Sports Break: What the Hell Were They Thinking?

Picture top round draft choices who have made the roster on NFL teams and obtained contracts assuring them seven figure incomes over the next three years. These athletes have undergone years of training and hardship, often playing through pain and injury to reach their goal of an NFL contract. Now picture these same individuals tossing all that opportunity by being arrested for illegal gun possession, felony drug possession and drunken driving. What could they possibly be thinking?

Let’s just do a quick survey [by no means comprehensive] of cases reported in the media in the past six months. Pacman Jones, Ahmad Carroll, Chris Henry, Gerald Sensabaugh and Charles Sharon were all arrested on multiple charges including gun possession. Add to them Kalif Barnes and Brian Williams arrested for speeding and reckless driving while drunk. Under the NFL’s newly imposed rules, teams will be held accountable for the behavior of their players. A clause in player contracts that allowed teams to cut players and void contract payments if the player engaged in criminal activity that brought disrepute on the team has been a hotly debated issue for years. Now the NFL has stepped in and declared that whether or not the teams include such restrictions on the players directly, the team will be sanctioned for the such behavior of its players.

It is true that many of these players came from rough circumstances and that they may have "friends" who are drawn to weapons, drugs and other criminal lifestyle elements. Many of these athletes come from college backgrounds where true education and intellectual maturation was a mere afterthought. But it is long past the time for such excuses to carry any substantial weight. These athletes know what they are seeking and should know [or be advised] that there are responsibilities that go along with the prize. There are many young disciplined athletes who do have the discipline to make the necessary choices that go along with getting a contract with an NFL team. If they can discipline their bodies to perform at highest levels to compete on the field, they can also discipline their lifestyles to avoid drugs and weapons charges. Those who cannot exercise such discipline deserve to step aside and let others step forward.

We might ask why on earth a player would actually need to carry an unregistered weapon. In 99% of all instances of their daily lives, they could and should avoid any situation where a gun might even be useful or necessary for personal defense. [When would they ever need it as an offensive tool?] If there were a legitimate risk or need to have a weapon, what would prevent the player from obtaining a legal permit? More to the point, if a player felt it necessary to go into an environment where his personal safety might be at risk, he could contract with a bodyguard who is licensed and trained in the use of weapons for a mere fraction of the player’s annual income. There are responsible bodyguards who would be happy to work for a salary of $50,000 per year. And for an athlete making more than $500,000 a year plus incentive bonuses, such a precaution would seem cheap in comparison to risking your entire career. So, what the hell were they thinking?