Cory's Corner: NFL players have too much time on their hands

Lots of people were up in arms when the news about Letroy Guion broke this past winter.

And now those same folks are still seething about what Andrew Quarless recently did.

Both things are deplorable decision making.

But I have to say that I wasn’t surprised. This is the time of year when all team functions are silent, which means there’s too much free time for guys that normally have all of their days spoken for.

Now I’m not condoning Guion getting felonies for possessing 357 grams of marijuana and a firearm. Nor am I justifying Quarless for firing two gunshots during an argument with a group of women. 

The NFL police blotter hasn’t exactly stopped since the end of the season. In fact, there have been 24 arrests since the regular season ended Dec. 28.

And don’t expect that number to go down just because commissioner Roger Goodell is running the show. He did proclaim to clean up the most popular sport in America, but he has not only failed, but it has arguably gotten worse. Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice headlined the worst NFL offseason of recent memory.

The problem is that these guys have been entitled since they were in high school. Heck, some have been coddled before that.

These guys expect things to come and go their way. And when it doesn’t, they don’t exactly respond well.

We have built up these gladiators so much that athletes truly believe that they are invincible. What else would provoke someone to fire two gunshots and then put the firearm in a potted plant?

Is it out of the realm of possibility for teams to start planning vacations for their players to the deepest corners of the globe? That way, when a player makes a misstep, the odds of it being reported — or worse, being captured on video — are pretty slim.

It’s OK to be disappointed with how NFL players act. Be saddened that they cannot act in a positive way at all times.

But don’t for a second be surprised. You already know the script. You’re just deflated that it happened to your team. But Brett Favre wasn’t exactly a choir boy when he first came to the Packers. And if he played in the social media boom we’re now in, would that have made a difference?

NFL players, above anyone, should know that they will never live in a vacuum. There will always be camera phones and Twitter in order to instantly report when someone screws up.

They play in front of 80,000 screaming fans each week. That number only grows exponentially when they leave the field thanks to social media.

Players have too much time on their hands. So until teams can figure out ways to constructively use that down time, these kinds of things aren’t going away. 

 

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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn

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Comments (20)

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

July 07, 2015 at 02:42 pm

Being a professional athlete is not necessarily the reason Quarless decided to discharge his firearm. Lots of non-athletes do these sorts of things. I have some sympathy for your off-season management program, even joking that the Packers' recent land acquisition could be used to house players during the off-season. The bottom line is these guys are adults and there is only so much that can be done.

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Evan's picture

July 07, 2015 at 02:57 pm

At the very least maybe add some contract language prohibiting visiting Florida during the off-season?

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DrealynWilliams's picture

July 07, 2015 at 03:05 pm

"Who are you to tell me what to do during MY off-season?!"

I can hear it now...

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Mojo's picture

July 07, 2015 at 04:03 pm

Hmmm..... too much time off equals trouble. In that case we should have a copious amount of seniors locked-up.

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PortlandMark's picture

July 08, 2015 at 02:43 pm

A while back I heard HOF linebacker, Dave Wilcox interviewed. (49ers, 1964 to 1974) They asked him about his off season training program. He said that he had to work at the hardware store to support his family in the off season. Since players don't have to work in the off season, an have a lot of discretionary income, many will get in trouble. There doesn't seem to be a way around this. Perhaps asking players not to have guns would go a long way towards keeping them out of trouble.

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 07, 2015 at 04:26 pm

The search for excuses to vindicate certain actions of some players in the NFL is deplorable.To even suggest that the team should make their vacation plans or have a 24-7 365 day babysitter attached to their hips to protect them from their stupidity or re-enacting the stupidity of many others before them is ridiculous.

Everyone needs to be accountable for the actions no matter how small or big the infraction and attempting to blame others or social media is worst then the infraction committed at times.Unless there are Tweets or Facebook comments made on each telling him to do such stupid acts,it falls on him alone regardless of how much that same social or other news media outlet has built his persona to Mount Pious heights.

I don't use social media much and even if I did,I take offense to such a wrong assertion that any contribution to such to be cited as authorizing actions of idiots because I or any other may have at one time or another offered praise for play on the field.

I cannot wait to hear the underlying reason/excuse that is accepted and condones the action of Andrew Quarless in the eyes and mindset of the Green Bay Packers Organization which may or may not offer him and set a precedent for others to redraw the line of behavior that will again make need of more excuses and blame placed on others for idiots of no regard or respect for what has been given them in the not to distant future.

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SteveCheez's picture

July 07, 2015 at 05:50 pm

I kinda thought the whole planned vacation thing was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

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TarynsEyes's picture

July 08, 2015 at 10:37 am

Tongue-in-cheek or not,the premise is what it is...sensing a need to babysit players,assigning events etc, to fill their days in order to keep them from doing stupid things.

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SteveCheez's picture

July 08, 2015 at 12:47 pm

Point taken, Taryn.

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Handsback's picture

July 07, 2015 at 04:33 pm

As much as I'm against it, I do understand the weed players smoke. Sometimes they have to understand that because something is legal, doesn't mean you can use it or smoke it.
In cases that end up with police involvement.....it is entitlement vs. culture issues. Most people have to work and are too tired to go out. I'm a night owl and still amazed by a 24 hour Walmart. It's the way I grew up. Some guys grow up living on the edge. So you understand how incidents happen. My father and his belt was always the factor in determining what I did at night. I just hope the remaining Packer players are too tired to get into trouble for the next 25 days.

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4thand1's picture

July 07, 2015 at 06:51 pm

Adrian?

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Handsback's picture

July 08, 2015 at 10:56 am

No, most people my age had father's that didn't mind using a belt.

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John Galt III's picture

July 07, 2015 at 07:46 pm

Russell Wilson:

Hated by his idiot team mates for "not being black enough" - that means dumb ass nigger for you white folks - that's there language so deal with it.

He shows that there are exemplary people in the NFL who are a cut above. I don't care for Pete Carroll, the city of Seattle or the Seahawks but Russell Wilson is ok. He's being torn to shreds by the black wise guy commentators for this. They are garbage. Screw them - Go Wilson!!!

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2015/07/06/russell-wilson-appears-in-qa-at-r...

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zeke's picture

July 08, 2015 at 04:07 am

Given how regularly he seems to converse with the almighty, I wonder why god didn't tell him to audible out of that play. Maybe that's why his teammates are irritated.

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dobber's picture

July 08, 2015 at 11:01 am

"Cory's Corner: NFL players have too much time on their hands"

Does anyone else see the irony inherent in commenting on a post with this particular title?

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Evan's picture

July 08, 2015 at 11:15 am

Ha...If only NFL players spent more of their free time on message boards and not shooting up clubs.

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TKWorldWide's picture

July 08, 2015 at 01:50 pm

Sorry, but I'm too busy to comment on this one...

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Amanofthenorth's picture

July 08, 2015 at 07:57 pm

Me too. Too busy to comment on your none comment.

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TKWorldWide's picture

July 08, 2015 at 01:51 pm

Free time should be spent working out, watching film, and watching film on HOW to watch film.

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Amanofthenorth's picture

July 08, 2015 at 07:58 pm

Curfew Midnight
and it'll be alright.

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