Matt Jones: Just another story of an athlete BLOW-ing it
In the Internet age, there is nowhere to hide, and incidents that might’ve taken days to surface or that could’ve been swept under the rug even just 10 years ago are now splashed across computer and television screens instantly.
These days it can be difficult to tell the difference between sports news and the police blotter. Take the college football section of ESPN.com for instance. Out of the 24 stories listed on July 11, a total of 15 involved either arrests, suspensions, or dismissals. Among the alleged criminal acts were rape, selling cocaine, drunken driving, and assault.
The week’s bad news was low-lighted by the rather brazen actions of Jacksonville Jaguar Matt Jones, who was caught with some of his boys cutting lines of blow in a parked car in Fayetteville, Ark., where he was a star at the University of Arkansas before getting drafted three years ago.
Jones’ indiscretion is a prime example of the feeling of invincibility that sometimes goes along with being an elite — or even just a pretty good — athlete. It is a byproduct of a widespread culture which often gives athletes a free pass, sometimes all the way to imprisonment or death. While some can be deranged to begin with — think Lawrence Phillips and Mike Tyson — others are corrupted slowly, as senses of entitlement and indestructibility creep into their souls.
Sports can have many effects on an individual, both positive and negative, often based on the maturity level of the participant.
I was just a decent prep football player that went on to play at the Division III level. In high school, there were plenty of classes in which grades were handed to me and other athletes that weren’t necessarily earned. Many of us weren’t equipped for college academically or maturity-wise and found ourselves with higher blood/alcohol levels than GPAs our freshman year.
Once a recurring shoulder problem ended my playing days, I faced an issue that has plagued many former athletes — from high school to the pros — “What am I going to do to replace that release?” The answer was … party. A decade later I had an alcohol problem that threatened the safety of me and those around me, until enough blackouts and awful things occurred — thankfully without hurting anyone or going to jail — to where a decision to change had to be made.
While athletics can build strength of character and body, it can also help create monsters like Phillips, Tyson, Rae Carruth, and O.J. Simpson. It can lead to the sometimes inescapable snare of drugs and/or booze — see Len Bias, Todd Marinovich, Bam Morris, Nate Newton, Marvin Barnes, Lawrence Taylor, and far too many more to name. Sometimes it can destroy a person’s ability to function normally — see Mike Webster, Andre Waters, Terry Long, and Riddick Bowe.
While violence and substance abuse are problems in American society as a whole, I have little doubt that former athletes — especially in football, hockey, and boxing — have a greater tendency to engage in the activities … I’ve seen it too often to believe otherwise. You have to be geared a little different in those testosterone-driven, legalized forms of combat, and that unbridled intensity can carry over into everyday life, often with less-than-positive results.
There is no cure for this ailment. And while colleges and pro franchises used to be able to bury the transgressions of their athletes, the 24-hour news cycle no longer allows it. Crime and sports have always been melded together, we just find out about screw-ups a lot faster than we used to.
1 Comment
July 13, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I agree, the nature of these guys’ professions can lead to bad things, but I don’t feel sorry for these pro athletes.
If the average person was busted for what Matt Jones just did, they’d probably see considerable jail time (I read he had enough to be charged with intent to distribute).
He’ll lawyer up with his millions and get a slap on the wrist … and if the Jags don’t turn their heads, another team will give him a shot. Must be nice.