CB Joe Haden’s Training Camp Incident a Frustrating Non-Issue
It’s been a long summer, and it’s the end of training camp, which means everyone is digging pretty deep for a story. Typically, the days of training camp tend to blend together anyway, so if anything – anything – out of the ordinary happens, it is met with a barrage of reports and opinions that, at the end of the day, don’t accomplish much.
That happened to the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, when head coach Pat Shurmur kicked cornerback Joe Haden out of practice for being too rough after he tackled wide receiver Travis Benjamin on a play. It should be noted that Haden has been warned about his physicality during practice, which led to Shurmur losing his temper. The two exchanged words, with Shurmur swearing within earshot of the fans in attendance.
Shurmur apologized after practice, saying he has a “great deal of respect” for Haden. The cornerback – facing a four-game suspension after testing positive for Adderall – was back at the team walkthrough in the afternoon, with everything going back to normal in a few measly hours.
Nevertheless, this was a situation that was drawn out for hours on the Internet and talk radio, with everyone desperately searching for some interesting angle in an otherwise regular day of practice.
If this wasn’t a sign that the regular season needs to get here fast, I’m not sure what is.