I’m sure you’ve heard the seemingly endless news stories concerning pro athletes and their off the field violations. They vary from DUIs, drug possession and of course, domestic violence. It seems as though there has not been a week that has gone by without a story breaking about a pro athlete and their brushes with the law. We in the public have come to know exactly what to expect once a pro athlete is accused of their crime. First comes a flat out denial from either the accused, or his lawyer. Once the evidence becomes more prevalent, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to hush the victims or witnesses, a press conference is called and there is usually a tearful confession laced with plastic apologies. Every news station runs the story ad nauseum, and there is a public outcry for the athlete to be tarred and feathered in the town’s square, and the league’s commissioner’s head on a platter. After a month or two we forget about it…that is, until another pro athlete goes on a rampage, then the whole sickening escapade happens all over again.
Unlike a vast majority of the public, I have been on both sides of the proverbial fence in this situation. No, I have never beat up my wife or been caught in a drunken or drugged out stupor, what I mean is that I was once a pro athlete. I wasn’t a multi-millionaire superstar, I played professional arena football, so I know what it’s like to be under a microscope by the fans and the media. Now, being that I have been in their shoes, does not mean that I have an ounce of sympathy for any pro athlete that screws up. What befuddles me, is that the money these guys are making has their minds jaded in the sense that they truly believe that because of their status and celebrity, they’re above the law. Now don’t get me wrong, I completely understand that we all make mistakes in the heat of the moment, but when you take zero precautions to prevent those mistakes from escalating into crime, you deserve to pay the price. In my opinion, if you decide to get loaded and smack around your wife, the privilege of making millions of dollars to play a game should be taken away for a MINIMUM of one year. These guys should not get slapped on the hand by the judicial system and the league, and given the opportunity to sit at home collecting a fat paycheck. Hell, if you or I were to commit these crimes, we would have the book thrown at us & prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It’s pathetic that the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, thinks more in terms of ratings and sponsorship money, than that of the consequences his players’ actions have on the youth of America that look to these guys as if they were gods. I mean, there are so many underlying factors and consequences that are overlooked in these cases, that the up and coming athletes are being taught that because of your social and economic status as a pro athlete, you will be able to weather any criminal storm by throwing money from your over-flowing bank account at it. Even kids that have no aspirations of becoming a pro athletes are seeing that its ok to raise your hand to a female. In far too many cases, pro athletes serve as a role model to these kids that are being raised in a home where the male figure is absent. You would think that more athletes and celebrities would use their fame to encourage and inspire the youth, but sadly, that is just not the case. To many, it is “cooler” to show off their tricked out cars and their wads of cash. What a complete let-down we’ve become as a society as a whole. Instead of helping and assisting our fellow man, we instill envy and create hate. As a father, former athlete, and concerned citizen, I say enough is enough.-DG
The Ferocious Truth 