Donte Stallworth Out For Season

But he was more than happy to update all of us on his Twitter account ((http://twitter.com/D_Stallworth18)) about how everything will be fine...((Stallworth is pictured, thanks Tracy Boulian/The Plain Dealer))

"I'M A LITTLE WOUNDED, BUT I'M NOT SLAIN; I WILL LAY ME DOWN 4A WHILE 2 BLEED, THEN I'LL RISE & FIGHT WITH YOU AGAIN" -John Dryden

Dryden is known for 30 published works from 1660-1700 in Great Britain...

But Donte forgot the top end: "Fight on, my merry men all,I'm a little wounded..."

And the poem he pulled it from...?
"Johnnie Armstrong's Last Goodnight..."
Insert appropriate irony here...

Apparently, there's been some Facebook traffic as well- which Stallworth is denying is actually his... there are 48 "Donte Stallworth" based Facebook elements. He, obviously, has the time to chase every one...

Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has the "good news" from the Browns perspective...

"The suspension actually is good news to the Browns because now they don't have to release him and suffer a sizable hit to their 2009 salary cap. It's possible the salary cap will be abolished for 2010. If so, there would be no penalty to the club for releasing him after he is reinstated.

The Browns will get a credit on this year's cap for Stallworth's $745,000 base salary. They still must honor the $4.5 million roster bonus, and, in fact, have paid $2.25 million already."

Here are excerpts from the letter Commissioner Roger Goodell sent to Stallworth
((HT: NFL.com))

"As you recognized both at and following the hearing, guilt or innocence as a matter of criminal law is not the same as a violation of NFL policies. Here, longstanding league policies make clear that discipline is warranted "if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law … relating to the use of alcohol." The degree of discipline may take into account "aggravating circumstances, including but not limited to felonious conduct or felonious injury or death of third parties…" All of those factors are present here. There is no question that your actions had tragic consequences to an innocent man and his family, and that you have violated both the Substances of Abuse and Personal Conduct Policies. In that respect, you are clearly guilty of conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL."

"Nor do I find that the outcome in the Florida courts is controlling in terms of determining disciplinary consequences within the NFL. The considerations that applied in Florida, particularly with respect to criminal standards of proof, claims of contributory negligence, consideration of crowded court dockets, and the like, do not enter into this decision. Without regard to the merits of the disposition of the criminal case, I believe that further consequences are necessary."

"In my view, the essential facts are that you had alcohol in your system well above the legal limit, made a conscious decision to drive, and struck and killed a man. As you recognize, this conduct and the loss of life has caused serious damage to the NFL and NFL players generally. Legal arguments that focus on criminal liability under Florida law do not diminish that damage or your responsibility for your conduct."

"Despite a repeated emphasis on the importance of avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol, you chose to drive under circumstances where you were legally impaired. And you did so even though safe and confidential alternatives, such as the "Safe Ride" program, were available to you. Your conduct endangered yourself and others, leading to the death of an innocent man. The NFL and NFL players must live with the stain that you have placed on their reputations."

Our biggest question now is what does Big Marty at OSG HQ think about the whole thing...??? His reaction will be posted soon...