What would Gonzo do?
Offensive to women? I mean, I haven’t seen the thing, but… offensive to… women? Chicken women, maybe.
Also, again, I haven’t seen the thing, and the article (in typical lazy shock-article fashion) leaves out this meaningless bit of trivia, but I’m given to wonder if the players in question did this in their spare time in a way that wouldn’t immediately connect them to the team. Because if so, well then the chuckleheads who run the team need to lighten the hell up and not start trying to regulate everything their employees do when they’re off the clock.
On the other hand, if they did make the video in some way that would seem to associate it with the team, well then the chucklehead players need to smarten up for next time. You don’t see me dragging my employer’s name into any of the stupid, childish shit I do, do you? No you do not.
Of course, asserting that I’m a bit brighter than your average Australian Rules player won’t exactly be the shocking statement of the century.
Unfortunately, what they do reflects on the team no matter if they do it on their own away from the team or not. When you make money by selling tickets to watch people play a sport, perception is reality–and when your fans perceive that some of your players are asswipes, they might decide to stop paying to watch them play. See also: The Cincinnati Bengals.
Comment by Dave | 13 April 2009
But I’m thinking unless their contracts contain explicit stipulations to the contrary — which they well may, for all I know — then the team doesn’t have any basis for complaint about what they do on their own time.
Comment by Darien | 13 April 2009
Most sports teams/leagues do have such clauses, though. The NFL sure has one. Guys get fined and/or suspended all the time for “conduct detrimental to the league”.
Comment by Dave | 15 April 2009