I have been a faithful Minnesota Vikings fan since I was a young boy. The disappointment from their current 1-3 record resonates loudly in my football soul. But more interesting is the side story that is currently developing from their season. Allegations over inapproriate conduct have been circling the head of starting quaterback Brett Favre like defensive ends going in for a kill.
Granted this is not the first time we've heard a story about a larger than life sports start being mentioned in the same vein as illicit behavior. It's been nearly one year since news of Tiger Woods and "the fire hydrant incident" began, esculating into "Cheap Whorapalooza" and resulting in a very public disintegration of his character, legacy, marriage, and golfing season. Only time will tell if and when Tiger will recover. But we all remember the text messages, especially since they were plastered on the pages of every viable news outlet for several months.
And now the Favre story emerges, and once again in the background are some text messages and suggestive photos. It makes me wonder: "What the hell are these guys thinking?" But the truth is, it's the same thing that so many of us 'regular' people think when we attempt to make our own personal connections. Perhaps we've never gotten as filthy as Mr. Woods, but the reality is that we live in a technologically advanced society, and one of the popular uses of that technology has become expressing intimacy, attraction, and sexuality in a much different manner.
There is an anonymity about sending a text message, especially to someone you really don't know. Admit it. If you've been single since cell phones existed (and there's a chance that most of us have), you've received a number in some manner, and way before calling, you've been tempted to send a text. It's an icebreaker moment like walking into a crowded club and ordering a drink for the stranger across the bar. It initializes intent, and usually gets the ball rolling towards other avenues of interaction. But, there is a dark side.
Anonymity sometimes creates a false sense of security and confidence. It shreds the linings of rationality, making you wonder why you should be reasonable when you're most likely never going to be held accountable for it. Unless of course you're worth X millions of dollars and are represented highly in a public arena. Then, you should suddenly know better.
Whether or not Favre is guilty of anything are questions better answered by the NFL and his wife, Deanna, but yet another story about a celebrity of this magnitude brings a lot of questions to mind:
1) If Favre indeed committed the acts that he's being accused of, exactly what was going through his mind as he did these things?
2) Will this lead to another high profile story of sordid affairs and a tragic, pricey divorce?
3) Is this the real reason Favre is throwing some passes that look like he forgot how to play football?
4)Will anybody ever tell these celebrities to put their damn cell phones down?
My mind is also working on a deeper level. Often times, these high profile sports stories filled with salacious content are presented and publicized along with the backing story (often swept under the carpet) of wealth and race. It has often been debated that African American athletes, who sometimes come from impoverished and broken families, lack the basic moral values to handle the responsibility that suddenly comes with their newly gained status and wealth. Proponents of such a belief might quickly mention the names Pacman Jones and Lawrence Taylor. Even the Tiger Woods story seemed to have several racial undertones (although I personally am curious to have seen how the story would have been handled if a certain lefty named Phil had been its guilty star).
But now, suddenly the rise of events involving athletes such as Ben Roethlisberger and this Favre ordeal make me wonder if the media simply shys away from character flaw stories, unless there is some spin on race. Case in point: most folks have all but forgotten about Letterman's long stand policy of having trysts with his employees.
Which makes me wonder if it's the spotlight. Is struggling to deal with issues of accountability a problem for all those with money, fame, and influence? Can you have all of this 'power' and not feel entitled by it? I've made some questionable decisions with a cell phone in my hand, and my power is meager in comparison.
I know one thing, if Brett Favre does go down in similar Woods fashion, it'll make for an interesting topic of discussion. The Viking fan in me simply hopes the truth can wait until after February.
the Rare Poet
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