Richardson has plenty of time to construct an apology letter to Wilson, during the first month of the season, when he won’t be playing—because he couldn’t stop indulging in weed.