As much as the NBA is reviled for being full of criminals and primadonnas, the NFL oddly gets a free pass for faaaar worse behavior.
In the past week alone...
Jaguars WR Matt Jones was busted for cocaine possession.Worst Week Evar? Maybe so, but training camp is just starting. Stay tuned. And they say "the NBA has an image problem". Negroes please.
Pacman Jones was in court for that strip club shootout.
Recently released Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman was on the run for felonious assault.
Patriots lineman Nick Kaczur was arrested with 202 OxyContin pills in his possession.
Giants TE Jeremy Shockey stiff armed his team into trading him to the Saints.
Recently released Broncos running back and babymaking machine Travis Henry tested positive for marijuana.
And the NFL launched an investigation into whether or not players were actively flashing gang signs during games.
I call em' like I see em', and that sh*t is racist!!! And maybe that's why I don't really care much for the NFL specifically, or football in general.
Back when I did somewhat care for the NFL, I was an Atlanta Falcons fan. This may sound odd, but bear in mind that folks growing up in the Carolinas didn't have pro sports teams until the late 80's (Hornets) and didn't get an NFL team (Panthers and Canes) until the mid 90's. So, it was either root for DC or Atlanta teams, since both were in close proximity and had cable stations that covered their teams throughout NC. Thus I was genetically predisposed to become a Bullets (later Wizards) fan, and I also stanned for the Braves and the Dirty Birds for a minute.
The Falcons famously let go of Brett Favre after just one season on the bench, then watched him go on to become a Hall of Famer who won a Superbowl in Green Bay. Sour grapes and all, I wasn't too happy about this, and eventually jumped off the Falcons bandwagon altogether. And needless to say, I'm not the biggest Farve fan to this day.
For a guy who is immortalized as the new-school Johnny Unitas, Favre sure is one helluva Drama King. There's all the theatrics. The throwing of teammates under the bus. The painkiller addiction. The annual "is he retiring or not?" watch. And of course, all that damn crying!
But for all this manufactured drama, Brett Favre gets a free pass from the media because he plays in lily white Green Bay and is the consummate good ole' Southern Boy. Yeah, the guy can play, but listening to commentators continually drool over him while conveniently overlooking how much of a d-bag he prolly is in real life gets really tiring.
After his latest bout of crying in March, Favre promised it was time to hang up the jockstrap and move back to his farm in Mississippi. The inner-skeptic in me knew far better. Because if there's one thing Drama Kings are addicted to, it's attention.
Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy restated his support for general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy on Friday in the standoff with Brett Favre.So to recap, this a first-ballot Hall of Famer who should have better things to do with the rest of his life can't quite shake the need for attention and would rather hold his old team hostage than simply retire with dignity. Even worse, Favre's ego-trip threatens to stunt the career growth of two young QB's, Green Bay's hand-picked successor Aaron Rodgers, and Minnesota's (brotha and HBCU alum) Tarvares Jackson.
Favre is having second thoughts about football after retiring in March. But the Packers have since committed to moving on without the three-time MVP, causing a public rift between the team and one of its greatest players.
A movement to summon fan support for Favre has fizzled so far. A rally in Green Bay drew fewer than 200 fans Sunday, and Monday's rally in the Milwaukee suburbs drew only 30 despite widespread local media attention. But shareholders supporting Favre still could call attention to the issue.
Favre has flip-flopped before about his football future, but never like this. He teased the Packers earlier in the offseason and seemed set to unretire in late March, only to change his mind once again. His 11th-hour desire to unretire drew a decidedly lukewarm reception from the team this time.
So Favre's agent asked the Packers to release him from his contract last week, something Thompson has said the Packers have no plans to do. Releasing Favre would allow him to sign with any team he wants — perhaps even division rival Minnesota.
Unless he is released or traded, Favre's rights belong to the Packers until his current contract expires after the 2010 season.
But is anyone willing to call out Favre for such a self-serving stunt? Of course not.
Then again, I wouldn't expect the MSM to go hard on one of their favorites, despite how much of a jerk he is. But this ain't the MSM, this is AB.com, and Mr. Favre gets no love here.
Brett, go sit down. Please.
Question: Do you think the media has a double standard when it comes to how black athletes and white athletes are covered? Any glaring examples? Should Favre retire or does he have a right to hold his team hostage?
Packers prez backs GM, coach in Favre standoff [AP]
Let Favre play on [News Tribune]
