Was Griffin treated right by the NFL?
It turned out to be a perfect ending for two young men very deserving of such an outcome.
But was this all really necessary?
Did Shaquem Griffin, the one-handed wonder boy, and his twin brother,
Shaquill, really need to be paraded around AT&T Stadium by the NFL as part of a carnival-like, dog-and-pony show to help improve their monotonous draft coverage?
In the end, it was a winwin for everyone involved, but at what expense?
I’ve known the Griffin twins for six years now, dating all the way back to their senior year at St. Petersburg Lakewood High in 2012. I have never known either of them, as well as their mother,
Tangie Griffin, to ever turn down a request for an interview or a request for a photo shoot. They are as accommodating as anyone I have ever known.
I’m sure their mom could tell you about times when the twins were less than accommodating, but she doesn’t. She’s raised the boys right. The word “no” is not in their vocabulary.
Shaquem understands his position in society as the star player with one hand who provides an inspiration for young people everywhere who have ever had obstacles placed in their way.
Leveraged by the NFL, however, and even taken advantage of by their own agent, Buddy Baker, the twins — especially Shaquem — were exploited by those people the family trusted to have the Griffins’ best interests in mind.
I’m pretty sure the usually boring third-day coverage of the NFL draft broke all sorts of viewership records as America waited to find out what would happen with Shaquem.
That was likely of no comfort to Shaquem, who was pacing back and forth Friday night in the green room behind the draft stage. It was the last thing on his mind. Meanwhile, network execs were licking their lips thinking about what the slight meant for Saturday’s ratings.
Each year, the NFL invites several players to be at the draft and come up on stage as their name is announced. It’s usually players the NFL deems to be likely first-round picks. Rarely are there many players left waiting to be drafted on the second day.
And certainly no one is left on Day 3.
This year, three players remained for the second day, including Shaquem, whom everyone knew was not going to go in the first round. His story, however, was too good to pass up. He seemed to be a natural selection as an invited player. That surely meant the NFL figured he was going to be selected Friday night in the second or third round. He was not. He was set up for a fall. He’ll tell you he wasn’t. That’s just how he is, but the disappointment he felt as he left the stadium Friday night had to be devastating.
I can’t imagine how he must have felt. But Shaquem uses negative situations to drive him, to make him stronger.
It wasn’t a big surprise when we all learned Saturday that the Griffins decided not to return to the stadium, instead waiting to hear the draft outcome from their hotel room, surrounded by friends and family.
That’s how it should have been. Finally, a private moment for a family that had become such a public story. In seclusion, they could celebrate like a family should. They cried, they hugged, they highfived, they whooped and hollered and they cried some more. It was perfect for them.
Their story had become so public. There were appearances on the “Today Show,” “Good Morning America” and the usual sit-downs with ESPN and NFL Network, among other national media outlets.
For once they could share the moment with each other, alone.
Alone, that is, except for the ESPN crew waiting along with them.
The network conglomerate with all of the money and all of the viewers took precedence over all other media. They took full advantage of the little guy, the young man with one hand who happens to play football like few others can, the others who have two hands.
So the other little guys, local Orlando media types, had to wait. After Shaquem was drafted by Seattle in the fifth round, he was brought back to AT&T Stadium and paraded between the live sets of ESPN and NFL Network and whatever else he had to do.
We waited at the press conference area. And waited. Finally, almost four hours later, Shaquem and Shaquill were brought to the interview room. They were smiling, laughing, answering the same questions they had already heard over and over. They were acting the way they always do.
Typical Griffins. None of this bothered them, or at least they never let on that it might.
Their belief system worked again. Their mom was right, for sure. Everything worked out in a perfect ending for all parties involved. Well, almost.
The question remains: was it all necessary to parade Shaquem around during the draft?