duncan228
02-16-2009, 03:30 PM
NFL, no longer NBA, haven for thug life (http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/11385706)
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
PHOENIX -- As you spent time around NBA players this weekend there was an inescapable conclusion: These are a bunch of really good guys.
As you read about yet another NFL player getting busted by the police, see Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a car, you again believe a conclusion reached some time ago: the NFL continues to be goon-filled.
Professional basketball was once (mostly wrongly) considered the epicenter for the Thug Life. Now, the NFL is (mostly correctly) viewed as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 2.0.
The NFL is now the TFL: Thug Football League, and the NBA is now the NBA: Nerd Basketball Association.
The NFL and NBA have switched personas and stereotypes. Finally, after years of being allowed a major pass for the violent acts of its players, football is being held more accountable by the media and fans, and the ugly acts being constantly perpetrated by its players are beginning to stick.
The NBA is different. As the Allen Iversons and Ron Artests fade into Bolivian, as Mike Tyson would say, the new NBA is being overrun by smart, PR-conscious athletes with fewer and fewer blemishes. Dwight Howard is arguably the league's most popular player not named LeBron or Kobe. He's a 6-foot-11 geek and good dude whose primary goal seems to be to make fans enjoy themselves.
The day there's a warrant out for Chris Paul's arrest is the day someone proves the moon landing was faked.
On and on I could go. Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Yao Ming and dozens of other NBA players are the type of people women could bring home to mom. Meanwhile, NFL players are busy kidnapping moms.
Even former NBA players have revamped their images while football players destroy theirs. Magic Johnson went from a player who acquired HIV through an alleged promiscuous lifestyle into a successful businessman heroically fighting the disease.
And does anyone even remember that Kobe Bryant was once accused of a vicious rape?
James is one of the most scrutinized athletes on the planet and the worst you can say about him is that he doesn't take strong stances on practically any matter. If that's the ugliest remark that can be said about James, he's doing pretty well.
This isn't to say that NBA players are perfect. That would be foolish. So would stating there are no good guys in professional football. Of course there are.
But the TFL continues to embarrass itself. From Plaxico "Gunsmoke" Burress to Pacman "Crimetime" Jones. Recently, Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed was cited for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after teaching a gas station towel dispenser who was boss. The best receiver in the sport, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, was accused of domestic violence.
The examples are plentiful and recent and it takes just five minutes on the Internet to compile a list with the aid of various websites. Buffalo's Ko Simpson was accused of hindering police as they tried to make an arrest. San Diego's Vincent Jackson was arrested yet again for suspicion of DUI. Dallas player Anthony Spencer was arrested on a charge of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Jonathan Vilma of New Orleans was arrested on a charge of reckless driving and resisting arrest. Those arrests came just a handful of days into the month of January.
But wait.
There's more.
Pittsburgh tight end Jonathan Dekker was arrested on a charge of obstruction of justice. Seattle linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession after police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car. Kansas City tight end Michael Merritt was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession.
There was a time when players were scared of commissioner Roger Goodell. That time has clearly elapsed. They're no longer listening to Goodell's pleas to conduct their personal lives in a more professional manner or fear his once epic beat downs of offending asses.
The accusation against Lynch is typical of some TFL players. We all make mistakes, but many of these guys make repeated and serious ones, never learning from their original screw up. Lynch is lucky he even has an NFL career. He was accused of hit-and-run last year and gutlessly took his time admitting that he was behind the wheel of a car that struck a Canadian woman.
After an incident in which he could've killed someone, does Lynch keep his head low and his gonads out of the vice? Nope. He allegedly packs a concealed weapon and is busted by police.
And you know what? I think fans -- finally -- are tiring of the stupidity and the antics. It has taken awhile but fans are finally getting fed up and caring about more than the impact of a player's arrest on his fantasy value.
The new NFL is the old NBA and the new NBA is the old NFL.
Or should I say, TFL.
By Mike Freeman
CBSSports.com National Columnist
PHOENIX -- As you spent time around NBA players this weekend there was an inescapable conclusion: These are a bunch of really good guys.
As you read about yet another NFL player getting busted by the police, see Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch charged with carrying a concealed weapon in a car, you again believe a conclusion reached some time ago: the NFL continues to be goon-filled.
Professional basketball was once (mostly wrongly) considered the epicenter for the Thug Life. Now, the NFL is (mostly correctly) viewed as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 2.0.
The NFL is now the TFL: Thug Football League, and the NBA is now the NBA: Nerd Basketball Association.
The NFL and NBA have switched personas and stereotypes. Finally, after years of being allowed a major pass for the violent acts of its players, football is being held more accountable by the media and fans, and the ugly acts being constantly perpetrated by its players are beginning to stick.
The NBA is different. As the Allen Iversons and Ron Artests fade into Bolivian, as Mike Tyson would say, the new NBA is being overrun by smart, PR-conscious athletes with fewer and fewer blemishes. Dwight Howard is arguably the league's most popular player not named LeBron or Kobe. He's a 6-foot-11 geek and good dude whose primary goal seems to be to make fans enjoy themselves.
The day there's a warrant out for Chris Paul's arrest is the day someone proves the moon landing was faked.
On and on I could go. Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Yao Ming and dozens of other NBA players are the type of people women could bring home to mom. Meanwhile, NFL players are busy kidnapping moms.
Even former NBA players have revamped their images while football players destroy theirs. Magic Johnson went from a player who acquired HIV through an alleged promiscuous lifestyle into a successful businessman heroically fighting the disease.
And does anyone even remember that Kobe Bryant was once accused of a vicious rape?
James is one of the most scrutinized athletes on the planet and the worst you can say about him is that he doesn't take strong stances on practically any matter. If that's the ugliest remark that can be said about James, he's doing pretty well.
This isn't to say that NBA players are perfect. That would be foolish. So would stating there are no good guys in professional football. Of course there are.
But the TFL continues to embarrass itself. From Plaxico "Gunsmoke" Burress to Pacman "Crimetime" Jones. Recently, Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed was cited for disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after teaching a gas station towel dispenser who was boss. The best receiver in the sport, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, was accused of domestic violence.
The examples are plentiful and recent and it takes just five minutes on the Internet to compile a list with the aid of various websites. Buffalo's Ko Simpson was accused of hindering police as they tried to make an arrest. San Diego's Vincent Jackson was arrested yet again for suspicion of DUI. Dallas player Anthony Spencer was arrested on a charge of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Jonathan Vilma of New Orleans was arrested on a charge of reckless driving and resisting arrest. Those arrests came just a handful of days into the month of January.
But wait.
There's more.
Pittsburgh tight end Jonathan Dekker was arrested on a charge of obstruction of justice. Seattle linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession after police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car. Kansas City tight end Michael Merritt was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession.
There was a time when players were scared of commissioner Roger Goodell. That time has clearly elapsed. They're no longer listening to Goodell's pleas to conduct their personal lives in a more professional manner or fear his once epic beat downs of offending asses.
The accusation against Lynch is typical of some TFL players. We all make mistakes, but many of these guys make repeated and serious ones, never learning from their original screw up. Lynch is lucky he even has an NFL career. He was accused of hit-and-run last year and gutlessly took his time admitting that he was behind the wheel of a car that struck a Canadian woman.
After an incident in which he could've killed someone, does Lynch keep his head low and his gonads out of the vice? Nope. He allegedly packs a concealed weapon and is busted by police.
And you know what? I think fans -- finally -- are tiring of the stupidity and the antics. It has taken awhile but fans are finally getting fed up and caring about more than the impact of a player's arrest on his fantasy value.
The new NFL is the old NBA and the new NBA is the old NFL.
Or should I say, TFL.