Far be it from NFL players to be removed from the social media circus these days. In fact it appears to be a cottage industry. Whether it’s TMZ staking out LAX to break the Aldon Smith bomb hoax story, or some dude taking pics of Johnny Foot (Eight) ball rolling up a $20 in a Vegas bathroom (what happens in a Vegas bathroom apparently doesn’t stay in the Vegas bathroom) getting ready to partake in some recreational drug usage, or Ray Rice cold-cocking his soon-to-be wife and caught by the hotel security cameras, no one is safe at any time any where.
Throw in the fact that players still get in trouble the old fashioned way (failed drug test, DUI), Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon, he of the recent fame of being involved in the Jim Harbaugh trade, pulled a triple-triple by recently failing a drug test for pot, getting arrested for speeding and possession of marijuana, and then getting a DUI last weekend. Teammate Davone Bess was recently arrested for beating up a cop at the Ft Lauderdale airport, Viking Erin Henderson pulled a double-double of his own getting arrested on separate DUI and drug possession charges, AJ Jefferson (not Jenkins), Henry Melton, and Thomas Keiser were all arrested on domestic abuse, public intoxication, and assault charges.
Point being, I didn’t hear about a lot of these. I had to look these up. We’ve gotten to the point that getting busted as a player is getting pretty passé, unless it’s either a name player like Colin Kaepernick, or it’s a big crime, a la Aaron Hernandez. As we all know, our own team has suffered the slings and arrows of getting bad press for a bunch of players in the spotlight for various misdeeds. Throw in the high-and-mighty comments of head coach Jim Harbaugh and you have a side of shit to go along with the already beefy shit sandwich Coach has to eat.
As is obviously apparent, major fines and suspensions have done little to curtail these screw-ups. Shit, even with all the steroid busts in baseball, no one really gives a shit, provided you come up with a conciliatory mea culpa. No matter how trite or contrived. So, what next? For all intents and purposes, all these busts make Aldon’s situation look pretty mild in comparison. Or at least on par. I still think it’s only a 2 game suspension despite all the hooraw in blogland.
Chris Culliver’s case looks to be hitting the courtroom soon, so we all get to see how THAT turns out. For me, this one is a bigger deal. He faces five charges in all: felony hit and run, felony reckless driving with injury, felony possession of brass knuckles, misdemeanor hit and run, and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license. But Goodie Goodell doesn’t really come down hard on domestic abuse/aggravated assault charges. Plenty of players have beaten up their girlfriends and gotten in bar fights with little or no repercussions. Not to mention having a shit-flier of a party. Hitting children on bikes and then threatening passers-by may not be seen as a good model for their players to follow. But really, these misdeeds are not slowing down, and no one seems to care.
What do you think? Should these misdeeds be treated as a necessary part of the game? Should Goodie Goodell suspend guys harder? Ban repeat offenders indefinitely? Turn a blind eye to it, as was done for so long? The fans have shown that they don’t care one whit. Most are of a mind that if you can play, you deserve a 2nd (or 3rd) chance. As long as you are a star player. If you are a special teamer? Sorry. Don’t pass Go, don’t collect $200.00. It’s the nature of sports in America.
Forty Niners Forever 
. . .says the guy that doesn’t want to talk politics . . .
In conclusion: BULLBLEEP!
2 to 10x more? Millions losing coverage? Where do you get your news? Facebook? Stop sprinkling those lead-filled paint chips on your Rice Krispies, skippy.
The VA has been a problem since the end of WW II. Probably even before WW I. But yeah, blame it on Obama.
The problem with the right in the country is they want their entitlements but want to deny them to everyone else. Plain and simple.
Uh, yeah, it’s people that I know who are paying that much more. It’s a fact. The millions losing coverage “news” is all over the place for anyone that looks to see. http://yhoo.it/19Ll8wH
And I’m not blaming Obama for the screwed up VA although he has no interest in fixing it even after it being forcefully exposed to the general public. I’m saying Obamacare is the same thing as VA healthcare. It will operate the same and have the same problems. It was and is a cruel mistake to foist on the public for the sake of political control.
Spitty, want to know something really funny? Global temperatures haven’t risen in 17 years.
While I know dumping shit into the atmosphere isn’t sound environmental strategy, the effects of what we are currently doing isn’t following the models that have been put out there for the past 35 years. For all the shit over the ice caps melting, there are areas where the ice shelves are growing.
And certainly there is a ginormous cottage industry in exaggerating the claims. The doomsayers on the left are just as wrong as the doubters on the right. I mean when you have senators believing that the wind is a finite resource, or that Guam is going to flip over due to overcrowding, you have some major stupid out there.
Again, though, I think this country should lead the world where it comes to environmental policy, but with big oil in the picture, it’s but a pipe dream.
Basing anything on anecdotal evidence (bigger, more damaging storms) is just as bad as saying climate change doesn’t exist because it’s cold outside.
The hottest month on record in recent history was May 1923 I think.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/06/noaa-quietly-reinstates-july-1936-as-hottest-month-on-record/
“Two years ago during the scorching summer of 2012, July 1936 lost its place on the leaderboard and July 2012 became the hottest month on record in the United States,” Watts wrote. “Now, as if by magic, and according to NOAA’s own data, July 1936 is now the hottest month on record again.
And in football news, here’s Michael Crabtree’s response to Dickie Sherman’s insecure rants re Crabs:
“I don’t get into talking about these guys. I concentrate on football. It’s my life. I don’t have too much to prove when it comes to talking on TV. I’m a baller.”
Way too much time between now and the Seattle game.
Ah, politics and religion the two most debatable topics that no one wins at.
You forgot climate change . . . rocketing up the charts as the next go-to divisionary talking point.
Please don’t give these guys any ideas! Thinking sometimes is dangerous. Deep thinking is even worse.
LeBron is returning to Cleveland…….all is not lost!
Shit, Cleveland has Johnny Eightball and now Bron Bron returns.
Stairway to Cleveland indeed.
Don’t forget the rock and roll museum. Oink!
Arf!
The first radio station in the country to broadcast MJ was in Cleveland. Nope, that was rock’roll.
I’ m sitting here patiently living next door to Colorado for the walls to come tumblng down.
If you think this is a personal crusade, it is, but what about NBA players? Some of the finest, best-conditioned athletes in the world are not tested.
NFL. Budweiser. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
End of story.
If I can’t get somehiing going with an issue with MJ being legal (which I’ve tried before on this blog), and the hypocrisy between the NFL rules and the NBA rules, then I guess I should go back into bllog hibernation until we’re at Jerruh ‘s palace in 58 days.
The painters and the Internet experts just left for awhile. I’m still trying to repair the damage. Forgive me for the typos
No dog in the fight, but for tax purposes alone, Cali should legalize it.
Try getting “Twist and Shout” from that N* Chuck Berry. Not on Yahoo. The Beatles, that’s OK and approved .
Same with MJ and the corporate plutocracy. The people will win; it’s just a matter of time.
Chuck Berry’s version was awesome. Too bad I can’t get it easily this time of night
YouTube, pal. Everything ever recorded is there,
You’re welcome.
Chuck Berry never recorded that. It was the Isley bros.
2% get higher rates? Oh well. Greater good and all that. The richest country in the world should be able to provide basic healthcare for the needy here. Not kowtowing to the 1%.
Fuck politics. I can’t believe Chuck Berry is still touring at 87 . . . .. .
Maybe the Plan for the future is to make the atmosphere too dangerous to breathe?
Then. THEN, the Politicians could find a way to charge for clean air.
In current terms, related to big industry and the EPA.
Look no further than NC and Duke Energy.
Coal ash is destroying the ground water.
Fact –
It would take them years and, billions of dollars to clean it up, so, of course, those costs would be passed along to their customers.
Answer?
Leave them alone. Coal is cheap and abundant.
Just a little ironic that the Governor of NC is a former Duke Energy executive.
How cozy, and convenient.
Big business and Government – Lying to the masses since the dawn of the industrial revolution and laughing all the way to the bank ever since.
Until we break the strings between the Political process and lobbying, our voices as voters are going to become extinct.