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Insanity

By Scott Elmore / July 8, 2015

Doing the same thing over and over……we expect different results.

  1. Let’s yell about domestic violence again and call this kid a monster and banish him from our consciousness so we don’t have to see the ugliness…..WE created.

De’Andre Johnson was Mr. Football 2014 in Florida and a big time recruit from a big time program at First Coast High School.  Athletes in these powerhouses are kings and they rule over their kingdom with help from coaches, administrators and even parents.  Stars like Johnson sign autographs, rock fly kicks and hold press conferences to pick a hat.

But somewhere in there, away from the accolades and interviews, this kid and many like him, start feeling like they are above the rules.  It may happen when coaches start thinking about their record rather than their responsibility to the player entrusted to them.  It certainly happens any time a school administrator allows elite athletes to miss a quiz, drop a low grade or do some “extra credit work” not offered to the rest of the class.  And, unfortunately, it happens far too often when parents decide to become a part of their kid’s entourage instead of keeping them grounded and focused.  These adults are all about the celebrity and pats on the back they get based on proximity to talent.  Some will even give horribly self-serving advice under the guise of expertise while knowing nothing about sport, finance or education.  Coaches use past players as recruiting tools, administrators reap financial benefits for their schools through sponsorships and parents, disgustingly, even accept cash from boosters to sway their kids to certain schools.

Look, I’m not saying this situation was caused by coaches, parents and schools, but its obvious punching a chick in the head became an option for this guy when it clearly isn’t for the vast majority of us.  But thinking this kind of behavior is in his DNA is naïve and dangerous.  Adrian Peterson didn’t invent whipping kids with switches.  His son wasn’t the first child to have his legs marked up like this.  Aaron Hernandez isn’t the first dude to shoot his buddy and try to cover it up.  Hell, Dick Cheney did that, too!

All of these idiots were told from junior high on that they were great because they had athletic talent.  In high school all the chicks wanted to kick it with them and the coaches wanted a state championship banner.  College introduced them to boosters and tutors, both of who looked out for their prized athletes like Japanese Wagyu cattle.  If there’s a “girl”, settle out of court; if there’s an F, talk to the professor and if cash changes hands, keep it to yourself.  By the time these guys get a 6-8 figure professional salary they have a patchwork education, zero coping skills and no boundaries to speak of.

Kinda like the old joke about cocaine and alcohol:  If these drugs simply enhance your personality, we’re all in trouble if you’re an immature moron.

Keep pushing these kids through the system without checking their behavior and intelligence give him $2 million and expect him to act like he’s got some sense.  We see how that’s been working out.

 

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