Around The League: The Dollar Bill Scandal

In case you didn’t hear, during the Bengals vs. Ravens game yesterday, there was a slightly controversial moment. With the Bengals winning 17-0, the refs went to review one of Chad Ochocinco’s catches when the receiver went to the sideline, grabbed a dollar from one of the assistants, and walked towards the refs in a joking attempt to bribe them.  Keep in mind he walked over there with a single dollar, rather than a check for $1,000.

Personally, I thought the gesture was hilarious.  Anyone who finds this as disrespectful to the game or just overall embarrasing should realize that football is merely a game.  All these suits and ties that have taken over the league have to realize that football can’t be seen as a regular job, because the NFL is merely an escape from our daily lives full of school, jobs, and other distractions.  You know as well as I do that Ochocinco will more than likely receive a huge fine for his antics, which although I’m sure will bring cheers from most people, will come as a large dissapointment to several others (including me).  The game is slowly becoming less and less fun to watch.  Touchdown celebrations are turning into penalties, people are beginning to think that if you are smiling during the game then you aren’t truly putting 100% into it.  Ochocinco is one of the few sources of fun left in the NFL, but once his career is over, what then?  The league will be nothing more than rookies holding out the whole year for more money (thanks a lot Michael Crabtree) and players being restricted to running on the field, catching the ball, then running off in absolute silence.

I know I went slightly off topic, but I just want to know where the fun has gone in the NFL.  I miss Joe Horn pulling a cell phone out of the goalpost, Randy Moss “mooning” the crowd, Terrell Owens pulling a sharpie out of his sock, etc…

To sum it all up, football is a game.  Regardless of the millions of dollars players are making, its still a game.  Game is defined as a form of amusement, entertainment, or distraction.  With the path the NFL is going down, it will soon be none of those.