The NFL...

Just noticed something on espn.com that I wanted to mention - the NFL is full of terrible people. While this is clearly not breaking news, I wonder why it's not discussed/written about/mentioned as much as the NBA was during the years when more bad things happened publicly than good. Back when the Portland Trailblazers were known as the Jailblazers and more people were getting arrested for felony possession of pot/coke/drug of choice, than people getting community leadership awards. David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, made a bunch of rules and regulations that have turned that view around completely. The NBA Cares program is the best community outreach program of any professional sport. The dress code actually does seem to have an impact on the players and they seem to not only be dressing more professionally but also acting in accordance.

The NFL meanwhile is full of worthless, terrible people. While there are obvious standout assh*les like Pacman Jones, there also seems to be an abundance of general dumbasses wildin out. Here are the main headlines on the NFL page at espn:

- Stallworth gets 30 days in jail in DUI fatality
- Leaf faces Thursday deadline to turn himself in
- Burress hearing delayed to Sept. 23
- Cards' Patrick suspended 4 games for Adderall

These are just from the 10 headlines that are constantly being updated for new stories. How ridiculous can the NFL be. It's time for a change. There needs to be a set of rules that follows the rules of society. In real life if you are wanted for drugs, you're going to jail. Not the same for the NFL. If you kill someone while driving drunk, you're spending more than 30 days in jail. These 'punishments' aren't even a slap on the wrist. If they mess up, take away their money, contracts, endorsements and put them in jail. To simplify it down a little bit, you could look at the MSU football team from 2000 when Jeff Smoker was going out doing coke all weekend, players were raping girls, stealing cars and breaking and entering and got away with it. It took a completely new coaching staff and a new set of rules to turn things around and that is exactly what the NFL needs.

These problems are systemic and it starts with athletes getting everything they want in high school, going to college where they get even more and then to the NFL where they get the most and get away with the most. These things need to be stopped.

That's all. As always, go big or go home.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - that said, go rent/buy/netflix/hulu season 3 of Friday Night Lights. Just came out on dvd a few weeks ago. Like I keep saying, start at season 1 and watch every single episode. It's all online for FREE. Stop watching 2 and a half men, you're making me ill.