We begin this week’s Odds & Ends with the bizarre fight in the Oakland A’s clubhouse involving Danny Valencia and Billy Butler on Friday.

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the scuffle broke out when Butler walked into an A-B conversation Valencia was having with an equipment representative visiting the clubhouse. Valencia was being questions about the off brand cleats in his locker when Butler snitched him out and said his endorsement deal should be dropped.

From Slusser: “Valencia told the representative that he only uses the non-issue spikes during pregame workouts. According to multiple sources, Butler, who has an equipment endorsement with a different company, jumped in to tell the equipment rep that Valencia was lying and regularly uses the non-standard spikes. Butler allegedly told the representative that the company should drop Valencia’s endorsement deal. Endorsement deals are typically worth between $10,000 and $20,000, sometimes more.
After the rep departed, the players said, Valencia confronted Butler and told him, ‘Don’t you ever loud talk me in front of a rep. That was wrong,’ and walked aggressively toward Butler. Butler turned around, took a couple steps toward Valencia, and according to both witnesses, said, “I can say whatever I want and your bitch ass isn’t going to do anything about it.’ One player said that the men leaned in, bumped heads and then started pushing each other, Valencia started swinging and hit Butler in the temple. After the players broke things up, Butler told the players he was OK.”

Butler missed two games due to his injuries from his clash with Valencia and was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Valencia was fined for the incident.

I honestly believe that Butler should’ve minded his own business. Who gives a shit what brand of cleats Valencia is wearing? Honestly he shouldn’t. What he needs to do is worry about himself. I honestly don’t know why Butler is still on this team,he hasn’t been very good since he came over from Kansas City (where he was,oddly enough,teammates with Valencia). Also,if you’re going to show more fight in the clubhouse than on the field,it shows what kind of team you’ve fielded and how bad it’s going to continue to get.

Christian Ponder was signed by the 49ers last week to fill a roster spot following the Thad Lewis injury that ended his season.

The 2011 first-round pick,who last threw an NFL pass in 2014, did play in San Francisco’s 31-24 preseason win over the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. He completed seven of eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown and even ran for a 22-yard score.

“I hadn’t had that much fun on a football field in a long time,” Ponder said. “I think it was the mind-set of like, ‘I don’t have anything to lose,’” Ponder said. “I was already sitting on a couch doing nothing. I think the biggest thing that hindered me before was second-guessing myself and being hesitant in certain decisions.”

Ponder was released by two teams last season before signing with San Francisco this past week. In the time before his signing he had been working around his house and was actually in the middle of painting his home when the 49ers called. That party of the story actually made my friend and I laugh as we watched the game from his home on Saturday.

I actually thought Ponder looked good out there,I don’t know if he played well enough to unseat Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick or Jeff Driskel for the starting job,but he did show me one thing,that he’s worth giving one last shot at a chance to be back in the NFL. Just give him his own number for Christ’s sake (Ponder is sharing No. 5 with punter Bradley Pinion).

Let’s go to the bizarre story of former NFL quarterback Todd Marinovich who was found naked with marijuana and other drug paraphernalia in Irvine,Calif.

Irvine Police said Monday that Marinovich,47, was arrested Friday night after a call saying a naked man was on a hiking trail near homes. The officers found him in a backyard holding a brown bag containing marijuana and a substance that appeared to be meth but police are awaiting lab results.

He was cited for trespassing,possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
Marinovich has had a checkered past which dates back to his days at USC. He was booked for cocaine possession a month after the 1990 Sun Bowl and was drafted 24th overall in 1991 by the Los Angeles Raiders. He was released by the Raiders after two seasons for repeated drug use, cementing his legacy as one of the biggest NFL busts in history and earning the nickname “Todd Marijuanavich”.

He recently was focused on his art career before Friday’s arrest.

It’s a shame that a guy like Marinovich hasn’t been able to stay out of trouble like he has. It’s a reminder to not just players of today or even players of the past,but to all of us that if you have a problem,get help for it. Once you do get help,be thankful for that help and move your life forward in a positive direction. I hope one day Marinovich can do that!