Lots Of Gray Between Dirty And Clean
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By DERON SNYDER
On one hand, the story that has roiled the NFL since Friday is a complex study in meaning, intent and extent. On the other hand, it’s a simple open-and-shut case of the New Orleans Saints continuing to violate league rules after being warned to cease and desist.
The Saints, rightfully so, will pay a heavy price for their cash rewards program. It doesn’t matter if similar programs exist on every team to varying degrees. It doesn’t matter if pay-for-performance kitties have been around for decades. And it doesn’t matter if the Saints‘ opponents suffered no long-term injuries as a result of the policy.
The league said “quit it” and New Orleans refused to comply. Stiff punishment is warranted.
And thus concludes the black-and-white portion of this topic. The rest is a mess of multi-hued grays, with subliminal messages like “hypocrisy” and “naivety” flashing across your mind’s eye.
Part of the problem resides in the sport itself. Football requires participants to suspend conventional wisdom about self-preservation, namely that you shouldn’t run into other human beings at full speed, and certainly not repeatedly. Those who master the art can earn college scholarships before proceeding to pro careers and fat paychecks.
Defensive players on the Saints and other teams are paid to hit often and hit hard, in hopes of separating opponents from the ball. If opponents are separated from their senses as well, that comes with the territory. As long as it’s done cleanly, within the rules and spirit of the game, there’s nothing wrong.
