Does the image of the NFL matter to fans?

by cgolden on May 29, 2007 4:45 PM EDT in News Comment 7 comments

After seeing the great sport of football get dragged through the mud for most of the offseason with countless arrests, it made me start to wonder: do we as fans really care?

Here's a quick list I put together of noteable arrests or suspicions of criminal activity by NFL players since the beginning of 2007:

Joey Porter & Levi Jones - fighting in a casino
Vick - dog fighting
Jared Allen (KC DE) - DWI (his second)
Chris Henry and Pacman - several
Tank Johnson - we all know that story
David Kirkus (Den WR) - felony assualt
Dominic Rhodes - DUI
AJ Nicholson - assualt
Jeremy Stevens - possession of pot
Steve McNair - DWI
Richard Seigler - Pimpin'

I'm sure they're are some that I missed, and in no way am I saying that all of these people are guilty, but in the court of "public opinion" the damage is already done. The question I have for you is do you really care what these guys do off the field or is your interest in them strictly after they put on the uniforms?

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I care.

My moral outrage coincides almost exactly to how deplorable I find the action in question. On drugs (which I suspect there are many more perps than arrests by matter of degrees) I find the behavior astonishingly stupid and avoidable but do not get outraged at all. It is a victimless crime, in my opinion.

When a human being ends up paralyzed, my patience goes down significantly.

Escalating all this is the feeling of helplessness many of us non-millionaires feel when watching probably-not-innocent athletes get not-guilty rulings nonetheless, thanks in large part to the financial resources they can throw at a problem. I am not so cynical to think reasonable doubt can be purchased, but we're getting there.

I also posit that anyone willing to admit that they only care about what these people do on the field is irresponsible and contributing to the see-no-evil, enabling attitude that allows people who happen to be entertainingly fast, strong, or gifted, to get away with things the rest of us wouldn't.

Hogs Haven

by Skin Patrol on May 29, 2007 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't care quite so much

Guys that beat up a woman should be in jail but most of the off the field stuff doesn't bother me too much. If a guy is smoking pot, or gets into a bar fight (or casino fight), I may think he's pretty dumb for risking his career but I don't really care too much.

by schnifin on May 30, 2007 2:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's interesting,

As a fan, I won't have any of these guys on my "favorite players" list. Throughout sporting history there have been MANY players who were doing illegal or shady activities. Today's players get more press because of it due to everyone wanting to rub everyone else's name through the mud. THere have always been cheaters and criminals in sports, its just in today's society I truly believe we are going to see MORE thugs and criminals because that is what is popular in "pop culture" nowadays. You are who you hang with man. Look at who these players spend their time with. That being said, I really appreciate those other players who do extra to keep their noses clean and do the "right things" (polamalu) In regards of watching a game, I'm not thinking about who did what off the field, but its so much easier to focus on this crap during the off-season because there is nothing else to talk about.

by Mikey on May 31, 2007 8:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

don't forget

about Ricky Williams failing yet another drug test.

by steelerark on May 31, 2007 11:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Heh.

To some of us, that should be a non-issue, both from a legal perspective and from the perspective of the NFL. Performance enhancing drugs are an issue. I don't know why anyone would care if a player uses performance-detracting drugs.

by HinesField on Jun 1, 2007 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely

Our children look up to the players as role models, and heros and as such we must hold them to a higher standard. Now I am not saying every infraction demands a player be suspended long term. Each infraction must be view separately and take into account, the players history, the severity of the infraction, and their attitude about the infraction itself. Those items are what should determine the response by the team and or league.

I am glad the league is working on cleaning up the league, and getting the players association on board was the smartest way they could have done it.

by karene999 on Jun 1, 2007 5:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It matters

It doesn't matter if you're a millionaire athlete or not, some of the behavior has been disgraceful to the NFL and to the players. While it is true that suspending a top performing player could result in disasterious results for a team, players need to realize that they possess a job that only a small fraction of the population could ever hope to hold. They need to act like professionals and adults both on and off the field.

Rick

by Rick on Jun 1, 2007 10:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs