by Robert A. Waters
Maybe Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is onto something. After the troubled career of Dez Bryant culminated in his arrest for beating up his mother, Jones hired a “live-in” baby-sitter to keep him out of trouble.
That might be an
alternative the National Football League could consider for its overpaid and
under-virtuous minions.
Many who
followed the University of Florida during the Tim Tebow era knew Aaron
Hernandez would one day land in jail. It
was precisely because of “character issues” that the talented tight end slipped
from first round to the fourth round in the 2010 NFL draft. Trouble seemed to hang around Hernandez like smoke
from a marijuana cigarette.
According to
several NFL scouts, the former Gator failed numerous drug tests while in
college. “He’s either dumb or addicted,”
one scout said.
Now that North
Attleboro police have arrested Hernandez and charged him with the first degree
murder of Odin Lloyd, maybe a babysitting service for players is
in order. Former Denver Broncos general
manager Ted Lundquist seems to agree. “It's
better to have a system in place that can monitor or check that guy, a security
firm that is part of these guys’ lives, not just vetting them,” he said. “The [NFL is] tied to the hip with these guys.
I think that investment is well worth
it.”
The league, of
course, minimizes the wrong-doing of its hired guns. A spokesperson recently cited FBI statistics to
show that arrest rates for NFL players is less than the general public. But Jeff Benedict, author of Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in The
NFL, refutes that argument: “The danger of doing comparisons with the
general public is [that] if you look at these people and their backgrounds, how
many of those guys who have been arrested in the FBI numbers have been to
college, make a lot of money like NFL players do, and live in safe, good
neighborhoods? The issue is why any of
these guys are doing this when they have all these good things going on in
their lives.”
Exactly. The public looks at Aaron Hernandez’ mansion,
his seemingly endless supply of expensive automobiles, and his $45 million
contract—then people wonder why he can’t stay out of trouble. Why in the world would you go around shooting
people, as Hernandez is alleged to have done?
In the last
year, dozens of NFL players have been arrested, some for horrendous crimes.
So as the new 2013
NFL season begins, watch your favorite team and root for your favorite players.
But don’t get
too enamored with any particular guy.
He just might
end up in the slammer.
3 comments:
I think the public has placed them so high up that the players have come to believe they are above the law. The public is doing the same thing in other sports now and those players are following the same path as the NFL. My personal all time hate is Michael Vicks and he will be a thorn in my side until i see him tortured like he did the dogs. It is a shame what money has done to the ego of these stars. They were once a child's idol and sometimes the only idol they had in their life. Sports used to be the greatest thing a child could compete in for learning experience, physical training and general friendship. Now it is close to the top of the list to keep children away from. I used to love all sports and no long watch anything because of the mouth on most of them, the scandals arising one by one with everything connected and most of all Michael Vicks. I do watch(listen actually) to the Eagles game because nothing thrills me more than hearing Vicks is hurt. It has even corrupted me because I really live to see him in the same shape as the dogs. The days of sportsmanship are over. Also none of them can even put a sentence together when speaking on camera. This shows young kids that school serves very little purpose.
Geri, I completely agree with you. With the exception of Tim Tebow, I hate them all.
It is a shame what has happened in sports. I think they were a great thing for kids, adults and a family together to participate in or just go as a family to watch a game. It was exercise, fun, and athletes used to be someone you could let your child look up to and just an all round good thing. I loved sports, they were a fun thing. There is just way to much money involved in sports today to ever make it a sport any more. Aside from what the athletes are paid the gambling is what is really controlling sports. When our President called and congratulated the NFL for allowing Michael Vicks back in the game it made me sick in my stomach. This blog is not on politics and i don't discuss politics any place except to say, when you place a criminal athlete ahead of our veterans it is time to end the game.
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