These days, you can’t so much as look at the homepage of a major sporting news outlet without seeing Johnny “Football” Manziel’s name somewhere in the headlines. Between tearing it up at Texas A&M, tearing it up in Las Vegas, and nearly tearing up any hope he has of getting respect in the NFL, people can’t seem to get enough of the Browns’ most promising rookie. While the majority of the commentary on Manziel’s antics is largely negative, the tone is less disciplinary and more affectionate: “You adorable little scamp,” sports pundits seem to say.
Johnny Football isn’t the only one. Sports fans absolutely love bad boys. Whether it’s Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli setting off fireworks in his bathroom, China-based baller Metta World Peace punching fans in the stands, or NFL journeyman Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg, we eat this stuff up. Watching these goons go about their daily routines is like a meathead’s version of a soap opera. Considering the events of the last few weeks and sporting organizations’ tolerance of poor player behavior, fans’ attitudes towards such “antics” will have to change if we hope to see any sort of improvement.
Basic psychology says that from an early age, human beings learn how to act based on the idea of positive reinforcement: your behavior is dictated by rewards and punishments. Reinforcement isn’t a process that only occurs in children, it’s a concept that’s active in our lives at all times, even in the lives of our favorite athletes.
Essentially, every time a sporting organization or fans allow a player to get away with behavior that wouldn’t fly in any other workplace, we’re playing out the positive reinforcement scenario. Players behave negatively, and yet somehow, they’re rewarded with paychecks, sponsorship deals, and a continued spot on some teams. Their poor conduct is rewarded with riches and copious media coverage. Of course there’s no way they’d even contemplate change.
Will veteran wide receiver Santonio Holmes ever stop making open references to weed on Twitter or stop disobeying flight attendants? Probably not. Even after leaving the Steelers, he still managed to get a contract with the Jets. Why? Because he’s a great receiver. He would go on to throw a bottle across a nightclub, injuring another patron.
Did anyone think Mike Tyson would never box again after allegedly participating in a mugging back in his hometown? Obviously not. Why? Because “Kid Dynamite” ruled the world. He wound up biting Evander Holyfield’s ear off in the ring.
Thanks to the way our culture treats these men, there’s a decent chance of Johnny Manziel winding up in the headlines for something far more serious than heading to a UFC fight when he should’ve been practicing. He’s probably already got it in his head that no matter what he does (such as flip off the Redskins bench), he’ll be totally fine as long as he can play.
Provided an athlete can deliver on the field, rink, or court, people don’t give a damn how they conduct themselves until it’s too late—as was the case with Ray Rice. We sow the seeds of bad behavior in athletes because we’re willing to reward them with affection, not punishment. There’s nothing there to stop these people from beating their wives or assaulting people in nightclubs. There’s no red alert that goes off in their brains.
To be honest, the problem starts with us fans and the easy forgiveness—or worse, blind eye—the sports community has for high-profile players. But for some reason, we just don’t seem to be getting the message. If you don’t want bad behavior to be a problem in the future, nip it in the bud now. Now is the time or Manziel’s antics to stop. We have to change now, before it’s too late.
