Commish Suspends Bad Boys, Time to Change Focus
And that's all fine and dandy. A move like this was long overdue, and I fully support the level of punishment dished out to each player. But now, what about the on-field thugs and cheaters who pay a much lighter cost for their bad behavior?
Last season saw guys receive lighter punishments for incidents such as stomping on another players head, kneeing another player in the groin, and testing positive for illegal drug use and performance-enhancing substances.
Of even more concern than the thugish image being created by some, in my view, are the guys who are taking substances that enhance their performance on the field. These are things that directly affect the integrity of the game itself.
Last season San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was forced to sit just four games for taking a substance that had the potential to shift the balance of competition unfairly in his favor. Which should be of more concern to the NFL? Henry puking out a window, or players artificially enhancing their physical abilities? Which has more potential for irreparable damage to the league? A bad-boy image, or a perception that the game isn't played on a level playing field?
In my opinion, while I support the harsh punishments dished out to Jones and Henry, they are little more than an attempt to appease the outcry of middle-class Americans who are turned off by the thugish off-field activities. Shouldn't the league be just as concerned, if not more, with those who cheat the game?
Now that the punishments have been ratcheted up a notch or three for bad behavior off the field, it's time to turn up the heat on those who behave badly on the field, and those who cheat by taking steroids and human growth hormones.
The fans have tolerated bad boys for as long as the NFL has been in business, and the league is more popular than ever right now. While we might get up in arms over the behavior of certain individuals, it's not likely that many of us will be driven away from the sport by a couple bad apples.
If we allow the cheaters to skew the records and results of games, however, it could be a different story.
Comments
The NFL is not about quote people of good character. It is a business whose sole concern is making money. As long as these guys win championships the NFL will tolerate thugish behavior. Society pampers players from middle school on up. It warps their sense of reality and stops their maturity. My son was a NFL player did all the right things in College but went undrafted. Why because some coach who is paid millions while these kids struggle come in an disrupts their future. So lets be real this kids are nothing more than pawns in a big business. The NFL doesn,t want character
it wants wins,wins fill the arena and generate huge profits for the owners.That the bottosm line
I’m also amazed at the cavalier attitude towards the type of cheating which directly impacts competitiveness on the field. The Merriman case troubles me. Very few of the football “talking heads” drew a correlation between his ability to be “a beast on the field” and the fact that the drugs in his system are intended to produce EXACTLY this result. Rather, the enablers on ESPN and NFL Network totally skirted the issue, surmising that he would have performed at that level even without his “lapse in judgment.” They continued to acclaim his sack totals, stating that they were compiled in spite of missing four games…. as though this was some unrelated administrative suspension for, say, a uniform violation.
Maddening. The issue isn’t what his sack total would have been if he had played the additional four games. Rather, the entire discussion should have been to speculate how LOW his sack total would have been had he not been juicing when he was playing. Instead, the cheater is voted into the Pro Bowl based on his performance during the same period he was caught using performance enhancing drugs.
Did anyone notice that Merriman was an exhausted non-factor in the playoff game against the Patriots? Coincidence? Or was his testosterone level finally back near normal?
Where is the outrage?
I agree with Brian. Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman(stupid nickname) should not have been able to make the probowl. That was just ridiculous. He should have been suspended for a year without pay. He was tested for one of the strongest PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS on the planet. Of course he is going to get that many sacks. I bet he does next to nothing next year.
Imagine what Jason Taylor would have done if he was doing that exact drug. He would have probably had almost 30 sacks.
I like my football players human, not super-human. They should not be permitted to get away with illegal drugs or any damaging behavior on or off the field. Guys used to play for the love of the game, now it’s the love of money. And what do we do? We cater to them, wipe their butts and cover up their indiscretions! NO MORE!!!