With the NFL regular season beginning this weekend, every team has their eyes set on hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.
With the NFL regular season beginning this weekend, every team has its eyes set on hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.
Some teams, however, will begin their journeys without star players on their roster.
Cleveland will be without star receiver Josh Gordon all year, the Broncos will have to go without wide receiver Wes Welker and kicker Matt Prater for four games, while Ray Rice, running back for the Baltimore Ravens, will spend the first two games on the sidelines.
There are no excuses for their behaviors, and it is time for fans to make sure athletes are held more accountable for their actions. Stars like the aforementioned players could be considered heroes to some, but what type of role model beats a woman?
These players are adults and should be expected to act like one. These players are always in the national spotlight and should consider their actions very closely before they decide risking their reputations and status on something as simple as a night at the bar. No matter how important someone may seem, no one should be able to get away with breaking the rules.
Although I disagree with some of the rules and policies of the NFL — for example, Ray Rice should be serving a much more severe suspension than his two games — these athletes should've known what they were doing.
When an athlete enters the big leagues, he or she should know the rules and expectations of them. They may be on a bigger stage and get paid extravagantly, but that should not grant immunity to the rules. These athletes have all the resources to make sure that they can take care of themselves and still follow the rules.
On the other side, some of them need help, some of these problems are bigger than the game and the fans should also be respectful.
Repeated suspensions like Gordon’s may signal that he does not care for the rules and thinks he can get around it, or he may have an actual problem. We do not know everything that happens in their personal lives.
Like we saw with Robin Williams, the stress of constantly being in the spotlight may seem amazing, but can lead to serious mental health issues.
Players need to relax.
They push their bodies to the limit every week for our enjoyment and therefore deserve the free time they get, but they still should be held responsible for their actions. Forgetting the past of some athletes just because of their play on the field is an easy thing to do, and athletes can repair their reputations after incidents, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
It is time for athletes to grow up and be the adults they are expected to be.
Paul Holden is a sophomore studying journalism and a sports writer for The Post. What're your thoughts on NFL players getting suspended for breaking the rules? Let him know @PaulHolden33 or ph553412@ohio.edu.
