Romo Victim Afraid Of Being Blackballed

[MrRant 0]

Marcus Williams suggested Tuesday that because he's not a big-time player, he "may be blackballed" from the league by the Oakland Raiders and the NFL if he pursues legal action against the team and linebacker Bill Romanowski.

 

"I haven't ruled out legal action ... right now," Williams said on The Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio. "I don't know yet."

 

Romanowski and Williams were involved in a training camp fight last month during which Romanowski ripped off Williams' helmet and punched the reserve tight end in the face, breaking his left orbital bone and chipping his tooth.

 

"It was a drill and we got into it," Williams explained. "[Romanowski] yells ... 'don't push me' ... then I feel my helmet come off, then I got hit right after."

 

A day later, the Raiders placed Williams on injured reserve, ending his season.

 

Williams, a second-year pro who played mostly on special teams last season, was taken to a local hospital for a series of tests following the incident. He saw an eye specialist the following week and was told to rest at home for a week to alleviate the swelling.

 

But two weeks since the incident, Williams said he still has double vision.

 

"I'm still seeing double. When I turn my head and look around, I get a bit dizzy. Headaches, too," Williams said Tuesday.

 

Neither Kolligan nor the Raiders organization have responded yet to Williams' latest statements.

 

Williams' agent Lee Kolligan, who appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Aug. 26, said that the Raiders had contacted him to suggest that the matter should be handled in-house, but Kolligan also said that if Williams' career was determined to be in jeopardy, pressing charges against Romanowski and possibly the Raiders is something Williams would have to think about.

 

Williams is scheduled to make a base salary of $300,000 this year while on injured reserve, but his placement there means his season is over.

 

"Is there any excuse for potentially ending a player's football career?" Kolligan told The Associated Press last month. "We'd rather not (sue), but if it comes down that this man has lost his football career as a result of this incident, then I would hope we can get some compensation."

 

Romanowski apologized to Williams within days of the incident.

 

"I hold myself accountable," Romanowski told AP. "It was a classless move by me."

 

"I made my apologies. I said what I had to say to him. I pretty much told everybody what I had to say. You can try to make excuses, but there's no excuses. It just won't happen again."

 

Romanowski was suspended from one practice and fined an undisclosed amount by the team.

 

Romanowski also apologized to the rest of the team prior to his return to practice. Afterward, some Raiders players seemed almost indifferent toward the matter.

 

"Everybody knew what they were getting when he [Romanowski] came here," guard Frank Middleton said. "As long as it doesn't happen again, it'll be fine."

 

Romanowski has had a history of on-field altercations during his 16-year NFL career -- most notably for spitting on 49ers receiver J.J. Stokes. He has been fined several times by the league.

 

He signed with Oakland before last season, and he finished second on the team in tackles while helping the Raiders to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1983. His influence on Oakland's defense has been praised, and he hadn't been in any trouble with the Raiders until the Williams' incident.

 

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[Guest The Grand Pubah of 1620]

I'm sure there was more to it then that. But either way, Romo could've handled it better.

[Guest Urine Sane]

Yeah he just happened to be wearing a ZMA (testosterone supplement) hat when he was on camera saying he's sorry, maybe the stupid muscle head should quit taking to many damn supplements (and roids). I think he should have been suspended BY THE NFL for at least 4 games. He should go to jail for something like this, but instead a slap on the wrist because he's a good player.

[Rendclaw 0]

The NFL has had a history of not sacking up when it comes to incidents like this.... and there will be a payoff, because Al Davis will not want this to go to trial, considering his track record in court.....

 

Romo got a slap on the wrist, bottom line. This fraternity of pro athletes sickens me sometimes....

[Guest The Grand Pubah of 1620]

Yeah he just happened to be wearing a ZMA (testosterone supplement) hat when he was on camera saying he's sorry, maybe the stupid muscle head should quit taking to many damn supplements (and roids). I think he should have been suspended BY THE NFL for at least 4 games. He should go to jail for something like this, but instead a slap on the wrist because he's a good player.

I doubt that Romo is still "roiding". He does take a shit load of supplements, but he has his piss tested daily to make sure his the mineral levels and others are correct.