Quote:
Originally Posted by SmootSmack
Definitely doesn't make it right.
If there's one thing I've learned in my nearly 15 years of covering pro sports it's to separate the player on the field from the person off the field. Ideally everyone is Charles Mann, a great player on the field and a better person off the field. But often times if you expect for your favorite player to be a great guy off the field (whether it's just being rude to being a thug/felon/what have you) you're going to be disappointed.
I guess it's just a matter of what you can tolerate. Are you rooting for the guy to get your team wins and are you willing to ignore what he does and how he represents your favorite team outside the game, or are you rooting for him as a player/person and won't accept anything less than the full package.
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Your point is not lost on me. I am not looking for perfect people, there are none that I've ever met.
I guess I just have to draw the line somewhere, and LJ is it. I can handle a guy who makes juvenile mistakes or is even a real jerk off the field. I have no problem with petty jerks so long as their crimes are "victim-less." TO, or Romanowski come to mind. When I see, however, a series of repeated mistakes over time, disrespect for women, disrespect for teammates and coaches, and generally a nuisance to society, I take issue with that person being a part of the team I have been a lifelong fan of.
I am no boyscout, nor am I looking for the players to all be Kurt Warner types. There are certain things that just can't be ignored, and for me, this is one of them. Any man capable of beating or abusing a woman is a pathetic human and no one I want near the Redskins.