Save Us From Ourselves!

"Too much time & money leads to this!"

The older you get the more wisdom you seem to acquire. I guess it's life's experiences that make you more aware of what could happen at any time. See when you're young you can't see the foolishness that you're getting in line for. "An idle mind is a devil's workshop", according to The Handbook of Proverbs written by Henry G. Bohn in 1855. Interestingly enough, that isn't a bible quote but it makes all the sense in the world.

If you were paying attention the NFL off-season has been extremely quiet this year with very few guys getting into trouble. None of the usual news worthy stories like we would see in past years, no bar fights or usual weed related arrests, no domestic violence charges etc. Why, because boys haven't been comfortable with their money situation during this lockout.

According to a Sports Illustrated article in March of 2009 entitled "How (Why) Athletes Go Broke” 78% of NFL players file for bankruptcy or are going through financial hardship as a result of joblessness or divorce due to child support within two years of retirement. So during this off-season guys were real low key on foolishness because they weren't sure when they would get back to work.

Well...now that the negotiations are moving closer to being settled the cap has been torn off and the foolishness has jumped out of the can. Within a week three players got way too comfortable. Two of the Pittsburgh Steelers ran out into traffic with Hines Ward first getting popped for a DUI in L.A. and then James Harrison just completely lost his mind with the Men‘s Journal interview. Also Pacman Jones got arrested for hollering, cursing and resisting arrest at a Cincinnati restaurant last week.

"Idiot of the week"

Yeah… boys can see that the season is on the horizon so they’re trying to get a couple of weeks of normalcy in before training camp starts. Unfortunately, many of the guys in the NFL aren't old enough to have the vision to see foolishness waiting at the corner for them.

Experience is the best teacher. I can remember growing up in the hood and seeing guys getting set up and robbed on a regular basis. As a child you see it so many times that you know when it's coming even before it happens. I can remember walking home in the evenings from practice and seeing two guys coming up in the opposite direction on the same side of the street. Before they would even get close I'd across the street to avoid the potential of getting robbed. Now if they cross the street I'd take off running!

You can only see it if you've got some experience in the game and unfortunately, these young guys can't see the robbery before it happens. That's why the NFL has to hurry up and end the lockout to save the blind from crashing in the car into the guard rail! Because as long as they drag their feet near the end of the negotiations boys are going to get way too comfortable and total their careers.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport