01-24-2017, 01:54 PM
(01-24-2017, 01:01 PM)CageTheBengal Wrote: A few things...
First it's not his personal business when he is disturbing the public. That has nothing to do with the Bengals it applies to everybody. If you're out in public causing a scene, getting confrontational, telling the law to kill themselves, spitting on nurses and poking the eyes of security guards that's not your personal life that's your public life.
Second it's not a given that "people say stupid crap when they get arrested." or just simply because they're drunk. A lot of people walk on eggshells around the police or at least smart enough not to egg them on. Considering his circumstance in particular it makes him look even worse. It's not like Jones was stating a stupid opinion he was in rage mode in public. This was classic Pacman that we saw in the wildcard game unable to control himself.
Third he does represent the city of Cincinnati whether we like it or not. People in this country care way too much about sports and sports are directly associated with the city they represent. Not that it really matters because it's just a sports team but yeah he's been here long enough that people associate Pacman with the Bengals who are associated with the city of Cincinnati.
There's nothing funny about a man who has trouble getting his life in order or controlling his emotions make it worse by acting like a fool. He has put his livelihood at risk by pulling this stunt. He has a family to support.
Hey, man, if you want to appoint yourself moral police for Pacman Jones, go for it. To counter your points...
- He represents the city of Cincinnati no more than does any other guy working in the city. He's not even from there. He's not a product of there. He is living and working in Cincy for a few years. End of story. Once he's gone, nobody is going to look at or reference the city. They will mention the Bengals and associate him with that. Yeah, they're the Cincinnati Bengals, I get that, but the players are there during a season and then they move away. Think about it, nobody associates Chris Henry with the actual city of Cincinnati or it's residents. Perhaps hard core football fans. That's a small small small section of fans in general, nor does it represent any significant portion of the general population. It just doesn't.
Does anybody.... ANYBODY look at the Panthers and associate them with Rae Carruth in a negative light as if they are culpable for his murdering his pregnant girlfriend? Or do they associate Rae Carruth with the state of North Carolina or Charlotte? Of course they don't. Does anyone associate Pacman Jones with the city and citizens or city of Dallas, TX? NOPE. What about the Titans, the state of TN, or the city of Nashville? NOPE. And he did WAY WAY WAY worse things when involved with both of those organizations. When he moves on, whether by being cut or retirement, so will any negative talks about him and the city of Cincinnati.
People around the US in general do NOT care enough about sports to hear, care, or understand what happened in a bar in Cincinnati between Adam Jones and a bouncer or cop. YOU might think they do because you're a superfan on a message board, but normal people don't.
- It's his personal business that he got arrested. There are no long term repercussions from his actions. Nobody lost anything (property, injury, etc.). He embarrassed himself. Thousands of people in the US do stuff like that every week and nobody cares. They (usually) get to go back to their jobs the next day. I differentiate him getting into it with a security guard he's having direct, personal interaction with and someone being a thug to random strangers, robbing people at gun point, or selling drugs. He was drunk at a bar and got into it with a security guard. That happens all over. Joey Porter did the same thing. Charges dropped. It's too minor and too common for the court to bother with. Same thing will happen here.
- People often times say moronic stuff to police when they get arrested. To not understand or admit that is well... equally moronic. There are 10's of thousands of videos on youtube of people doing this. There are thousands of videos of cops saying and doing stupid things to people while being arrested as well. It can be an emotionally charged event for all parties involved.... especially when under the influence of alcohol. To throw your hands up in the air in a "I can't believe this. This is unfathomable!" kind of way is sensationalizing and dramatic.
- Bringing up the wild card game is childish and shows a lack of perspective between sports and real life. Relating what he did on a football field to him being angry at a bouncer at a bar isn't rational. Could he be a hothead? Sure. Probably. But a year ago on a football field and what happened that night in that bar have zero to do with each other unless someone talked junk at him and set him off. In which case good. At least he cares.
I'm in no way justifying his actions or defending them. I am saying that just because he plays football doesn't mean he should be treated any differently than any other drunk guy getting into a scuffle with a night club doorman (or whatever) and then yelling at the cops as he gets arrested. I don't hold athletes to any sort of higher standard when it comes to misdemeanor BS.
