America's Sport
By Anthony Ace Antonucci
Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: Opinions
Professional athletes will do as they please whether or not they are fined, suspended or jailed. So let's just let them have their fun and we will all be thoroughly entertained in the process.
Only a couple weeks ago Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens was suspended for conduct detrimental to his organization. In other words, Owens hurt another player's feelings and now he's in Time Out. In the head coach's defense, however, Owens did start a fight with another player in the locker room, and as we all know, aggressive physical encounters are not encouraged in football.
It seems a bit hypocritical to bench Owens for just mouthing off while other athletes continue to play after committing far worse acts. Jamal Lewis, for example, just recently got out of jail for participating in a coke deal and he's the Ravens starting running back. Teammate Ray Lewis, no relation, was charged a few years ago for being involved in a murder shooting. Moreover, every year, numerous players throughout the league get caught driving drunk, soliciting sex, or just leaving a game before it's over because they're upset.
When you give 20-year-olds millions of dollars and make them celebrities right out of college, it's only natural to expect wild behavior and scandalous acts.
The NFL has to stop pretending that there is anything classy, moral, or wholesome about football and admit what the sport is really about: a bunch of overpaid, over-praised over-juiced jocks with limited intelligence and limitless egos beating each other up for sixty minutes every week.
What's more, people are not allowed to be shocked when outrageous and illegal activities take place in conjunction with football players. Or in some cases, an entire team.
Several weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings engaged in numerous scandalous acts that were the subject of much media attention. Players rented what has been stingily described as a boat for a team party. Less a boat, more of a large yacht complete with anything a bunch of wild, wealthy kids could want. Apparently the players were using drugs and having sex and for some reason, this seemed to shock people as it warranted endless news coverage as some demanding punishment.
Only a couple weeks ago Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens was suspended for conduct detrimental to his organization. In other words, Owens hurt another player's feelings and now he's in Time Out. In the head coach's defense, however, Owens did start a fight with another player in the locker room, and as we all know, aggressive physical encounters are not encouraged in football.
It seems a bit hypocritical to bench Owens for just mouthing off while other athletes continue to play after committing far worse acts. Jamal Lewis, for example, just recently got out of jail for participating in a coke deal and he's the Ravens starting running back. Teammate Ray Lewis, no relation, was charged a few years ago for being involved in a murder shooting. Moreover, every year, numerous players throughout the league get caught driving drunk, soliciting sex, or just leaving a game before it's over because they're upset.
When you give 20-year-olds millions of dollars and make them celebrities right out of college, it's only natural to expect wild behavior and scandalous acts.
The NFL has to stop pretending that there is anything classy, moral, or wholesome about football and admit what the sport is really about: a bunch of overpaid, over-praised over-juiced jocks with limited intelligence and limitless egos beating each other up for sixty minutes every week.
What's more, people are not allowed to be shocked when outrageous and illegal activities take place in conjunction with football players. Or in some cases, an entire team.
Several weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings engaged in numerous scandalous acts that were the subject of much media attention. Players rented what has been stingily described as a boat for a team party. Less a boat, more of a large yacht complete with anything a bunch of wild, wealthy kids could want. Apparently the players were using drugs and having sex and for some reason, this seemed to shock people as it warranted endless news coverage as some demanding punishment.
