In Memoriam — Sean Taylor
Posted: November 27, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
As fans, especially as Cowboys fans, we cannot claim to have known Sean Taylor the person. Our only way of noting his passing is as a player.
And that’s enough to make us grieve.
Pro football is going through some growing pains. The ’00s, the Patriots ’00s, are the time of high mediocrity. The super teams and superior rivalries that raised the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s are missing today. And that’s given rise to an embarrassing situation; in a day when cable TV and the Sunday Ticket give fans the greatest access to every game, they’re revealed that there has never been less reason in the modern era to watch.
How many of you found something else to do this past Sunday, when the Cowboys were sleeping off their Thanksgiving win? How many Sundays in recent years have you found yourself amazed at the poor quality of matchups on your dial?
The salary cap has damaged continuity. It churns up offensive and defensive lines, secondaries or any area of strength a team can generate. It prevents teams from building across the board and sustaining their strengths. New England found a way to get more from less and has dominated as a result.
But will anybody compare them to the super teams from past eras? Excellence is defined by the quality of your opponents, and who has New England beaten this decade?
The game appears to be catching up, as teams begin to master the cap and build long term. The Cowboys bring us optimism because they’re young and their contracts have been spaced to give them a broad winning window.
Other teams in the league are following the same pattern, offering the hope that a few super teams will emerge in the next few years and raise the game back to a level it has not seen since the mid ’90s.
Every team in the NFC East has raised its profile in that time; this year has seen intensely competitive games and any of the four teams seems capable now of winning in any given year. We seem poised to revisit the glory days of the ’70s and ’80s when Dallas tangled with all three of its divisional rivals for the title on a yearly basis. But we’re not there yet. The teams are not fully formed. Promising players are still too scarce.
Sean Taylor was one of this new breed. He was a Redskins cornerstone, a top draft pick who hit for a team that has relied too much in the Dan Snyder Era on free agency. He was one of the top young stars in the division and the conference. And now he’s gone.
It’s enough to make all of us bow our heads with the Redskins Nation today. Rest in peace, Mr. Taylor. The game will miss you.
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FIRST!!!
Its been a while buts its nice to return to the top.
Just to speculate, can anyone imagine what the mediots’ reaction would have been if Taylor HAD owned a gun, shot the intruder, and lived?
We would really be hearing now what a thug he was, why would anyone own a gun, why would anyone expect to need it in their own home if they weren’t up to something, and so forth. The intruder would have been painted as the victim, and Taylor would have had to answer for why Goodell shouldn’t suspend him, seeing as he had shown what a thug he was by defending himself in his own home.
The mediots with agendas make me sick.
cowboy bert,
I’ve been away from the tv and don’t want to turn this into a forum on gun control, though looking at the comments it seems to be there already.
Which media members are flogging that issue?
I see on the side-bar ad that they are hyping the Sean Taylor jersey already.
Excellent write up Raf.
Taylor’s attorney on the O’Reilly Factor said he feels there may be some links to the 2005 incident. He said Taylor’s car got shot up.
O’Reilly asked about the lack of security, attorney said he was young and thought he was invincible. He also thought the security system was not armed because his girlfriends sister was coming in late. Also the attorney speculates that the perps may have thought he would be out of town. He was in town to have his knee checked out.
I’ve seen a few write ups on the big sports sites, havn’t seen much on gun control stuff one way or the other.
the stuff i have seen just got blown out of the water by rafael.
Also said they kicked down the bedroom door after Taylor locked it.
I don’t even like Sean Taylor, never did.
But some how, I am absolutely devastated.
This really sucks for the NFL. Even though I’ve always hated the Redskins, you never feel happy about this stuff.
What has the NFL become? Full of thugs and cheaters!
“I don’t even like Sean Taylor, never did.
But some how, I am absolutely devastated.”
That’s probably because you care about people in general.
I don’t really know what happened but as time goes on, they keep talking about this incident being related to issues from the past from Sean Taylor. This should go as an example to players suchs as Pacman Jones and Keith Davis that they should clean up their act and be responsible with the millions they’re earning. I am trully sad about Taylor and I wish no one any harm, but they simply can’t expect nothing to happen to them when they are surrounded by criminals all day long.
Rafael:
I am not trying to make this about gun control either. I do not own a gun myself and have no interest in owning one, though it is my right to do so.
My objections are to the mediots who keep hammering that he got what was coming to him because of the people he hung with.
Really? Who deserves to get murdered at home?
If the media has ideas about you, whether they are correct or even informed, they will use your story to advance their issues. Stereotypes sell, whether they fit or not. Taylor was African-American, went to the U, and had a police record, so he had to have been a thug, no matter what those who knew him best say.
“Thug killed at home” is the headline. If he had shot the intruder, it could have been “Thug shoots intruder breaking into his home” instead. Without better evidence, they are both shoddy journalism.
RE: Sean #7
I saw that interview. Taylor’s attorney named the guy who was part of a group who stole his ATVs. He said the entire town knew about the ATVs being stolen, because the guys were riding around on them.
Also, he said Taylor and a group of his friends went over to confront the thieves about his property. Taylor got into a fight with the guy he named on air. According to the attorney, the gun belonged to the thieves and not Taylor.
You can debate whether Taylor should have confronted the thieves or called the police.
I wouldn’t have confronted the thieves on their turf. I would have called the police. Taylor was young, and he might not have seen the big picture. The fight may have been over for Taylor after he got his property back, however, the aggressive thieves, perhaps already jealous of Taylor, may have thought otherwise.
Having said this, the killer(s) could have killed him even if he called the police on them. Taylor’s confrontation with the thieves, while not the safest move or the best street smarts move, should not be the hung around his neck for the reason for his death. Taylor was stolen from. Taylor was the one murdered. Sean Taylor is the victim. The killer who pulled the trigger deserves all the blame for his death.
After all, they stole from him before the fight. The fight may have added fuel to an already jealous fire, and it may not have been the best action to take. However, if Taylor calls the police, the thieves may have still gone after Taylor’s things again or Taylor. Who can say for sure. They sure didn’t mind stealing from him before Taylor took an aggressive stance with them.
If someone hates you enough, they can still be motivated to get you, even if you choose not to fight back in an aggressive way.
This is really a sad story. Taylor was a rising star on the field. He was getting married. He had a one year old daughter. It is terrible.
I didn’t know Sean Taylor’s life, but he sure didn’t appear to be thug or a thief or a drug dealer.
His “past” didn’t catch up with him like Blackistone said on ESPN today. Evil caught him. Evil people are every where. They kill every day, and in every state. Taylor didn’t create his killer. His killer was the aggressor. His killer broke the door down and fired the gun.
He shouldn’t have been disrespected by the DMN blog when the blog stated “be careful who you associate with”. Again, this statement implies Taylor is to blame for his own death. Just exactly “who” was Taylor associating with?
If the killer is connected to the 2005 incident, I don’t think Taylor was “associating” with them. Your friends don’t steal for property and kill you. The DMN blog makes it sound like Taylor had shady friends, and they did him in.
It sounds like Taylor had some enemies. You don’t associate with your enemies. Sometimes, you confront them, but that isn’t “associating” with them.
From the sound of things, these thieves were not Taylor’s pals or friends. They were enemies who threw the first punch, and they may have thrown the last and lethal one as well. The national press needs to get that straight.
Rafael, that was very well stated and written.
Scout
Thanks for reiterating my point from the previous thread. I have lived in the Florida Keys for 22 years and saw Sean play High School ball. He was a man among boys and deserved his high standing in the NFL. I was devastated this morning upon hearing of his passing. The NFC East will not be the same without him.
mantab, for not knowing anything at all about what happend, you sure as s*** have some righteous opinions about the situation.
It’s a senseless tragedy. You needn’t opine from your soapbox about how it’s the victim’s fault for being a thug. “surrounded by criminals all day long” That’s nice. That’s really nice. You have no f’ing idea how that kid lived his life.
Michael Irvin once said something along the lines of, “How do I just turn my back one day on the friends and family who were with me when I was having my cereal with water for dinner,” when defending young turks who still run with their friends and family from the old neighborhood.
Judging a celebrity’s choices in personal relationships through the prism of the media is stupider and shallower than shopping for gossip rags in the supermarket checkout line.
I haven’t found any reports indicating Taylor was a thug, but I’ve only read articles written from Sports Reporters. Naturally, these Sports Reporters are handling the news with respect and sensitivity.
As a society we have become numb to senseless violence. Events like the Taylor murder happen everyday throughout the United States. Historically, this young man’s murder will just be one of many murders from Florida’s Dade County in 2007.
Taylor was a brilliant athlete violently cutdown at the beginning of a promising career. As fans, many of us are envious of these talented athletes, and envious of the wealth and fame they get from playing a game that we all have a passion for.
Taylor’s murder hits us harder than the multitude of other murders we read or hear about; and why? It’s not because of Taylor’s fame. It’s because of our unrealistic expectation that a young man in his position should embrace the incredible opportunities in front of him. We expect these young men to turn their back on destructive habits and destructive behaviors. When a young athlete’s wealth and fame doesn’t protect him from the violent acts of others, or prevent them from continuing to engage in destructive behavior, we feel a profound sense of a loss. And we question why they didn’t embrace this opportunity to rise above.
The emotions we feel are complex and the murder of another young soul is tragic. We should all make a conscious effort be thankful for whatever blessings we have, and we should find time to dedicate a moment of silence to victims of violence everywhere.
R.I.P Sean Taylor..
my pryers are with his young girl…
21*
elharpo, re:#10
You stated my feelings on the nose. Couldn’t stand Taylor on the field. But for any fan with a heart, there is an empty feeling. You’d like to beat a rival when they’re at their best. And you really hate to see any young man struck down in his prime.
I don’t care what the outside circumstances were. Sneaking into a man’s house in the middle of the night when he’s defenseless and his lady and child are in the house is an act of cowardice pure and simple.
Great, great analysis Raf. Lot’s of stuff no one’s pointed out yet, and totally relevant to the game. You should write for Time.
Let’s be clear about one thing. Sean Taylor was not a kid from the ghetto that simply had a hard time living Blinky and Little B back in the hood. His Dad was a well respected Police Chief.
Whatever “thugs” he chose to hang out with were by his own choice later in life, not because he was exposed to it at a young age.
That being said, unless you know the guy or ever hung out with the guy, shut up. You have no business trashing the man. He has a 17 month old daughter who will never know her daddy. For her, lay off the insults.
Meant to say, “…leaving Blinky ….”
joey2zs
I think you overreacted a bit on Mantab. His opinion wasn’t near as strong as your reaction to it. He didn’t call Taylor a thug. I think he was just trying to say that these guys should be careful who they associate with, be careful where they associate, and walk a straight path and maybe the chance of something like this happening to them will be less likely. Less likely, not impossible.
Mantab wasn’t saying that Taylor deserved to get shot for past mistakes, or even that he did get shot for past mistakes. It’s just that the evidence being presented points to that.
You don’t think Keith Davis has gotten shot twice by coincidence do you? And would you be surprised if something like this happened to Pacman sometime down the road? I wouldn’t in the least. People are stupid. They hold grudges. They get drunk or do drugs, or hell even stay sober and say “hey I hear so and so has a place over there, you/we should go f#ck with him”.
Like Pacino said in GF III, “Just when I think I’m out they pull me back in”. Well don’t go in in the first place I guess. Certainly the safer way to play it.
I just realized that my last statement in post 25 might seem like I’m saying Taylor brought his own death upon himself. Sorry if that’s how it came off. That statement wasn’t necessarily meant for Taylor’s situation. I was just using the knee-jerk reaction, as Mantab possibly did, to point out that there are several other athletes out there who should be careful of their actions. Poor judgment raises the probability of something like this happening, and we don’t want this to happen again.
Again, as some evidence has pointed out, perhaps some of Taylor’s past poor judgment could have led to this. If it’s eventually proven that the murder was totally unrelated to his past, it won’t take the bitterness out of his death at all for me. He’s dead, and he shouldn’t be.
Well said, Raf. It’s a sad day for us all. Rest in Peace, Sean Taylor. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
Greta didn’t have much on the Taylor murder. O’Reilly had a bit more. Taylor’s lawyer was on and he pointed to past incidents and possible suspects. He said that those gun charges against Taylor were bogus (my word). I really don’t ever believe anything a lawyer says on behalf of a client. I’m sure the truth will come out over then ext several weeks about all of this.
Coincidently enough, one of the best games I saw a Safety play this season was Taylor’s performance in against Green Bay. Taylor intercepted Farve twice the first one gave Farve the career record for interceptions. By the way GB won that game 17-14, Al Harris scored a TD when he picked up a Moss fumble and returned all the way. In that game Campbell actually threw for more yards than Farve and the Skins outgained the Pack by almost 100 yards. Although, that was early in the season when the Skins secondary was whole so not sure if it means anything going into Thurs. night.
We can’t bring him back. But grieve over him we must. All I can say is that I’m very encouraged by what his coach said about him today, that he was in a close walk with the Lord. I was really astounded by Gibb’s repeating this a few times, talking about heaven and the Lord. Really hard to see grown men who are usually kinda snarly getting choked up like that. Puts football and it’s bitter rivalries into proper perspective I’d say.
Don’t want to sound insensitive, but life must go on tomorrow. We got a big game coming up. I’m attending this one as well. My family got season tickets for two seats this year and my sister (A Packer fan) chose to take me with her for her game. I hope that place is erupting like it did for the Patriot game. I’ve literally never heard anything louder in my life. When the fans want to get into it they certainly can give the ‘Boys a home field advantage. I felt this was definitely lacking at the Redskin game which I attended. We’ll see, but I’m gonna be talking shit to my sis the whole way!
Slide910,
If Time has their checkbook handy, I’ll listen.
A poll on dallascowboys.com just pointed out an unknown fact to me. Besides coaching TO this year, Ray Sherman has also coached Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and the great Jerry Rice. Talk about a resume.
Raf man. You really should set up some kind of time frame, maybe two days a week, an hour a day, where we can get on here and converse a little with ya. Your posts are truly missed (atleast by me….and I’m not trying to be gay or anything……not that that’s a bad thing, but….I’m not) and it’d be cool to know of a time when your incite could be heard on here so we could tune in.
Slide,
Love to. Used to have time during the work day, but would have to do it during the early evening hours right now.
I never cared for him but he was typically a heck of a player in Madden. Sucks that he died in such a senseless way and if it really was related to an incident that happened 2 years ago makes me wonder why can’t come people just let things go?
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/323313.html
This article talks about the 2005 incident. It should be noted that the man Taylor fought with has not been questioned by police at this time. ALthough, police are taking a closer look at the incident. The article talks about an interview the man gave to a Miami t.v. station, among other things about the case.
Keys80,
I understand you. You are right. It makes you sick. I thought he would live. Post 30 points out a critical point. The Redskins have the perfect coach for this horrific situation.
Although, he coaches for the wrong team, Gibbs lives his life the right way. I have always admired and respected him for that aspect. Tom Landry was the same kind of person.
Gibbs and Landry are coaches that come around once in a life time.
You never want this to happen to anyone. The Redskins are in good hands with Joe Gibbs. Gibbs can not change the outcome or get rid of the sorrow, but the Redskins have the perfect coach to lead them through a very dark time.
I just got too upset when I heard and read some of the stuff that put the blame on the victim or infered blame to him.
People do have to be extra careful about how they choose their friends. The wrong crowd can definately be your down fall. However, the facts just are not in about this case.
By all accounts, Taylor was in the process of turning his life around. Yes, he had made some very poor choices, but he seemed to be on the right path.
If it does turn out to be someone he knew (a former friend or acquaintance ect..), and it just looks like it, it still isn’t Sean Taylor’s fault.
Mike Tomlin made a comment in his press conference that echoed my feelings about how the situation has been handled by some in the media.
Slide910,
I am getting a DeMarcus Ware jersey, one of the real ones. I will be wearing it when we beat Green Bay for the second time in the NFC Championship game in DALLAS!
Also,
I am so going to get to see this game. I am excited about it. My friend’s t.v. is huge.
so sad and so senseless what happened…awful
Doing the Cowboys v Packers game right! 12 foot screen and High Def projector outside in fresh weather. BBQ pit going and ice chests full. A Cowboys Flag planted in the front yard and a chest swelled with Blue and Silver PRIDE!
“Sneaking into a man’s house in the middle of the night when he’s defenseless and his lady and child are in the house is an act of cowardice pure and simple.”
I don’t know the details but who robs a house and leaves a knive on a pillow? Who goes back to that house, breaks into a locked bedroom and shoots a guy below the belt?
Me thinks Mr Taylor was visited by a lady friend.