Some of the posts in this thread are pretty deep in a sociological sense. Are we actually going through a new period of reassessing the date of adult responsibility for some people? I can feel a rant coming on.
Excusing ridiculously inappropriate behaviours the player knew, or should have known were wrong, wrong, wrong, seems to me to be rationalizing the irrational by offering some BS; poor them they came from difficult circumstances so we should excuse their self indulged rear ends from getting a boot in the shorts., even when they deserve that proverbial boot in the rear. BS is still BS.
Many of these young men will be able to retire with a net worth far far above the average member of society. Of course this will be easy money, subject mostly to: easy come, easy go; but they have an opportunity given them b/c they can play a game well enough to be one of the top 2000 players able to play it. I recognize this maybe is only just an numerical estimate. To do this they have minimal standards of acceptable behaviour which most comply with well. However, a few are woefully non-compliant. Sadly if they are good enough players, excuses are made for them to justify their manifest breaches of acceptable conduct until excuses can't be made for them any longer or they have become an embarrassment to their team. After that they become an unacceptable risk to promoting the objectives of selling the team and are eliminated or discarded with little chance for redemption. The excuses though remain considerably available for those who are stars or who have demonstrated significant talent, seems odd that we as fans accept this but it is clearly the case. Top QBs cheat or worse, are caught and people cry out for their forgiveness. Talented pass rushers who are demonstrable woman beaters, payoff complainants, and get re-hired and are darn well paid when normal society would find these folks to be pariahs. money seems to be the game here and the rest is what we are reduced to accepting. Weird double standards we have to excuse the inexcusable.
I am patently not a a liberal democrat, but not rigidly a hard core sanctimonious right wing moralist either; b/c I'll excuse and even forgive a mistake or two. Usually 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me' applies most. The rest is lately becoming tiresome and social media is seemingly only all about self centred or self entitled rubbish. I'm genuinely getting a bit miffed about the uneven application of league discipline to the "better players". These men are men by any metric, but they are treated like special needs children at times. That last comment was unfair to the group last mentioned. The point is though that we should require more from those to whom much is given. The things is that many, in fact most all do give back in a way that is greatly underestimated or understood by most, it's always the few bad guys that screw things up for the rest. I get the league is selling a product but they should be fair and even handed across the board.
So far this offseason the blockhead of the bunch this offseason has been Irvin who I believe has a big heart but can't seem to engage his mouth and brain simultaneously. I suspect he's been revealed as not really that bright a spark, but you can judge for yourself. He really should make a totally great anti-DUI commercial as a social repayment for his otherwise senseless unfunny joke, and should remember that many of us rabid fans often make more from uncareful comments even if he was suffering from hurt feelings when made. Maybe he'll eventually become more thoughtful. Perhaps he'll grow up ;-)
All in all though, we give these guys too much attention when real heros are around us everywhere, and quite a few are in VA hospitals or doing the city work that is often greatly undervalued.
Sure wish they would actually start playing ball then all this drama would become less significant. The contract scheit is just all that. the deals that need to get done will get done, or not; and we will accept whatever happens and move forward.
Rant over.
