The mis-education of Adam 'Pacman' Jones
The Dallas Cowboys DB #21 Adam 'don't call me Pacman' Jones is in a bit of trouble again. No one is surprised. Fortunately, by his standards it is small potatoes. Unfortunately, it is a symptom of an ongoing epidemic occurring in many professional sports leagues not only the NFL.
Young men with celebrity, too much unsupervised free time, liquor (and many times other recreational drugs) and women are a potentially volatile mixture. This concoction begins to smolder just by merely typing it. In all honesty, who in their right mind expects this devil's brew to conclude 'happily ever after'? Could you have been placed in that environment at 21 or 22 years of age and guarantee that you would not embarrass your family? Didn't think so...me included.
The sporting landscape is littered with these stories. Josh Hamilton's struggles have been well chronicled. Rae Carruth is still serving time for killing his pregnant girlfriend. Travis Henry just posted bail on a major drug trafficking charge. Darrent Williams was gunned down leaving a club in Denver. Adam Jones, well...is Adam Jones. Michael Vick...need I say more? The list goes on for a very, very long time.
We know the problem but what is being done to find a solution? Not enough. It is in all interested parties best interests to develop a sustainable solution to a very real ongoing dilemma. The philosophies of 'boys will be boys' and 'they're grown men and I ain't their daddy' have been a miserable failure. Though, it is true that if given a choice they will not listen. Therefore, I suggest that upon signing the contract for their riches they should not be given the option of compliance. Participation in the 'solution' must be mandatory for all.
If these young men want the money and the 'life' then it comes with 'strings' attached. The NFL, NBA and MLB need to create and implement a rookie's indoctrination program. Not just the 1 or 2 day farce that they currently employ (which obviously has not worked). But In fact, a comprehensive 24/7/365 program that holds each player by the hand and teaches them the 'facts of life in the league'. This program should include mandatory daily meetings at the training facility that address coping skills, money management, psychological counseling, mentoring by trained ex-players, management of interpersonal relationships (family and baby mama drama etc...), drug and alcohol counseling with testing and conflict resolution just to name a few.
It should have well defined criteria for infractions and violations to the program. Violations must hit them where it truly hurts...in the pocket. Financial penalties should be levied on an escalating percentage of contract basis (punishing each offender proportionally regardless of size of contract). $25,000 means different things to different people but 2% of your overall salary is the same 'pain' to each player.
The only way out of the program is successful completion of the year long program and continued maintenance of its goals. Significant violation of the goals of the program at any time during your career may land you right back in the program...after a significant fine of course.
Adam Jones may be the poster child for the wayward professional athlete but he should be viewed as an opportunity to properly educate these privileged, vulnerable and very redeemable young men.
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