| There are times when I wonder about the state of
this game called professional football. It’s unquestionably the most popular of the
country’s four major sports, and yet there are serious problems. Perhaps some of you
will discount these "problems" as someone just venting about petty imperfections
in the early stages of the offseason, but I think it’s more than that. I was
watching an NFL special the other day, though I can’t remember the specifics of what
channel or what the show actually was called. Regardless, it dealt with the NFL’s
so-called "fashion police," and how the league employs individuals to inspect
players’ uniforms during games to make sure they are up to code. That sock is too
low, that jersey isn’t tucked in in the back, and so forth. They actually fine
players a ton of money if something isn’t just right. As if your mom weren’t bad
enough with the whole spit-shine thing on your face or picking out your church clothes
when you were a kid. I realize the NFL wants uniformity, but it would appear as though it
has plenty of other issues to deal with. Like crime.
The list of rap sheets in the NFL is second only to the United States Congress, and the
league’s image didn’t exactly get polished to a shiny luster when Ray Lewis
served as the ambassador for the Super Bowl. This is a guy who lied to police before plea
bargaining to testify against his pals, who subsequently were found not guilty of the
post-Super Bowl murders a year ago. This is also a guy whose clothes from that night could
never be found. With the way I typically check under the beds and in the dressers before I
leave a hotel room, I figure I really have to work at losing clothes on vacation. But
Ray’s got it down pat.
But it’s not just Lewis who’s been involved in troubling incidents. It’s
Mark Chmura, it’s Rae Carruth, it’s Antonio Freeman, it’s Andre Rison,
it’s Bam Morris, it’s Mustafah Muhammad, it’s (fill in numerous other names
here).
But the difficulty with all of this is that the NFL, much like other professional
sports leagues, could be considered a microcosm of the rest of society. Due to the fact
they make millions and have millions watching them, NFL players are put under the
spotlight, making even the little slip-ups major news stories.
Think about it for a moment. Each NFL team has 53 players on its roster. With 31 teams
currently calling the NFL home, that brings the total number of players in the league to
1,843, not including those on the waiver wire or on the injured-reserve list or things
like that.
Now, randomly pluck 1,843 people out of a mix of what the United States has to offer.
You’ll have some honor-roll students and some CEOs, but you’ll also have some
convicts and high school dropouts. All I’m trying to say is that you have a lot of
different people from a lot of different backgrounds. And a lot of those 1,843 people from
society have had or will have problems, perhaps even with the law.
A friend of yours makes a mistake and drives home after meeting people for drinks one
night. He gets a DUI. He gets his license suspended and has to pay higher insurance rates
perhaps. Broncos QB Brian Griese does the same. He is charged with a DUI. Then he gets his
story plastered all over the nightly news and in the papers. Then he has to go in front of
the media to express his remorse and to apologize to his friends, family, teammates and
fans. Then he has to pay a hefty fine to the league. He also gets his license suspended
and has to pay higher insurance rates. See the difference?
You can say he’s supposed to be a role model for the youth of this country, but
aren’t we all, to some extent? Especially those of you who are parents?
The vast majority of us may never have been in hot water for marijuana possession or
domestic abuse, but the same holds true for the NFL. There’s no question several
league players leave a lot to be desired in the way of knowing how to act, but if it is a
microcosm — and I think it is to a certain degree — maybe we should first look
in the mirror and start there with our criticisms. Then feel free to move on to the NFL. |
