Almost a day after former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was stabbed and then arrested in Indianapolis, we’re getting a better sense of what happened and why. As it turns out, Sanchez isn’t quite the victim, even though he was in a hospital bed in critical condition.
Now, his future with Fox Sports has been determined.
Report: NFL on FOX makes a decision on Mark Sanchez’s future (Breaking)
According to journalist Chris Landers:
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Indianapolis Star, the situation began with Sanchez “being upset that the 69-year-old man parked his work box truck at a loading dock to collect used cooking oil”. Sanchez told the man that he couldn’t leave his truck where it was parked, at which point he “is seen running after [the man] and the video shows Mr. Sanchez grabbing and throwing [the man] towards the wall of the Westin [hotel],” per the affidavit.
The man attempted to get the attention of a hotel security guard before spraying Sanchez with pepper spray.
“The pepper spray appeared to have an effect on Mr. Sanchez for a moment, but [he] wiped his face and again advanced toward [the victim],” the affidavit says. At that point, the man told police that he began to fear that Sanchez would kill him. He pulled out his knife, and when Sanchez approached, he stabbed the former quarterback two or three times in his upper torso.
It goes without saying that this entire situation is horrifying, and we hope that Sanchez — who is now reportedly in stable condition at a local hospital — makes a full recovery. But the fact that Sanchez was the one who apparently initiated the altercation, all while the victim claims he smelled of alcohol and slurred his speech, paints a troubling picture. It should also throw his future at FOX into serious doubt.
FOX can’t allow Mark Sanchez to return to the booth, at least not this year
FOX is caught in a difficult position here. Obviously, they want to support their employee during a life-threatening situation. But, unless the victim’s account — as well as that of a nearby witness, who confirmed key details — is a complete fabrication, it sure seems like this entire thing wouldn’t have happened if Sanchez hadn’t been the aggressor.
It’s unclear why he was so bothered by the man parking his truck at a loading dock, or why he was so quick to resort to violence, and in the absence of mitigating details, this is the behavior of someone who’s in need of serious help.
It goes without saying that said help should take priority over Sanchez’s work. This is a troubling encounter, and Sanchez simply can’t return to the broadcast booth without taking real steps to prove that this isn’t a pattern of behavior that will continue into the future.
Which isn’t to say that FOX needs to immediately fire him; maybe probation will work, with conditions regarding counseling and potentially rehab. But he needs to at the very least be suspended for the rest of this season.
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