Area fans weigh in on signing

Paul Pigza remembers back to his days at Willoughby South when he and his grandfather used to go to watch Kareem Hunt and the Rebels play on Friday nights.

“My grandpa used to bet how long it would take for him to score a touchdown — one run, two runs,” Pigza said. “He’d bet every drive how many touches it would take for Kareem to get a touchdown.”

Now that Hunt is back in town, Pigza said he might start up where his grandfather left off, now that Hunt is a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Hunt was signed by the Browns on Feb. 11 to what is reported to be a one-year, $1 million contract. Hunt is on the NFL’s exempt list after a video surfaced that showed him shoving and kicking a woman last February at his residence in Cleveland.

He was released by the Chiefs on Nov. 30.

Area reactions to the Browns signing the embattled Hunt were mixed on Feb. 11. Some are staunchly against it. Some are all for it. Some feel it’s worth the gamble.

“I’m not really worried,” Pigza said, “because he seems genuinely sorry. He knows what he did was wrong.”

“No way. You’re a grown man. He should have just said, ‘Get her away from me.” – Karen Brey

Seated not far from Pigza at Pickles n Pints, just a stone’s throw from Harry E. Winters Stadium in Willoughby where Hunt once starred as a South Rebel, Ed Plummer of Willoughby sounded optimistic.

Sort of.

“He’s young enough to have a second chance,” Plummer said. “It’s not a great move, but ...”

Karen Brey of Mentor wanted to hear none of it. She said after seeing the video of the incident, Hunt should have known better.

“No way. You’re a grown man,” Brey said. “He should have just said, ‘Get her away from me.”

Up the road at Willoughby Panini’s, Nicole from Mentor — who did not want to give her last name — agreed.

She said the Browns signing a player in Hunt’s situation is not what the franchise wanted or needed.

“(The signing) makes it look like anybody in the professional field of sports can get away with that kind of stuff,” she said. “It just doesn’t look good.”

Seated at the bar in Panini’s for an afternoon lunch with his friend Tom LaPlante, Bruce Sundman shrugged his shoulders regarding the Browns’ decision to sign Hunt.

The Browns were 7-8-1 last season. Spirits are high, which has Sundman skeptical of the move to sign Hunt.

“The last thing they need is a player with a crazy history,” Sundman said.

LaPlante noted that the NFL hasn’t made a ruling yet on how long — if at all — Hunt would be suspended for his actions.

Hunt was neither arrested nor cited for the incident. “I’m sure they did their due diligence,” LaPlante said of the Browns. “I’d like to see him get a second chance. But then again, I was for Johnny Football (Manziel) and he never came around.

“It’s a 50-50 shot if you’re the Browns, so I think it’s worth it. If he straightens out, it could be a good thing.”

Antonio Davenport of Eastlake agreed that the bargain price of one-year, $1 million could be worth the gamble. But he still bristles at Hunt’s actions.

“I don’t agree with what he did, and I think he should serve his suspension,” Davenport said. “But if (the NFL) let Ray Rice back and Adrian Peterson back he should get a second chance, too.

“I was surprised the Browns got him. I didn’t think we’d be in the running.”

That seems to be the general reaction – disappointment in Hunt, but willing to give a second chance.

Todd Trevarthan of Euclid said “I love it,” in regard to the signing, but added, “I was so upset when I saw what he did.”

Tim Young of Willoughby chimed in.

“I think it’s questionable,” he said. “It’s not something in this day and age they should have jumped into. But it sounds like someone (in the NFL) was going to sign him, so. ...”

Perhaps the most qualified to have an opinion is John Stepec, a former AllOhioan at Lake Catholic who went on to play with Hunt at Toledo.

“I’m happy for him,” Stepec said. “I’m glad he got a second chance. I think he knows what he did was wrong. I hope he does well in Cleveland. He just has to stay out of trouble and really do better. I wish him the best.”

“I’m glad he got a second chance. I think he knows what he did was wrong. I hope he does well in Cleveland. He just has to stay out of trouble and really do better.” — John Stepec, former teammate of Kareem Hunt’s at Toledo