By Monica Wood │MWPR, Inc.
Up to now, all I have done is post examples of off-the-field mistakes and choices athletes have made, expressing my frustration in the headers. But, I really need to finally state for the record my total disgust at what seems to be epidemic in the NFL. Why is it that SO many players are continuing to make the same bad decisions over and over again?
Isn't this a fraternity of sorts? Where is the internal communication line between fellow players getting the word out that "player X" of "Y team" was just arrested...and screaming to the members..."brothers, we need to stop the maddness and focus on the game." There is a responsibility that should be placed on the players (fellow members of the fraternity) to help nip this thing. Come on....you don't have to make the same mistake that others have made....learn from them.
And, now my finger is pointing to the agents, PAs and PR folks....where are you? How is it that your clients are able to get so out of hand? Why isn't anyone sitting them down and talking about how important it is to keep their nose clean off-the-field? Give them the examples of other players that have fallen from grace and let them know that they are not special....it could easily happen to them. Where is the mentoring? Where is the consulting? Where is the assistance?
If nothing else will get their attention, the mighty dollar should. Let them know how much they stand to loose with one mistake. Pound into them the point of how hard it will be to regain trust and to polish their tarnished brand.
My passion has always been sports and making sure athletes, especially ones that look like me, are able to embrace all they can from the priviledged opportunity they have....playing professional sports. It is a job...not a game. Can you please start acting like it?
If not, you could possibly suffer the same fate as Quincy Wilson. Let it stop with him.
Coming soon: The Playbook
Wilson released by Bengals, RB was previously arrested
Associated Press
CINCINNATI -- Running back Quincy Wilson has been waived by the Cincinnati Bengals.It is the second time in the past five days the Bengals released a player who had been arrested.
The second-year running back from West Virginia was arrested last June 17 in Huntington, W.Va., and charged with disorderly conduct for failing to disperse after a weekend wedding party. The Bengals waived him Monday.
Wilson was the 10th Bengals player arrested in a 14-month span.
The Bengals recently released wide receiver Chris Henry, another former West Virginia star, after he was arrested last week on an assault charge, his fifth arrest while he was with the team.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
If you do not mind, allow me to pose the following question to you regarding your point that PR agents should have better control over their NFL clients and their off-field conduct. What if the problem that these young NFL players are experiencing is not a lack of guidance or control from their PR agents? What if the problem lies solely with these young NFL players?
ReplyDeleteIn this day and age, we are extremely concerned with winning. Most NFL franchises value winning and obtaining championships over most other things. When is the last time you saw a NFL franchise promote the "civitan" aspects of its players because these players were such stalwart members of our community? Most of th etime, our NFL franchises have "advertised" and "marketed" their community outreach activities of their players for the sole purpose of persuading the consumer to buy into their product: season tickets and team memorabalia.
Even the desire to win is a distant second to the desire to make money. Most NFL franchise owners want to win championships not to say that their team was the best athletic team for that calendar year. No, most NFL franchise owners want to win champtionships so that they can earn more moeny. A championship team commands more money from television and radio broadcasts. A championship team commands greater tax breaks from the municipal locales that host these franchises. A championship team, of course, sells more merchandise from just a regular, nonchampionship team. This is why Jerry Jobes, a few years ago, built a new football stadium evne though there was nothing wrong with the almost new stadium that Dallas was then playing in. Thgis is why most NBA franchises are pushing for these new arenas with all of the amenities. Sports and the franchises that own the teams that play therein are about making money.
Now, having said all of that, NFL franchises win champtionships and make the most money when they have all-star quality players playing on their teams. In recent years, the desparation to win a champtionship has so gotten out of control that most franchise owners are no longer drawing talent from the graduating class of senior collegiate players. No, franchises are pulling undergraduate players out of college with the lure of quick riches. Some franchises are even signing players out of high school.
The problem arises when you introduce millions of dollars or an unlimited source of wealth to educationally, socially and financially unprepared and immature boys who still long for the fulfillment of childhood fantasies. Many times, these boys go from having nothing to having everything all at one time. And truthfully, they cannot handle it. They are thrust into positions of responsibility that are unfamiliar to them and require more intellectual competence than what they are accustomed to utilizing.
Add on top of this educational, social & financial immaturity the demands from families and friends. Many times, there are family members that have pinned their hopes of a better life upon the shoulders of these young NFL players. Mothers see the financial provider intheir sons that old loveres never were. Younger siblings see the source of instant income that the NFL player never had. Friends see the NFL player as the vehicle that will enable them to rise above their stations and into a life that they have neither studied to attain nor worked hard earning. This pressure these young NFL players carry. Many times, the indiscretions and criminal activities they find themselves committing are, in large part, reactions to greater, heavier and, often times, conflicting forces pulling on them from all directions.
Now, I am not saying any of this to negate the PR agent's responsibility to guide their clients around and in avoidance of the pitfalls of stardom. However, I do not think all the onus can be placed solely on the PR agent. The NFL player must take some responsiblity for his or her actions. And the NFL player must seek out those who have the correct, appropriate and important knowledge that they need in order to successfully navigate the instant fame and responsibility thrust upon them when they signed these multi-million dollar sport contracts.
Just my thoughts....
Minister Kennon, we are basically saying the same thing. I truly believe that rookies are children being thrown into an adult environment for the purposes of making money for owners, corporate partners and their own families...a lot of responsibility and expectation placed on individuals who aren't even legally able to drink. So, I truly believe the "onus" should be heavily placed on any and all adults are in their space, benefiting from the player's talent...as the player is too young to navigate through the real-life situation they are in on their own. So, that includes PR practitioners, agents, FA's, owner, coaches, mom, dad, etc. They are kids living a grown-folk life way too soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd, thank you for visiting my blog. I am enjoying your comments.
You know what really gets me? It bothers me when this day I see parents from economically-challenged/destitute backgrounds that only can perceive a way out of their economic plight through their children realizing upon the parents' aspirations for the children's success in athletics. On most Saturdays, I see more parents who will get their children up, get them to the athletic venue--early, mind you, and stress them during the game to perform at the very best level they can. These parents fit their own adult schedules around their children making each & every practice and getting to each and every game on the season's schedule. Howeever, these same parents have a much more relaxed mentality when it comes to education.
ReplyDeleteI mean I cannot tell you how many times my frat brothers and I as well as other friends who are educators have shared with me how difficult it is to not only get the students to take their education seriously, but for the parents to take seriously the necessity for a solid educational foundation in their children's lives. One of my frat brothers who is a principal has shared that some parents show up ready to fight when their children are placed on academic probation and cannot participate in sports but the school has to track down the parent when the student is disruptive in the classroom or failing to perform on level in class.
I know that the original discussion focused on these young athletes who are thrown into a national spotlight that they are not ready for and without the proper supervisions/mentoring/guidance that they need to be not only successful but also to remain on the lawful side of life. It's not just that these young players are thrown into positiona of social & economic responsibility that they are not ready for, but it is a problem that is systemic of a larger system of misguidance and misdirection that must be addressed if we are going to help these young players move from being high school delinquents with a near-unexhaustible source of liquid funds to responsible adults who understand who they are and what is required of them. If any effort to teach these young players how to be responsible is going to be successful, we must first address these parents' shortsightedness in terms of education as well as their inability to shoulder their means & avenues of moving out of the current state of economic destitution without relying solely upon their children as their "meal ticket". We also have to find a way to teach their parents what it means to be "responsible" and how they are to impart these lessons of responsibility to their children.
I could go on, but I will pause for a second to hear your perspective on this second but connected issue.