Do Punishments Have A Meaning Anymore?

I started this as a facebook post, but I quickly realized I need more real estate to express myself.  I know some people will not agree with what I’m about to lay out here, but they probably don’t understand the argument I am about to make.

The last few weeks in sports some things have come to the forefront.  Society has said we are no longer going to accept millionaires running around and getting away with crimes the rest of society does not get away with.  If you have been under a rock these issues revolve around the issue of domestic violence.  Now I for one am glad that the NFL is taking a stance against domestic violence within their organization.  However, don’t think for a minute that its genuine.  They have swept this issue under the rug for too many years.  So there is nothing to be championed here.  The issue I have with what has been going on is the weak minded and gutless individuals running these teams and the league itself.  If you are going to punish and individual you do not then turn around and say oops I made a mistake I was not harsh enough on you.  The biggest reason is the message is then lost.  

First punishments should be used as a deterrent for a behavior.  In real life its usually jail time or a fine that keep most of us from committing crimes.  However everyone of us does weigh the penalty and figure out the risk.  The simplest example is speed limits.  If I get caught i will pay a fine, my insurance will go up, and some points go on my record.  But nothing terrible happens.  This is why many people read the posted speed limit and then pick a speed higher than it, whether it be 5 mph or 10 mph both are breaking the law.  But what if you went to court and were fined $50 dollars, then a week later the judge called and said, “people have complained I was to easy on you and we are now going to fine you $100.”  You would be pissed and thankfully we have this thing called the Constitution and the Bill or Rights that don't allow this to happen.

The thing is none of that applies here.  We are dealing with corporations that do not have to follow those guidelines.  

Let’s look at the Ray Rice scenario.  A video came out showing him dragging he now wife out of an elevator.  Every one of us knew what eventually happened in that elevator.  Ray Rice told the NFL and the Ravens what happened in the elevator.  According to reports the Ravens said nothing was seen in the new video that differed from what Ray Rice told them.  But the NFL suspended Ray Rice for 2 games.  He should have been penalized for his actions.  But when you think about the league and all of the domestic violence issues that occurred before this, suspensions are not typically handed out for this offence.  This time it was mostly due to the video.  The public was outraged by the penalty saying it was not enough.  So the NFL said that first offenses would lead to a 6 game suspension. Then someone leaked the elevator video and it showed us all what we already suspected happened in the elevator.  The Ravens then cut Ray Rice.  The Ravens have every right to do this as his employer.  They didn't want to deal with the mess that was about to follow.  The NFL then suspended Ray Rice indefinitely.  What may I ask did Ray Rice do to have his penalty extended?  Even if more occurred in the video then Roger Goodell thought Rice told him, doesn't the NFL now have a policy stating that the first time offense is 6 games?  Did Rice commit a second offense?  No.  

The other thing I would like to point out is through this whole process the story has always been pulled from Ray Rice hit his fiance.  The first time because the penalty wasn’t harsh enough.  Then when the Commissioner finally extended his punishment it was Roger needs to be fired.  So people are not even focused on the issue of domestic violence, they are focused on one person not handling the employee who committed the crime.  As much as I don’t like Roger Goodell, how did he become the villain in this and not Ray Rice?

Then there was the Peterson situation which played out much the same way.  Vikings suspend him, left the suspension, then suspend him indefinitely.  However the the way they suspended him this time he will still receive his full pay so really he just doesn't get to play football.  Some people out there are wishing they could find jobs where they still got paid to sit at home after being “punished” for doing something wrong.  Same thing happened here, the story is now how the Vikings mishandled the situation and not about how a pro athlete needed a switch to punish his child.

Surprisingly the issue that really broke the camels back on back pedaling punishments was not a situation that dealt with domestic violence, but about a college QB that shouted something inappropriate in a cafeteria.  Florida State punished their QB with a half game suspension.  They are playing a big game this week and need him.  They didn’t have the balls to punish him by suspending him the full game.  Everyone knew why it wasn’t a full game.  They pretended it wasn’t about the fact they were playing Clemson.  The mob went wild, the media was outraged, and Florida State has now changed their mind and suspend him for the full game.  Now I’m not an FSU fan or a Jameis Winston fan, but what lesson is he learning?  That he should watch what he says in public or that if others complain enough it won't matter what he does he will get punished?

The only thing good that can come from the events of the last two weeks is that institutions whether it be the NFL, an NFL team, the NCAA, or one of the colleges, that they grow a pair and punish people appropriately and learn to stand behind their decision.  Stop making decisions based on who the player is and who the team is playing.  

NFL Players on a Reality Show of their Own.

After finishing my previous post I had a thought. It was along the lines of how NFL players could entertain us even if they were not playing football. The theory is put 6 or 7 NFL players in a house similar to the show the Real World on MTV. While MTV might be cool with hosting this show on their network it should really be on HBO then it could be uncut. Plus if there is not a season HBO will need to find something to replace HARDKNOCKS. This show could be called the House of HARD KNOCKS.

Now I am already thinking of a group of guys for this show. Guys like Antonio Cramartie, Chris Cooley, Ben Rothlesburger, DeSean Jackson, Tim Tebow, and Chad Ocho Cinco. Could you imagine the things that would happen in this house? Cramartie made a name for himself last year on HARDKNOCKS when he started naming his children, it didn’t take a math genius to realize one woman couldn’t have all of those children. Ben Rothlesburger…do I even need to explain? DeSean Jackson is the cocky SOB that everyone hates. Reality shows need this guy so the rest of the house can bond. Tebow is the Christian boy that every show seems to have on it. Cooley is an original prankster and that’s all I needed to know, but a dude who accidently posts a picture of his junk online is going to be good for unintentional comedy. I couldn’t imagine making a show like this without Chad Ocho Cinco.

The basic premise is simple they live in a house together with no TV or cell phones and are taped all day and night. They have to go out to the bar at night otherwise who is going to watch this show. Obviously the show is not going to let Rothlesburger commit a crime…allegedly. But it will be just as fun to watch him try to get these girls. Plus the thought of Tim Tebow at a bar is humorous to me for some reason. There can even be the twist of making them work at some BS job while they are on the show. It can be as ridiculous as the Jersey Shore cast working at the Shore Store or a Gelato Shop or as legit as working with a charity.

Now the next thing is where will they film? What city would be the most fun to watch this group in? I think they need to be in Miami, New Orleans, Cancun, Las Vegas, or Southern California. It needs to be a city with a night life and a place that is used to seeing celebrities.

One idea is to add women to the house. It really depends on what the producers want the show to be because adding women to the house adds another element then all guys. There will be more drama that is for sure. If women were the case I would add Ines Sainz, a couple cheerleaders (at least one from Dallas), Jennifer Starkey (DC Divas of the Womens Football Association), and maybe a girl from the Lingerie Football League to the house. If the women are added then a couple of the men will need to be removed so there are not too many people. Jennifer Starkey really does play for the DC Divas and they really are a Women’s Professional Football team but it could be any woman from any women’s team. I know this will never happen but it’s great to think about.

The NFL Lockout: What to do if it lasts through the Season?

After waking up this morning and getting ready for work I sat down to watch SportsCenter while I ate my breakfast. One of the first stories that they talked about was the NFL Lockout, at this point I am tired of the NFL lockout. What surprised me the most was it is day 100 of the NFL lockout. At this point it hasn’t affected much except for some off season training camps and mini camps. But we are now at the end of June and normally teams come together for preseason camp in July and the preseason games kickoff in early August. This means we are a month away from the NFL lockout effecting the NFL season.

This is a scary thought to many football fans. The reason being what will men do on Sundays, Monday Nights, some Saturday Nights, and eventually Thursday Nights if the lockout heads into the regular season? Let’s focus on Sunday for a minute. Without Football there will be no drinking beer with your buddies and eating wings or whatever football treat you enjoy. Instead men will have to go to Home Depot and work on projects around the house. They might have to do chores like vacuum or mow the grass. Whatever it is we end up doing it will not be as enjoyable as sitting on the couch with a cold beer watching football. So my thought was to come up with things to do if the NFL does not agree to a new collective bargaining agreement and the lockout continues into the season.

1) Tailgate in the Church parking lot after service. Since there is not game to go to we need a place where we can pull out our Smokey Joe’s and pop open a few cold ones. Note: Some churches may frown on this act. Ok this isn’t really a good idea but why not?
How long until I start missing football again: Immediately.

2) Get into NASCAR. The races last about as long as a football game. It might not be 22 guys beating the crap out of each other but every once in awhile Kevin Harvick (or his owner) might throw a punch at Kyle Busch. Plus the Chase starts in September. For those of you who are confused by the last sentence you lose 5 America points, but the Chase is NASCAR’s 10 race playoff.
How long until I start missing Football again: November when the season is over.

3) Start watching the MLB. The great news is there is a game on every night. They are usually cheaper than football games. It’s a summer sport so tailgating is still an option. Plus September is when the contenders start making their runs to the playoffs and well October is when the magic happens.
How long until I start missing football again: October, maybe November if the series goes to 7 games.

4) Watch College football. This is the most realistic option. It’s similar to the NFL just a little slower. If you are not used to watching it the Spread may seem odd. But overall there are games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Then there are games on from Noon until late into the evening on Saturday on channels from CBS, ABC, MASN, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN U, ESPN 3, ESPN Plus, and ESPN the Ocho. Just kidding about the OCHO.

How long until I start missing football again: December for two weeks until the Bowl games start. In mid January when the National Championship has been played it will happen again. January is where it will hurt the most because if the lockout is still going on we will miss out on the Super Bowl.

5) Play golf. If all else fails grab your clubs and hit the course. It will get you out of the house for four hours and you won’t have to do yard work.
How long until I start missing football again: Depends on how well you play.

Hopefully the owners and the players can come to an agreement soon and we will not have to contemplate these ideas anymore. But the closer we get to August and then September the more it seems this is going to last awhile. I heard an interview with Chris Collinsworth yesterday. He is a wide receivers coach for his son’s high school football team. This cannot be a good sign when the man who calls Sunday Night Football is accepting a job that would have him working in the fall instead of preparing to call NFL games on Sunday Nights.

In other sports news the NBA may be heading towards a lockout in the coming months. The difference is the NBA is really in the red. The real difference being if the NBA doesn’t play next season is that the league may never recover. It will find itself in a similar position to what the NHL experienced in 2005. And that’s all I’ll say about that because nobody cares about the NBA anyways.