Bad boy image or ghetto image or just plain ignorance? NFL football.?

Question

I just answered a question about Tank Jones and Vick. The question refered to the “Thug” attitude. Why do so many athletes have the “bad boy” or “Thug” or “ghetto” image? Is it just the “thing” right now or does it have something to do with the way they were brought up? Does it hurt the sport? And do you want your kids watching some NFL stars and think that all I have to do is make it through 2 years of school and get drafted? What ever happened to the American dream of getting a degree and being some body? I know you are going to say its all powered by money. But is there something deeper then that.

Please note: no reference was made towards race and this question has no intent to be offensive. The only intent is to better understand why people act the way they do. And in this case “Thuggish” “ghettoish” and “bad boy” way.

To Sam D

Please do let the color of your skin get in the way of my question. Look at Ryan Lief or Brian Urlaker who in my eyes are part of the Bad Boy image. In your statement you think I am only referring to the ghetto image I did point out the bad boy image as well. So if you want to play that game I will sink to your level.

T. Owens – bad boy
Chris Henry – ghetto
Keshawn Johnson – bad boy border line ghetto
Chad Johnson – bad boy

The list can go on for days. My statement never said anything about hair cuts or clothing if that were the case the stereo typical “ghetto bad boy or thuggish” would consume over 50% of the league. I am simply referring to the actions of an individual. If in that case it consumes the African race then so-be-it.

Answer 1

Good question. I think you'll find that most rational people won't equate your question to being a racial thing. But, as a non-American, it just intrigues me to see just how big of an issue it seems to be for many of you there.

Just seems to be that standards could just be slipping. Media influence of a certain type of image could be more prominent. Let's face it, what goes on at the top table (NFL) is just going to trickle down through College and High School, especially after young kids see what's going on. All about influence.

As for the way they were brought up, most parents will feel slighted if their abilities are called into question. Most will argue that they are doing the best they can, and they just cannot watch their children 24/7.

Even though you may think that this is about more than money, the truth is that it cannot be ignored. Imagine if you're a hot college prospect. The media are constantly praising you and putting you in their top 100 lists. Maybe there are firm offers to turn professional on the table. If someone is throwing riches at these kids, there are few nowadays who will say no.

Something to consider: is "Thug" just an attitude or is it a way of life now?

Truth is, this is such a loaded question with no real right or wrong answer. Maybe my answer is truly nonsensical. But those are just a few of my thoughts.

Answer 2

These guys are living big and do not have the ability to manage the life style. Many athletes come from a deprived childhood. Single parents, homelessness, drugs, parents in jail. They have absolutely no training or experience with handling wealth. From Babe Ruth to Packman Jones. It has been that way for a long time. Also, the press is more interested in reporting these things than in the past

Answer 3

Corey Dillon made it perfectly clear, since his legal problems have been more active but swept under the rug. he said it was the way he was raised up and his lack in ability to break off the associations and criminal friends of his past. They still have an influence on him and he needed to end It, but no matter how tuff a thug he was his friends were still intimidating to him with their own thug mentality..He's tuff, but should he take the risk of risking an attempt on his life, because he refused to finance his former dealer friends...No reference toward race, but he was for a long time between a rock and a hard place..and he wanted to break free from it. and that was a dangerous move! more demanding than any of his great moves on the gridiron!

21st Century Man

Answer 4

Because their idiots to begin with. It doesn't matter if you were raised in the ghetto during your childhood, these are grown men who are richer and more popular than 70% of the US Population, yet they're so stupid that they dont realize they're out of that enviornment, but still feel the need to reenact like their "struggling" by hanging out with the wrong people.

To answer your question: yes it is pure ignorance. They know what money does, they know it influences people and attracts the wrong people, yet they still associate themselves with these people, at the same time, flashing their money in useless meterial possesions such as jewelry, cars and clothing, as if they needed to show themselves off more than how popular they already are. I don't think that kids look up to these people as you mentioned because their are more positive players than negative ones.

Plain and simple, they act this way because they want to and are ignorant to the law and ignorant of the people surrounding them because they chose to be in that situation. Vick started the dog fighting ring because there is no way you can own a property, and not "visit or be aware of whats going on for months" as they're feeding the prosecutor that BS. Pac Man Jones is an insceure pervert, can never stay out of the strip clubs with his trouble ridden posse. These people know what they're getting themselves into and no one is to blame but themselves.

P.S. THIS QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT RACE. Anyone can have a ghetto or thug mentality. Sure the NFL is dominantly black, but was there ever any part of the question directed to black people?!?! Quit playing the damn race card, its a bullsh** excuse to support your arguements.

Answer 5

I'm sure there are several athletes who have successfully emerged from the ghetto amid thuggery and other sorts of bad influences. But I think there are many who haven't come up that way but try to emulate the life that they would lead.

Most importantly however are the examples of athletes that put all that garbage behind them and have led exemplary lives.

Answer 6

90% of atheletes don't bother anyone. They do there job and take careof there families. Yet guys like you only want to speak on the 10% who get in trouble and to me this is racist. I don't really care how you try to sugar coat this fact. Hell talk about Warrik Dunn who's police officer mom was murdered on the job. So now he builds homes for single mothers every year. You only want to see the bad side of these people. When the game was majority white people didn't do this. So if you think on a deeper plane your being very racist. I'm not mad I'm attempting to get you to think.

I want any person black white and other racist to read my answer and tell me if the 2 guys who answered and the one who ask are racist.

Players like Warrick Dunn, Vince Young, Rhonda Barber, Dwight Freeney, Champ Bailey, Derek Thomas, Roy Williams receiver and safety, Marvin Harrison, Steve McNair, Donavon McNabb, Daunta Culpepper, Alge Crumpler, Reggie Bush, Maurice Jones Drew, Julius Peppers, Sean Marimann (trouble with steroids not ghetto) Keshawn Johnson ( talks a lot of crap not ghetto) Terrell Owens ( likes attention not ghetto), Jason Taylor, Jeremiah Trotter, lance Briggs, Nathan Vasher and 80 to 90 percent of black players are not ghetto at all. But people like you only remember the 6 or 7 who get in trouble with the law and label 4 or 500 hundred other guys with them. This is lees than 1 percent of NFL players. Rock stars wear tattoos and longhair so you can't say having dreads and tattoos are ghetto. This is simply a fashion statement. So your question is racist to a point because your judging a whole race of athletes by less than 1%. the same applies for basket ball as well. Name me one player on the Spurs or Cavs who gets in trouble. There are about 10 basketball players who have got in trouble and people label the entire league Ghetto and thuggish. Could this be because the entire league is almost black? yes you are being very racist. The media plays scare tactics so use your own eyes and brains and don't let them dictate what you believe. They will make you believe Ben Wallce who has never got in any real trouble in his life is a thug because he got into a shoving match on the court and wears his hair in a afro. This doesn't fit the definition for Ghetto or thuggish. Black people refuse to conform to racist white people who are offended by people who look different than them. Rasheed Wallace has never been to jail in his life. He loves to talk smack on the B Ball court and thats it. What about the pro fisherman and the pro bowler who talks crap are they thugs and Ghetto as well as Rasheed. You are very racist to even ask your question.

Answer 7

4 or 5 out of the 1000 black people in the NFL have been in trouble. not every black person is a "thug" like what most of yall white people think. u wanna see a real thug come to my block.

Answer 8

We need to stop worrying about where someone comes from and start worrying about where they are going.

Answer 9

Maybe just plain as*holes.

Answer 10

I really don't know.