Will The NFL Ruin Its Image?
The NFL dominates the American sports scene. The game is tremendous, its history rich. The athletes put their bodies on the line to perform feats most humans simply can’t. We’ve bestowed all the best warrior cliches upon the men of the gridiron.
Maybe that’s why these players are consistently starting to act like idiots.
Until recently, if you lived outside of Cincinnati or Oakland, you could pretend that your local football stars were true professionals and good people. Oh wait, Baltimore couldn’t pretend. Or Dallas. Or anywhere Terrell Owens went. Oh yeah, and the Patriots cheated a lot.
One glance at this week’s football roundup will show that the game may be healthy while the system gets sick. Consider:
- The Giants finally released Plaxico Burress four months after the wide receiver illegally carried a gun into a New York nightclub and accidentally shot himself in the leg. Way to take a stand New York.
- Donte Stallworth, wideout for the Browns is facing charges of DUI manslaughter.
- Michael Vick. He told a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge that he is a changed man after prison time. The judge didn’t buy it.
- Jay Cutler, a pro-bowl quarterback entering his prime, demanded and got a trade out of Denver after a fallout with the new head coach, a teenager named Josh McDaniels. Cutler was allegedly mad that his new coach was the best XBox player on the team.
I made that last part up. I do not care about the Broncos, but their ownership stupidly fired Mike Shanahan, one of the most accomplished coaches in the past 15 years. This last point shows that many times the owners and general managers create or assist the problems splashed across television screens. Why talk about positives when negativity sells?
I know there are hundreds of really good guys in football. Even the NBA has a some good people (nine).
NFL Commissioner R
oger Goodell continues to place his puritanical stamp on player violations. Players, media, and fans protest every time he cracks down, but he’s got his work cut out.
As time goes on, the young men joining this elite level of football will continue to bring with them the rampaging sense of entitlement so prevalent throughout our society. Everybody deserves everything by simply turning 18 these days. Even average people want to live in the dreamworld of superstar celebrities and athletes. If you’re a star athlete, you really must deserve everything immediately.
How far will the violations go? How long until an NFL player charges into the crowd to attack a heckling fan? Worse yet, what if an NFL player becomes implicated in a serious charge like murder? Oh, are we not supposed to talk about that?
Enjoy the game of football, but do not make Commissioner Goodell the bad guy. People who act like idiots need to put in their place, not on a pedestal. Playing in the NFL is a privilege that should demand top notch character by those fortunate enough to be invited to play and live the dream lifestyle.
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Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
