Echoing the hard-line stance of new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Eric Mangini has lectured the Jets on the importance of staying on the right side of the law. The coach is trying to build a team of wholesome players, and one player near the top of his list is Jonathan Vilma. Except for one slip of the tongue - he compared illegal dogfighting to horse racing last week in a radio interview - Vilma has forged a solid reputation on and off the field. The talented linebacker is the latest to shoot a soup commercial with his mother, and what could be more anti-Pacman than that? "We have a bunch of kids looking up to us," Vilma says. "I remember when I was a kid, looking up to Jerry Rice." To maintain his image, Vilma says he tries to stay away from potentially troublesome situations. One of his favorite retreats? Poker in Manhattan. Every week or so, Vilma ventures into the city to play cards in a poker den, a members-only club that attracts celebrities and serious gamblers looking to avoid crowded casinos. More than a year ago, Alex Rodriguez made headlines for frequenting these establishments, where it is legal to play poker but against the law for the house to profit. Playing poker legally isn't a violation of league policy, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. But some might question Vilma's association with the clubs, considering the perception it might create because of the raids and robberies the clubs occasionally face, although he says he doesn't see any downside. He views it as a winning situation - even when he loses. "They told us to stay out of trouble and that's the best way to stay out of trouble," he says. "I'm inside, I can't get into trouble, I can't get hurt, I'm just playing cards." Unlike A-Rod, who initially refused to comment on his involvement, Vilma openly discussed his jaunts to poker dens. He says he isn't worried that it will raise questions. "I would hope not," he says. "Anybody who likes to play poker, if you want to find a good poker game, you're going to go play. It's not anything where I'm betting the house, like $100,000. You go, kick back, have fun, talk to some of the fans, enjoy it. I like playing poker. It's like playing basketball, but you can't do that (because of potential injuries)." Vilma says he plays when he's bored, heading into Manhattan "maybe once a week, once every two weeks." To him, it's akin to shooting baskets or playing video games at the ESPN Zone. The Jets weren't particularly expansive when asked to comment on Vilma's poker playing, releasing a statement that said, "We were unaware of this situation. The New York Jets support the league's stance on gambling." Vilma said the team has addressed the matter with him, but declined to reveal what was said. Many of the city's poker dens are sleek and inviting, although they're vulnerable to holdups because of the amount of cash on the premises. Thursday night a slick high-end parlor on E. 61st called National CardRoom was knocked off to the tune of $50,000. Making it even more enticing is the fact would-be robbers know the owners of these halls aren't going to call the police because their poker dens are illegal. And there are the occasional raids - National was busted as recently as 2005 - which would be embarrassing for a professional athlete. "There's never been an incident when I've been there," says Vilma, who, according to poker sources, is a terrific card player. To the Jets, Vilma is an ace in the middle of their defensive deck. He's the brains of the outfit, a film-room fanatic known for spending hours in front of the DVR. But for all his smarts, his reputation took a hit last season with a sub-par performance. Undersized for Mangini's 3-4 defense, Vilma made few impact plays, finishing with no sacks, no forced fumbles and one interception. He produced only 68 solo tackles, down from 143. After an offseason of rampant trade speculation, none of it confirmed, the former AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year (2004) is eager to return to his old form. If he has another mediocre year, the Jets could put him on the trading block for real. This could be a crossroads season for the former first-round pick, but he says he's ready to tackle the pressure. "It's good to know what people expect of me and how people perceive me," he says. "They expect the big plays and they expect the big hits and 200 tackles. Whether it be in a 4-3 or 3-4, those expectations aren't going to change for me. For me, it's good to hear that, and it's a little bit of a motivating factor." Before the draft, Vilma was rumored to be on his way to the Redskins in exchange for running back Clinton Portis, a close friend and former college teammate at Miami. They shared a good laugh over the trade talk. Vilma says he never believed the rumors and never felt compelled to ask management if he was being shopped. "Jon works the same way regardless of what system he's in, where he is, what happened in the past or what's going to happen in the future," says Mangini, who cancelled yesterday's practice to take the team on a field trip to an undisclosed location with soldiers from Fort Bragg (N.C.) who are guests of the team. "He's a very consistent guy and he's got a lot of pride in what he does at work and his craft, and you see that." Vilma is determined to succeed in the 3-4 scheme. And that is no poker bluff.
LB frequents Big Apple poker parlors
06-17-2007, 01:26 PM
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