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Although Brandon Marshall reported to Denver Broncos training camp in July, he’s been practically invisible since tweaking his hamstring a few days later — an injury that’s reportedly not serious, prompting speculation that he’s milking it to amplify his displeasure at not being traded. This week, however, he had a better, albeit unpleasant, excuse for remaining out of the public eye. Tomorrow, he’ll be at the center of a one-day trial in Atlanta over a March 2008 incident involving his ex-girlfriend, Rasheedah Watley. The misdemeanor battery charge could result in further punishment from the NFL, which has already handed Marshall a one-game suspension over the matter.
As expected, plenty of Broncos fans are willing to forgive Marshall any and all transgressions because he’s needed on the field. An example: A caller to ESPN 1600 recently likened Watley to the woman who shot and killed former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair earlier this year — and host Joe Williams let the comparison stand rather than knocking it down. Blaming the victim clearly hasn’t gone out of style. Still, there’s no shortage of evidence against BM, as is obvious from an ESPN Outside the Lines presentation from late May, in which Watley told her side of the story. See it, and watch Marshall’s on-air defense, by clicking “Continue.”
