NFL Players are no Role Model's!

[PBamber16]

Is it just me or are NFL players in the news alot more for off the field instances than players from other major sports?! When ever I log onto SI.com, there seems to be another player deciding not to turn up at team 0TA's, or mini camps; or have been arrested for some reason or another!

Obviously we've had the Michael Vick Dog fighting scandal, Pac-Man Jones, Ricky Williams and his drug use, to name but afew. Now Cedric Benson has been arrested and not decided to turn up to the Bears off season training camps, as well as Urlacher deciding not to show his face either! Chad Johnson has also decided to throw a wobbly!

Is it just that other sports don't have these issues publisised as much, or are NFL players really as stroppy and rebelious as they seem to be?! What are your thoughts?

[Bondsaway]

First you can't lump everyone in the same group that didn't show for camp. Most had semi good reasons. Benson had court, Urlacher wants new contract, Ocho Cinco wants traded. The NFL is all together a different beast in sports because of contracts and salary caps and what nots.

As for them getting into trouble the league needs to come down harder on these guys with their numerous brushes with the law. Tired of seeing these guys get 2-10th chances with other teams after being in the news for more off-field than on-field performances. Bengals just released LB Odell Thurman, basically missed almost 2 years for problems. Chris Henry finally got his walking papers after yet another arrest.

This is insane! Most of them got free college, then they get everything handed to them to play a game. The league and its owner need to step up and make the players take responsibility of their actions. Three strikes your out of the league type action.

[PBamber16]

First you can't lump everyone in the same group that didn't show for camp. Most had semi good reasons. Benson had court, Urlacher wants new contract, Ocho Cinco wants traded. The NFL is all together a different beast in sports because of contracts and salary caps and what nots.

As for them getting into trouble the league needs to come down harder on these guys with their numerous brushes with the law. Tired of seeing these guys get 2-10th chances with other teams after being in the news for more off-field than on-field performances. Bengals just released LB Odell Thurman, basically missed almost 2 years for problems. Chris Henry finally got his walking papers after yet another arrest.

This is insane! Most of them got free college, then they get everything handed to them to play a game. The league and its owner need to step up and make the players take responsibility of their actions. Three strikes your out of the league type action.

I certainly agree. I didn't mean to class all NFL players as one group, so apolagises if it sounded like that! What I was meaning is that the few bad apples in the sport seem to get more attention media wise, than any bad apples in other major sports! As for the three strike rule, that sounds good to me! In any other walk of life if you continually make mistakes and don't learn from them, then you'll definately find yourself being given the door!

As for the likes of Urlacher and Johnson, I still feel that whilst they are with the teams they have the responsibility to turn up to team off season workout's/mini-camps etc; and should sort out contract issues or wishing to be traded at another time around these events! As for Benson I read that he had no court hearings on those days and there was no reason for him missing the Bears workouts, but I may be wrong!

[Bondsaway]

They rescheduled his hearing but he had to be available just in case. But in the case of Sports Stars they all get their headlines if in trouble. Media eats up those stories.

[theonedru]

If you sign a contract you honor that contract, dont be a moron and not show up to practice or sit out things cuz down the line you got greedy and wanted more. Your just going to look like a no class *** that has no honor.

[hagansp]

Is it just me or are NFL players in the news alot more for off the field instances than players from other major sports?! When ever I log onto SI.com, there seems to be another player deciding not to turn up at team 0TA's, or mini camps; or have been arrested for some reason or another!

Obviously we've had the Michael Vick Dog fighting scandal, Pac-Man Jones, Ricky Williams and his drug use, to name but afew. Now Cedric Benson has been arrested and not decided to turn up to the Bears off season training camps, as well as Urlacher deciding not to show his face either! Chad Johnson has also decided to throw a wobbly!

Is it just that other sports don't have these issues publisised as much, or are NFL players really as stroppy and rebelious as they seem to be?! What are your thoughts?

You say off the field issues...and then you say OTAs and mini-camps. What other sports have these? These players right now are not sitting out training camp. Which is the parallel to other sports...Does NBA have summer leagues, sure, do the pro/veteran/stars do it, no, I don't even believe MLB or NHL have anything like this. Compare training camp...do guys hold out of camp yes...why is this different then any other sport...because the NBA, MLB, and NHL have somewhat guarenteed contracts. The NBA being the worst...why would players hold out? They could get hurt/say they are hurt/play bad they still get paid the same...in the NFL you can be cut the next day and not make a dime...As George says with salary cap/contract structure/etc the NFL is completly different with stuff like that. In every sport you have a risk of every play/every down/every practice you take part in could be your last, but consider the physicality (if thats a word/i may have made that up) NFL players go through the other sports do. Am I a football fan first before anything else and slightly biased, probably but thats my take.

When you get to the off field issues, I give you that, there is a lot more recently...but I say Urlacher and Chad need to be removed because of things mentioned above...The Benson story is on hold...a lot of people are saying the police handled this wrong, this could happen to anyone...Mike Vick...there's nothing to say there...he is just a horrible person, has nothing to do with playing football to any other sport. Pacman...I'd say similar, but you have your outlandish personalities in other sports...Steroids in baseball which recent reports are saying over 100+ veteran/star names could be released. Is that not a drug or a big deal? Ron Artest...Dennis Rodman...Barkely/Gambling...NBA Ref scandal, yes some go back a while but Ricky Williams isn't exactly this years news either...I'd say hockey is the cleanest in this realm of the topic.

Every sport has problems, every player is different, it's hard to lump it all together and come up with a consensus one sport over another.

[hagansp]

If you sign a contract you honor that contract, dont be a moron and not show up to practice or sit out things cuz down the line you got greedy and wanted more. Your just going to look like a no class *** that has no honor.

Thats fine in 3/4 sports...but you can't hold football players to that, because the owners don't need to honor their contracts and can cut a player at any time...It's a business. Can't have 1 side have all the power.

[maccards44]

I agree with all the union/mgmt issues brought up here, I wouldn't lump sitting out of training camp with drunk driving and baby momma beating... those are 2 very different animals.

One thing to think about with seemingly more football players getting in trouble than other sports... there are simply MORE of them. The NFL has 32 teams with like 60 players on each team, that adds up to almost 2,000 players. By comparison the nba has 30 teams with like 12 players, that's more like 400.
More players = more people to get in trouble w/ the law.

[hagansp]

The NFL has 32 teams with like 60 players on each team, that adds up to almost 2,000 players. By comparison the nba has 30 teams with like 12 players, that's more like 400.
More players = more people to get in trouble w/ the law.

good point too def more people overall

[PBamber16]

I agree with all the union/mgmt issues brought up here, I wouldn't lump sitting out of training camp with drunk driving and baby momma beating... those are 2 very different animals.

One thing to think about with seemingly more football players getting in trouble than other sports... there are simply MORE of them. The NFL has 32 teams with like 60 players on each team, that adds up to almost 2,000 players. By comparison the nba has 30 teams with like 12 players, that's more like 400.
More players = more people to get in trouble w/ the law.

Good point, I hadn't thought of it like that!