The term seems to be a catch-all for everything from having an overinflated ego to assaulting your children and their mother (like Buffalo Bills wide receiver James Hardy was accused of in 2006).
While doubts are surrounding current draft prospects like Jimmy Clausen and Dez Bryant, they are having their decision making scrutinized "under the microscope." Players like Santonio Holmes are being traded or cut for their off the field decision making.
While social media has been a huge hit in most of the world, some players have struggled with using it. Larry Johnson called his own head coach a "punk" and a "fag" via Twitter. Something tells me that if you felt like it was totally necessary to tell your coach how you felt about him, it might best be done in private. He was subsequently released.
Santonio Holmes' issues with Twitter have been well documented on this blog and others. The fact is that alienating fans, talking openly about drug use, and being accused on assaulting others is not the best way to gain leverage for the new contract you're playing for this upcoming season. Add the four game suspension for violating the NFL substance abuse policy and a possible additional suspension for violating the conduct policy, and it was easy to see why the Steelers would take a fifth round pick. At least he will have a cheap three year contract and doesn't have a one year suspension hanging over his head.
The Jets will have to decide if the benefits of signing Holmes to a long term contract outweigh the risks. His talent will demand a large guaranteed pay day. His decision making shows he doesn't care about the consequences of his actions.
In this day and age of constant media, athletes can no longer afford to have an attitude that reflects invincibility. This expectation directly conflicts with attitude that we expect on the field or court. Unbridled confidence is a trait that is almost universal in all great athletes. If you don't think that you are better than your opponent then you never will be.
The same confidence that we admire in Brett Favre, we despised in Ryan Leaf. The line between an ego in check and an over inflated ego is a fine line.
Santonio Holmes is a example of that attitude bleeding over into his personal life. As fans we want players who know they are the best players in the world. We also want ones that are intelligent enough to know that this doesn't allow them to treat others as sub-human or meaningless.
Every Morning Quarterback by Aharon Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.everymorningqb.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.everymorningqb.com.
0 comments:
Post a Comment