TODAY, 5:25pm: Florio has provided more insight into the lawsuit and the impending impact it could have on the Jaguars organization. Florio understands that the suit will cite witnesses who claim that Jaguars players brought alcohol on the team flight.
As Florio noted earlier this week, the NFL prohibits the serving and consumption of alcohol on team flights. Following a pair of 2022 incidents, the NFL warned of severe punishment for future violations. While the Jaguars may claim ignorance (as coach Doug Pederson did earlier this week), Florio adds that it’s the “obligation” of NFL teams “to ensure players follow” the rule.
TUESDAY, 7:50pm: Veteran kicker Brandon McManus has been accused of sexually assaulting two flight attendants while he was playing with the Jaguars in 2023. After the news broke yesterday, we heard from McManus’s camp, the Jaguars, and his current team, the Commanders. Now, we’re hearing from his former coach, as Doug Pederson revealed that he only learned about the lawsuit when the news broke yesterday.
[RELATED: Commanders K Brandon McManus Named In Sexual Assault Lawsuit]
“I saw the article that came out,” Pederson said today (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “Obviously, disappointing to hear the news that took place. You know, other than that, honestly, being that it’s a legal matter at this time, I can’t really comment until more information is gathered.”
McManus is accused of rubbing himself against the anonymous plaintiffs during the Jaguars’ flight to London on September 28, 2023. The suit claims that the player was passing out cash to have the plane’s staff members “drink and dance inappropriately for him.” The suit also alleges that the kicker was among the members of the team who turned the flight into a “party,” a crucial note that could drag the Jaguars further into the controversy.
As Florio notes, the NFL frowns upon teams serving and consuming alcohol on team flights. Florio cites a pair of 2022 incidents. First, Titans OC Todd Downing was arrested for DUI “under a timeline that suggested he was drinking on the plane.” Later, Commanders players were disciplined for having beer on a return flight. At the time, the NFL sent a “strongly worded” memo that future penalties for consumption “would be even worse” and could include “significant discipline.”
“A typical flight is not that way, it’s a business trip,” Pederson said today (via Florio). “It’s a business trip. And that’s how we approach it from an organizational standpoint, you know, from the league standpoint. So, for that — when I read that, that part was disappointing.”
Meanwhile, lawyer Tony Buzbee will be representing the pair of women in the lawsuit, per Florio. Buzbee is known for representing the 20 women who accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct. In a statement, the lawyer hinted that he tried to settle with McManus before filing the suit.
“We filed the case on Friday, but before that filing we attempted, without success, to resolve this matter without the need for litigation,” Buzbee wrote. “Our efforts at resolution were met with arrogance, ignorance and stupidity, strikingly similar to how Deshaun Watson’s team responded when we tried to resolve those cases pre-filing.”
McManus’s representation called the allegations “absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false.” The lawsuit is calling for a jury trial and damages in excess of $1MM.
Well, whatever happens, you can trust that you’ll hear about it from Tony Buzbee.
Gotta give it to they guys he’s found his niche and knows how to cash out
Man who would have thought it’s the position kicker causing the offseason issues now. I guess they needed to steal the light from Rashee Rices crazy spring break.
Sounds like an extreme case of the wokies.
Sounds like a comment from someone who hates women.
Sounds like you both are jumping to conclusions
Sounds like you both are jumping to conclusions
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I’d make a modest wager that hound is right-of-center and fffbbb is left-of-center. I only say this because it is dangerous to allow one’s politics to infect their sense of justice.
But this sounds legit, imho. This isn’t someone who suddenly remembered something from 1984. So the timeline fits. Rather than deciding now, how about we hear whether or not she complained to the pilot, or the charter company.
Sounds like someone didn’t get tipped enough on a charter flight.
Kickers are quite a group of losers with no respect for women other than for having babies apparently.
With that logic every receiver is kamikaze behind the wheel, every TE is a murder and rapist, and every running back is a woman beater
You’re confused why a catholic man gave a speech to other Catholics at a private catholic graduation who don’t use forms of birth control cause it prevents creation of life about the importance of motherhood and fatherhood? Yeah real shocker.
Anyways. Where’s your outrage about players like Tyreek Hill punching his 8 weeks pregnant gf in the stomach and him being recorded on audio admitting he beats his children and his fiance should be afraid of him?
There are plenty of suspensions to go around.
Suspending a dude over words is pretty slippery slope territory. Esp religious views. I doubt the nfl wants anything to do with a 1A lawsuit
I meant suspensions for the Jags.
Butker also went after IVF, which is the only way a lot of people *can* create life and become parents. Butker went after a whole bunch of different groups and some people want to act like it’s weird for so many people to be miffed at him. There’s no shortage of people who dislike Butker and think those things Tyreek Hill did were terrible. Those things Hill did weren’t in the past few weeks.
Someone once said “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Disliking Butker for speaking his mind vs disliking Hill for punching his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach are 2 very different things.
Of course they’re different. I’m not the one who brought up Hill. Or Butker. And something can still be bad even if something else is worse.
Those things Hill did should have gotten him a life time ban from the NFL personally. Assaulting his pregnant gf was bad enough. Being recorded on audio admitting he beat his children and his fiance should be scared of him was even worse.
But. The “moral outrage” at Butkner’s comments from the general public has far exceeded any “moral outrage” Tyreek has ever faced, and other players through the years, aside from Michael Vick killing dogs. I dont remember people creating a petition calling for Tyreek Hill to be released on gofundme, they have for Butkner. I dont remember other teams calling out Tyreek Hill, I do know the Chargers made fun of Butkner’s speech in their schedule release video.
Im honestly not shocked people are treating Butkner’s comments and words like the secon coming of the holocaust or real life handmaid’s tale but don’t bat an eye when women are actually abused, assaulted, attacked. Cause the outrage is more about attention and playing the victim for clout than it is actually protecting women or finding solutions against things like domestic violence. And thats the sad truth.
Sure. People are allowed to be upset as his comments. Its narcissitic behavior to take a speech that wasn’t meant for you or me or anyone outside the graduating class he was speaking to and make it about yourself as if he was calling you out directly in any way shape or form.
Catholic man has catholic religious beliefs on controversial topics such as LGTBQ, IVF, abortion, surrogacy, euthanasia, etc. If youre upset at his comments during a 1 time graduation speech wait till you find out what priests, fathers, pastors, rabbi’s, and whatever they’re called in Islam talk about every Sunday to catholics, christians, the jewish, muslims. Youre in for a doozy.
I don’t disagree with you about Hill, but your comments on Butker are deflection, whataboutism, and general word salad. He gave a public space that denigrated a whole lot of different groups and a lot of people are using their free speech to air their grievances about him. Rest assured, the NFL is even more accommodating of conservative Christians than it is of domestic abusers, and that’s saying a lot.
“public speech” at a private catholic college to catholic graduates regarding catholic beliefs.
If he was say at a pride rally giving the speech sure i get why people would be upset.
But to listen to his speech and be like “how can i make this about me and play the victim and be offended” is nothing more than narcissitic behavior at its finest.
Its like somebody having a conversation in public or a private venue talking to their friend and you get upset cause you overhear them defending Israel and don’t like them defending Israel cause you support Palestine.
1. Nobody was talking to you but you made it about yourself for some odd reason
2. You chose to interject yourself into the conversation you werent involved in at any point
Narcisstic behavior
More to the point, his speech is a pretty regular Sunday service sermon. Nothing he said hasn’t been said a million times already by religious figures who willingly post these sermons on youtube.
So the backlash against Butkner is stupid considering all factors.
1. failure to be equally or more outraged against far more serious actions
2. trying to involve ones self into a conversation they werent included in at any point and wasn’t about them at all.
3. ignorance regarding people’s beliefs (how dare he give a speech on motherhood and fatherhood to young catholics who dont use condoms or birth control, how dare he talk about controversial topics and share his opinion to people who share his beliefs – see Israel Palestine example)
“the NFL is even more accommodating of conservative Christians than it is of domestic abusers, and that’s saying a lot.”
I mean people saying words is a lot less dangerous than guys who physically assault people leaving bruises or worse.
Again, he gave a speech in public that went after many, many groups. Commencement speeches are not private conversation. People are allowed to criticize Catholic beliefs. This isn’t the Middle Ages. And this is just you on your soapbox defending a speech that rightfully rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. It has nothing to do with Brandon McManus’s behavior, which seems pretty clearly to have been stupid at a bare minimum.
I don’t see how you can tell him to come off his soapbox when you’re doing the same thing, Oof. Nobody has advocated for anything other than perspective between all three of you who are concerned. If somebody had talked about changing laws or charging people, then yes, I could see the outrage…but y’all are just clashing perspectives, here. There’s no high ground in that. If a person gives a religious speech at a religious group, no, I don’t think outsiders have the right to criticize it, so long as it isn’t a call to arms to take away their rights.
Ultimately, it’s really not that important an issue. Butker believes some things that nobody else is required to. If they were required to (as in your Middle Ages scenario), than the concern would be great, indeed. It’s one thing to say “I don’t like what you said” and another to say “you shouldn’t be allowed to say it”. I do think that his speech, which certainly doesn’t reflect the morality of the nation as a whole, was also not nearly as extreme as he’s casually or even seriously as being. I also think that the kicker for the Chiefs was a weird choice for a commencement speaker at a college that he never went to…was his only qualifier being Catholic? Not much of a qualifier there, in my opinion. I don’t even really think that was a good speech, also in my opinion. Not sure what the goal was with some of the stuff he said-seems needlessly aggressive.
I didn’t tell him to get off his soapbox. I was just calling balls and strikes. The reason they brought in a football kicker is because they endorse his culture war nonsense. There’s a whole strain of retrogressive Christian conservatives who–among other things–want to ban abortion, roll back marriage equality, and even go so far as to ban IVF. These are extremely unpopular views, whether those people like it or not. Catholics are welcome to their views. They shouldn’t be able to impose them on others. Butker’s speech sucked. This has nothing to do with Brandon McManus or Tyreek Hill.
Well, the speech was given at a Catholic university, so I don’t really see how that’s imposing on others. I actually don’t really like a lot of the speech, to be honest. I think that there was a lot of Butker putting his own beliefs, which are pretty conservative, even amongst Catholics, into it. But there’s a certain point where we are venturing into his and their world by hand wringing over it. That’s why he gave the speech in the first place-the feeling that outsiders are dictating terms are fueling these things.
It’s not that secular values and church values should be separate-I believe that they should-but when you treat any group as a “problem” then they’ll start to act that way. The biggest issue with the culture wars is that people insist on fighting them…and both sides think that they’re “in the right” so fervently that they end up hating each other and escalating the issue. No, I’m not telling anybody to accept anyone’s beliefs carte blanche, but the urgent need to “fix” beliefs is what leads to extremism from both the enforcer and the target.
To be honest, Butker only mentioned IVF once and in passing. He spent more time talking about Biden and abortion than IVF. I don’t know why that part and the homemaker part garnered so much attention-of all of the controversial parts, those were the shortest. There was plenty more in there that I thought people would dislike more.
I think it’s pretty damn reasonable to push back hard on beliefs that are part of a larger movement to eliminate your legal ability to marry or have children. Having your “religious beliefs” vilified is a lot less harmful than having your actual fundamental existence vilified. I use quotes there, because I know enough sane Catholic people.
That’s the issue-you don’t think that Butker thinks the same thing?
I see your point, but “less harmful” is in the eye of the beholder. Besides, Butker never said any of that stuff. He said a lot, but not that. Anti-abortion? Yes. Right to exist? No, he doesn’t discuss any of that. It’s okay to stand up for others, but not to generalize, even if you disagree. I’d say for you, too.
I think you’re being very charitable to Butker here.
I read his speech. You can too, it’s posted. Like I said, a lot of it I don’t like, some of it I do, and even more of it I think is too self-centered. But it’s not what I have heard it is, or read that it was. By making generalizations, we contribute to the strife that we blame others for. It is us who are pushing tension, not our leaders.
I mean, I’d be willing to concede some more if he had said some of the things that he’s accused of, but the fact is that he just didn’t say them. If I missed it, which I may have, I apologize. This whole “larger struggle” thing that allows us to excuse feeling on edge all the time and to ignore specifics is why he felt the need to write such a preach-y and call to arms speech to begin with. I don’t think that promulgating it aids in its resolution. At what point does the larger struggle weaponize righteousness against individual belief? I’d warn anyone against that.
In this case, I definitely wouldn’t want to participate in either some of the movements that Butker supported or those who are angry (not in disagreement, but angry) at him for simply having those beliefs. I’d rather fight for mutual respect than thought compliance, in either case.
I have read his speech, thought it was terrible, and know damn well what larger political movements are attached to those words. There are plenty of other people I can respect.
Oof, I’m not telling you to respect him as a person. If we don’t have mutual respect for each others’ rights, though, then this all is pointless. If you choose to get emotional, so be it, but bear in mind that it’s easy to simply end up the opposite side of the same coin. If Butker were here, I’d tell him the same thing. If we attach “larger political movements” to thoughts, we quickly become the censors and Inquisition that we’ve condemned.
I’m not telling you what to do, or even to not express your opinion. Just please consider, because I do consider you an intelligent person and valuable font of perspective, that it’s easy to allow generalization and “larger struggle” to herd people into an “us versus them” mindset that becomes much more harmful than what was said. Even if someone else does it, there’s no obligation for us to do so.
After all, beliefs aren’t harmful-action is. And if we allow the fear of action to condemn the presence of belief, it translates the intangible to the tangible all the quicker. I know you disagree and out of a place of respect, which certainly isn’t without its own merit, but just consider that. That’s all I have to contribute-to be honest, I don’t think that this is even close to the most pressing off-field issue we’ve had or will have here, and I’ve spoken much more than my own peace on it.
What rights am I infringing on?
And we’re allowed TO criticize. I’ll defend that speech too. We have groups that think men can get pregnant and chestfeed. Groups that think it’s OK to push queer sex to school kids. We’re seeing a real moral decline of course society. I’m all for progress but this is insane.
Ah, copy-paste scaremongering talking points about queer people. If you’re worried about people sexualizing kids, I have terrible news about Catholic institutions.
Once we see Buzbee is behind this, it loses a bit of credibility.
This is the career path you have to take when you get too old to chase ambulances…lol.
Whatever the full extent of what actually happened, there’s no way they’re filing suit over a claim with this many witnesses without it being at least adjacent to the truth, Which means Brandon McManus at the very least acted pretty stupidly for a married kicker on a team flight.
I’d like to hear whether or not she complained to the pilot. Assuming the pilot was aware of the incident, he is the master of the plane. He should’ve threatened to cut off the alcohol, and if it didn’t get better, threaten to land the plane immediately. The team knows that it would become global news if that happened.
I’d also like to know if the coaches and front office was on the plane. I’m no stranger to drinking, but the guys in charge have the responsibility to cap the party.
That last part is true and it’s a bad look for the team. The pilot of an NFL team flight is absolutely not going to make an unscheduled landing because of this.
True. NFL charter flights are good for business. I doubt the pilot will threaten to land the plane and have to explain why to his boss.
Pilot explanation: “An emergency landing was the only option boss…passengers were hysterical and screaming there were SNAKES ON THE PLANE!”
and have to explain why to his boss.
========================
Or you don’t land the plane, and the company gets sued. It’s not unreasonable to hold the charter company responsible for not stopping this. Assuming everything that was charged is true, there are a lot of parties on the hook.
I agree with this but I’m uncertain as to which state laws apply when a plane is in flight. The feds normally regulate air travel but this incident would hardly qualify as a federal offense.
Not always Ooof. I’ve seen lawsuits filed with much less. I doubt Buzbee has interviewed NFL players/coaches on the plane. The NFL would never give him access. Buzbee’s case is relying entirely on what the flight attendants say. Even the pilots may not be able to interviewed as it jeopardizes the charter business. And then you expect McManus teammates to throw him under the bus? I doubt it. Filing the lawsuit is likely a tactic to get access to NFL people on the plane. It’s a chess game for Buzbee. I agree McManus did something stupid, but does it arise to the level of “sexual assault”? Let’s see.
Acted a fool, shoulda tried to pay them off b4 this went public. So much to lose over something so stoopid.
C’mon, the guy was just hanging brain. If that’s assault, lock me up
All future flights will come with the Deshaun Watson Special…any flight attendants wishing to work will be required to complete an NDA prior to takeoff.
So Catholics can’t impose their views on others, but others can impose their views on Catholics? Retrogressive is using abortion as birth control, or men dressing as women, or creating babies for gay people using IVF from a sperm donor, or all that violence we see on movies and TV shows. I’m advocating against immorality and barbaric behaviors. That isn’t a Catholic thing, it’s a common sense thing.
No one is forcing Catholics to embrace any of those things. Who gives a sh*t about how other people dress? Why shouldn’t gay people be allowed to have babies? And you’re aware that most users of IVF are straight people who can’t conceive without it, right? And why should “pro-life” people be able to create anti-abortion laws that end up criminalizing miscarriages and forcing people to carry ectopic pregnancies to term?
Kids care about how other people dress. I don’t want mine seeing that. Who does? And no one asked to be born to 2 mommies or daddies. That’s insane. The last Republican plan was to ban abortion after 15 weeks, even later than the EU.
No kid asks to be born to any parents. Thats not how being born works. I know a lot of terrific sane sex parents and a number of terrific children of queer parents. I also know lots of children of godawful straight parents. I’m sure you do, too. And in many places abortion has been banned in function, if not completely, including—again—laws that force women to carry ectopic pregnancies to term, which is cruel and in no way protects the viable possibility of a human life. And you may not want your kid to see people dressing a certain way, but that shouldn’t be everyone else’s problem. Certainly not more than how other people feel about their kids being raised in a place where any idiot can carry a gun.
I know some kids with same sex parents that wonder where they came from. Wonder who their real mommy or daddy is. I know alot of foster kids that are emotionally messed up for the same reasons. I also know tons of kids who have great natural families. We have a situation where the average girl in her 20s has slept with more men than a women has in her 50s. They meet, have sex, and never talk again. Rinse and repeat many times a week. A fetus is now an invasive virus. Animals have more common sense. And as a well trained gun owner, I understand why the founding fathers wanted us to have them. Freedom from repressive authoritarian governments. Only idiots shooting each other are in our inner cities every single day. Hopefully you won’t be a victim one day. And no, I don’t want anyone seeing men dressed as women. It’s a mental health problem.
A whole lotta nonsense in that comment, yeesh. I’m also setting the over-under on number of children of same-sex parents you know at 0.5.
You’re pretty sharp on thr NFL and I respect your opinions. But thinking it’s OK for kids to see dildos in school or think gay couples can procreate is insane.
link to yahoo.com
If you want to cherrypick every example of inappropriate behavior to tear down a whole group, I could send you dozens of stories about youth pastors sexually assaulting minors, but I still manage to not think churches should be banned. And gay couples can procreate with IVF and surrogacy, which are also the only ways many straight couples can procreate. Banning that would be cruel and wrong.
More teachers are sexually assaulting kids today, but we won’t ban schools. Gay people can’t reproduce. Science and all. Depriving children of biological parents is abuse.
My dear friends have two moms, one of whom gave birth. I don’t care whether or not you believe they exist or think they should.
An awful lot of comments from Oooof here telling other people how to live and how to think. Apparently Catholic conservative values are bad, drag queen story hour is good and Brandon McManus should either sign over his entire fortune to some flight attendants who don’t know how to handle drunks and/or be banned from the NFL for life.
Not sure how Pride Parades with hot dogs being waved in children’s faces by bondage clad men on city streets became praiseworthy, while trying to start a party among adults including throwing hundred dollar bills in the air suddenly merits capital punishment.
Strange mores, among the Woke.
Same with idolizing Tyreek Hill, who has 10 kids with at least 4 different women, multiple paternity suits, threatens women, and not a word is said. They think men shouks dress like women and men can get pregnant and chest feed. Butker speaks about family values and gets hate. Sad.
Well you sure are making up a lot of things I didn’t say. You’re the one who rushed to defend a married father who from the sounds of it got drunk and at least sexually harassed workers on a work flight. If you hear allegations of sexual misconduct and immediately race to discredit the accuser, I’m going to go ahead and ignore what you think of my mores, especially when your view of them involves inventing things I never said.
I didn’t defend him. I said let’s see what happens. Buzbee is a slimebag attorney. I’ll just point out Matt Araiza. Those who assumed he was guilty turned out to look foolish. The above reply to Alec wasn’t in reference to you either.
It’s a party plane, after a professional sports team won a big game. Get a life guy. It’s not a church or a nunnery. If a flight attendant doesn’t like that kind of atmosphere, she should not apply to serve on those flights.
The attorney is an ambulance chaser, who practices blackmail and innuendo for a living.
Nah. Players aren’t even allowed to drink on these flights by the league and you’re saying she should expect sexual harassment as part of her job.
It would deeply surprise me if NFL teams did not drink on their flights home after a big win.
I’m not saying they should expect to be harassed. But it is an NFL team charter flight. They are “expectations”. Just like all the women that line up to get hooked up with players after the games. The players have their people taking the ladies names and numbers for the after parties. Or like some of Deshawn’s Instagram unlicensed “massage therapists” (yes some were licensed professionals) but others were qualified for other things, like happy endings. I’ll close it with this Ooof, just because things aren’t supposed to happen, doesn’t mean they don’t.
Things don’t happen. They’re done. The people who do things they shouldn’t should face accountability. Your view of the service industry is obscene.
You must not get out much lol
I get out enough. Just came in from drinks with friends. Wouldn’t you know it, we managed to order drinks and make small talk with the waitress, have some beers, not sexually harass anyone, and go home to our spouses without causing trouble. And we weren’t even on a work flight.
Not the same as hanging out with NFL athletes at a club. I’ll guarantee that!
A team flight isn’t a club.
A trip to the local bar with the boys isn’t an NFL charter flight from London after a W.
Did you read some of the flight attendants on that flight were partying with the players? How did that happen??
Yeah, bars aren’t forbidden from serving drinks and my boss wasn’t there.