Pro Football: Dropping the Ball on Responsibility?
Should an employer try to control employees’ after-hours lives to make them act more responsibly?
The image-conscious National Football League is cracking down on players’ off-field behavior with a new “personal conduct” policy, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, has NFL teams hiring former FBI agents and police officers to spy on players.
Video surveillance cameras in locker rooms. Guards posted in hotel hallways to ensure players don’t sneak out. Bed checks.
The current efforts to manage the morals of pro-football stars include the Seattle Seahawks declaring an entire downtown entertainment district off-limits to team members, and the Denver Broncos’ security chief wrangling a network of dozens of bartenders and bouncers who call him when players show up, divulging details of the women they’re with and how much they’ve had to drink.
With at least 57 NFL players arrested this year alone, the NFL is determined to protect its image by fining and suspending players not just for committing crimes, but for any act that’s deemed harmful to the NFL’s “integrity and reputation.”
Critics of the crackdown say fines and suspensions are excessive and unfair, particularly in cases where a player has been accused of but not found guilty of a violation of law.
Dallas Cowboy cornerback Pacman Jones was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after an alleged tussle with a bodyguard, even though no arrest or charge was made. He missed six games before recently being allowed back on the playing field. And when someone intentionally spilled a drink on Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Langston Walker at a bar recently, he worried how the NFL would have reacted if the situation had escalated. “When you start not to trust your own organization or governing body,” he said, “who can you trust?”
Tell us what you think: Can personal responsibility be forced or enforced in pro football? Are NFL players being held to an unfair standard of off-field responsibility?
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They ARE role models for our children. They ARE paid millions of dollars every year. They DO have a moral responsibility as well as a physical one. I think it’s a shame that the league has to resort to babysitters in the form of paid bartenders etc. to get a group of young men to do the right thing.
Perhaps if ALL Americans remembered that there were consequences and witnesses to their actions we might get to a better place.
redspike | 1 year, 1 month ago
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Stop It
Players shouldn’t be watched. they should have their own privacy.
matt | 1 year, 1 month ago
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NFLPA newest employee
it is simple players need to police themselves. the majority of players know how to act, but the ones that don’t. make everyone pay the price.
brad | 1 year, 1 month ago
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I can't believe ...
I can’t believe that this continues to be a topic of discussion! Its self explanatory: if you need any other advice, don’t discuss just read NFLPA newest employee’s last comment…simple as that!
JohnHunt | 1 year, 1 month ago
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Too much money
Players feel that they can get away with anything. They’re getting paid all this money and they are no longer role models. They are just loose cannons
lekendrick | 1 year ago
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Mind ur Business
Sure teams paying these players big boy contracts, but at the same time u have to know who you are signing instead of invading someones privacy (ex-FBI agents). If you think that a person will be a risk because of past behavioral issues or mental intellect then take that in to consideration when you sign him to a 4yr $50 mill. contract. Ask yourself “What kinda of problem can this person bring?” People still have rights and I think that spying on people should be illegal unless ordered by a judge. That’s what’s wrong with things today, always trying to find a way to break the rules. Mind your own business, and take all that attention you’re paying into these players and put towards your kids so that they wont act like Britney.
Fliigui | 1 year ago
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UN FAIR...INSANELY UNFAIR
Professional athletes are people too — bottom line — if a regular person on the street can go out and do as he pleases then anyone who chooses to do so should also be afforded that luxury. By saying that athletes have to be moral pillars because people look up to them makes people seem like animals who cant think for themselves – we only do things because we see others doing it. If that is the case ,then parents should not keep their children plugged into the television all hours of the day and should be better role models themselves. They may see this athlete on tv but they see you everyday. If you are a strong enough positive mode,l you should outweigh the negative.
These guys aren’t saviors, what they do in their personal life is their business
Ryan | 12 months ago
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How far do we go? do we continue to allow infringement into our personal lives? We don’t as a people hire spies to look into the lives of our politician,doctors,pastors and officers of the law. Why are we so eager to allow this type of behavior, happen to athletes. Is it because of the money that they make?
Do we feel that in condoning this type of practice, we can still somehow have control. If we were so worried about the behavior of role models, we as a people would have made it mandatory for people in public office to be spied on daily. The real truth about this whole matter is, we feel that some how we have a right to feel this way because somehow if we were in the position of an athlete, we would definitely behave ourselves better. No, its because we can relate to an athlete, its something thats still attainable. We wish for our children to be athletes, we want them to have those goals and aspire to be great in that realm. As far as being a great community leader, a politician, a doctor,an officer of the law, we can’t fathom that. That’s how misdirected this subject is, we talk freedom but never realize on a daily basis we give ours up. Athletes today, you tomorrow. Where does it end? We should not look to our athletes as role models instead, look to those who run our country for accountability. Anyways, most athletes don’t warrant the label of a role model. How about we have them spy on you? would you warrant that title?
sonny | 12 months ago
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Retired rehired teacher
I don’t think that any person should be subjected to the long arm of the law, but I do think that PLAXICO may have made himself look ridiculous by walking into a bar with a gun. It does help that he only shot himself. I think it’s also a silly matter to think that any teams (even the Dallas Cowboys) need a man that’s that stupid.
As people we are expected to not ride around loaded and gunned-either one or the other.
carolyn | 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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foot ball crackdown
This game is raw.
aylaya | 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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