Athletes And The Law

With the recent revelations about the actions of former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez and the murder that he committed and the gang relations that he had. It has got me to thinking about a serious problem with football players getting into trouble with the law but players from other sports that seem to not get into any legal trouble with the law. How many times a week have any of you heard of a football player being arrested for say drug possession or a DUI? Just to give you guys a reality check as to what is happening in the league. Twenty seven players have been arrested on charges stemming from assault, and in the case of Aaron Hernandez, murder. These twenty seven players have been arrested since the week after the Super Bowl. That's twenty six out of twenty seven people that should have either been punished by the National Football League or their respective teams. Twenty six out of the twenty seven players that should either be a little "light" in the wallet or behind bars.

What is it that causes these people to go out and commit the crimes that they do? Is it the fact that they are paid a lot of money to go out and catch a ball that is being thrown to them. Is it the fact that they are above the law because they have all of this money? Or is it just that the money they are given goes right to their addictions whatever they may be. I mean it is every week that you hear of some football player getting in trouble with the lawman. For example, when was the last time you have ever heard of a baseball, basketball, or a hockey player for that matter getting in trouble with the law? It's been quite a few years since that has happened hasn't it.

Let me go back to a couple of people in particular that were once at the forefront of being the bad boys of the NFL. Adam Jones that played a couple of years for the Tennessee Titans and the Dallas Cowboys. Touted as one of the greatest players to ever come out of West Virginia University. Had the whole world in front of him in the National Football League. What does he wind up doing? He nearly kills a bouncer at a nightclub on the Vegas Strip. That incident left the bouncer in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Then there was Tank Johnson who played for the Chicago Bears and again for the Dallas Cowboys. What does he wind up doing for his career. He winds up going to jail after beating and threatening to kills his own wife. Did they both get a second chance to play in the National Football League? Yes, both of them did get a second chance to play in the NFL. Did they deserve a second chance to play in the National Football League? Yes they did get a second chance to play in the NFL and it never panned out that they would be anything.

Let's go to another, now well liked if you are in Philly, character in Michael Vick. The man was hosting dogfights that would put pit bull against pit bull in a fight to the death. This case was one of the worst cases of animal cruelty that had ever been seen in the United States. For such a high profile figure who kids look up to as an influence as to what they want to become. It was very demeaning for him to take part in such a heinous act. Was he arrested and convicted of these crimes that occurred? Yes he was tried before a grand jury, found guilty, and sentenced to prison for a few years. the time he served in prison was at the Federal level where the Feds had got involved in the investigation into the dog fighting ring that he hosted in his own home. Did he get a second chance to play in the National Football League? Yes, he did get a second chance to play in the league. Some of you have said that he did not deserve a second chance to play after being reinstated by the NFL. I for one was one of those wanting to see him get a second chance due to his talent on the field. As we can tell, he was deserving of that second chance after serving time to think about his actions.

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo summed it up best when the fiasco with Adam Jones and Tank Johnson was going on.


You will never see a such a strict policy being implemented by the National Football League. The league is in it for the money as much as the owners. Therefore, you will not see the star players that keep getting into trouble with the law. They know that if they were to suspend star players from a team. They would lose millions of dollars in revenue if star players are suspended. This policy on player's actions off the field needs to change. The NBA changed their policies for player's and what they could and could not do after the brawl in Detroit. The National Football League is supposed to be a family friendly environment were you could take your kids to watch the games. There are players that you never hear of getting in trouble like Tom Brady, Colin Kapernick, Peyton and Eli Manning, etc. They are never brought up in a negative way in the media like some other are. As the old saying goes, "It takes a few bad apples to spoil the whole bunch."

I've read about a lot of basketball players having issues with the law.
Oh, and pro bicyclists. And Olympians. And baseball players.

Athletes and criminal behavior can probably be traced to the favorable treatment they receive while growing up. Practically all of these guys in the pros are the most talented athlete in the history of their town and this was evident from the time they were about ten.

So it starts then. Kid gets caught stealing candy and it passes because there's a big little league game coming up. Then he skips classes in high school and it's hush hush because everyone wants the football team to win.

Before you know it he's playing at the big University and everyone within ten miles wants to party with him, never pays a dime at any kegger he walks in to. Cops show up and when they see the star they look the other way. Maybe he gets pulled over one night drunk and the officer just says remember this favor I did for you when you make it big.

On top of that their schoolwork is basically taken care of by "tutors," and they never learn a thing about living in the real world.

So when they get that fat signing bonus, they spend it on mansion and savor the new freedom by taking that lifestyle of partying to a new level. Some shady guys show up who also like to party and have a ton of money, and bam there's now organized criminals around. Slippery slope....


All of that isn't the norm, but it's common. I know some guys who played big time sports and they are responsible, intelligent individuals. But they get a double standard, and if you're someone who didn't have great parents around to instill discipline then that favor you receive your whole life can create some really bad habits.

I especially feel bad for they guys who were great in high school and got all of the spoils age 14-20, but messed it up before they even got to the pros. Never took the time to learn a back up real world skill, and probably now work as a bouncer or something waiting for the next drunk fool that they can take their rage out on because they aren't anything special anymore.

in australia the AFL players get away with murder(literally).
and when a crime is committed the AFL does everything in its power to protect the business, so that means paying off the cops. sicknening