This recent arrest of another @NFL Player TE Fred Davis Arrested and Charged with DWI causes me to deeply inhale with continued sadness and concern. As I viewed the discussion on @CNN and assume was reported on most national news networks this morning, the NFL has a continued brand problem that they don't seem to be able to tackle (pun intended).
In a tweet exchange with @AndyScholesCNN about what the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell could do to manage 360 players, my response was in a nutshell - tighten up the point of entry with stricter expectations upfront. It's not about "babysitting 360 players" as Scholes put it, rather it's about owning the full responsibility of 360 degree management of the players with more intentionality (on and off season). It's also about placing more energy around the players' reps and their off-the-field team. Now, I am definitely not saying that reps, agents, extended off-the-field team should "babysit" players. I am also not saying that they aren't taking their jobs seriously. However, we can all agree that something is broken. There is a pattern forming and strengthening. Something needs to change, in my opinion, it's at point of entry, to ensure expectations are set. What better time then #NFLCombine weekend?
In the past, I have blogged in response to the latest news of what's happened to an athlete. Instead of trying to create new words to address this old problem, I close out this blog with words from the past.
(Originally posted 10-05-10 about Panthers cutting WR Dwayne Jarrett after second drunken driving arrest.)
As I have stated in previous posts, although an athlete has talent and money, they still do not possess maturity, common sense or life experience. Their life since Pop Warner has been sports...period. And, their life after being drafted is sports. They have not had a chance to live, grow, make mistakes, process....all the basic things teenagers and young adults are able to do in the world. So, when they enter the ADULT world of sports, the expectation that is placed on them is unfair.
When their parents hand them over to their sports agents there should be an understanding that the sports agents don't just help brocker the best financial deal for them with the best team. The sports agent must now take on the responsibility of mentoring, monitoring and managing the off-the-field behavior of the athlete.
Sports agents need to mentor their clients; guide them through all things that come with taking on this adult responsibility called "Pro Athlete". Sports agents need to monitor their clients; make sure they are acting responsible and being a good steward over all they have. And, sports agents need to manage their clients. Now, the latter is done to a degree, but not completely. In managing your client you are bringing in the RIGHT people to help ensure the client's brand is not just secured, but enhanced and ever evolving. All of this helps the sports agent at the negotiating table walk away with more money.
But, what happens more than not is they see the athletes as a check...period. There is no concern or little concern of the athlete's well-being...no proactive action taken to ensure that, if nothing else, their check is safe and a constant, by putting in place the right elements to guarantee success.
So, today, I would like to ask the question, when will a portion of the blame for the missteps of these young athletes begin to be placed on the sports agents? When will they be held responsible for some of the drama that seems to be getting worse within professional athletes' off-the-field/court actions?
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