Kiszla: Broncos need to address unacceptable drunken driving arrests By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post July 10, 2013 The Broncos have a drinking problem. Matt Russell and Tom Heckert are team executives entrusted in the front office with guiding the Broncos down the road to the Super Bowl. Russell and Heckert have been arrested during the last month on drunken driving charges. There will be no self-righteous wagging of the finger by me at the NFL franchise whose every move affects the heart of Denver. But the sobering truth is: The Broncos must do something more than say they're sorry. "My expectation is the discipline will be severe," Broncos president Joe Ellis told The Denver Post. While Russell and Heckert will get the opportunity to state their cases in court, the discipline must come first from the Broncos, not the league office or the legal system. To be certain, there will be demands of zero tolerance shouted, pressuring the Broncos to fire Russell and Heckert. I get that. The Broncos get it. The anger and shame within the team's Dove Valley headquarters is so loud it rattles the walls. Russell, however, has done football in Colorado proud since he was an All-America linebacker for the CU Buffs in the 1990s. Would firing him do more to serve justice, or appease our sense of outrage? But the Broncos do face a tough choice at the intersection where loyalty and practicality collide. Suspending Russell without pay for at least three months while the top aide to John Elway deals with the legal fallout seems within reason, especially if Russell was sincere when saying: "I'm ashamed that I represented this region and the Broncos' organization in the matter that I did." Here's the tricky part. If Russell misses a major chunk of time during the football season, can the team effectively cover his responsibilities for day-to-day personnel operations on the pro level and preparation for the NFL draft in his absence? Heckert has not been on the job in Denver long enough to build goodwill or trust. Dismissing more than 20 years of work in the NFL for a dumb mistake would seem harsh. Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand, however, was suspended 30 days and fined $100,000 in 2010 after he plead guilty to driving while impaired. Heckert should expect similarly stiff punishment. After the final session of minicamp in the middle of June, Broncos coach John Fox lingered on the practice field before heading out for the six weeks of down time on the NFL calendar that causes concern the period of rest and relaxation could turn into trouble for young athletes. "This is the time of the year," Fox told me, "that you don't ever want to see a player's name in the headlines unless he wins the lottery." Fewer than 48 hours before Fox expressed his apprehension, Heckert had been arrested in Parker under suspicion of DUI. The Broncos have a drinking problem. First and foremost, it's a safety problem. The Broncos are lucky nobody on either side of the steering wheel was killed. And these cases cannot be dismissed as boys gone wild. Russell is 40 years old. Heckert is 45. It's a serious football problem. A team with legitimate championship aspirations could well be handicapped by a huge hole in the front office left by Russell, the Broncos' director of player personnel, and Heckert, hired in May as the director of pro personnel. This is also a personal problem, capable of igniting deep-rooted empathy or vein- popping disgust, with that harsh swing of emotions possible within the same breath. If the arrest report on Russell proves to be correct, his Fourth of July weekend unfolded like a movie script so bad that David Spade would reject it as preposterous. Alongside an open container of alcohol while driving before sundown Saturday, Russell allegedly ran his Toyota Tundra into a car in the Colorado mountain town of Frisco, then kept going until his trip came to an abrupt stop further down the road when he rear-ended a police vehicle. The Broncos have a drinking problem. "One episode is too many. Two is ridiculous," Ellis said. At the league meetings held in Arizona during March, commissioner Roger Goodell announced the NFL was going to expand its partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in the wake of Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent being charged with intoxication manslaughter stemming from a December crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown. "We are very proud about this relationship and are working to educate our executives, our players and everybody about the dangers of drunk driving and what we need to do to be responsible role models in this area," Goodell said. MADD president Jan Withers gave a talk from the heart to NFL leadership, which included representatives from the Broncos. In 1992, her 15-year-old daughter, Alisa Joy, was killed by a car driven by an underage drinker. The Broncos have a drinking problem. The Broncos cannot get back on the road to the Super Bowl until they deal with it. Another Broncos exec facing DUI charges; Tom Heckert arrested in Parker By Mike Klis and Ryan Parker The Denver Post July 9, 2013 Tom Heckert, the Broncos' director of pro personnel, is facing DUI charges from a June 11 arrest in Parker, the Douglas County Sheriff's office said Tuesday. Heckert joins Matt Russell, the Broncos director of player personnel, in facing DUI charges. Russell was arrested Saturday night in Summit County after allegedly hitting two cars, one of them a Breckenridge police car. Heckert, 45, was arrested June 11 at 10:15 p.m. near South Chambers Road and East Main Street. Police say he possibly had been weaving out of his lane, according to Douglas County Sheriff's spokesperson Ron Hanavan. Heckert joined the Broncos on May 7 after previously serving as the Cleveland Browns general manager. The Broncos released a statement late Tuesday afternoon about Heckert's arrest, acknowledging they had known about it for weeks. "We were made aware of the matter involving Tom Heckert immediately after it occurred and promptly notified the league office. His arrest is extremely upsetting, and this situation is being handled internally as well as in coordination with NFL policies. "Tom's actions are obviously part of a disturbing pattern of irresponsible behavior that we are aggressively addressing within our organization. One member of the Broncos arrested for driving under the influence is one too many. This type of behavior puts innocent people at risk and cannot be tolerated." Heckert was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. His first court date in Douglas County was Monday, according to police — the same day news broke of Russell's arrest. Heckert is scheduled for another pretrial court appearance on Aug. 30 with his lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, according to the Associated Press. Heckert released a statement through the Broncos saying: "I am extremely disappointed that in my short time with the Broncos I have made such a serious mistake. My actions last month have brought embarrassment to the organization, and I fully understand the consequences that are involved. I am truly sorry and take complete responsibility for this situation. "Although I have let many people down, I will learn from this and work toward regaining the trust that I have lost." Broncos executive vice president John Elway hired Heckert this spring. He was in charge of scouting current NFL players and was to oversee advance scouting of Broncos opponents. The Broncos, in their statement, added: "While our team and league supply plenty of resources to prevent these situations, it is clear we need to do better. "We are thoroughly reviewing the procedures we have in place and will do whatever it takes to enhance their effectiveness going forward." Both Russell, who was hired in 2009 to oversee the Broncos' college scouting department, and Heckert face possible heavy discipline from the team and the league in addition to any legal consequences. The NFL's personal conduct policy applies to front office executives as well as players, and Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated he wants to stiffen the penalties for first-offense drunken driving cases. Penalties could range from stiff fines to suspensions and even banishment from the NFL. Heckert is entering his 23rd season in the NFL. He started as a scout for the Miami Dolphins in 1991. What, if any, punishment should NFL give Broncos executive Matt Russell? By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post July 9, 2013 Matt Russell has made football in Colorado great, from his days as a decorated linebacker for the CU Buffs to his role building the Broncos into a Super Bowl contender as an executive with the local NFL team. In the mountain town of Breckenridge over the Fourth of July weekend, Russell was arrested on multiple charges, including DUI and careless driving, after his truck collided with a police SUV. So how does the NFL respond? Commissioner Roger Goodell is often applauded for protecting the league shield, when he suspends players for off-field trouble. Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall was fined more than $50,000 and missed a game in 2008 due to suspension. Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand was suspended for 30 days and fined $100,000 after he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in 2010. While Russell has apologized, punishment from the league seems likely. What should it be? Listen to Peter Burns of Mile High Sports Radio and I discuss it here: Tailgating and alcohol are almost as much a part of the NFL’s game day experience as stadium video boards and cheerleaders.