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Health & Fitness

Bad Boys of the NFL: Examining The Dark Side of Professional Sports

Recent years have seen a boom in bad behavior by professional sports players. One could argue that it all began with a certain car chase involving a now-infamous white Ford Bronco. But from Charles Barkley’s gambling troubles to the adulterous antics of Tiger Woods, it seems that no professional sport is immune to unethical, immoral, even illegal behavior.

While some of this behavior occurs on the court in the way of fighting, trash talking, and dirty play, it seems that there’s been a surge recently of some pretty outrageous behavior off the field. And nowhere has this been more apparent than in the NFL.

When Michael Vick’s brutal dog fighting crimes were revealed in 2007, football fans were dismayed. But criminal behavior in professional football has had even more sinister conduct: murder (Ray Lewis), conspiracy to commit murder (Rae Carruth), vehicular manslaughter (Leonard Little), and all manners of domestic violence. Some of the athletes alleged to have committed these crimes have seen convictions and prison time (Vick served 23 months), while others have walked.

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The murder and weapons charges against Aaron Hernandez are just the latest in an alarming string of criminal activity by NFL stars. Though a criminal trial is likely weeks or even months away, it certainly doesn’t look as if Hernandez will walk. The evidence against him in the murder of Odin Lloyd – and perhaps other murders – seems insurmountable. Much has been said about the apparent lack of thought and planning that went into Lloyd’s shooting. But as with other crimes committed by pro football players, the question remains: Why?

What drives these high-profile athletes to their equally high-profile crimes? Is it arrogance? Is it hubris? Or is it an inevitable by-product of living on the pedestal created by our society – a society that places such an emphasis on professional sports that its players seem untouchable?

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Most of us can only dream of the godlike fame and fortune that accompany phenomenal athletic talent. Each season, we’re awestruck by the magic these players bring to every game with their innate athletic prowess. As spectators, we can only imagine how it must feel to seem virtually invincible on the field. But does being a standout mean standing alone? Some of these athletes have only ever known success. They were the best of the best in high school and college and those early successes have led to professional careers where they command astronomical salaries and public adulation.

Perhaps it’s this string of continual successes from an early age that creates a sense of being above the law. After all, when has Aaron Hernandez had the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be a regular guy doing a workaday job with an average salary and a lack of notoriety? When has he been expected to live like the masses and play by the rules?

The teams these athletes play for need to espouse a no-tolerance policy for serious legal troubles. If NFL stars know that bad behavior means getting the boot from being able to play the game, maintain their wealth, and enjoy the admiration of the masses, perhaps they will think twice before engaging in reckless and criminal behavior. Maybe this isn’t the entire solution, but at least it’s worth a try.

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