Blue cuts OL in domestic abuse probe
THE GIANTS appear to have learned their lesson from their mishandling of the Josh Brown domestic violence fiasco.
GM Jerry Reese and the franchise on Wednesday announced they have waived offensive lineman Michael Bowie, who is under investigation for allegations of domestic assault and battery in Tulsa, Okla.
Last year, the Giants continued to employ Brown, their former kicker, despite knowing about aspects of his abusive history with his wife. Even after the NFL suspended Brown for the first game of the regular season, the Giants played Brown in two more preseason games and employed him all the way up until Oct. 25, finally releasing him only after a written admission of Brown’s guilt was released by police.
The organization still resists the notion that it did anything wrong. Reese never has commented on his decision to resign Brown the previous spring or his role in the situation.
This time with Bowie, though, the team reacted immediately by first leaving him off the team’s recent trip to Cleveland for Monday’s game vs. the Browns and then by waiving him just two days later.
Reese released a statement Wednesday morning saying that the Giants will separate themselves from Bowie until the NFL concludes its investigation.
“We have waived Michael Bowie,” read Reese’s statement. “As we have already stated, we were made aware of this situation on Saturday. The league has started to gather more information. That process will continue. The outcome of that process will determine whether there is another opportunity here for Michael.”
The Giants made this decision despite Bowie’s agent telling the Daily News on Monday that his client is innocent.
Bowie turned himself in to the Tulsa County Courthouse on Monday morning, paid his $17,000 bond, and was released with an arraignment set for Tuesday at 9 a.m.
And agent Peter Schaffer of Authentic Athletix told The News that Bowie, 25, is working hard to prove he is innocent of the three charges behind the warrant issued for his arrest last Friday. They include one count of domestic assault and battery and two counts of malicious injury or destruction of property.
“Michael is an upstanding man, very remorseful about any negative publicity this might bring to the Giants and to the NFL,” Schaffer told The News in a telephone call Monday afternoon. “We are going to work tirelessly to make sure he is exonerated. We’ve talked to all the witnesses and are 100% confident that nothing happened.”