NFL players missing in Gulf of Mexico

From the St. Petersburg Times:

CLEARWATER-- The Coast Guard is looking for a missing boat about 50 miles off Clearwater Pass. At least two professional football players were on board. Victor "Marquis" Cooper, who plays for the Oakland Raiders, Corey Smith of the Detroit Lions, Nick Skyler, and a possible fourth person did not return from their fishing trip as expected last night. Both Cooper and Smith used to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Story being updated here:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/03/coast-guard-is.html

 

What is it with Detroit athletes going missing on boats?

 

Fourth person ID'ed as William Bleakley, a former University of South Florida football player, in the latest update:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/03/coast-guard-is.html

 

Damn - Marquis Cooper is the son of Bruce Cooper, a sports reporter at the NBC affiliate in Phoenix. Hope this ends well.

 

I was surprised when I heard it was a 21-foot center console boat, out 50 miles in the gulf, with four football players on it. My canoe is 14 feet long.




Hoping for the best.

 

I've been watching this front move in all day.

I have a 22-footer, and I wouldn't think for a second of going out with it in this.

 

Any updated news on this story?

 

Status quo. CNN saying search can't go as fast right now, still rough seas in that area.

 

lots of private charters about this size go out to blue water areas that are pretty far offshore.

 

They went missing yesterday, was it rough and nasty then as well?

 

I don't foresee any way this ends well for these guys.

 

It's been a very windy weekend. Seas were pretty rough.