What can the NFL do to help young players?

Seriously? That's what you took from that? Really....??? I might have to buy a reading comprehension CD and upload it to this website and maybe we can designate a day of the week for selected members to study

forcing players to stay in college creates more problems than it could possibly fix, really bad idea. Also it punishes the players who don't mess up, which make up the majority of the NFL.

who is angry? i'm glad you think from a few posts on the internet that were taking playful shots at your ineptness to understand simple points I was making you think I was angry. You could have had a case for condescending...but angry? :denied

difference between bashing people and calling people out for not understand, also, if you would have read anything you would understand I don't think there needs to be a solution because I don't think there is a serious problem...at all.

so because someone has a difference of opinion they can't insert that opinion? I am glad most people don't think that way.

I don't see the correlation to what happened to Aldon and a need for the NFL to do something more for its players. They've got the rookie symposium and a host of other ways they support their players, besides making them very wealthy. Aldon threw a party at his home. Nothing against the law there. The party got out of hand and a incident occured. Aldon was stabbed breaking up a fight. He was a victim. It was a unfortunate incident but I dont believe its anything other than that. These guys are you millionaires. Young ppl party. I know I did. Sometimes when you mix partying/alcohol and groups of ppl, things happen. Of course these guys are not regular ppl. They are athletes and so they probably need to be more cautious. But unless they invent some kind of drug that prevents from young ppl from having a nightlife, incidents will still occur.

As for Aldon, I don't feel he personally did anything wrong. That being said, this is the second time within 5 months he has been in the news for something non-football related. Its time to take stock of himself and the ppl around him and see if changes need to be made. You don't want to get that label put on you. So its best for him to forgo ANY nightlife for the forseeable future.

What I do think the NFL needs to curb is the DUIs. Eric Wright just got one over the weekend. These guys have too many resources at their disposable to keep getting behind the wheel drunk. Personally I think its the most selfish thing a human being can do.

I don't think he did anything illegal really but you could argue he used poor judgement and put his career in jeopardy. I believe ray Lewis was breaking up a fight as well which lead to him getting in all kinds of trouble (lying to police doesn't help).

The thread wasnt saying anything needs to be done, it was spitballing ideas of what can be done or nothing at all. Can only coddle the players for so long.

I drink with a starting LBer in the nfl that isn't famous, when he is in town. He parties hard and only lightly is image conscious. Then you have Rodgers, who was active on the nightlife scene before he was a starter. Soon as he became a starter he became a pretty boring guy who picks n chooses when and where he goes out. Long ways off from the guy that used to get smashed in college towns in his free time.

I mentioned ray Lewis earlier and it's nice to see that after everything he went through his name hasn't been in the news in any negative way, sometimes players learn the hard way I guess.

I guess one could say he used poor judgement. I personally thought by throwing a party at his home instead of going out to "da club" was him playing it safe after the DUI. So even when you have the best intentions, things don't always work out. Good guys do finish last sometimes and from all reports and accounts, Aldon is a good guy.

I live in a part of Virginia that produces alot of NFL players and few NBA players as well. I see them around, on the club scene, partying hard. That's just the nature of most young ppl with money. Alot of them are good guys who make smart decisions. Some of them aren't angels to put it mildly and surround themeslves with friends who are looking for trouble and dont always have their best interest at heart. But not one has gotten into a incident locally, out clubing/partying(actually one did about 2 years ago). But it only takes being in the wrong place at the wrong time just once for that to change.

I think all athletes use poor judgement, in ALOT of instances in regards to partying/nightlife. But if a incident never occurs, you'll never hear about it....still doesn't make it a wise decision. Gronk from the Pats is known as a BIG TIME party guy. Started in college and he has carried it with him to the pros. But his parties dont end with him getting stabbed at the end so all's well that end's well. Is Gronk using poor judgement? Or will ppl wait until something bad happens as a result from one of his parties for them to say that?

I would be shocked if Peyton Manning was stabbed at a party at his house. I would assume he is more likely to have security and also know the people he is inviting into his home. I would guess that Aldon didnt know the guys he let into his house that stabbed him.

Gronk needs to grow up, and I hope nothing bad happens to him while he is out on the town.

If only he'd spent another year at Louisville...

Did you have any suggestions on how to deal with the problem? Or are you in the do nothing crowd?

Well, we have a criminal justice system to deal directly with crimes like aggravated assault and the NFL may further sanction a player for such arrests (subject to the terms of its collective bargaining agreement).

I guess I don't see "the problem." I understand the popular perception of a problem because the arrest of a high profile athlete always makes headlines. You're not reading about the hundreds of NFL players that conduct themselves without incident. Moreover, these are often big, intimidating men that play a violent sport. Some folks are quick to label such men "thugs" at the drop of a hat and there are rather obvious racial undertones here as well...

I believe that the violent crime rate amongst professional athletes is much lower than that for the comparable population. There isn't a ton of scholarly research on the subject but what I've found seems to support this. A 1999 study by Alfred Blumstein and Jeff Benedict is the most concise. A .pdf is available for download from the University of Wisconsin here.

Since I don't see a pressing need to address a largely imagined "problem," I guess that makes me part of the "do nothing crowd."

The question was asked, "What can the NFL do to help players?" While it's not a league mandated action, here's the approach the Cowboys are taking with Dez Bryant: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...enact-set-of-behavioral-rules-for-dez-bryant/

Privately, Bryant can't be happy with his agent for negotiating a contract that permits his employer to implement additional "behavioral rules." Can't imagine anyone welcoming such invasive monitoring by their employer.

Oh well. Too bad Bryant can't stay out of trouble. Too bad Jones is willing to go to such lengths for a bonehead. Bizarre.

I hate the Cowboys and Redskins. Best outcome for when they play is 0-0 and no man left standing. They both get too much publicity for their crappy owners and play.