All Sport Report

Perhaps I’ll be chastised at some point and time for the content of this post, but I really don’t care. I came under a bit of criticism when I questioned all the hub-bub surrounding Reggie Bush and the potential that he accepted gifts while playing college football after I had said I hoped Barry Bonds never broke Hank Aaron’s all time home-run record.

You see comparing the two, for me, is like comparing apples to oranges - sure if Reggie accepted gifts or some cash while he was playing in college he was in direct violation of the rules, but he didn’t hurt anyone and I don’t think “borrowing” a car to use while he was in college gave him an unfair advantage on the playing field.

Barry Bonds, on the other hand… if Barry’s guilty of the accusations against him, he definitely had an unfair advantage on the playing field, I don’t want the history books to be rewritten, I just hope he doesn’t break the record, that’s all. I don’t want to see him thrown out of the game, I don’t want to see him banned from the Hall of Fame, like I said in an earlier entry, Barry is a tremendous baseball player, it’s just a shame that some of his accomplishments will forever be tainted by this whole unfortunate situation, his name would certainly have been in the record books for something without the use of chemical enhancement. But if he did it, in the long run he’s only truly hurting himself, baseball’s reputation will eventually recover after the steroid scandal is over while some of the negative effects of steroids on the body are irreversable and those who abused them will face that burden at some point or another.

I’m also a supporter of Pete Rose, I know that he gambled and he lied about it, but Pete was betting on his own team to win. In my opinion it probably made for some more exciting baseball. In short, he broke the rules and he’s being punished for it, but I think, just like with the Bonds situation, Rose ultimately only hurt himself. Baseball will survive, Pete just lost a lot of money because he was unable to control his habit. Now that he’s done his time I think he should be re-instated and that his amazing accomplishments on the field should be recognized.

If you’ve stuck with me thus far, you may be wondering where I’m going with all this. Well I’m finally going to get to the point -

That’s right - Adam Pacman Jones, professional football’s bad boy is at the epicenter of my point.

There was a recent meeting between Jones and football’s new commissioner Roger Goodell regarding Pacman’s conduct off the field. Rumors abound about the possible length of suspension with lawyers ready to intervene and fight a punishment that they see as too harsh. Unfotunately, we may have to wait as many as ten days, or more before we hear what exactly unfolded during this meeting.

Pacman Jones has only been in the NFL for two seasons, but like the guys mentioned above, he seems to be very talented. That’s where the similarities end. Reggie Bush may have made a mistake and taken something in return for his play during college, Barry Bonds may have made a mistake and taken some performance enhancing drugs during the latter part of his baseball career, and Pete Rose did, admittedly, make a mistake and wager on games while he was still involved in baseball.

Pacman Jones didn’t make a mistake, he’s had more run ins with Police than he’s played games in the NFL. In February, he reportedly incited the situation that resulted in three shootings outside a Las Vegas night club. Pacman Jones isn’t just hurting himself, he isn’t hurting himself at all - he’s hurting others and if this situation isn’t taken care of the NFL’s reputation may not recover. If Goodell let’s Pacman Jones walk away from this type of behavior with a slap on the wrist, what kind of message is that sending to other players. Everyone makes mistakes, only criminals are involved in triple shootings.

Representatives say that Jones is growing up and trying to learn from what he’s done. I hope he is learning, I think he has a great deal of talent and he’s a very entertaining player to watch on the field, but the most recent incident just occurred in February and I would find it hard to believe that Pacman is all grown up already. The commissioner needs to give Pacman the year off without pay, and maybe reccomend some counseling and an evalutaion before he’s allowed to return for the 2009 season. Jones is only twenty three, if he really does get his act together and is able to focus on football on the field and be an upstanding citizen off the field he’ll still have plenty of time for a wonderful career after serving a season on suspension. Maybe, just maybe sending a message of this caliber would help to straighten out some of the NFL’s other player who are headed down the wrong path before it’s too late.

Pacman Jones, Pete Rose, Barry Bonds, NFL disciplinary action, Reggie Bush, steroid scandal