Dallas Cowboys: I don’t need players to be role models
Dallas Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliott was handcuffed in Las Vegas and I realized that I didn’t care. Is the NFL’s Player Code of Conduct needed?
It might seem obvious that I don’t have any experience running an organization worth billions like the Dallas Cowboys. There are 32 NFL teams or franchises and according to Forbes magazine, the average NFL franchise is valued at $2.3 billion. There’s additional revenue from television contracts, endorsement deals and merchandising. There are two reasons the NFL business model is able to exist – the fans that become consumers of the product and the players.
I mention the NFL’s revenue streams because I believe most business decisions are inspired or motivated by money and that greatly simplifies things. I watch the NFL for a variety of reasons. I buy tickets and jerseys and cheer for players as they make plays and win games. I might buy the products players endorse off the field because I want to believe that off the field, everyone is a good guy.
The NFL encourages the players to be good guys by establishing rules and fines that attempt to govern their conduct – even while off the field. The NFL doesn’t want you to think that your favorite player is abusing their spouse or driving under the influence. Negative incidents hurt the players financially by limiting their earning potential through endorsement deals.
With the NFL’s business model, fans should love both the team and the players on the team. Give the fans every reason to show support with our voices and our wallets. If I’m honest with myself, that’s the way it should work.
When news hit the streets that Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was placed in handcuffs during the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, I realized that I didn’t care. While it’s great to hear that Cowboys future Hall of Fame safety Jeff Heath allegedly reads bedtime stories to homeless veterans, the personal lives of players seem to matter less. I began thinking about a variety of player off-field scenarios.
Would the Cowboys sixth Super Bowl victory be tainted because a defensive tackle allegedly left his dog outside during the season? Would I protest every passing touchdown if I found out Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott allegedly got a citation for littering? What if a player allegedly had a secret love child and was behind on his child support payments?
My truth – is that I wouldn’t be bothered at all by a lot of things. I have friends and associates that have had incidents with law enforcement. I’ve worked with co-workers that aren’t model citizens. Allow me to throw myself under the bus because as you read this, there is definitely someone pointing out my flaws.
Taking the attitude of NBA Hall of Fame great, Charles Barkley, who infamously stated – “I am not a role model.” Maybe it’s my age, but I don’t need players to be role models anymore. I realize that I am more inclined to criticize a player for performing poorly on the field than for not being a saint in his personal life.
Next. The top 30 moments in Dallas Cowboys history. dark
How important are players off-the-field conduct and behavior to you? Is there anything that will make you leave Cowboy Nation? Let me know in the comments.
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