Customer Reviews

Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the NFL

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

NFL fans beware, this book will shake you to your boots. We've all heard the occasional stories in the press of an NFL player being arrested for this or that, or someone serving time for an offense, but Benedict and Yaeger make a compelling case for much more widespread criminal problems in the league. This book is meticulously documented and brutally direct in accusing the NFL of cow-towing to the bottom line in its circle-the-wagons mentality.

I was suprised at the conduct & statistics in this book, but not shocked. Being an avid football fan in a football city I've seen and heard the coverups. Hopefully this expose will be a catalyst for the League to institute a plan for help for the "men". Even their coaches ignore the law and thier dirt swept under the rug. Two words would clean up the whole mess --- "Your fired"

This is a book that every sports fan with a conscience should read.

No. It doesn't say that "all football players are criminals," but it does say that the behavior of male athletes off the field is not highly scrutinized before they are in the professional ranks and even when iniscretions of players or coaches (often an understatement of some of the acts described in the book) are made public while an athlete is professional, the team wants the incident swept under the rug.

Parents of star high school male athletes need to see this book so they know what's going on in their students' high schools.

The stories hit you one after another. They may shock you, but after the shock wares off, you'll realize you're reading a classic investigative masterpiece that could bring about change, if the forces in the NFL are willing to listen to the authors.

This book is a classic example of how athletes's crimes are covered up or ignored. It's also disturbing to find out that the people who are supposed to be controlling the behavior of the players are just as involved in actions that are not appropriate. Even myself, who pays close attention to all news in the NFL, was surprised at how many crimes were actually commited in the NFL. I guarentee you will be surprised, too.

Although the authors' statistical methodology may not be perfect, the anecdotal material is hard-hitting. We are not talking mischievous hijinx here. This is some serious stuff. Why is this going on? Why isn't the NFL doing anything? Here are some excerpts:

A featured player's PR guy says: "But he's not any different than a lot of the other guys. He's a highly emotional kind of person, like a lot of ballplayers. You don't become a professional football player without a high level of testosterone running through your body."[p. 38]

The counselor whom the Cleveland Browns asked to counsel an alleged abuser and his fiance told her: "This is [his] lifestyle. He goes out every week and has to basically try to punish people on the field. He'll go after them and try to kill them. A lot of times he can't relate to coming home and not doing that to you when he's upset." [p. 153-154]

Rev. Jesse Jackson says: "By and large, we are seeing the end result of a long line of exploitation... Men being used who come out of very desperate straits, having extraordinary, exploitable, commercial talent. They are put on a pedestal in high school, removed from the earth and its responsibilities. Then they are recruited by the top colleges ... and study less difficult subject matter because they are actually working [for the universities.] These guys have been exploited from the time it was obvious they could jump higher and run faster. Athletes of stature don't walk on the ground and are allowed to play by different rules. Once their use is gone, they are no longer protected. But while they are playing ball, much of their behavior is cushioned. They are insulated from regular rules, attending classes, adhering to regular socializing processes." [p. 170]

So what's the solution? One would be tempted to try to dissuade one's children from idolizing some of the poor role models in the NFL for a kinder, gentler sport like figure skating. But then there's Tonya Harding.

If reading this book doesn't make the typical NFL fan shocked and appalled at how athletes get away with serious crimes because of their athletic talent, then something is definitely wrong with our society.

Sure, we all knew from high school on that jocks are treated differently, but to read the horrifying stories that Benedict, Yaeger, and Yaeger carefully and thoroughly detail and to know that it could just be the tip of the iceberg is frightening.

I'll never look at pro football the same again. And even though I'm a Bills fan, I'll never buy another game ticket as long as they employ someone like Wayne Simmons.

Given the facts in this book, it's not a surprise that a case like OJ's happened, but that it didn't happen sooner.

I once heard a coach say to one of his players "I want you to play for Penn State not the State Pen". That could have been another sub-title of this book.

I could not put this book down. It describes in graphic detail the misdeeds of some of the famous and some not so famous players of the NFL. Everyone who has ever bought a football jesrsey for a youngster should read this book and see if the jersey purchased represented one of the animals described by the authors.

The book is not great literature (hence no five stars) but it has been well researched and documented.

I would recommend it for all armchair quarterbacks and their spouses.

Once you finish this book you'll know why the Minnesota Vikings drafted Randy Moss after several teams passed him up in the NFL Draft. After initially believing that Moss would corrupt the Vikings, this book shows how it is almost the other way around. While the chapter on the Vikings and their problems was revealing, other chapters, particularly the ones including interviews with Art Schlichter and Darryl Henley from their respective prisons, helped the authors make two key points of the book. Schlichter is imprisoned because he committed the one crime (gambling) the NFL won't tolerate and Henley is in jail as long as he is because he, like many other NFL players, really believed he was too privileged to be limited by laws. These chapters were very important to the book and made up for the chapters which include sex-related crimes where no charges were made. I had a slight she-said, he-said problem with these parts of the book. However, the book stands out as one of the best Sports books ever written due to the ability of the authors to suggest a point of view and then prove it with actual situations and factual information. You'll never view the NFL the same after you read this book.

an eye opening expose on the secrets that the nfl would rather you not know about.a must read for any sports fan!fact filled

These guys did their homework. Though they incited controversy with their findings, nobody has been able to prove anything wrong. Anybody who watches football should read this book. It's a real eye-opener.