Oakland Raiders: Philadelphia Eagles Claim DeSean Jackson Has Gang Ties
Nov 3, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson (10) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
When wide receiver DeSean Jackson was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on March 28, 2014, the football world was befuddled, especially since Jackson was coming off of a Pro-Bowl year. How could a team release a Pro-Bowl caliber player like DeSean Jackson? Then, the rumors began to spread. First, it was that the organization was going in a different direction. Then, claims were made about Jackson being late for player meetings, and he was not good for the locker room atmosphere. Now, allegations are being made by the Eagles organization that state DeSean Jackson may be tied to gang members or the gang itself.
How did the Eagles come to this conclusion? Well, a bit of research can go a long way. In my previous career, I was a police officer for 17 years. Therefore, I may know a little something about the whole gang affiliation/involvement thing, and I feel like the Eagles organization overstepped their boundaries in this situation. Here’s my reasoning:
A news article, written by Eliot Shorr-Parks and A.J. Perez of NJ.com, details some of the questions raised by the Eagles organization about Jackson’s character off-the-field. Again, let me be blunt, this is off-the-field. Although there were some questionable photographs taken, no evidence has been produced, found, or located to indicate that DeSean Jackson is a gang member. NJ.com puts out a very nice story, and the article does raise some questions, but once again there is no evidence. Here is the link to the article: http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2014/03/eagles_desean_jackson_off-the-field_troubles.html
In the article, the biggest questions raised were DeSean Jackson’s involvement with Theron Shakir. Shakir was a suspect in a murder investigation. Yet, Shakir was acquitted of the charges in January of 2013. Shakir is a rapper who also goes by the name “T-Ron.” He recorded an album with Jaccpot Records. DeSean Jackson owns Jaccpot Records, and the last time I checked, record labels like to promote their artists. This means record label executives will be seen in public and have their picture taken with their artists. Are we, the public, to assume that Jackson is a gang member due to his record label promotions?