Spare the Rod Spoil the NFL Child

An old biblical verse reads “…spare the rod, spoil the child”.  This phrase basically means if you chose not to discipline your child, you are making a choice to spoil your child.  Discipline can come in different formats of stern talking, spanking your child and etc.

In the case of an NFL team (as the parent) and its players (as the child or children), players should seriously think before they make any decisions on or off the field.  To be a member of the NFL is an elite athletic status for football players.  There are many Americans and people worldwide who would have loved the opportunity to play in the NFL and receive the all of the accolades that go with it.  Then there are those who take their NFL position of status for granite and make people wonder, who hired this guy?

Right now, there are too many spoiled NFL children.  Yes, children.  I am not talking about the NFL players who play video games or anything like that.  I am speaking of the guys who constantly complain and whine to the media about things not going their way or whatever.  Truth is…I do not feel sorry for any grown man who makes an average of over $375 thousand annually.  According to a previous blog I wrote titled, “Do Players Understand Life After Football?” this is the amount starting rookies are receiving.  This is about seven (7) times what the average middle class American makes.

Jay Ratliff

Take the Dallas Cowboys, defensive Nose Tackle, Jay Ratliff for instance.  On December 8, 2012, Dallas Cowboys backup, defensive Nose Tackle, Josh Brent killed his best friend Jerry Brown in a car crash and was charged with manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.  The entire Cowboy organization went through a very rough period.  The team stuck together, went on to win a few ball games, and become better men.

Just 45 days after Jerry Brown was killed in a drunken car crash, Jay Ratliff decides to follow the same exact thing his teammate Josh Brent did and crash his car after drinking alcohol.  On Tuesday, January 22, 2013, police officers in Grapevine, Texas responding to an accident just after midnight where Ratliff was driving his pick up truck and crashed into and 18 wheeler, according to the Dallas News.com. 

When I heard the news I said to myself, “No, this can’t be true.  There is no way that a player could get into this similar situation just 45 days after the death of a teammate.  There’s just no way, right?”  Wrong!!!

These grown men will never learn unless some strong discipline is enforced.  Many players do not like NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell, but he must do what he needs to do to protect the NFL shield then protect player safety.  Many may say, “Player safety should be first?”  Player safety should be first, but we all know that business is business and Commissioner Goddell must protect the business by disciplining the player.  In all honesty this is a win-win situation for both parties even though most players would not want to hear that.  As long as the rules are fair across the board, I believe this protects the players and the NFL.

Chris Rainey

Take a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.  On January 10, 2013, Running Back Chris Rainey of the Steelers was released after police in Florida stated he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend, according to NFL.com.  Either way, Tomlin and the Steelers wasted no time in releasing Rainey.  The Steelers did not even wait for any evidence to come forward, they just made a decision based on situations they will not tolerate.

Terrell Owens

Plus there was word that Rainey was a bit of a showboat.  I hate to say it but your personality can get you into good situations and it can also set you up for failure.  Just ask a guy named T.O.  As much as I like T.O. if he could have toned down his business demeanor the skies were the limit for him, but he chose to go a different direction and you see where he is.

If I were the General Manager of the Dallas Cowboys, I would have to cut my losses and release Jay Ratliff from the team.  He could have taken another life on the highway that night.  I truly believe Ratliff should get a second chance, but I think it should be with another team.