FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - NFL buffoons leaving terrible legacy
Summary, profootballtalk.com:
Summary, profootballtalk.com:
Before any coaches or owners out there begin to delude themselves into thinking that Chad Johnson a/k/a Ocho Cinco a/k/a Much Stinko could provide a Randy Moss effect in 2008, we suggest taking a long look at Jason Whitlock's most recent column.
Whitlock, whose national stuff now appears at FOXSports.com, believes that successful NFL teams are shying away from cultural dynamics that undermine the greater goals of a franchise.
"African-American football players caught up in the rebellion and buffoonery of hip hop culture," Whitlock writes, "have given NFL owners and coaches a justifiable reason to whiten their rosters. That will be the legacy left by Chad, Larry and Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick and all the other football bojanglers."
The evidence that it's happening? Whitlock points out that the Colts have 24 non-African-American players on their roster, and that the Patriots have 23.
"Hip hop athletes are being rejected because they're not good for business," Whitlock writes, "and, most important, because they don't contribute to a consistent winning environment."
To support his case, Whitlock takes specific aim at a pair of Johnsons -- Chad and Larry.
And this excerpt from the item sums up the situation perfectly:
"Race is not the determining factor when it comes to having a good or bad attitude. Culture is.
"Hip hop is the dominant culture for black youth. In general, music, especially hip hop music, is rebellious for no good reason other than to make money. Rappers and rockers are not trying to fix problems. They create problems for attention.
"That philosophy, attitude and behavior go against everything football coaches stand for. They're in a constant battle to squash rebellion, dissent and second opinions from their players.
"You know why Muhammad Ali is/was an icon? Because he rebelled against something meaningful and because he excelled in an individual sport. His rebellion didn't interfere with winning. Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, etc. rebelled with dignity and purpose.
"What we're witnessing today are purposeless, selfish acts of buffoonery. Sensible people have grown tired of it. Football people are recognizing it doesn't contribute to a winning environment."
Though we're not sure whether the hip hop industry is the cause of the problem or a symptom of something deeper and beyond our abilities of comprehension and articulation, the reality is that the desire to win football games does not discriminate. With the exception in some cities of the last few spots on the roster, the NFL is the ultimate meritocracy. If a player has the physical skills to perform and the temperament to not disrupt the atmosphere of team, nothing else about him matters.
So, as Whitlock aptly points out, this isn't about race. It's about behavior. And the days of bad behavior are ending. Players unable to conform will find this out the hard way.
But rather than simply rejecting those men whose attitudes and actions are deemed to be unacceptable, we think that the best NFL franchises eventually will find ways to change the Chads and Larrys of the world. And the league and its member clubs also should do whatever they can to bring more favorable attention to all players, of every race, who demonstrate at every turn the meaning of playing for a team.
Regardless of how all of this shakes out, it's clearly an area that is drawing attention. As of this posting, Whitlock's column has generated 252 pages of reader comments.