The Most Frustrating Story in Sports

“Throw him out of the league,” pleaded Chris “Mad Dog” Russo during one of his patented rants. “He’s got a rap sheet as long as Al Capone!”

Mad Dog was referring to NFL resident bad boy Adam “Pacman” Jones after the rising defensive star was involved in a scrap with the law in February of 2007.

At the time, Russo’s remarks seemed extreme. Kick a player out of the league for poor behavior off the field? Russo’s sentiments were easy to write off; after all, this is a man who once promised the baseball gods his first born child in exchange for a San Francisco Giants championship run.

But now, a year and a half later, it seems that Russo may have been right on target.

Jones has officially given a bad name to second, third and fourth chances, and has effectively reinforced the concept that stupid people never get smart.

On February 19, 2007 Jones was carousing at a Las Vegas strip club with an entourage. According to reports, several rappers were throwing hundreds of dollars on the stage. In order to prove his own wealth, Jones joined in the fun, helping to make it rain by dropping thousands of his own dollars as well. However, when the strippers tried to collect the money, Jones decided he wanted it back.

As usually happens when people throw tens of thousands of dollars around in public, a fight broke out. One of Jones’ friends left and came back to the club with a gun, several people were shot, and one ended up paralyzed. As a side note, Jones wasn’t too worried about an additional 15 grand he spread around Vegas as hush money to keep his name out of the fray.

Unfortunately for him, his name got out, and Jones was suspended from the league for one year.

At first glance, a full year off came across as excessive. Players are only suspended for four games when they test positive for steroids for the first time, and this took place off the field.

However, upon further review, Jones has been involved in 12 legal incidents dating back his being drafter in 2005. While his rap sheet may not quite rival legendary gangsters as Russo suggests, it is quite impressive. Jones’ indiscretions include, but are in no way limited to: Involvement in an additional nightclub shooting in Atlanta, a confiscated Cadillac involved in drug trafficking, and arrests for assault, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and felony vandalism.

However, Jones got a year off, and he pledged to do better. He routinely appealed his suspension, and even complained that he was not given a fair shake in the proceedings. He went on air with Bryant Gumbel and pleaded his innocence for all the world to see.

And low and behold, it worked. The NFL gave Pacman another chance.

And low and behold, he blew it.

Over this past weekend, Pacman got drunk and started a fight with the bodyguard assigned to him by the NFL to keep him out of trouble.

Jones has been suspended again, this time for “a minimum of four games,” according to commissioner Roger Goddell.

Perhaps it is finally time to heed Russo’s ranting. It is time to stop giving Pacman Jones chances to redeem himself.

He is a mediocre cornerback at best, and proved it in what may have been his final game with Dallas as he was routinely burned by All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

But more important than his lack of skill at his position is his incredible lack of judgment and apparent lack of intelligence.

Why should a man with such blatant disregard not only for the law, but also for human life be allowed to continue to represent the NFL? In case the world has forgotten, playing football for a living is not a god-given right, but a privilege. There is no place in such a great game for such a bad person.

Pacman has lost his right to play football for a living. He does not deserve another chance. Even if another team is inexplicably stupid enough to waste their money on another Pacman experiment, it is indeed time for Goddell to throw him out of the league.

Simply put, it should finally, and mercifully, be game over for Pacman Jones.



--Phil DiMartino