Jameis Winston is the worst person in the NFL and his enablers should be ashamed
When news first broke that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston was going to receive a relatively paltry three-game suspension for allegedly groping an Uber driver, it raised more than a few eyebrows.
So the NFL determined Jameis Winston sexually assaulted an Uber driver & Jameis admitted to the sexual assault in his own statement & the NFL only gave him a three game suspension for it? Yikes.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 28, 2018
A three-game suspension seems to fly directly against the NFL’s most recent update to the league’s personal conduct policy, which seemed to establish six games as the baseline suspension for sexual assault. If grabbing the crotch of a female Uber driver isn’t sexual assault, what is?
Winston’s slap-on-the-wrist suspension is maddeningly consistent with the bizarrely preferential treatment he’s received throughout his career.
While playing football at Florida State, Winston was involved in a string of high-profile controversies.
There was a sexual assault allegation in which Florida State ultimately ended up settling with the accuser for $950,000.
Then, Winston was twice accused of shoplifting. First, he was accused of stealing soda from a Burger King. Then he allegedly stole crab legs from a Tallahassee Publix grocery store.
Another bizarre incident occurred in the Florida State University’s student union, where Winston stood on a table and allegedly yelled vulgarity directed at a woman.
For all of his abhorrent behavior, Winston’s cumulative “punishment” was a suspension of the first half of a game (which eventually turned into a full-game suspension) and eventually becoming a multi-millionaire as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft.
The failings of the Seminoles and then-head coach Jimbo Fisher are ridiculous and just one of many reasons why the team earned the derisive nickname of the “Criminoles.” Both school and coach seemed to sell their souls for their 2013 BCS National Championship, and to this day it has left an irrevocable stench on them.
As his latest suspension shows, Winston hasn’t shown much, if any, maturation after leaving college. He’s still surrounded by enablers. He’s still the uncrowned king of questionable decisions.
And in terms of winning football games, he’s actually regressed since college.
Never mind that the Buccaneers haven’t made the playoffs since drafting Winston. Disregard the 20-28 record the Bucs have compiled since drafting Winston. Ignore the fact that Winston has not improved one iota in terms of taking better care of the football.
Even if Winston was the second coming of Joe Montana, he wouldn’t be worth the headache. The fact that he’s been given fourth, fifth and sixth chances is made all the more baffling by the fact that he hasn’t won anything of substance in the NFL.
Perhaps worst of all is the distinct lack of contriteness Winston has shown over the years. He even went so far as to use alcohol as an excuse.
But considering the shameless enabling of his antics, that shouldn’t be a surprise.
At the end of the day, this is as much an indictment on Roger Goodell and the NFL (as well as Fisher and FSU) as it is on Winston. After all, what kind of message is Goodell trying to send here?
Tom Brady, who it should be noted was only found guilty of refusing to cooperate with the NFL, received a four-game suspension from the league in the aftermath of “Deflategate.” Martavis Bryant and Josh Gordon have both faced season-long suspensions for smoking weed. Ezekiel Elliott was never found guilty of anything (remember that Winston admitted to the incident) in regards to his sexual assault allegations and faced a six-game suspension.
Yet Winston will only serve three games? For what? Suckling at the teat of Roger Goodell? His punishment sends the message that grabbing a woman’s crotch against her will isn’t as bad as any of the aforementioned suspensions.
Goodell is an incompetent and overpaid clown. Perhaps it makes sense that he’d enable his fellow ilk.
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