Meriweather, Marshall trade barbs

For Brandon Meriweather this past weekend was a week off.  The former University of Miami safety was suspended for a week due to his 2 personal foul penalties earned last Sunday against the Chicago Bears.  Since then, however, Meriweather’s mouth has not taken a break.  One of the wide receivers Meriweather hit, Brandon Marshall, was quoted as saying; “Guys like that really don’t understand that there is life after football. I respect the league trying to better our game and guys like that, maybe he needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely.”  Whether Marshall was right or wrong is up for debate, but the NFL sided with Marshall and suspended Meriweather for Sunday’s contest with the Denver Broncos.

Oct 20, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins strong safety Brandon Meriweather (31) knocks the ball from Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) in the end zone in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field. Merriweather was called for a penalty on the play. The Redskins won 45-41. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Meriweather decided it was his turn to respond Monday saying, “Listen, everybody’s got their opinion of things, you know. Everybody’s got their opinion. He feels like, you know, I need to be kicked out of the league. I feel like, people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out of the league too.”  Meriweather decided he wasn’t done yet saying, “You tell me who you’d rather have: Somebody who plays aggressive on the field, or somebody who beats up their girlfriend. Everybody’s got their opinion. That’s mine. He’s got his.”

Let’s all face the facts; Professional sports have criminals.  Take a deep breath, and let that statement sink in for a second.  The famous players your children and friends are watching have a life outside football.  What these players do, and the people they surround themselves with are very telling of how they live their lives.  Many decide to use their fame and money for good and others for bad.  Believe it or not Brandon Meriweather brings up a very valid point.  The NFL is flooded with criminals, and why should the NFL suspend a player for playing hard, while not punish a player whose actions endangered those around him?  I understand players are innocent until proven guilty, but the NFL must set a precedent and punish those charged with crimes.  Commissioner Roger Goodell cannot allow the good that takes place on the field become overshadowed by the crimes committed off of it.  Goodell must step up and punish those who break the law.  Meriweather did cross the line with his comments, and should not have said what he did.  This, however, brings up a major topic of discussion and in reality Meriweather was entirely correct.