Let's change our focus


In my opinion, we need to change our locus of attention in the current Tackling Dummy Affair which is playing itself out at one of the NFL training camps. We need to focus on the fact that players sign contracts to do a job. If an owner asks a player to accept an exorbitant amount of money to take on the role of a living, breathing tackling dummy and the player accepts that request and cashes the owner's check, he needs to live up to that obligation. All they are asking this particular player to do is occupy space and occasionally push the pocket back into the quarterback's face. For some reason, the player seems to think that this particular job is now beneath him. Especially since he has that thirty two million in the bank.

As I read blogs, fan comments on media reports and reporter's opinions about the matter, too many tend to immediately lose their focus and choose to ignore the fact the player is failing to live up to his obligations. Too many are focusing on the notion that it's the owner's fault. Too many perceive that it is the owner who screwed up and that the fault lies in bad decision making. Too many are forgetting that if the player were holding up his end of the bargain, there would be no discussions about incompetence on anybody's part.

Of course, the owner paid too much for the player's services. But, all of the owners pay too much. Is Sam Bradford worth seventy eight million? I think not. Fans tend to focus on the relativity of worth rather than the absurdity of the total expenditure. They will argue for hours about how they believe that Manning should be paid more than Brady instead of focusing on the fact that no quarterback is worth seventy eight million dollars.

In the current NFL environmental context, the owners are paying way too much to acquire these athletes' services. And, there should be no guaranteed contracts. Life isn't about guarantees. Life is about working hard, being productive, contributing to the common good and having a little fun along the way. This particular player has forgotten that. Or, he never learned that simple maxim.

However, the owners can still make millions while paying out millions to these athletes. It's not fair nor is it reasonable. But, for some reason, the fans keep coming to the parks, they keep buying jerseys and they spend much of their free time focused on these pampered millionaires playing a silly little game. And, I am one of those rabid fans. I won't miss an NFL game unless some historical Apocalypse is ongoing. And, they'd probably postpone the game until after that particular conflagration was over anyway.

So, please, people, let's focus on the correct villain. The player is humiliating himself. He should be ashamed of his behavior. And, the media should call him on it. He shouldn't get a free pass. And, let's get off of the owner's back. He is trying to build a team while abiding by existing NFL rules and by acquiring players using mandated restrictions that are placed upon him. Sure, he's not perfect. He makes mistakes. He occasionally decides to acquire a player who doesn't pan out. But, so does every other owner in the league.

Instead, let's focus our attention on the ones who are not living up to their obligations, not the ones who are working twenty four/seven to build a winning team while making a little money along the way. I, personally, can find little fault with those who are working as hard as they can to do the best job they can. But, I can find much fault in those who are unwilling to live up to their obligations to which they readily and voluntarily agreed.