New Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cary Williams has come under fire this week because he skipped the team's voluntary organized team activities (OTA's) to attend to family and personal matters. Then, in an interview with 97.5's Mike Missanelli last Friday afternoon, Williams defended his decision and when asked if he was concerned about the fans' reaction, he said it didn't matter to him what the fans thought. Outrage!!! Callers burned up the airwaves sounding like teenagers who were stood up at the prom. Oh, the indignation!! Cary Williams doesn't care what I think? Oh, I can't bear it!!!
I hate to shatter everyone's illusions, but pro athletes are doing a job. Yes, it's something they love to do and get paid a lot of money to do, but it's their job. They are going to play for the team that makes the most financial sense for them and their families. 99.9% of people will never know what it's like to play even one down of a pro football game. Being a pro athlete means being able to shut out fan reaction on and off the field. Fans are a fickle bunch. You show me a sports hero today and I'll show you someone who fans will want run out of town on a rail tomorrow. Without taking a poll, I will bet that most pro athletes hold fan approval on their priority list slightly above taking out the trash. I understand that fans think because they pay for tickets that their opinions should matter the most. Let me throw a question to all of you people out there in customer service positions: The customer pays your bills by buying your product or patronizing your store. Do you always treat them right? Do you always care what they think? Are there days you treat them rudely because you're just not having a good day? In a perfect world, the customer should matter the most, but it doesn't always work that way.
Fans have a right to voice their opinions and athletes have a right not to care about those opinions. I've met my share of pro athletes and coaches over the years. Some were nice, some aloof, and others have heard praise so often they were numb to it. We as a society place entirely too much stock in pro athletes, holding them to standards that couldn't possibly be upheld. "Cary Williams missed a practice to attend his daughter's dance recital?" people ask with disdain, as if any of these fans never called out of work because it was raining outside or just plain didn't feel like coming to work that day. Come on, you can be honest, you've done that. We have all done it. But somehow, football players aren't allowed to miss voluntary practices being held in May. Not allowed.
Many people seem to tie their self-worth to whether their favorite sports teams win or lose. George Carlin once said it was silly to place your happiness in the hands of a group of strangers, but that's what some do. In their mind, if Cary Williams misses practice twice then that will adversely affect him and thus the team and thus the Eagles won't win the Superbowl again this year....oh, woe is us fans. I understand that a fan pays his money and expects to see a quality product on the field. No one wants to pay several hundred or thousand dollars to watch a team get blown out every week. But does that give the fan the right to tell a player he must attend a voluntary practice in May? Does a fan suddenly dictate what is an acceptable reason for missing team activities? Is an immediate family member's funeral an ok reason to miss but an aunt's or uncle's not? Would a fan want a stranger in his face over the fact that he didn't show up at the office last Tuesday?
Then again, once the season starts, does anything matter if Williams makes 2 or 3 interceptions in the first three games? Nope. The same radio pundits raking him over the coals now will be giving away his jersey to the 8th caller and petitioning his induction into the Hall of Fame. If Williams has continued success, the fans will then demand that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie pay him an absurd amount of money. Then, if Williams' performance drops off, the fans will bring up this missed practice nonsense from May 2013 and complain how he's a spoiled rich athlete who doesn't care about the fans.
At least Williams had the honesty to admit it. I applaud him for that. Oh, and not to disillusion you further sports fans, but the stripper you buy lap dances from at your local strip joint doesn't really think you're cute either.
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