Fame offers no acquired immunity from spontaneous stupidity

Vexing and perplexing - Jameis Winston, the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Bucs, had his Uber App disabled and cancelled for allegedly groping an Uber driver’s crotch while idling in the drive-through of a Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz. This allegedly happened at 2 a.m. in March 2016. The ride from a nightclub to the drive-through was highlighted by Winston allegedly hanging out of the window while yelling homophobic slurs at pedestrians (Old Yeller). Imagine you’re walking down the street one minute and the next Jameis Winston’s big head is hanging out the window calling you names. Bobby Bowden – not Winston’s Florida State coach at that time – commented on the agressively immature quarterback a few years ago, simply saying, “He’s 12 years old.” Winston’s Uber buddy was Ron Darby, Eagles cornerback. Those two have been friends since their Florida State days. Also, former Eagles quarterback and Campbell’s Chunky Soup pitchman Donovan McNabb was fired by ESPN for allegedly sending sexually explicit text messages to a coworker while he was employed at the NFL Network. When teaching psychology in high school, I used stories like Winston and McNabb to show students that fame and fortune, along with growing up hearing all the right messages, offer no acquired immunity from stupidity.

Go long, dog - “Get along little doggie” (Dachshund joke book). Brett Favre survived addiction to painkillers and is now part owner of the dubious product Rx Pro, a cream for pain relief. Favre also survived a sexting scandal while with the Jets, which involved the gunslinger texting a body part to a credentialed sportswriter who also did photo shoots for Playboy. How come I don’t know any of these people? Favre can be seen in a TV commercial torturing his dog by throwing long passes into a field. He manages to underthrow the dog, hitting him in the butt, then saying, “C’mon, that was a perfect pass.” The product pitched is Copper Fit elbow and knee compression sleeves. How about Jameis Winston pitching Taco Bell?

Ramped and amped - In NFL playoff football, the speed of the game goes from white light to blue light ridiculous. The hits are no longer hard; they become vicious, bordering on sadistic. The money matters because the winners earn more with a chance to earn more again if they advance to the next round. All NFL players are colleagues, and most know each other, so why you wanna take somebody’s head off? Definitely a level of chemical enhancement that produces rage, like hitting the Hulk on top of his foot with a sledgehammer. Every play is a series of car crashes and pileups. The good news is players can earn millions – and it is a choice; the athlete can walk away while they still know what day it is. Players have an expression, “one more year,” where they know they are trading quality of life on the back end for the glory and money of the moment. Sell the game, bring the hype, but save the argument that it is safe, because it is sick and dangerous. And I’m watching them all every play. I just hope the dog doesn’t step on my foot because I will retaliate.

Snippets - And I wanted to watch the game, but it was hiding in plain site. North Dakota State defeated James Madison 17-13 Jan. 6 to win the College Football Championship subdivision title. It was the sixth title for the Bison, tying them with Georgia Southern. JMU, the defending national champion, had won 26 games in a row. Cape boys’ basketball (6-2) gets back on the wheel this week, playing at Dover Tuesday, Jan. 9, then at Smyrna Friday, Jan. 12. Swimming has a big home meet Thursday, hosting Sussex Tech. The Sussex Academy girls’ swim team is undefeated to date, but they will close out the dual-meet season with Sussex Tech then Cape Henlopen before travelling to Caesar Rodney. Jamie Shirmier, a junior heavyweight grappler for Sussex Tech, won the recent Delcastle tournament. The whistle blows and Jamie comes in high like a freight train, simply smothering the other guy. I told Jamie, “Just shake my hand. I ain’t no coal car.” His dad Carl, who went to Cape, looks like the same guy, but they are two different people. Local female laxers across all the age groups are playing in a Sunday league at the Crown Center in Fruitland, Md. Cape will once again host the individual state wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24. Time to step out of the freezer and get fit, just don’t slip. Go on now, git!