Mascots Revealed: Their Significance & Symbolism within Sporting Entities and the Problematic Representation of Native American Minority Populations

Mascots Revealed: Their Significance & Symbolism within Sporting Entities and the Problematic Representation of Native American Minority Populations

One of the most prominent features of any sporting body is the team mascot.  It is argued that the mascot was developed to create a school identity within collegiate athletics.  Chandler states that “the mascot signifies a proud heritage and continual identification by students…embodying the spirit of the school.”  The mascot thus becomes far more than a fixture within the sporting arena; rather, it is an object that is readily identifiable, and one which personifies the vivacity and values of a specific institution or professional franchise.  In addition to providing a framework for school unity, the mascot serves to generate revenue through the sales of merchandise and through continued alumni support.

Mascots are not unlike Sesame Street characters whose purpose is to entertain children.  Mascots must thus be considered figures that are present to entertain children and adults. If one is at a sporting event, it is almost guaranteed that he or she will see a Mascot in full gear, getting a rise out of the crowd.  Mascots embody team spirit. One must question why mascots are such a significant part of the American identity in sport?  When considering the history of sports mascots it becomes easy to understand why Americans fall in love with them so easily. Mascots have come to represent a positive image for states nation-wide. Mascots play an important role in the sporting industry; they represent a state’s identity, as well as embody a positive attitude that unifies sports fans.  A part of the mascot’s positive image and purpose is to increase exposure of the company by creating awareness, building loyalty, and selling their products.  Demonstrating this relationship, we can reference instances in which we have seen the Oriole bird mascot at Camden Yards pitching t-shirts and other stadium-affiliated merchandise into the crowd.

As we know mascots hold great importance to a fan base, community and sports team. They can embolden togetherness and instill a sense of unity in a group of people.  In addition to serving in an intimidating capacity, mascots also house an entertainment element.  Many mascots embody characteristics intended to instill fear or a sense of danger.  Animals such as lions, bears and eagles manifest this concept. 

But we also know that mascots have the possibility to be offensive and hurtful. This situation can thus create a conundrum. If a mascot is deemed offensive by some, but others see it as a symbol of unity and tradition, how then does the sports community adjust to accommodate all involved parties?

At sporting events mascots create media exposure and excitement, and are often photographed for print media, or television broadcasts.  Another positive role that the Mascot embodies is that involving appeal to the human psyche. If a mascot has a distinguishing personality people become attached to it, like that of the Baltimore Ravens which evokes “rising and conquering.”  Mascots tend to get the crowd excited for a game, something that can’t be achieved by a person outside of this role.  At games, one is guarantee to see a fan dressed like the Ravens Mascot in all its glory, imitating the mascot. Mascots serve as vehicles to remind the consumers of who they are and what they represent. Mascots give sports goers a sense of pride and dignity, a representation of self, a winner! But, with every positive aspect, there are also negative aspects which warrant consideration.

The use of Native American mascots is one of great pertinence when one considers the underlying implications.  Although institutions claim that the use of Native American imagery is done an honorable manner, one cannot negate that the inaccurate and incomplete portrayal of these populations is problematic.  This appears to be another instance of cultural appropriation, such that dominant White society picks and chooses those aspects of a minority racial population which they find appealing, negating the broader circumstance, context, and associations.  Not only have Caucasian populations physically conquered Native American territory, but the present use also metaphorically captures what little control the population has to accurately display itself. 

One must further question why particular Native American populations don’t find such use offensive.  Perhaps media has naturalized images and the manner in which audiences analyze images, resulting in a neutral stance toward issues such as these which reinforce hegemony.  Certainly, if larger minority populations were depicted in similar lights, society would be outraged.  Why then is it permissible for the minority population which is native to this land, to be demeaned and marginalized?

            There are a few ways administrators in sports communities can help rectify the situation. Instead of telling a particular group how they should feel about their mascot sports communities can exercise cultural competency and realize it’s not about how they “mean” for the mascot to come across, but how it is perceived by the minority group.  Focus groups could be set up to discuss if there is a middle ground that the two parties could reach. Perhaps learning about and adjusting how mascots are portrayed might lessen the perceived offensiveness.  This would also permit the sports community to retain some of their traditions. 

It is important for the majority population to recognize by keeping offensive mascots around, and by not accepting that they are offensive and telling minority groups they should not be offended they are reinforcing white privilege.  Because these dominant groups fall within the “norm,” they are able to create images, and dictate social perceptions of these minority groups.  An ironic concept arises in the scenario of a high school in Utah which rejected the name “Cougars” for their mascot because it was deemed to be offensive to older women. However, Native American cultures are still allowed to be mocked and paraded around on football fields. Unfortunately many people ignore this issue based on pure ignorance toward the situation. Perhaps if individuals were more informed, and if the minority population was given a substantial voice, others would understand how powerful a mascot can be.

WORD COUNT: 986

Works Cited:

Video about the Utah “Cougar” Mascot controversy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYFSY0hB0S4

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-history-school-mascots-4091655.html?cat=37

Mississippi Mascot Controversy: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7300892/Mississippi-students-to-vote-on-controversial-mascot.html

10 Most Controversial Mascots: http://topcollegesonline.org/10-most-controversial-college-mascots-ever/

Sports and Entertainment: Athletes as Celebrities

Sports and Entertainment: Athletes as Celebrities

Camera, lights, action! Have you ever notice that more and more sports athletes are becoming Hollywood? They are consistently trending as time progresses.  We have seen how popular it is to be a sports athlete and how well it pays to be in the lime-light.  Sports athletes such as T.O, Chad Johnson, and Lamar Odom, have stepped off the field/court, and into Hollywood. Athletes no longer have to the work as a team, but as an individual. It seems like anything athletes do these days is no longer in the sports realm, but in the entertainment realm. Guest speaker Jeff Barker stated that sports reporting is no longer about covering the game, but reporting on athlete’s quirks and personality.  He states that “covering sports is like covering celebrities”. He illustrated in his example of a game he covered in Puerto Rico where a Maryland Terrapins player was caught sporting a Mohawk in which he took a picture and tweeted it. His tweet received more attention that the game itself. It seem as though these days anything a specific athlete does makes the news in some form, whether it’s on blogs, the internet, or on ESPN, they are consistently being talked about and filmed.

Manifesting this point, a journalist once reported that many athletes are getting mani-pedis.  Why is it so important for sporting fans to know this? Specifically, the article stated that New Yorker Tim Tebow, amongst others, was spotted by TMZ at a West Hollywood salon receiving this service.  Dwayne Wade another superstar athlete was more open about his "sports pedicures." "You need to take care of your feet," he told The Wall Street Journal. "My feet aren't going to look any prettier from a pedi, but they feel better from the massaging."  For a more clear description follow link http://news.yahoo.com/trend-alert-pedicures-male-athletes-121000371.html. 

Furthermore, athletes are becoming so trendy that they are the stars of their own TV Reality show, such as, Dancing with the Star, and Celebrity Apprentice for more athletes on display visit http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2012/02/athletes-on-reality-tv/#3450-26  More black athletes are searching for love and what better way to do it, than on TV, for millions to see, as Terrell Owens, and Chad Ochocinco have done in reality shows as “The Ultimate Catch” and “The T.O Show”. Athletes are trending and will continue to trend, it’s no longer about sports, but about entertainment as a celebrity.

Often sportscasters and fans criticize athletes for allowing themselves to become celebrities.  Such voices believe that the game they play is a job and that it should treat it as such. However, those critics often fail to examine why these athletes crave that attention.  The answer lies in the fact that we as fans give them irrational adoration.  Last night's draft had a preshow that looked similar to the Grammys preshow, complete with cameras, limos, and a red carpet. It’s the fans that are so passionate about their team that the mere potential of success can launch an athlete into stardom.  RG3 has yet to throw one professional pass, and the DC area has already dubbed him the savior of the Redskins. When you take a second to think about it, it’s ridiculous, especially since hardly anyone  had heard of him until late this season.  He’s walking into an organization with the entire weight of it on his shoulders, and the fans and the media are to blame. It’s great to give confidence to young players, but it begs the question if ‘celebratizing’ a player like RG3 puts an unrealistic amount of pressure on him?  If so, could this excessive pressure negatively affect his play?

Having so much attention may cause athletes to lose their focus on what they’re being paid to do. Often athletes become the symbol of their state/city, which is a lot of responsibility for one to handle. Giving young players so much money and saying their name everyday on national television seems to be ideal circumstances for the development of trouble. When one becomes a celebrity athlete it gives them a false sense of entitlement, he or she may (consciously or not) feel above the average person. They think they can get away with breaking the law and being reckless simply because of whom they are.   Unfortunately, because we as a society ‘pedistalize’ celebrity athletes, they do get away with things that an average person may not.  This problematic pattern is compounded by the consequences of favored treatment, which can involve criminal activity, abusing drugs, drinking and driving and other reckless behavior. While there are negatives to turning athletes into celebrities, they are also potential positives.  When a popular athlete is the face and symbol of a city, it gives him or her the unique opportunity to make differences in that area.  Everyone knows Suh of the Lions for his aggressive style of play. However in a low-income school’s football gear was stolen, Suh took it upon himself to have Nike provide the high school with all new football equipment at his expense. The things Peyton Manning did for the Colts organization may never be matched again. He basically built that stadium. 

It would benefit these players if perhaps their coverage on ESPN/ Sports Center could find a happy medium between reporting on them and sensationalizing them. But again, that is what us diehard fans want to see, we never get tired of watching our star players face across the television.

David Beckham serves as another example of this pattern.  Beckham’s rise to popularity through his on-field success, and subsequent off-field endorsement deals afforded him celebrity status.  His athletic presence and off-field image invariably contributed to this notoriety.  Beckham’s marriage and parenthood shared with Posh Spice made him an ideal candidate for superstardom.  One case study investigates what is termed “the Beckham brand,” in which it is posited that his appeal and dealings in the sports and entertainment worlds are heavily motivated by his marketability.  The full article can be read by clicking the following link:

http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Simplified%20Case%20Studies/SCMKTG077.htm.

The introduction of this nexus between sports and entertainment warrants further investigation.  One must question what implications this nexus has upon the integrity of sport.  Individuals gaze upon others as a form of entertainment, thus the rise in athlete celebrity may lengthen one’s gaze and intensify one’s interest.  Such notoriety may heighten intimacy between the athlete and the fan, wherein media’s consistent provision of information regarding an athlete offers unparalleled access to the star’s life.

Furthermore, the frequent use of celebrities as endorsers of products has encouraged, if not facilitated this pattern.  Given the importance of sports in our society, it is no wonder that athletes are propelled to celebrity status; our consumer world provides an ideal platform upon which one can promote him or herself off of the court.  The athlete thus becomes representative of popular culture and their influence and popularity as celebrity must be considered in a broader social context.

Overall, this transition points to the increasing commercialization of sport and of sporting association’s athletes.  The merging of the athletic and entertainment spheres thus solidifies the primacy of sports; through offering incomparable exposure within personal and professional contexts, and monetary compensation for said coverage, athletes are catapulted to superstardom transcendent of the court or field. 

Fan Aggression

Aggression in Sports, From the Court to the Stands: Spectators and Aggressive Behaviors

What is it about a sport that causes the expression of such intense emotion from people? What is it about a sport, or a team, or a player that can cause a sane individual to burst out in so much rage? For anyone that is passionate about a sport or team it’s easy to relate to that feeling of “fan aggression” When a Yankee’s fan is sitting next to a Red Sox fan or when a Raven’s fan is listening to a loud Steelers fan taunt them about how many super bowls rings they have. We don’t know why, but that can spark a feeling of aggression inside ourselves. Our more rationale half knows it’s foolish to become this upset or angry with someone over a sport, but for the passionate sports fan, they still feel it.  There are many different possible explanations for this. One is the Catharsis Doctrine, which explains that fans act out in aggression or enjoy sports with aggression as a way to release their own tensions and anger about things going on in their day-to-day lives. Somehow screaming at the television becomes a release for aggression one feels that day after being chewed out by their boss. Another reason may be that sports provide an escape. When one is so deeply committed to a team, nothing else matters when he or she is watching that team play. All the trials and tribulations of the world seem to disappear, and the only thing that matters is the game. When one thinks deeply about it, maybe an individual getting so worked up isn’t so confusing. We would all like to escape from life every once in a while.  Thus, if watching the Cowboys beat the Redskins is a way of escaping the stresses of everyday life, or ia viewed as the only thing that went right over a weekend, it is easier to believe that when the Cowboys miss what would be the winning goal, and a Redskins fan is taunting him, that a person may lose sight of his or her better judgment and act aggressively.  It’s almost as if individuals are protecting their right to “escape” when they are supporting their own team. 

Over the past years, as sports have become more a more widely accessible phenomenon, several events have been punctuated by incidences of spectator violence.  Such cases include the fight between Ron Artest and teammates, and on-looking fans, and the incidence of aggression following a soccer match in Egypt.  In order to fully understand these events and the accompanying implications, one must relive them:

The roar of the crowd erupts like an army charging into the line of fire. People globally have an identification to teams which leads to narcissistic behavior like, “my team is better than yours” “Kobe is better than LeBron”.  According to “Behavioral and social motivations for mediated sports consumption” it states that viewers bring some pent-up emotions to the viewing experience. In which we agree with, because there are many times when our day is not going to great and knowing our favorite teams are playing and winning gives us easy and makes our day seem a little better. The book also states that “fans high in release motivation report watching ‘to let loose’, ‘to have a few beers or drinks’, to let off steam’ and ‘to get psyched up’” (322).  This hold true, because we have experience those behaviors when watching sports. Fans enjoy their sports by applauding and shouting in pleasure, and through yelling in displeasure and anger, verbally disputing the tactics of the coaches and players and the calls of officials, and pacing the floor in nervousness and anticipation. We all can attest to doing this all the time when watching sports, if our teams aren’t doing good we yell at the TV in anger, or at the referees wanting to hunt them down or have them fired for not officiating the game fair. Fans tend to have a group affiliation to some team. This group affiliation is formed at home, schools, and regionally. This gives us a pride to support teams that represent our state, in beating out the competition and winning a ranking spot in history. However, there is a downside to this euphoric high. Competition tends to bring out the worst in an individual, we have seen this is many games when fans snap and cause havoc. For example, The Pistons versus Pacers brawl of 2004 in which fans felt disrespect my “Word Peace” formally known as “Ron Artest” by disrespecting one of the Pistons players, when a fan threw a cup at Word Peace who then leaped into the crowd and sort out the fan to strike him which erupted into a massive brawl amongst fans and sports athletes.  A video clip displaying this incident can be viewed at the following site: http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=715. 

In the latter of the two incidents reviewed in this entry, EGYPT'S ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has announced three days of national mourning after at least 74 people were killed and hundreds injured in a brawl between rival soccer fans. The violence erupted after a match in the city of Port Said.  It was the bloodiest outbreak of lawlessness since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak one year ago. The clashes and stampede did not appear to be directly linked to the political turmoil in Egypt, but the violence raises questions over the ability of police to manage crowds in the wake of the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down. Protest marches were being planned over the police's inability to curb the violence. Soccer fans rushed on to the field on Wednesday following an unexpected win by the home team against the country's top club, setting off clashes and a stampede. It was the worst incident of soccer violence in Egypt and the deadliest worldwide since 1996. One player said it was ''like a war.” The melee broke out when fans of Al-Masry, the home team, stormed the field after a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly. Al-Masry supporters hurled sticks and stones as they chased players and fans of the rival team, who ran towards the exits to escape, witnesses said. Health ministry officials said most deaths had been caused by concussion, deep cuts to the head and suffocation during the stampede. Al-Ahly player Mohammed Abu Trika criticized the police for standing idly by during the violence. ''People here are dying and no one is doing a thing. It's like a war,'' he told media. ''Is life this cheap,” he questioned.  TV footage showed Al-Ahly players rushing for their locker room as fist fights broke out among the hundreds of fans swarming on to the field. Some men had to rescue a manager from the losing team as he was being beaten. Black-clothed police officers stood by, appearing overwhelmed. Egypt’s state prosecutor ordered an investigation, and the Egypt Football Association suspended the championship indefinitely. Parliament said it would convene an emergency session .State TV reported the casualty toll, citing a health ministry official. A medic in the Port Said morgue gave the same figures and said some of the dead were security officers. Sepp Blatter, president of the world soccer governing body FIFA, said ''this is a black day for football''.

Building upon these ideas, psychologists have investigated spectator aggression at sporting events.  Initially, sports psychologists question whether the viewing of athlete’s aggressive behavior serves as a cathartic experience for fans (hereafter, referred to as the catharsis theory).  Weinberg et al. (2007) present evidence which disproves this theory: “researchers found that observing a sporting event does not lower the level of the spectator’s aggression” (544); rather, one has a greater propensity to engage in violent behavior after viewing similar acts in a sports broadcast, for example.   Weinberg et al. (2007) further suggest that such factors as team identification and social class (544) may have bearing upon one’s likelihood to engage in aggressive acts.  Perhaps the present packaging of sports as ‘confrontainment’ contributes to this heightened intimacy and consequent pattern of aggression.  Studies thus confirm that “[fans] may be looking for violent behavior as a source of enjoyment” (544).  If sports are indeed packaged as confrontainment, do sports serve as an ideal arena for cathartic release?  In what ways do varying degrees of fandom dictate ones inclination to be physically emotive?  In the further examination of the link between on court and spectator aggression, one should consider what measures sporting associations can implement to lessen the prevalence of such destructive behaviors.  It is possible that through instating greater regulations and penalties for on court violence, athletes would be less likely to fight amongst one in other, which would lead to a decline in fan aggression.  Moreover, if sports are indeed packaged as confrontainment, do sports serve as an ideal arena for cathartic release?  In what ways does fandom dictate ones inclination to be physically emotive?

WORD COUNT: 1,489

Works Cited

Bryant, Arthur A. Raney and Jennings.  “Handbook of Sports and Media.” Why We Watch Sports and Enjoy Mediated Sports.  Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006. 322-323.

Weinberg, Robert S. and Gould, Daniel.  Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2011. Print.

 

Drugs in the World of Sports: Do Consequences Reflect Severity of the Act?

Drugs the World of Professional Sports: Alcohol and Steroid Use

Do the Consequences reflect the Severity of the Act?

Drugs are no stranger to athletes. There are many instances where drugs have been detrimental to an athlete’s well-being, as well as career. One of the main drugs used by today’s athletes is alcohol. We have heard it time and time again, that an athlete has just been arrested for a DUI. Last year Dallas Mavericks Guard Deshawn Stevenson was arrested for public intoxication after winning the NBA championship. Surprising? Not really. Stevenson is not the only professional athlete that has been busted for a DUI. Hines Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was pulled over for a DUI in Georgia.

    Here's a list of just a few who have been taken in over the years according to “International Business and Time ‘Sports and Stars’. Former Rams all-star, Leonard Little was also convinced of a DUI manslaughter. He served four years probation and 1,000 hours community service. Jets receiver Braylon Edwards was busted for a DWI in September of 2010 in New York City. As a result of the DWI, Edwards was forced to sit out the first quarter of the next game. Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was busted for a DUI in season in April of this year. Lowe was pulled over in Georgia when an officer spotted him racing another car.”

I really don’t know if the cops are attracted to professional athletes or that the athletes have personal issues, and keep putting their lives and careers at risk, as well as innocent bystanders. What amazes me is that the penalty for their drunkenness is a little slap on the butts, paying measly fines, when they are millionaires. Come on. If I was an athlete and had to pay a measly fine and do some community service hours, I would probably do it again. Which begs the question, are these athletes learning anything from law enforcement or are they learning that they are rich and famous and can do wrong and basically get away with anything? I understand that they are humans like us all, but there is a fine line between having fun and being safe. Alcohol is a common trend amongst athletes whether they are on the field/court or at a party or behind the wheel of a vehicle there need to be awareness to the damage that alcohol can cause. It’s a drug, not juice. It impairs ones abilities and I’m sure these athletes know the effects.

In the exploration of drugs within the sports industry, one must examine perhaps the most prevalent form: steroids.  Does steroid use take away from the integrity of the sport, and furthermore, if sports are in fact based on the concept of ultimate meritocracy as Young proposes, how does steroid use hinder the applicability of this concept?

It is my personal belief that the increasing popularity of sports entertainment within the United States has directly contributed to, if not created this dilemma.  The demand for and fascination with better athletic performance has perhaps generated an atmosphere which pressures athletes to transcend optimal performance, and to strive to obtain (or break) unrealistic records.

Thus, when considering Young’s ultimate meritocracy, steroid use (which aids in physical and performance enhancement) provides an unfair advantage, debasing what should be an equal playing field.  Moreover, does this enhancement make the accomplishments of steroid-using athletes less notable?  Undoubtedly, the unveiling of steroid use demotes athletes from a god-like status.

Is this then why cases of steroid use are made a legal matter?  Pertinent within this debate, are the legality and penalization for failure to abide by the rules.   Prominent cases include that of Tour de France rider, Lance Armstrong, and MLB player Berry Bonds.  Perhaps steroid use is viewed as a violation of the association’s and fan’s trust.  Use may also be seen as a violation of what is supposed to be an equal opportunity for physical expression.

For this reason, many argue that steroid use is justly banned.  Certainly, drugs detract from the integrity of the sporting world, tarnishing the pristine light in which athletes are portrayed.

Jeffrey Katz further explored the concept of the unfair performance advantage in sport, questioning whether steroid use should be accepted.  Several sports figures argued for and against the proposal, citing interesting reasons for its ban or for its acceptance.  The article and relevant excerpts can be read here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18299098.

Athletes are put under a lot of pressure every day to perform at a high level.  If you achieve success at a high level you’ll receive a lot of fame and money.  Athletes work hard toward this at a young age mainly because they know physically they will not be able to keep up with the game while they are old. Some athletes look for performance enhancement drugs to increase their game so they’ll increase their status as a player.

    My only problem is that these athletes are so selfish to just think about the rewards and fame but not about the future of the game and their families. Barry Bonds was one of my favorite athletes of all time, but after the news about him taking steroids to enhance his game made me angry. Imagine all athletes never took drugs to enhance their performances; all the children growing up would use their idols as motivations to work hard every day without the use of drugs.

Barry bonds home run king, was sentenced to two years’ probation with home confinement, plus a 4,000 fine, for giving evasive testimony to a federal grand jury eight years ago during an investigation of doping in sports. Bonds was charged with several counts of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying during the grand jury’s probe of the Burlingame, Calif. –based Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, or Balco, which sold banned substances to athletes.  Federal sentencing guidelines recommend 15 to 21 months in prison for obstruction, but probation officials told Judge Susan Illston that Bonds offense warranted much less: two years’ probation, a $4,000 fine, 250 hours of community service and “location monitoring or home confinement”.

When I heard about Sam Hurd getting caught selling large amounts of cocaine to a federal police officer my first thoughts were “you idiot”. Especially, when it came to light that over the next three years, Hurd was set to make about 3 million dollars from the Chicago Bears. But when I take a step back and think about how we draft young men into the NFL, my first thought should have been “are you really surprised?”

The fact of the matter is young people participate in drug use. And
that fact does not excluded college athletes just because the consequences for them could affect their life in a greater way then the average 19 year old. Out of the 17 college students arrested in the Texas Christians University drug sweep, four of them were starters on the football team. And it’s been documented that drug use was widespread on the football team. I sometimes chuckle when I hear sportscasters talk about athletes with such disdain because they would “jeopardize their careers” in such a manner. In some respects I agree, but playing devil’s advocate I can see how student athletes can make these life changing decisions with such ease. If you are a die-hard Cowboys fan like me, then you saw our playoff dreams disappear when not one but two of the Giants linebackers hurtled our cornerback not once, but twice. As a fan you are now looking for Dallas to draft Dre Kirkpatrick or Janoris Jenkins as potential rookies to save our bleeding secondary. But Jenkins plays CB at Alabama because he was released from Florida State for his 2nd drug related arrest in three months. He is still expected to be a first or second round pick. CB Dre Kirkpatrick who despite his arrest for a marijuana possession just days before the deadline of college students to submit their official intent to join the League is still expected to be first round draft pick and interviewed with Jerry Jones this weekend. What kind of consequences are these kids getting? None. And I can see where coaches and owners are caught between a rock and a hard place. Of course, they would prefer to have a team full of positive characters, but the fact of the matter is they realize that’s not a reality. When sportscasters were debating on weather Dallas should make a move on one of these two corner, my thoughts trailed back to the Giants game and I thought “Heck yes! It’s just a misdemeanor. They won’t make that same mistake at the pro level”. But in all honesty, how can we expect these young kids to resist all the temptations around them, when they know deep down if a team has a need for them, they aren’t going to let a possession charge stand in the way of drafting them. These young men know if they are good enough then their “character” is going to matter very little on if a team selects them during the draft. Some of these kids are entering the NFL at the age of 20. They have money, power, and fame being thrown in their face and they’re expected to act like responsible adults. It’s almost a joke, that we expect such maturity at out of these young men. When in reality, by not giving consequences to players like Kirkpatrick and Jenkins, the NFL is just continuing to foster the belief that they are above actual consequences because of their marketable talent.


Mock Draft having both Kirkpatrick and Jenkins selected in the first round: 
2012 NFL Mock Draft