NFL players too tangled with the law

Just over two weeks ago, rival players Joey Porter, a former Steeler, and Levi Jones, a current Bengal, were involved in an incident in a Las Vegas casino. Allegedly, the two men exchanged "trash talk" at a blackjack table, and later in the evening, Porter punched Jones in the face outside the casino. Jones also alleges that either Porter or one of his associates stole jewelry during the incident.

While as an isolated incident, this would not appear to be more than a minor incident between two rival players continuing their heated competition off the field, it serves to highlight a growing problem for the National Football League.

Apparently, NFL players, and, more specifically, Bengals players, cannot avoid the police. Since Jan. 1, 2006, nine different Bengals players have had run-ins with the law, ranging from DUI to marijuana possession to abuse, and around the league there are a number of "bad apples" that are trying desperately to spoil the rest of the bunch.

An opinion piece about the NFL and player violations that didn't mention Adam "Pacman" Jones would not do the issue justice, as he has had no fewer than 10 incidents involving police over the past two years.

His actions, which he chalked up to "bad luck" and "poor timing," prompted the owner of the Tennessee Titans (Pacman's current team) to say, "there are only so many times that one person can be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Which leads me to my next conclusion ... these people are CRAZY! How is a man who has been arrested 10 times, did you hear me, 10 TIMES, in the last two years still employed? Do you think the University would allow one of our star professors to remain employed if he or she had been arrested 10 times since the basketball team last won an Ivy title? Didn't think so. The professor would be gone so fast, it would make the All-American women's track relay team look slow.

How about the Bengals? Would Gary Walters chalk up nine arrests on the fencing team to "bad luck"? Has the whole sporting world gone mad? Pacman Jones deserves to spend the better part of his career in jail, not on the field, and as for those Bengals, Cincinnati administrators wonder why the crime rate is so high in the city. Here's a little piece of advice: have them play more away games.

These players are paid millions; they are handed everything they could ever need or want; and they all have the opportunities to make not only a great life for themselves, but for others as well.

Sometimes, the argument is made that these players come from tough backgrounds and don't know how to handle the drastic changes in their lifestyles. Why should that matter? They had to abide by the law before they were stars in the league. The law applies to everyone, and money is not an excuse to break it.

If anything, players coming from rougher backgrounds should be even more grateful for the opportunity they have been given to improve their lives and the lives of their family and friends.

These players know the law, they know that they have to abide by it, and yet time and again they break them, pay a meaningless fine and continue to suit up on Sunday. If players break the law, kick them out of the league, make an example and show America's youth that it doesn't matter who you are, the law applies to everyone and actions have consequences.

A harsher rule would have a tremendous trickle-down effect on the league and its participants. It will force coaches, owners and administrators to not only draft players with better character, but also force them to teach and monitor their players, so as not to lose their precious first-round pick to a Casino brawl.

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College and high school players would realize that, to make it into the league, they have to prove to these teams and scouts that you have NFL-quality character.

It is no different in any other type of business. Proctor & Gamble or JPMorgan will not hire someone with a criminal record, and neither will a host of other professions. People gain employment through hard work and success with their academics and character.

Why should it be any different for professional athletes? They gain employment through success in their sport, and their characters should also be considered. As it stands right now, NFL character quality ranks somewhere between marijuana possession and strip club riot instigator.