Cin city hypocrisy
Lewis: TD dances bad example for youth
MARVIN Lewis, head coach of America’s (Most Wanted) Team, believes allowing NFL players more leeway in their touchdown celebrations “is not a very good example for young people.” That’s right, the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals said this. We might officially have a new leader in the “you-can’tmake-it-up” files.
Of course, Lewis’ team is notoriously known for far more than simply not winning a single playoff game since 1990.
The Bengals for years have been a landing spot for players who have encountered trouble with the law, with the lengthiest rap sheet belonging to cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones. He was busted again earlier this year for disorderly conduct and allegedly shoving a security guard – at least his ninth known arrest since he was drafted in 2005.
Jones pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge after two other charges – including one felony – were dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Hardly surprising, Cincinnati also was the team that spent a second-round draft pick (48th overall) last month on Joe Mixon, the former Oklahoma running back who infamously decked a female student, Amelia Molitor, in the face (caught on videotape) in 2014.
Yet, that didn’t stop Lewis — a member of the NFL’s competition committee — from expressing concern about setting examples for kids regarding something as silly as touchdown celebrations?
Lewis was quoted at Bengals camp this week complaining about commissioner Roger Goodell’s announcement that the league has decided to soften its policies on excessive celebrating to reintroduce the allowance of group celebrations and the use of the football as a prop, among other changes.
“I’m not for that at all,” Lewis said, according to ESPN. “We had a good standard, and the whole standard has always TODAY USA been, you want to teach people how to play the game the correct way and go about it the correct way, and that’s not a very good example for young people.”
Does he mean the way Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict plays the game? A guy many consider the dirtiest player in the NFL, who has compiled numerous unnecessary roughness flags and has his own lowlight reel on YouTube called “Vontaze Burfict Career Cheapshots.”
I wonder if Steelers receiver Antonio Brown feels Burfict plays the “correct way” after Burfict leveled him with a crushing blow to his helmet, knocking him out of a wild-card round playoff game in 2016. A concussed Brown would miss the following divisional round game as well, one the Steelers lost to the Broncos.
Is that the “correct way” Lewis is referring to?
“The rules were changed for a reason,” continued Lewis. “and I thought we had a good outcome. Again, this is a team game, and ... I don’t understand why we want to give in to individual celebrations.”
Which is fine, if that’s what Lewis believes, even if I disagree with him. It’s the wording in his reasoning that is an absurd mixed message.
Bengals owner Mike Brown has stated many times over the years his desire to give players second chances at redeeming themselves, which is admirable, but only to a degree. He did so again earlier this month with Mixon, saying “the risk has an upside as well as a downside, but we believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati.”
In all, according to research by USA Today, Bengals players have been arrested 44 times since 2000, including nine DUIs, nine assaults and six cases of domestic violence.
But the return of something similar to the Ickey Shuffle, once made famous by former Cincinnati running back Ickey Woods, that’s a poor example for “young people.”
At least according to the head coach of America’s (Most Wanted) Team.
Judge or Conforto? Conforto or Judge?
We in the media — and yes, here at the Daily News — are guilty as charged with constantly asking and trying to provide answers to this ongoing question.
But for me, let’s forget about comparisons for now and simply marvel at and enjoy what’s happening currently with these two emerging young New York baseball stars.