Marvin Harrison and the Public's Trust - Page 2

Those who have followed Harrison’s career would never have guessed that any sort of controversy could have engulfed Harrison’s persona in such a way. No previous run-ins with the law, no penchant for frequenting strip clubs, not even the seemingly omnipresent DUI. Nothing. He may not be as marketable as “Double-Stuft-Oreo Champ” Peyton Manning — can someone say overexposure? — but his gentile off-the-field manner has provided a breath of fresh air for those who still care about athletes’ characters. And yet Harrison now joins the lengthy list of NFL athletes who have seen their airs tainted by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. While this reckless abandon may cut it between the hashmarks, the allegedly lawless behavior exhibited by Harrison this past weekend has unequivocally stained the once-golden reputation.

As this malfeasance becomes clearer (Harrison admitted Wednesday that the shell casings are in fact from bullets loaded in his glock) the Colt now joins a laundry-list of NFL players whose rap sheets overshadow their stats. Harrison’s story, as brutal and vindictive as it may have seemed, was not even the biggest law-breaking story to land in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s lap last weekend. Cedric Benson put on a solo version of the Love Boat on Saturday, making fans pine for the days when only the Minnesota Vikings’ aquatic adventures went above and beyond the law. (Although after hearing numerous stories about Benson’s collegiate partying career, I’d be lying if I said I was taken aback by the news.)

These days, many NFL fans regard the words “violence” and “shooting” with an air of apathy. The saturation of irresponsibility and obvious disdain for the law has pervaded the game the way cocaine did to baseball in the 1980s or the way short shorts did to the ABA in the 1960s. As these court cases pile up, the outrage felt by fans ebbs and the consumers’ obvious willingness to overlook these transgressions become obvious. It’s easy to claim that many of these athletes get off scot-free based solely on their fame. Pacman Jones, Leonard Little, and Ray Lewis still walk the streets, after all. (DA Bronny-Bron could help out?) Apparently, the only way to enrage the public is through some sort of animal cruelty. Does anyone remember Michael Vick?

Article Author: Casey Michel

Casey Michel is a student at Rice University who, despite a Pacific Northwest rearing, somehow found himself in Houston. He bleeds Blazers black and Mariners blue, and likes to think his teams are always just ONE player away.

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