Red Rover

Tuesday November 8, 2005 - 2:43PM EDT

TO is bad for a lockeroom but the constant barrage on this guy's character is out of line. I've read him being called a jerk and a a bad human being. Hold the fuck up here. What they fail to do is qualify there characterizations to football only. I've only read and heard one person make this distinction. Skip Bayless. He said that TO as a person that he met was not the persona we see. Skip still doesn't approve of TO's lockerroom behavior but at least he has the courtesy to be more precise about the situation. Also what is the deal with the lack of character bashing of players with real of the field problems. Ray Lewis and being involved in a murder trial. Bill Romonowski's roid rage attack on a teamate and other roid issues. Other players arrested for various civil irresponsibility. None of them recieved half the criticism TO has. They just get that sad sympathetic he needs help talk. I just don't understand that part. TO has been a stand-up citizen outside of football. He just says exactly what is on his mind and people get pissed. He probably needs to learn to back off sometimes but the raging attacks on him baffle me. Would you rather him be some ultra-performer who says nothing but ruins his life quietly outside of football. Apparently that is what people want. I see a few former players who are broadcasters being a little more delicate about the situation and not rage against TO. John Madden seems to always give a good analysis of a situation so I like to hear his thoughts. I rarely hear him say something completely and obviously biased.

Westbrook, who got a new contract says he would welcome TO back if things were ironed out. I can only imagine he feels that way because of his contract disputes with the eagles maybe gives him a better idea of what TO is thinking. This is what people are missing somehow in all this attack on TO. This whole situation is about his contract, bottom line. I would never call a pro football player selfish for wanting more money. Football is tough. You could literally get killed on just about every play. Risk of life debilitating or life threatening injuries are so high in football compared to the other major sports. Hockey too, I don't know how hockey players aren't injured as much. If it was up to me and possible I'd pay every player on the team 10 million a year just for stepping out on the field. I just feel like the whole situation can't be blamed soley on him. That there were things that could have been done to mitigate this situation.

Since only the players and the organization are privy to the goings on in a lockerroom the blitzing one-sided attacks on TO are just ridiculous. These media hounds don't know all that goes on and went on so settle the fuck down. I haven't read anyone temper their comments with an I don't know the whole story.