Am sitting out the 2008 fantasy season (1 Viewer)

[monessen]

Not that there haven't always been arrests, incidents, etc., in the NFL over the years, but this past off-season has really gotten to me. I don't know if anyone else has been similarly and especially disgusted.

Yes, it is a violent sport and it isn't played by cub scouts. But the thugs, or what Chuck Noll used to call the "criminal element," now rule the league. And it isn't just troublemakers. There are scores of players whose enormous egos are such that you cannot root for them, even if they play for your favorite team or you own them in your fantasy league.

I'm sick of the domestic violence, the gunplay, the DUI car-wrecks, the club fights at 3 am, the drugs, denials about cheating, and everything else that spin control player-agents try to minimize, while teams' front offices claim to be "gathering information" about the incident in question. Kudos to teams like the Bears for dumping Benson.

I've played fantasy sports for 9 years and don't consider myself a baby or a wuss, though I'm opening myself to such criticism with this message. So be it, and good luck this year to you. But I'm not going to be cheering for anyone who fathered 9 kids with 9 women in 2008. Or staying up past midnight to see if some arrogant creep finally scored a TD and celebrated like a Super Bowl win. helping me topple my opponent that week.

 

[wonderdork]

More power to you if it makes you happy, but if it's the ego's of the people involved keeping you away you may also want to avoid TV, Movies, listening to music, following politics...

IMO there are plenty of "good" people I can still draft, and if I really don't care for someone (CJ and TO for instance) I simply don't draft them.

But is it any wonder these people have an ego? Come on, we, GROWN ADULTS, are basically playing a game where they are our "super heroes" to help us win. If they have an ego then we need to look at how we all treat celebrities and atheletes. We build them up to be bigger than life, I'm sure it can be hard not to let that go to there head. I'm not excusing criminal behavior, but if they have a bit of a swollen ego I can understand why.

 

[radballs]

Yes, there has been some incredibly obnoxious and assinine behavior from what appears to be from an increasing number of players. But, in this new media age some of the blame has to be placed on the fact that the sport is so popular that everyone is interested in every detail about every player. All the negative stories sell papers. My guess is that the number of criminal incidents per player is not that much higher than it has been over the last twenty to thirty years. We're just all informed of it because everyone these days wants to see and hear about all of these train wrecks.

 

[AnonymousBob]

What about Andre Johnson? Warrick Dunn? Braylon Edwards?

There are LOTS of nice guys in the league. They just don't get loads of attention for their off field activities.

But if you don't want to do your homework and wish to sit out a year based upon lazy stereotypes then more power to you.

Just remember, nobody forces you to draft Travis Henry. Or anybody else you dislike. And for as much of an idiot Chad Johnson appears to be, I can't recall him getting into any kind of trouble. He has quite the ego but he doesn't appear to be a trouble maker (as far as the law is concerned). Same with T.O. Lumping them in with the likes of Brandon Marshall, Chris Henry and most other Bengals is just wrong.

 

[strykerpks]

monessen wait....

 

[Frills]

I drafted a team composed of only player with a rap sheet.

Most fun draft I have ever done

 

[tombonneau]

Shouldn't you boycott the NFL instead? That would seem to be more in the spirit of your morale compass.

 

[AnonymousBob]

monessen wait....

 

[roadkill1292]

I drafted a team composed of only player with a rap sheet.

Most fun draft I have ever done

That's the spirit! Having fun with the thuggery is the best way to deal with it.Seriously, it's just life. People screw up, especially young men. Stop expecting more out of them than simple entertainment on Sunday afternoons and don't let the screwups screw it up for you.

 

[dpeease]

 

[switz]

I've played fantasy sports for 9 years and don't consider myself a baby or a wuss, though I'm opening myself to such criticism with this message. So be it, and good luck this year to you. But I'm not going to be cheering for anyone who fathered 9 kids with 9 women in 2008. Or staying up past midnight to see if some arrogant creep finally scored a TD and celebrated like a Super Bowl win helping me topple my opponent that week.

Kudos to you... I've debated quitting FF for a few years now. But each year I think they'll right the ship. Had high hopes when Goodell started laying down the law, but not so sure anymore.What saddens me more is on this forum seeing people call someone "self-righteous","judgmental", or "a baby or a wuss" for taking the moral high ground - as if it's wrong to have morals, or expect "role models" to have them.So kudos to you. I hope you find another hobby to fill the spot of FF that you enjoy as much as you enjoyed FF before the NFL became what it is today.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

monessen wait....

 

[Mystery Achiever]

Well, a hobby that is not fun for you doesn't make sense, for sure. But, it is a shame that the actions of a clear minority of players cloud it for you.

Just, remember ....

 

[tombonneau]

I've played fantasy sports for 9 years and don't consider myself a baby or a wuss, though I'm opening myself to such criticism with this message. So be it, and good luck this year to you. But I'm not going to be cheering for anyone who fathered 9 kids with 9 women in 2008. Or staying up past midnight to see if some arrogant creep finally scored a TD and celebrated like a Super Bowl win helping me topple my opponent that week.

Kudos to you... I've debated quitting FF for a few years now. But each year I think they'll right the ship. Had high hopes when Goodell started laying down the law, but not so sure anymore.What saddens me more is on this forum seeing people call someone "self-righteous","judgmental", or "a baby or a wuss" for taking the moral high ground - as if it's wrong to have morals, or expect "role models" to have them.So kudos to you. I hope you find another hobby to fill the spot of FF that you enjoy as much as you enjoyed FF before the NFL became what it is today.

But what kind of statement is quitting fantasy football? FF is merely a byproduct of the actual product (NFL) that he has grown disenchanted with.It's like swearing off eggs because you don't like how chickens are treated, but then you still eat at KFC.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Yes, there has been some incredibly obnoxious and assinine behavior from what appears to be from an increasing number of players. But, in this new media age some of the blame has to be placed on the fact that the sport is so popular that everyone is interested in every detail about every player. All the negative stories sell papers. My guess is that the number of criminal incidents per player is not that much higher than it has been over the last twenty to thirty years. We're just all informed of it because everyone these days wants to see and hear about all of these train wrecks.

Couldn't have said it better myself Rads.

 

[azgroover]

 

[massraider]

I am glad I expect little from pro athletes as people.

Allows me to enjoy the games more.

I don't look to my favorite rock stars or actors for guidance either.

 

[TheDirtyWord]

Taking a year off is not a bad idea if you feel like the NFL has let you down or you've become exasperated with the product. The point was made earlier about the media attention though and I think there is a point there. NFL Total Access has one hour of programming to fill nightly. I just watched footage of Jason Witten receiving his diploma. On the flip side, you are going to hear about the negative and we all know that it's those stories that will garner more attention.

I guess the two pieces of advice I would offer are as follows:

1) Make your final decision in August. This is the boringest time of year for any football fan and it's easy to be frustrated when alot of the news is mundane or bad.

2) If you do go through with your hiatus, don't be so proud to not admit missing it if in fact you do...

 

[simey]

Well, a hobby that is not fun for you doesn't make sense, for sure. But, it is a shame that the actions of a clear minority of players cloud it for you.

Just, remember ....

 

[Jon_Moore]

Props to you my friend. Not for your reasoning, just the will power to stay away. I could care less about arrests as far as whether or not I play.

I'll be a Junior in College when the season opens. My 1st 2 years, I've watched myself spend more time reading up on fantasy football than Biology. It's a problem, truly. Still, I've already committed to at least 5 leagues.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

I've often wondered if pro athletes are fairly generalized as being thugs or are perhaps just a microcosm of society. With 32 NFL teams and between 55-80 players on a team at any given time you have between 1800-2600 players in the league at any given time. Really 1-2 arrests per day out of that population doesn't seem bad to me...Most of these guys are between the ages of 22-28. I wonder if you profiled 1800 men with similar demographics if you'd have roughly the same percentage of thugs & criminals or if leagues like the NFL are bound to have a higher % of thugs because of the large piles of money and free time many of these young men occupy.

 

[BustedKnuckles]

To each his own but that seems like a strange reason to take a break....if its because of boneheads in the nfl than shouldnt you not watch the games also? For that matter shouldnt you take a break from life as there are more boneheads all around you every day than on tv playing a game .....

 

[tombonneau]

I've often wondered if pro athletes are fairly generalized as being thugs or are perhaps just a microcosm of society. With 32 NFL teams and between 55-80 players on a team at any given time you have between 1800-2600 players in the league at any given time. Really 1-2 arrests per day out of that population doesn't seem bad to me...Most of these guys are between the ages of 22-28. I wonder if you profiled 1800 men with similar demographics if you'd have roughly the same percentage of thugs & criminals or if leagues like the NFL are bound to have a higher % of thugs because of the large piles of money and free time many of these young men occupy.

1% of the US population is incarcerated in jail:http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...s.53f256a0.html

With 53-man rosters, there are ~1,700 NFL players every season.

To hold to the national average, 17 would have to be jailed, which isn't even close. I'm not even sure that that many are arrested in a season (though it might be close or higher).

 

[monessen]

Taking a year off is not a bad idea if you feel like the NFL has let you down or you've become exasperated with the product. The point was made earlier about the media attention though and I think there is a point there. NFL Total Access has one hour of programming to fill nightly. I just watched footage of Jason Witten receiving his diploma. On the flip side, you are going to hear about the negative and we all know that it's those stories that will garner more attention.

I guess the two pieces of advice I would offer are as follows:

1) Make your final decision in August. This is the boringest time of year for any football fan and it's easy to be frustrated when alot of the news is mundane or bad.

2) If you do go through with your hiatus, don't be so proud to not admit missing it if in fact you do...

DirtyWord, I like your sane and insightful message very much. Thank you. I pledge not to be a hypocrite about it all. As for those who believe "monessen . . . wait" is a howl, just wait until a player you own is suspended for 4 games when you need him the most.

 

[ceisenhower66]

Well, when I saw the subject, I didn't expect player conduct to be your reason, but I respect your opinion.

I also am cutting back my fantasy football play significantly. After playing in 9 leagues and 14 suicide/weekly pick/pick 5 pools last year, I got burned out. I had really good years in 2005 and 2006 and decided to pursue more leagues last year. I also really enjoy the drafts, so that influenced me to do more leagues without considering the fact that I would have to manage all the rosters.

While I broke even financially (spent about $500 to play in all those leagues and pools and won that much back), it became more of a pain than fun. I just could not keep track of free agents and my rosters and everything got jumbled up in my head. Sundays were madness as I had to sit on the computer for hours to make lineup decisions. Every night Monday through Thursday required submitting moves for a waiver deadline. Outside of football, job and family responsiblities have increased and I just don't have as much time to stay on top of the latest news.

I'm not doing a complete break. I do think I would miss fantasy football. Instead I am cutting back to three leagues...two that I have played in for years and another online league with no one I know and a larger entry fee. Three leagues should allow me to concentrate better on those teams and hopefully make it fun again. If the spark doesn't return, then I may take a complete break.

So anyway, you are not alone...

 

[slayer666]

Don't hate the game.

 

[Gottabesweet]

I'm sitting out a hockey game because of a groin strain. HTH

 

[pinequick]

Wife pretty much put her foot down this year, huh?

 

[monessen]

Wife pretty much put her foot down this year, huh?

I think you are supposed to have a rim shot on that, then add "I'll be here all week. Try the veal. Don't forget to tip your waitress."Uh, that's, um, part of it.

 

[pinequick]

Wife pretty much put her foot down this year, huh?

I think you are supposed to have a rim shot on that, then add "I'll be here all week. Try the veal. Don't forget to tip your waitress."Uh, that's, um, part of it.

I suppose the OP should have clued me in. But methinks somebody takes themselves a WEE too seriously, hmm?

 

[NoFBinLA]

I can see where you're coming from OP. I can.

But I've had the great opportunity to meet a ton of NFL players this year. And while not every one of them is a saint (many were Bills or Bears - THERE'S your rim shot and I WILL be here all week) the vast majority have been good guys. Some of them have SURPRISED me with their actions and attitudes. In fact, as few were in direct contrast to everything I had heard about them.

And that's where what Radballs said comes in - some of these cats can't catch a break with the media. It doesn't matter what they do, it gets spun in a bad light. Because as Radballs said, it sells papers. Not saying some of them don't put themselves in bad situations with poor choices - but sometimes those moments are not the whole story. But one story about how player A got in a shouting match with a cop and BANG suddenly he's a bad egg and the press runs with it.

I guess what I am saying is, remember we're not getting the whole story all the time. And for every bad story we read, there are many more good things that guys do every day. It's hard to remember it, with the bad stuff getting all the front page news - in anything, not just sports, mind you. But the good does far outweigh the bad. The bad just gets faster legs via the internet because ultimately, gossip sells better than anything else.

I respect backing away if the sport sickens you (or the players do). I don't really watch baseball anymore - I'm just tired of hearing the word steroid and excuses as to why a player didn't know he was using. So I get what you're saying. I just want to point out that not everything is as bad as it seems sometimes on the news.

FWIW - I too hope you find some hobbies you enjoy as much as you once enjoyed FF. If something is not enjoyable anymore - for ANY reason - then often it;s best to step away for a while. Best of luck to you.

 

[ScottyFargo]

Not that there haven't always been arrests, incidents, etc., in the NFL over the years, but this past off-season has really gotten to me. I don't know if anyone else has been similarly and especially disgusted.Yes, it is a violent sport and it isn't played by cub scouts. But the thugs, or what Chuck Noll used to call the "criminal element," now rule the league. And it isn't just troublemakers. There are scores of players whose enormous egos are such that you cannot root for them, even if they play for your favorite team or you own them in your fantasy league. I'm sick of the domestic violence, the gunplay, the DUI car-wrecks, the club fights at 3 am, the drugs, denials about cheating, and everything else that spin control player-agents try to minimize, while teams' front offices claim to be "gathering information" about the incident in question. Kudos to teams like the Bears for dumping Benson.I've played fantasy sports for 9 years and don't consider myself a baby or a wuss, though I'm opening myself to such criticism with this message. So be it, and good luck this year to you. But I'm not going to be cheering for anyone who fathered 9 kids with 9 women in 2008. Or staying up past midnight to see if some arrogant creep finally scored a TD and celebrated like a Super Bowl win. helping me topple my opponent that week.

As for those who believe "monessen . . . wait" is a howl, just wait until a player you own is suspended for 4 games when you need him the most.

I don't understand. The latter is hardly a moral standing point to be outraged upon, and it is obviously far more often that a FFer will lose players to injury than to legal woes. It's life, magnified under the lense of the media. These men aren't any better than anyone else, they just have more money. Some are able to deal with it, some can't, but they are far from alone in society for having bad apples. Religious figures, politicians, teachers, there are scandals to read about in the paper and even more things going on that you'll never know about from the people who should be the real role models in society.I certainly wouldn't call you a wuss for having ideals about the game and the players who play it, it's a righteous thing to want others to hold themselves accountable. Unfortunately it isn't realistic, it isn't new, and it isn't going to stop unless there is a vast shift in the way the world works.

 

[Manster]

focus on the good. there are a lot of decent guys in the NFL. dont draft the turds

something to consider. these guys are the best of the best, and have been told so since young kids. these guys can have anything they want whenever they want it. some of these guys, especially comin from crappy backgrounds, cant handle it. some of them grow up, but not all of them.

that said, it would be nice if more teams just got rid of the turds even if they are talented turds.

 

[shader]

I wish the guys in my leagues would avoid drafting the bad guys like many of you. It'd be much easier to win.

 

[shredhead]

I wish the guys in my leagues would avoid drafting the bad guys like many of you. It'd be much easier to win.

it would be nice if more teams just got rid of the turds even if they are talented turds.

If that happened, the Raiders might have a chance to be a good team again.

 

[Pictus Cat]

Some leagues penalize owners with players with bad behavior.

Just an option...if that kind of fun would work for you.

 

[eric rymer]

I am glad I expect little from pro athletes as people.Allows me to enjoy the games more.I don't look to my favorite rock stars or actors for guidance either.

I think this helps out. We have to temper our expectations to enjoy this game a little. It's kind of like getting mad because the kid at the drive through screwed up your order. You're not paying for Filet, you ordered from the dollar menu.But to the OP, if the hobby you enjoy isn't fun for you anymore, then you do need to step away and find some enjoyment. Good luck to you.

 

[SuperJohn96]

Yes, there has been some incredibly obnoxious and assinine behavior from what appears to be from an increasing number of players. But, in this new media age some of the blame has to be placed on the fact that the sport is so popular that everyone is interested in every detail about every player. All the negative stories sell papers. My guess is that the number of criminal incidents per player is not that much higher than it has been over the last twenty to thirty years. We're just all informed of it because everyone these days wants to see and hear about all of these train wrecks.

Couldn't have said it better myself Rads.

No kidding.30+ years ago, the media probably helped cover up a lot of the misbehaviour.No you see/hear/read about the same incident from 30+ different sources 30+ times in 30+ days.We are deluged by the media with these reports, so i think really it just seems like it is worse now than before.Those players back in the 'good old days' were no saints, that's for sure.

 

[chris1969]

Not to mention that a lot of these players have backgrounds in which if it wern't for the NFL, they'd be doing much worse. (See Maurice Clarett)

 

[roadkill1292]

Kudos to you... I've debated quitting FF for a few years now. But each year I think they'll right the ship. Had high hopes when Goodell started laying down the law, but not so sure anymore.What saddens me more is on this forum seeing people call someone "self-righteous","judgmental", or "a baby or a wuss" for taking the moral high ground - as if it's wrong to have morals, or expect "role models" to have them.

I hope I haven't been one of those people, even though I've taken a fair number of shots myself from people who object to my ability to divorce the player from the game. Frankly, I believe Mr. Goodell is overstepping his boundaries with his disciplinary policies and that those should be left up to the individual teams. If an organization feels that a player's off field misconduct is costing it fans and revenues, then it should be free to take action to rectify the situation. If an organization feels that its fan base is more permissive in this regard, then it should be free to tolerate the behavior without the league's intrusion.As others have said, miscreants are a part of everyday life. When they misbehave, I would like to see NFL players treated no better and no worse than the average joe. As long as I perceive no favoritism, then I'm not the least concerned to see them back on the field once the civil authorities have had their say. Maybe my days of needing "role models" are behind me.

 

[pinequick]

I've often wondered if pro athletes are fairly generalized as being thugs or are perhaps just a microcosm of society. With 32 NFL teams and between 55-80 players on a team at any given time you have between 1800-2600 players in the league at any given time. Really 1-2 arrests per day out of that population doesn't seem bad to me...Most of these guys are between the ages of 22-28. I wonder if you profiled 1800 men with similar demographics if you'd have roughly the same percentage of thugs & criminals or if leagues like the NFL are bound to have a higher % of thugs because of the large piles of money and free time many of these young men occupy.

1% of the US population is incarcerated in jail:http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...s.53f256a0.html

With 53-man rosters, there are ~1,700 NFL players every season.

To hold to the national average, 17 would have to be jailed, which isn't even close. I'm not even sure that that many are arrested in a season (though it might be close or higher).

This is an *excellent* point of departure, if we really are going to seriously discuss this topic. Quitting fantasy football because of the misbehavior of its players seems as silly as saying, "I'm quitting this society, because it's just too violent." The U.S. is a violent society... it is. For the selected sub-population (1700 young men, many from spotty backgrounds/upbringing), the NFL is actually doing a great job--when compared to the rest of society.I'm not sure of the lens through which the OP is viewing what he/she expects that the NFL should be... but it surely is rose-colored.

 

[AnonymousBob]

I'm not going to commend you for your decision. I'll commend you if you have the willpower to stay away from something you love but your decision itself is moronic.

Are you going to refrain from watching any and all NFL games? You darn well better not buy any of their products or give them one penny.

What, you had Vick on your roster last year? C'mon, how often does somebody you draft end up getting suspended?

Warrick Dunn down? There are a LOT of nice guys in the league. It's your own fault if you have no idea who they are. You're whining that the league is full of thugs but guess what? There are a bunch of nice guys as well. When you have loads of money it's bound to magnify the person's true self - for the better or for the worse. If you've ignored all the NFL saints and focused on the problem children then you're part of the problem.

How about the Braylon Edwards Foundation? Tony Gonzalez? Jeff Garcia? Brian Urlacher, Brian Dawkins, Donnie Edwards, Chris McAllister, Jimmy Williams, Donald Driver, Mark Clayton, Allen Rossum, Michael Clayton, Deuce McAllister, Drew Brees, Mike Alstott, T.J. Duckett, Charles Grant, Rudi Johnson, Chris Chambers, Bart Scott, Donovan McNabb, Big Ben, Raheem Brock, Deion Branch, Adalius Thomas, Matt Light, Mike Vrabel, Shaun Alexander, Jay Cutler, Marcus Trufant...heck, even DeAngelo Williams has a foundation.

Every single player I listed has their own charity/foundation.

http://www.nflplayers.com/user/template.as...id=0&type=l

If you really have an issue with the punks then here's a simple solution: Don't draft them! Problem solved!!

And as I mentioned before - just because somebody has quite the ego (CJ, T.O.), that doesn't mean they're getting arrested for anything. Give me one example of a player getting arrested for something and I can counter with a feel good story about a player doing some good.

 

[awesomeness]

the answer seems pretty simple here, just dont draft the people who you see as being a thug or an egomaniac.

But honestly:

dont hate the player, hate the game.

 

[tombonneau]

Give me one example of a player getting arrested for something and I can counter with a feel good story about a player doing some good.

This is false. You could probably counter it with FIFTY feel good stories. But those are boring, and unless they exceed the bounds of normal charity (Peyton Manning Allows Make-a-Wish Boy to Fulfill Dream of being Ring Bearer at Wedding!) they are not reported on.

 

[AnonymousBob]

Give me one example of a player getting arrested for something and I can counter with a feel good story about a player doing some good.

This is false. You could probably counter it with FIFTY feel good stories. But those are boring, and unless they exceed the bounds of normal charity (Peyton Manning Allows Make-a-Wish Boy to Fulfill Dream of being Ring Bearer at Wedding!) they are not reported on.

Exactly. Which is why the reasoning behind the OP's statement is ridiculous.

 

[fatness]

But the thugs, or what Chuck Noll used to call the "criminal element," now rule the league.

You're wrong about that in my opinion, but you're right to walk away from something that frustrates you. It's supposed to be fun; when it's not, walking away makes sense.I don't think there are any more or fewer criminals in the league than there ever were. There's just vastly more coverage of what they do than there used to be. Most news coverage these days has been reduced to sensationalist reports about what makes people angry, afraid or outraged, and sports reporting (and the resulting discussion) are just following suit. Nobody hears about Malcolm Kelly helping out a charity, but everyone hears every rumor of Javon Walker getting beat up and that translating somehow to him being a thug. Watch the local news sometime --- they don't report events, they report people's reactions to events. It's a tabloid view of the world, and unfortunately it's easy to fall into the perspective that things are getting worse and worse, when in reality most things are not. I don't think NFL players are better or worse than they ever were. But you can't tell that from reading the Shark Pool. No disrespect meant to Switz, but I see things somewhat opposite his view. I see people eager to jump on any loose detail and denounce players, and denounce other posters if they won't join in. Sensationalist reporting. Tabloid frame of mind. Ignoring the positive. Accenting the negative. It's frustrating, and you actually are making a good choice, for you, in walking away. It's supposed to be fun.

 

[FUBAR]

But the thugs, or what Chuck Noll used to call the "criminal element," now rule the league.

You're wrong about that in my opinion, but you're right to walk away from something that frustrates you. It's supposed to be fun; when it's not, walking away makes sense.I don't think there are any more or fewer criminals in the league than there ever were. There's just vastly more coverage of what they do than there used to be. Most news coverage these days has been reduced to sensationalist reports about what makes people angry, afraid or outraged, and sports reporting (and the resulting discussion) are just following suit. Nobody hears about Malcolm Kelly helping out a charity, but everyone hears every rumor of Javon Walker getting beat up and that translating somehow to him being a thug. Watch the local news sometime --- they don't report events, they report people's reactions to events. It's a tabloid view of the world, and unfortunately it's easy to fall into the perspective that things are getting worse and worse, when in reality most things are not.

I don't think NFL players are better or worse than they ever were. But you can't tell that from reading the Shark Pool. No disrespect meant to Switz, but I see things somewhat opposite his view. I see people eager to jump on any loose detail and denounce players, and denounce other posters if they won't join in.

Sensationalist reporting. Tabloid frame of mind. Ignoring the positive. Accenting the negative. It's frustrating, and you actually are making a good choice, for you, in walking away. It's supposed to be fun.

Pretty much the same as everyday people. Count the news stories on people being nice or doing the right thing vs. criminals and see what you get. Might as well quit life too?Frankly, I sort of like it this way. I expect people to be good, when they're not, it's news. If it were different - report the good, expect the bad? The world would be a scarier place.

 

[monessen]

The topic hit a nerve, I see. Good. Not much going on until training camps open, anyway.

I've read all the posts. Many great points. I don't mind the inevitable criticism---even being labeled moronic (after all, this is the Shark Pool), and I appreciate the advice. I have enjoyed fantasy football and am usually the type to start preparing for drafts right after the prior season ends and later play in 3-4 leagues a year.

There is no denying how many "good guys" there are in the NFL. Yet, as mentioned earlier, the Warrick Dunns aren't normally hyped by the media, but some are. Pat Tillman comes to mind and is deservedly characterized as a hero. But, in promoting the games, the networks play up the "bad boys," the players who crave attention, and ones who want to re-negotiate their contract after one good season or else they aren't reporting to camp. But my chief concern is how prevalent bad/criminal behavior has become, and I don't think the media is over-reporting that. If anything, events like Jimmy Smith's suspicious surprise retirement and the Marshawn Lynch hit and run are downplayed. A guy earning millions, someone with responsibilities and the trust of their bosses, can't be selfish, consider themselves above the law, and hide behind agents and attorneys. It doesn't matter if you're 18 years old or 35 as far as right and wrong are concerned and too many athletes have been on scholarship for life (Reggie Bush), believing they'll always be protected, no matter what.

I wonder how many parents had to explain to kids with #7 Falcon jerseys why Vick is in jail. On this very site, there was a great amount of taunting toward the guy during the Ron Mexico fiasco. I guess you can poke fun at player stupidity or you can get irritated by it, especially when teams protect star players while sacrificing the marginal ones in trouble. It's only when the star who screws up has no more wiggle room, a la Vick, that teams decide to sever ties.

It wasn't my intention to deride anyone's passion for FF. Play on. I just believe we deserve more and we deserve better from these guys since a major group of them are looked up to by young fans who don't understand why their favorite player beat up his girlfriend or rammed her car while she and their baby were sitting in it. But maybe the type of player molded by the Vince Lombardis are a thing of the past. Society has become more tolerant of the Pac-Man Jones characters and more lenient toward those who lack personal integrity. For those current players with charities and so forth, they are doing a fine thing for society and it is probably in their nature to do so instead of being a PR thing. Very admirable.

Well, I might be back. Great words of wisdom earlier about when a thing ceases to be fun, it is best to take a break. It could lend perspective. Peace, brothers.

 

[RudeDog]

I agree with the point that sitting out of FF is a hollow statement to make. Stop watching football completely would be the only true display of your displeasure.

It appears that you complain of moral weakness in players then show your own moral weakness by not committing on your decision but taking relatively painless half-measures to show your disdain.

Be a man, if you have a problem with the NFL today write the commish and boycott everything related to the NFL. Anything else means nothing and invites ridicule.

Just my

 

[supersecretid]

I've often wondered if pro athletes are fairly generalized as being thugs or are perhaps just a microcosm of society. With 32 NFL teams and between 55-80 players on a team at any given time you have between 1800-2600 players in the league at any given time. Really 1-2 arrests per day out of that population doesn't seem bad to me...Most of these guys are between the ages of 22-28. I wonder if you profiled 1800 men with similar demographics if you'd have roughly the same percentage of thugs & criminals or if leagues like the NFL are bound to have a higher % of thugs because of the large piles of money and free time many of these young men occupy.

1% of the US population is incarcerated in jail:http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...s.53f256a0.html

With 53-man rosters, there are ~1,700 NFL players every season.

To hold to the national average, 17 would have to be jailed, which isn't even close. I'm not even sure that that many are arrested in a season (though it might be close or higher).

You have to divide the percent that are incarcerated by the average length of incarceration to come up with how many you would expect to go to jail in any given year.It's true that if you look at the demographics (in terms of age and race) then the NFL players are doing very well compared to those groups as a whole. On the other hand if you go by other demographics (employment status and income), I'm sure they're among the worst of their peers in those groups.