Javon Walker Story

Jun 17

Special from Profootballtalk.com Posted by Mike Florio on June 17, 2008, 1:02 p.m.

Maybe it’s a function of things being fairly slow right now in NFL circles. Regardless, the Javon Walker situation has created a major buzz on the Internet.

Then again, how often does a high-profile receiver turn up knocked out cold in the street after a weekend of spraying expensive champagne at one or more night clubs?

There are completely unfounded rumors (we repeat . . . completely unfounded rumors) that the incident started with a champagne bidding war between Walker and Floyd Mayweather, and that a member of Mayweather’s entourage later stumbled upon Walker and proceeded to beat him into a pulp.

Regardless, strong similarities exist between Walker’s most recent incident and the circumstances that preceded the shooting death of Darrent Williams. Here’s a quote from an August 11, 2007 AP item regarding an interview of Walker aired by HBO’s Real Sports: “[A]nother Broncos receiver, Brandon Marshall, and his cousin were partying with Williams’ group that night and began spraying champagne around, ’some of which hit a club patron and his friend, who confronted Williams and his entourage.’ Those men flashed gang signs and were escorted out of the club, said members of a rap group from Williams’ hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, who were with him that night.”

Apart from the question of whether the more recent champagne spraying and the subsequent cold-cocking are in any way related, we’d like to think that Walker would have sworn off champagne spraying given its role in the chain of events that resulted in Darrent Williams dying in Javon Walker’s arms.

When Walker explained to Andrea Kremer of Real Sports the reason for keeping his bloody shirt from that night, Walker said, “It’s just something that reminds me every day of what could happen and this is what happened to my friend.”

Maybe it takes a second bloody shirt to help Walker realize that nothing good ever comes from spraying champagne (or any other beverage) onto a group of people that might not necessarily want to be sprayed with it.

UPDATE: There’s really nothing to say about the following YouTube clip, which purports to be footage of Walker spraying the crowd with champagne at the Body English club.