Porter still awaits ruling from NFL
BY JEFF DARLINGTON
jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com
Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter's case might be closed in the courtroom, but his issues stemming from a fight with Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Levi Jones at a Las Vegas casino now will shift into the NFL's hands.
Porter, who wasn't present at Wednesday's hearing, entered a guilty/no contest plea on a misdemeanor battery charge through his attorney, Karen Winckler. As a result, Porter was punished with a $1,000 fine, which Winckler paid immediately after.
With Porter's legal issues finalized, the NFL must decide whether it also will punish South Florida's newest sports star. The league had no immediate update Wednesday, and it could not provide a time frame.
''At this point, it's the same as we've said in the past,'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday. ``It's still under review. There's nothing to add yet.''
As for Porter's stance with the team, coach Cam Cameron did not indicate whether Porter would be punished internally, but said in a statement he has been pleased with the linebacker's honesty since the incident took place.
''Joey has been up front and honest with me since joining our team,'' Cameron said. ``He fully understands the type of character we expect from our players, both on and off the field, and I am confident he will learn from this.''
However, Porter still might not have picked an ideal time to have his first off-the-field fight, considering commissioner Roger Goodell has been coming down hard on bad behavior. Such an incident might not have merited much more than a fine in the past, but a suspension seems much more possible as a result of the offseason's precedent.
Porter was cited with a battery charge in March, when he and several friends attacked Jones at the Palms Casino.
Through the Bengals' media relations department, Jones said he would not comment publicly about the incident anymore.
Weeks after the fight, Jones called Porter a ''coward'' for the attack.
The two players had a long history of verbal jabs on the field, since both met twice a year in the Bengals' AFC North rivalry with the Steelers (Porter's former team). Jones, an offensive lineman, and Porter will meet again this season when the Dolphins play the Bengals on Dec. 30.
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