Aqib Talib Named "Person of Interest" In Investigation

A report in the Dallas Observer on Monday says that Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner back Aqib Talib is being sought by the Garland, TX police department as a "person of interest" in an alleged altercation involving the player's mother, sister and sister's boyfriend.

From the Observer:

According to a GPD initial report about the incident and two sources familiar with the case Talib allegedly attempted to pistol-whip his sister Saran's boyfriend, Shannon Billings, and then, after a struggle, used his mother Okolo's pistol and fired several shots at Billings as he fled the scene on foot.

It's not the first time Talib has been entangled with police since being drafted in 2008. In 2009, he was charged with simple battery and resisting arrest after allegedly punching a cab driver. Talib entered a plea of not guilty and reached a financial settlement with the driver in order to avoid a civil suit.

In the meantime, when football resumes, Talib will likely have to pay a price since the NFL has said that it will continue to enforce its Personal Conduct Policy. More importantly, Talib should be worried about any penalties local law enforcement will have for him if his involvement is anything like what is being reported.

Does Mike Vick's Success Give Plaxico Burress a Better Shot?

There likely are few who are praying for a resolution to the NFL's ongoing labor negotiations more than Plaxico Burress. The former New York Giants wide receiver is set to be released from prison on June 6th after serving a two-year sentence for weapons charges after Cheddar Bobbing himself in a NYC nightclub.

Burress' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, took to Twitter Saturday to begin the Plaxico Redemption Tour. Via Twitter:

The reaction to Rosenhaus' tweets have been mostly positive. So far, Bears fans have come out in force lobbying Lovie Smith to sign Burress. But it makes you wonder if Rosenhaus' job might have been made a little easier by Michael Vick's resurgence this season. Vick's repeated shows of remorse combined with a remarkable season on the field made his return to the league much more palatable - at least for a lot of people not named Mark Buehrle.

Granted, there are differences when you look at the histories of the two players. Burress has been a notorious head case throughout his career with multiple instances of running afoul of both the league and the law. While Vick admitted after his release from prison that he was "lazy" during his time in Atlanta, it was never a label that was applied to him by others. And before the dogfighting conviction, Vick was hit with various allegations of criminal misconduct, none of which stuck.

(The Ron Mexico Incident - while hilarious - was a civil suit, not a criminal one.)

Certainly the firestorm that surrounded Vick after the dogfighting revelation far outweighed public reaction to Burress' situation. Which begs the question - will fans be more accepting of his return to the league? Many people wondered how Burress could spend two years in prison for only injuring himself when guys like Donte Stallworth and Leonard Little have done little or no jail time after having been convicted of killing other people. Plus people charged with gun crimes in America are often treated less harshly than those who commit crimes against animals.

Generally, the public's attitude has been that if a guy proves he can perform on the field, he is more easily forgiven. Of course, if there is no football in 2011 it means Burress will be 34 years old and have sat out three seasons. The chances of him returning to his previous form could be slim.

USC Quarterback Mitch Mustain Arrested by LAPD

Mitch Mustain has had a star-crossed college football career. After being a highly-decorated high school player and apparent quarterback of the future at Arkansas, Mustain famously transferred to USC and never saw the field much after that.

Then on Wednesday comes a report that Mustain was arrested by Los Angeles police for allegedly selling prescription drugs online - a story that was first reported by Roger Lodge of KLAA-AM 830 in Los Angeles.

Bail was set at $30,000 and it is unknown if he is still being held at this time.

It's been a pretty long fall for a guy who was once named National Player of the Year by Gatorade, Parade Magazine and USA Today. After helping Springdale (Ark.) High School win a state championship, Mustain seemed to be the quarterback of the future for Houston Nutt and the Arkansas Razorbacks. At one point, Mustain started and won eight in a row for Arkansas during his freshman campaign. But rumors surfaced that he was unhappy that Darren McFadden (who ran for a school-record 1,647 yards that season) had become the centerpiece of the offense, leading to his transfer to USC.

After that, Mustain never saw many meaningful snaps. He made just one start - a 20-16 loss to Notre Dame this past season - and finished his Trojan career with 52 completions on 89 attempts and three touchdowns in just three seasons.

All in all, it caps a rough week for Trojans and the law. Former USC (and current Minnesota Vikings) defensive end Everson Griffen was cited for public drunkenness over the weekend. Several days later, Griffen was charged with assaulting a police officer while he was being arrested during a traffic stop.