In politics, a field filled with lies and corruption, men and women alike try their hardest (in a few cases) to better their realm, whether national, statewide or local. A handful of these politicians have affairs, hire prostitutes, and in short ruin lives and families. In almost all cases, they are blacklisted from any future political endeavors. They resign their posts, make public apologies, go through bitter divorces or marriage rebuilding and are rarely heard from again, save for Slick Bill Clinton of course. But the fact remains that they most likely will never again be afforded any credibility in the public eye simply for making morally unsound judgments that flaw their character and hurt the ones closest to them. I understand that character flaws could also play into their ability to oversee government, but they usually are never given that chance again after making these mistakes.(Disclaimer: I in no way condone the aforementioned actions, but as you will soon find out, the actions and consequences of these few political figures pale in comparison to the actions and consequences of our beloved athletic heroes.)
On the other hand, athletes can pretty much do whatever they want and get away with it receiving nothing more than a proverbial slap on the wrist. Keep in mind when I say whatever they want, I mean actions much more serious than extramarital affairs and the like. I'm talking killing living things, doing drugs, "making it rain" on exotic dancers before beating them, etc...
In no other organization does this principle ring truer than in the National Football League and with its players.
Unless, for the past several years you have been living with a tribe of unknown, non-speaking Aborigines in a location that has yet to be discovered, then you have probably heard the names Michael Vick and Donte Stallworth rather frequently.In case you haven't, I'll try to catch you up on their plights in a few words.
Michael Vick. Quarterback for Atlanta Falcons. Stellar athlete. Endorsements galore. Millionaire. Killed dogs and ran an underground dog fighting ring for a couple of years. Found out. Trial. Jail for over a year. House arrest for six weeks. Signed earlier this month with Philadelphia Eagles. Returns to the field soon. Welcome back to the NFL.
Donte Stallworth. Receiver for Cleveland Browns. Stellar athlete. Endorsements galore. Millionaire. Got drunk, drove, had a wreck, killed a guy. Vehicular manslaughter. Turned himself in, at the request of his attorney. 24 days in jail. Suspended by NFL Commissioner for a year without pay. Saga to be continued.After reading these brief summaries or keeping up with the stories via ESPN, does their appear to be some sort of injustice that has occurred?
Yeah... thought so.
Now don't get me wrong, I love dogs, probably more than most people ever will. But regardless of the severity of Vick's actions, it seems a bit off for his punishment to be more severe than Stallworth's. Stallworth was intoxicated, decided to get behind the wheel of a car and the result of his decision was the loss of another human life, the loss of one's son, father, husband or brother. Normal people, those that don't make millions of dollars playing professional sports, would usually get well in excess of a year for this crime, usually three or more depending on their home state, but Stallworth got a mere 24 days, likely in a white collar, business man prison, a la Martha Stewart.There really isn't too much more to say about this. The facts speak from themselves. It's not justice to let people off because of their status as an athlete or celebrity. And it's not justice to merely suspend sports figures for a few games for crimes like manslaughter.
Is it fair the Stallworth gets suspended for a year without pay when Ricky Williams and Adam "Pac Man" Jones have both been suspended for longer periods of time for lesser crimes (assault, marijuana abuse, disturbing the peace)? Is it fair that Plaxico Burress could serve up to three years in jail for shooting himself by mistake in the leg just because he had a concealed weapon in New York City when Stallworth for all practical purposes murdered someone and got less than a month in jail? Of course it's not fair. But what can I do about it?
Maybe it's time for the professional sports organization's commissioners to treat their players like real people as opposed to superhuman heroes. Maybe they should act like voters and other politicians do after a congressman or governor has an affair and force them out of the limelight so they can take time to better their lives.I honestly have no solution for this problem, but it is a problem. It is not justice to let people slide because they entertain us on a field or a court or even on television or on the radio. Last time I checked, all men were created equal, and for the justice system to treat people in the public eye differently than the average man is simply put a travesty.
And if you think it's just the players, don't forget the coaches. They can be just as bad and still go unpunished.
A wise duck, Daffy that is, once said, "Consequences, schmonsequences, as long as I'm rich."
Guess the bad seed sports heroes and celebrities watched a lot of cartoons growing up...
