Quote:
Originally Posted by DaemonSeid
Kobe, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Michael Vick
Some of sports' biggest names who have made and impact in the sports they made and sometimes criticized for some for their off court decisions.
Do you think that what happens in a player's personal life affect what kind of awards they get during the time that they are playing?
Example:
Kobe - there was speculation that any awards that Kobe gets from here on in is still tied around the fact that he got off scot freee on the rape case....he has not had the endorsements that he had prior, nor did he win an MVP award until this year altho some believe he should have won one years ago.
Michael Vick: support for him has been sharply divided due to the dog abuse case. if he still continues to play football after he gets out of jail how will it affect the business of the NFL? Will he still have the recoginition and even if he plays better, will all be forgiven?
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I really don't think conduct off the field should have a bearing on on-field awards (unless there's some "character" aspect to the awards).
I think the Kobe thing had less to do with his off-field behavior, and more to do with the fact that there were just guys with better seasons or more hype surrounding them each year. I honestly don't think he should have won the award this either (I think either Paul or Lebron should have gotten it), but that's another story.
Vick is going to have a long road back, in that the quarterback is historically the face of the NFL team's franchise. In a way, he was the face of the NFL for a few years; it's how he got the big endorsement deals when he came in as a rookie, and how he got the huge deal from the Falcons. That history, plus the importance of the QB position, is going to make it harder for him than for other athletes (Leonard Little, Pacman Jones, etc.). Plus, Vick wasn't all that great a quarterback when he left (besides the running), so it's questionable what sort of impact the time away will have on his abilities.
Jones hasn't been reinstated yet, so who knows what his situation will be when the season starts. You'd think the Cowboys would have gotten some guarantee from the NFL before making the trade (especially considering the closeness with the NFL front offices).