*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Jul 25, 1998: -- Lawrence Phillips Cut --
ESPN is reporting this afternoon that the Dolphins have cut
troubled running back Lawrence Phillips. According to ESPN, Phillips
was cut yesterday after a poor performance in training camp. The
release had nothing to do with his problems off the field, according
to comments from JJ.
Yesterday, Phillips fumbled for the second day in a row, which
JJ criticized in his public comments after practice. Following his
poor day, Phillips cleaned out his locker and dorm room.
Phillips has been in trouble since long before he came to the
Dolphins. His problems have compounded each year since he attended
Nebraska and was involved in an altercation where he battered a
woman while a student.
Since then, Phillips has been charged with drunk driving and
has been sued over other allegations of battery at another party. The
latest allegations have involved a supposed incident of battery at a
nightclub in Plantation, Florida.
Phillips was entering his third year in the league.
My Comments:
One of JJ's most notable traits is his quickness at pulling
the trigger when he makes a decision. He never hesitates to cut or
add a player once his mind is made up and he has obviously made his
mind up about Phillips.
While the entire story of this final chapter in Phillips' NFL
career isn't known, one rumor has it that Phillips cleared out his
locker and left the dorm yesterday before he was officially cut.
I do believe that JJ really did cut him for football reasons
and not because of his troubles off the field. With Ray Nealy now the
backup behind Karim Abdul-Jabbar and Phillips lack of special teams
talent, he was too far down on the depth chart to justify keeping
him, especially with John Avery impressing everyone as a serious
threat.
There have been indications for some time that Phillips was
not performing as well as JJ had hoped and that JJ was already
considering releasing him even before the latest reported incident in
the nightclub.
And speaking of that incident, it will be interesting to see
if the woman who is charging Phillips with attacking her continues to
pursue her lawsuit now that Phillips is out of work. That will give
us a clue as to what really happened that night.
As for Phillips - I guess we'll never know the full story, but
he doesn't appear to be headed for anything good. Soon, he'll be out
of money and out of work and that's a recipe for serious problems.
Some people are winners and some are not. Right now, I'd have to put
Lawrence Phillips in the "not" category.
And yes, I know he's a bum and a woman-beater and possibly an
alcoholic, and I've never really wanted him on the team, but I do hope
that he finds his way in the world. The world already has too many
guys sleeping in gutters with alcohol on their breath or behind bars.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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