Jock Itch Brandon Marshall’s departure will be sweet, mostly bitter

“I hate Denver. I hope I get traded. I hate this fucking city,” Brandon Marshall said. Wishes do come true.

If I told you a year ago that not only would Jay Cutler be in a new zip code by now, but that Brandon Marshall would soon be on his way out as well, you’d have wept orange and blue tears into your oversized novelty foam finger. Marshall, the Denver Broncos’ best offensive weapon, was offered up last week to the rest of the league for the low, low price of a first-round pick—it’s only a matter of time before another team takes on Denver’s headache as its own.

If it’s shocking to you that Marshall would be laying rubber to get out of Denver, then you probably haven’t been paying much attention to the maligned receiver’s brilliant, yet troubled career. I don’t totally blame Marshall for wanting to leave, but he certainly hasn’t made it easier for himself since he’s been here. He’s had several run-ins with law enforcement—including suspicion of domestic violence (later dismissed)—and it was during this infamous DUI arrest in October 2007 that he uttered the above quote. He was suspended for one game at the beginning of the 2008 season, mostly for his legal troubles, and while the courts may have let him off on a plea bargain, Marshall is certainly guilty of being attracted to drama.

At the beginning of this last season, Marshall was suspended for two preseason games for what coach Josh McDaniels referred to as “detrimental” conduct. This was the first inkling that all was not well between Marshall and the Broncos. And, knowing his track record, you knew that his problems with the team wouldn’t end there. Marshall, however, had a record-breaking term: He snagged his third consecutive 100-catch season and notched an NFL record of 21 catches in a game. But, as we’ve come to expect from BM, all that success was marred by his own off-field blow-ups, and at the end of the season, McDaniels had apparently seen enough and benched Marshall.

But what really sealed it for Marshall probably had less to do with an upstart coach tiring of his bullshit and more to do with Marshall’s own personal quandaries: He recently said in court that he had helped to escalate the fight that led to teammate Darrent Williams’ death in early 2007. Marshall’s involvement has surely had a negative impact on his life and seemed to jumpstart a lot of the trouble that’s plagued him in recent years. And even though I can criticize him for being a dumbass, he’s the one who has to live with the loss of a teammate from here on out, and I don’t necessarily wish that on anyone. Marshall deserves some sympathy for this, if not from the Broncos, at least from the fans.

My opinion of Marshall has swung wildly over the last two years. Never once thinking he wasn’t a topnotch NFL talent, I did find him to be a top-flight douchebag. Last July, I penned a column urging him to follow his dream and get the fuck out of Denver. But as the season got underway and as Marshall got in the groove (even publicly hugging McDaniels in better times), I softened toward him. All is forgiven when your team is winning, but fast-forward to the end of the season, and I think we’ve all had just enough of his antics. It’s time for Marshall to move on, even though we would all likely put up with another year of those antics if it would ensure a deep playoff run.

Marshall claims he’s still open to staying in Denver, but where this nimble enfant terrible ends up is anyone’s guess. I don’t hate Marshall, as I’m sure he doesn’t hate the city of Denver. Hell, if you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve said the same thing. Take some aspirin, Bronco fans, and dry those orange and blue tears. It’s almost over.