Day: August 17, 2006

TE Stevens to miss 6 weeks

Seahawks’ TE Jerramy Stevens tore his meniscus in his left knee during practice. It is the same knee that was surgically repaired less than four months ago.

The team said Stevens is expected to miss the next six weeks, including the start of the regular season.

He was injured trying to catch a pass from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The pass was broken up by linebacker Leroy Hill and Stevens fell to the ground with the brunt of his weight landing on his knees.

He hobbled off the field and was examined by trainers while sitting on a cart. He was later taken back to the locker room on the cart.

“It looked like he got tripped up a little bit … and he just kind of came down on his knee. That’s what it looked like to me,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “We’ll see it on film, but he just came down on it and the knee bore the weight of his body.”

This is definitely a setback for Stevens, who came into his own last season. Fantasy-wise, he was shaping up to be a good late-round sleeper. He still could go on to have a good year, but there will be lingering questions about the knee.

This is also a blow to the Seattle offense as a whole. Stevens served as a nice outlet for Matt Hasselbeck and the two developed a nice rapport over the second half of last season, which continued into the playoffs, where Stevens caught 11 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns in three playoff games.

Ron Artest – role model?

Ron Artest was told to complete five days of community service as punishment for his role in the Pacers/Pistons brawl that took place in Auburn Hills in November of 2004. Day one consisted of a Q&A session at Mathis Community Center in Detroit.

Artest served on a panel of men who either were role models, former criminals or both. It featured many warnings about inner-city life and dreams for the children. Snippets like: “I got arrested when I was 12 years old for taking a gun to school — a gun I stole from my grandma.” And: “I see greatness in each and every one of you. You are our future. You are royalty.” And: “I sold crack when I was 13.”

That last line came from Ron Artest of New York City. He said he sold the crack one time, then told his cousin he couldn’t bring himself to do it again. (And he said the cousin, whom he identified only as “Aaron,” later had his head beaten in and hasn’t been the same since.)

Later, away from the kids, Artest was asked if he thinks his role in the brawl was a mistake.

“I never say it was mistake,” Artest said Wednesday. “Somebody started trouble, and I always say I ended it. He started it and I ended it. But I never say it was a mistake. Like I told the kids, if somebody starts trouble with you, if they’re talking or if somebody hits you, you always have to protect yourself. And if you can avoid it, I will always tell somebody to avoid it.”

Good ol’ Ron.