ADVERTISEMENT 2
ADVERTISEMENT 3
Error: No articles to display
ADVERTISEMENT 1
ADVERTISEMENT 4
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong has been arrested for marijuana possession, police in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale said Monday.
Strong, a former Arizona State standout, was taken into custody late Sunday and booked into the Scottsdale City Jail before being released later.
Scottsdale police spokesman Kevin Watts said Strong was a passenger in a Maserati that was stopped just before midnight when officers noticed the luxury car didn't have a visible license plate.
Officers said they detected the strong odor of marijuana coming from the inside of the vehicle, according to Watts.
Police said Strong admitted he was possession of some marijuana, didn't have a medical marijuana card and gave officers a cigar package containing three marijuana cigarettes.
Strong, 22, was a third-round draft pick of the Texans last year.
Rick Smith, the team's general manager and executive vice president of football operations, said Monday that the Texans were aware of the incident involving Strong.
"We are disappointed in the choices Jaelen made to put himself in this situation," Smith said in a statement. "We will have no further comment at this time."
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas police said Thursday they have referred their domestic violence case against Johnny Manziel to a grand jury, which will consider whether to charge the troubled Cleveland Browns quarterback on allegations that he attacked his ex-girlfriend.
Police released a statement saying they have asked the Dallas County District Attorney's Office to present a misdemeanor assault case to the local grand jury. Such a charge carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
Manziel's attorney, Bradley Beckworth, didn't immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday. Manziel's agent and marketing agency have both dropped him, and the Browns have indicated they will release Manziel as early as March 9, when the league begins its new calendar year.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner and Texas A&M star was accused by ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley of hitting her and threatening to kill her during a night out on Jan. 30. Crowley said Manziel accosted her at a Dallas hotel and later struck her when they drove back to her apartment in Fort Worth.
Crowley said in court documents that he hit her so hard, she temporarily lost hearing in one ear.
Sashi Brown, the Browns' executive vice president of football operations, said at the NFL combine Thursday that the team would not comment further on Manziel's situation.
"I'm not going to comment again on Johnny," he said. "I think, respectfully, we want to give the young man some privacy. Our organization has spent enough time talking about him and we need to focus on moving forward."
A longtime Dallas criminal defense attorney, Pete Schulte, said police handling of the Manziel case was puzzling. Based on Crowley's affidavit, Schulte said police likely had enough information to at least charge Manziel. Misdemeanor cases like the one Manziel is facing are typically decided by police, not a grand jury, Schulte said.
"I think they're giving Johnny more of the benefit of the doubt than they give every other citizen they deal with," he said.
Crowley requested and was granted a protective order against the 23-year-old quarterback that prevents him from seeing her for two years. The order also requires Manziel to stay at least 500 feet from her home and place of work, and that he pay $12,000 in legal fees.
Crowley alleged she and Manziel had a confrontation in a Dallas hotel room, which eventually continued downstairs to the valet station. She said he forced her into a car and a valet disregarded her pleas for help. The two eventually drove to where her car was parked in front of a Dallas bar, she said in an affidavit. She accused Manziel of getting into the driver's seat and beginning to drive her.
She said she tried to jump out, but he stopped the car, dragged her back inside and hit her.
She said Manziel threatened to kill himself as he drove her back to Fort Worth, about 30 miles west of Dallas, where police were called.
Dallas police announced on Feb. 5 that they were investigating the case, one day after they issued a statement saying they considered the case to be closed.
In the wake of the allegations, Manziel's father said the family had made two recent, unsuccessful attempts to get him into a rehab clinic.
Manziel, who entered the NFL with a reputation for partying and drinking, spent 73 days last winter in a Pennsylvania treatment center specializing in care for alcohol and drug dependency.
Manziel was cleared of any wrongdoing last year after he and Crowley got into a heated roadside argument near the player's home. Witnesses to that incident saw Manziel arguing on the side of a highway with his girlfriend and pulling her back into his car as she tried to leave the vehicle. He was not arrested and Crowley told police she didn't want to press charges.
Beyond his legal problems, Manziel is also under investigation by the NFL, which is looking into whether he violated the league's personal conduct policy. Manziel was cleared of any wrongdoing by the league for a roadside argument in Ohio involving Crowley in October. Manziel was questioned by police.
An NFL spokesman said the league's new inquiry is still underway.
ZURICH (AP) — Gianni Infantino pulled off a stunning victory Friday to take over as FIFA president.
The Swiss official received 115 of the 207 eligible votes in the second round to earn a decisive majority over Sheikh Salman of Bahrain, who had been the strong favorite entering the election.
The 45-year-old former lawyer saluted voters by patting his right hand over his heart, and had to compose himself before starting his acceptance speech.
"We will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA. And everyone in the world will applaud us," Infantino said, referring to bribery and corruption investigations that have rocked soccer's governing body and forced Sepp Blatter out of office after more than 17 years as president.
Sheikh Salman received 88 votes after being the front-runner during much of the four-month campaign. Prince Ali of Jordan had four votes, and Jerome Champagne of France got zero.
In the first round, Infantino surprising led with 88 votes. Sheikh Salman had 85 votes, Prince Ali 27, and Champagne seven.
Infantino, the general secretary of European governing body UEFA, is the second straight FIFA president from the Valais region in the Swiss Alps. Infantino is from Brig and replaces the 79-year-old Blatter, who was born in neighboring Visp.
Infantino will be president through May 2019, completing the remainder of Blatter's term.
Blatter was forced out by the pressure of American and Swiss investigations of corruption that hit FIFA two days before the previous election in May.
"I congratulate Gianni Infantino sincerely and warmly on his election as the new president," Blatter said in a statement. "With his experience, expertise, strategic and diplomatic skills he has all the qualities to continue my work and to stabilize FIFA again."
There were only four candidates on Friday's ballot after Tokyo Sexwale withdrew during his campaign speech to voters, and all four went forward to the second round.
Not since 1974 has a second-round vote been held in a FIFA presidential election. Then, Joao Havelange of Brazil beat 13-year incumbent Stanley Rous of England 68-52 after an initial 62-56 ballot in Frankfurt, Germany.
Infantino exceeded most observers' expectations after an impressive 15-minute pitch, only 20 minutes before first-round voting began.
The Swiss-Italian spoke in several languages without notes and portrayed himself as a leader for the world, not just his own wealthy confederation.
"We have to get Europe to do much more," Infantino said.
His campaign promised more of key FIFA gifts to member federations: More guaranteed funding from FIFA's $5 billion-plus World Cup revenue, more places in an expanded 40-team tournament and more opportunities to stage the World Cup with multi-national regional hosting.
Sheikh Salman was expected to lead the first round with backing from Africa and the Asian soccer confederation he has led since 2013.
Still, he had been the most criticized and scrutinized candidate throughout the four-month campaign. The issue of Bahrain's human rights record was often cited by Gulf activists but had not seemed to seriously trouble voters outside Europe.
Sheikh Salman has strongly denied claims about his role in the Arab Spring protests of 2011 when he was Bahrain's soccer federation president.
Infantino takes over a wealthy but vulnerable soccer body whose image and confidence has been shattered by escalating scandals.
Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term in May but bowed to pressure four days later and announced he would resign. Blatter was subsequently banned for six years for financial mismanagement and was absent Friday after 40 years as a fixture at FIFA meetings.
Before electing FIFA's first new president since 1998, 87 percent of the 207 voting federations passed wide-ranging reforms to protect against corruption and curb the powers of its new president.
Those include preventing presidents from serving more than three four-year terms, reducing their powers and guaranteeing more independent oversight for FIFA's decision-making and spending. The executive committee will be renamed the FIFA Council with more female members while there will be stricter integrity checks will also control top officials.
FIFA and its lawyers hope the reform will help show U.S. prosecutors the soccer body is serious about changing its culture, and protect its status as a victim in the American investigation. A total of 41 people and marketing agencies have been indicted or made guilty pleas, and Blatter is a target.
Still, the new era FIFA hopes for will not easily escape the fallout from Blatter's scandal-hit leadership.