NEW YORK, NY – Forty years ago, I couldn’t ever imagine saying baseball doesn’t matter to me and for whatever the reason, the end of hockey season makes a quick transition to football without interruption from the Boys of Summer. Two things have been said about professional football over the past few decades as one has almost become cliche; “There is no off season in the NFL.” The other, from the big mouth of former Head Coach Jerry Glanville, is the NFL acronym Not For Long, when referees make pathetic calls against a team. Today, I’m putting both observations to the test as we get caught up on the NFL (National Felon League) since the end of the Super Bowl and highlight thuggery keeping football in the headlines.
If ever there were an off-season fantasy squad of football criminals, Aaron Hernanadez would be a freaking stud. Currently facing murder charges in the execution-style killing of his “friend,” the former Patriots TE also allegedly shot a man in the face in February while in Florida (be careful down there Clancy) resulting in the loss of the victim’s eye. Hey, when you don’t make the Super Bowl life is tough and even more frustrating, I guess. Oh yeah, the sweetheart-of-a-guy Hernandez is also facing weapons charges for the cache of firearms making anti-government, white supremists hunkered down in their Idaho compound blush.
Not since the Iron Sheik and his in-ring WWF rival, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan shared a drunken ride with pot and blow in a car on a New Jersey highway ultimately leading to their arrest was an item more publicized on NJ roads until new Jets RB Mike Goodson burst onto the Tri-state scene. Found parked in the middle lane of the highway was Goodson and his pal trying to sleep off a bender and too f*cked up to even move the car when instructed to by NJ Troopers. Mary Jane and hollow point, cop-killing bullets were found in the car of Goodson’s ex-con buddy.
This next item, if you ask me, is hardly a crime. A fraud perpetrated against a casino should be lauded by any person who has stepped inside one of these clip joints and dropped any amount of coin in the house’s coiffures. When Denver Broncos safety Quinton Carter was caught adding chips to his winning craps game bet he was doing all of us a favor by trying to even the playing field for the gambler. F*ck the house. If anybody has been at a table where a big payout is made, the game is halted in Super Bowl halftime show fashion. The pit boss is summoned, security takes a trip to the table, and cameras are checked as if to say, “We don’t know how you hit that straight flush, but we’ll pay you anyway.” A great amount of publicity was had by the ultimate dive of Las Vegas casinos, the Palace Station as I only hope my pal Les is keeping the roulette wheel spinning.
Ironic is the fact that a lawyer, Roger Goodell, is Commissioner of the National Felon League.
West Coast Craig, tomorrow.
