Do football fans prefer to "look the other way" with their team's criminal behaviors?

Question

There have been lots of questions and answers that speak to banning Michael Vick.

What about players driving drunk?
Spousal abuse?
Failing to pay child support?
Weapons charges?
HGH, drugs, performance enhancement?

Every team has poor character guys.

Do fans look the other way when it comes to their team? Do you hold it against them?

Discuss. At least 10 point for best answer...

Example: Randy McMichael hitting his pregnant wife while with the Dolphins.

Answer 1

I don't. Certain things I can forgive more easily, like a DUI. I know judges and even the Mayor of the city I live in has had them. Habitual DUI is a different story. Weapons charges, it depends. High profile athletes are becoming high profile targets of crime, but they should follow the law. A little pot or something, I can forgive as well. But things like spousal abuse and drug dealing, those guys should be thrown off the team.
In the end, I believe in second chances, and unless it is a murder or rape(or attempted murder) then I think players should get a second chance, after paying their debt, with either a suspension or jail time. Vick lost 20million + dollars, and will be spending about 20 months in jail. If he is capable of coming back, I am all for it. I don't think Pacman should be let back in the league until his buddies in vegas are arrested for cripling that bouncer.

Answer 2

Honestly, it is all about the amount of publicity a certain happening gets.

We all know Michael Vick. By all I don't just mean football fans. He is all over the news, and the story never seems to end.

For things like drunk driving, people honestly don't care. It may be mentioned on ESPN News quickly, with the guy's picture in the upper-right hand corner of the screen. As for Vick, ESPN often shows videos of him walking to court, etc. That's all that really matters.

I don't think HGH and performance enhancing drugs can be put in the same catergory as the things listed above it.

For this, the amount that people care really depends on how vital the player is to a team's success. Barry Bonds, similar to Vick, is constantly being tested. We know about it because he is good. He may be good because he took drugs, but he is still a threat. He hasn't been busted yet.

Contrary to Bonds, no one really cares about Guiellermo Mota. He is a RP for the Braves right now. He helped some in the Mets' playoff race 2 seasons ago, but other than that has not done much.

I would say people don't care based on whether or not the person is on his/her team, but how much it is publisized.

Answer 3

I can honestly believe that every team has its bad apple.

That being said, most of the die hard fans won't look away. They have rooted for that team for as long as they can remember and its going to stay that way.

Rae Carruth did one of the worst things that can actually be done, and really the Panthers franchise hasn't seen much of a fall out. Granted the years after it, made it difficult to be a semi fan of them, just because you don't understand the character of their team. Now a days they seem fine with plenty of support when they win.

The Broncos...Travis Henry...I see a couple of those in there for him...Ahahah...Those fans are still fans, and with Young and Hall there, along with Culter and Marshall, they have a lot to look foward to. The Denver franchise won't be tainted by Henry.

Titans haven't seen much of a fall-out. Granted their DEF isn't as explosive, but none the less, they are coming for Vince Young.

My honest feeling is that if that player isn't a star on that team, the charges that go against them aren't going to hurt their team. Each of these players isn't exactly the star on their team. Look at the 9 Bengals players. The best player was Chris Henry. If it had been Chad or Palmer, then it would be totally different, but since it wasn't...There isn't much care about it.

Vick was the star of his team. People would come out and pay to see him. That being said...the casual fan looks away because they don't want to be associated with him or the Falcons. The guys who have season tickets are going there because they love their ATL team. Vick is now just a thing of the past.

Fans of the team might look away...die hard fans are there through the thick and thin.

Good luck!!

Edit: While I was going through my little rant...Randy did that? Well look he got traded and hasn't really been much help in STL. He wasn't the key player on that team, and that didn't hurt him. Say Jason Taylor or Zach Thomas did it...then its a completely different story. McMichael was a role player, and wasn't a good one at that. He got traded and has faded away in STL.

Answer 4

All of those crimes above that you mentioned are certainly not as serious as what Michael Vick was involved in. Only the HGH, and only under certain circumstances is a federal crime. In fact, many HGH's are not actually illegal, depends on the ones a certain player is actually taking. Driving drunk is certainly not a good thing, but not really a huge crime. I look down on spousal abuse, and it is a criminal act. Child Support is not normally criminal its civil. Weapons charges vary, I dont know why these people who stand at 6'5 and weight 350 pounds need weapons for, you'd think they could handle themselves but who knows.
Really these crimes are much different than Michael Vick's, who committed a horrible crime, and a capitol crime. I'm not excusing poor behavior, but the afore mentioned acts are certainly not as big of a deal.

Answer 5

I think the main reason the teams look the other way is that these "star" players are making their organization millions of dollars just because of who they are.

It is sad to think that someone who commits a crime, any crime, goes unpunished or gets some sort of meaningless suspension.

This is one of the main reasons I do not watch professional sports that much. How many of the players are actually out there because they "love" the game. If they truly loved the game they would not be so greedy. If someone gets busted for using an illegal substance or anything else then throw the book at them. I am tired of seeing people abuse the system only to walk away from it all.

Answer 6

Well I am sure there are bad apples on every team. However, I really don't hear about many problems except for the huge ones, like Vick's example.

I also trust the teams, coach's and the NFL as a whole to punish people as they see fit. I feel like they could be a little more harsh sometimes. If there was a player on the Steelers who committed a crime, I would want him punished no matter how badly the loss of their playing would hurt the team.

Answer 7

I am watching a game!! Plan and simply I am not inviting these players into my home or into my life. I look forward to watching them on the field.
Best example of this is when I go to the doctor, I could careless if he is an adulterer who has doesn't have morals. I want the best doctor in the field because that's what I need him for period.
So no I don't hold it against them. It's not that I am looking the other way. It's because when I look at them I see a football player doing his job.

Answer 8

Favorite player from my favorite team or not I refuse to look the other way when it comes to any kind of unacceptable behavior. Athletes should not be held to a higher or lesser standard than you or me but I believe they have an additional obligation to their team, teammates, and fans to be a model citizen in society in consideration of fan support. It comes with the territory for those in the public eye.

Answer 9

Sadly a lot of people do. I don't. I think a lot of people do so because they worship the celebrity of the players, and they can't accept that one of their heroes could do something awful. The bad stuff they do doesn't bother me as much because I don't see them as role models. They serve their punishment and get back to playing ball. Selfish players bother me. They hurt the team.

Answer 10

sure they do - to a point.

I don't think anyone in Atlanta is trying to defend Vick's behavior. Or Rae Carruth in Carolina.

The stuff where no one (or thing) gets maimed or killed tends to get overlooked (steroids, drugs, etc.)

But I just can't get over how a guy like Leonard Little has a multi-million dollar job over life in prison? Killed a man in a DUI, and has been arrested for DUI again later. Ridiculous - and no one ever talks about it.