Matt Zeitlin: Impetuous Young Whippersnapper

Lost in the 4th of July and the continuing coverage of Michael Jackson’s life was the tragic killing of Steve McNair. It’s not certain yet, but it looks like McNair was a victim of a homicide, perhaps a murder-suicide by his “friend” (not his wife) Sahel Kazemi. So, assuming that’s true, this is yet another NFL player who has been violently victimized, and moreover, was in that situation because he was a famous athlete.

Look at this short history.

Darrent Williams, shot and killed in a drive-by outside a night club.

Sean Taylor, shot and killed in a home invasion (note that the prevailing media narrative was that his killing had something to do with a supposed thug past — this was totally false).

Javon Walker, beaten unconscious in a street mugging.

Richard Collier, shot while waiting in a car, now paralyzed.

Not to mention the horrible conditions that former NFL players find themselves in. Hobbled by injuries, many of them can barely walk and even worse, some have permanent brain damage that causes diseases and disabilities that generally afflict people in their 70s and 80s instead of their 30s, 40s and 50s.

It’s, of course, impossible to say if all the football players who are victims of violent crime are victims because of their celebrity and status, but one should certainly be able to empathize with those that want to, say, carry firearms with them when they go to nightclubs. Also, we should recognize a certain moral culpability in the epidemic of brain injuries of former players.

Although coaches, owners, general managers and even the players themselves bear a great deal of responsibility for this state of affairs, the fans — the people who are ultimately the source of ticket revenues and high ratings that sustain the NFL — are morally culpable as well. We’re the ones who demand, and love, a faster, bigger, more athletic and more violent brand of football. We’re the ones who spur on the players’ own demands for personal physical greatness which allow them to do such violence to each other. We also are the ones who turn them into celebrities, heroes even, who then become natural targets.

I don’t have any grand points or solution for this problem, but as someone who really loves football, I feel like we should just be aware of the downsides of our fandom and bear witness when stuff like this happens.