Scott Cordischi On Sports: Will You Root For Haynesworth?
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
When will people learn? As Jerry Seinfeld once said, when it comes to professional sports, “we root for the laundry.”
Last week the New England Patriots acquired both Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ocho Cinco and many Pats’ fans were thrilled with the signings. However, there were others who voiced their displeasure.
It’s no secret that both of these players arrived in Foxboro with some personal baggage. Haynesworth’s rap sheet is much more concerning than Ocho Cinco’s. The 6-6, 335-pound defensive lineman is facing sexual abuse charges for allegedly groping a waitress. He also was not the best teammate and employee in Washington where many believe that he did, or didn’t, do what he wanted.
Ocho Cinco’s only crimes are not wanting to play in Cincinnati any longer and a desire to be in the spotlight 24/7.
So now they are both Patriots with no guarantee that they will even make the team’s opening day roster. Although, if I were a betting man, I would say that both will be here for the season-opener in Miami on September 12th.
So should Patriots fans cheer for the two of them or not? That’s really up to each of us.
I know that if Ocho Cinco makes a touchdown catch or Haynesworth comes up with a big sack of an opposing quarterback that I will cheer. Why? Because I root for the laundry.
That is not to say that I approve of either one of these two men and some of the things that they have done. However, in the case of Haynesworth, if he is found guilty of what he is charged with, he will presumably have to pay the price for his indiscretion. That’s good enough for me.
You see, unlike some holier-than-thou fans out there, I don’t assume that everyone who puts on a helmet and shoulder pads is Mother Teresa. It would be nice if they were all fine, upstanding members of society with no records to speak of but that not exactly a realistic wish.
You see, sports mirrors society in that it contains people of all different backgrounds, some of whom have more than a few skeletons in their closets. The only difference is that we know about theirs because they are public figures.
So when you go to Gillette Stadium this season and you see Albert Haynesworth or Chad Ocho Cinco, it’s okay to root for the laundry and not necessarily the morals of the man wearing it.
-This last week has probably been the single most exciting week of offseason football we have ever experienced.
-Nice to see that Tom Brady decided to get a haircut.
-At what point does everyone start tuning Rex Ryan out if he can’t deliver a Super Bowl title for the Jets?
-Tiger Woods is back and claims to be healthy and ready to win tournaments again. I’ll believe it when I see it.
-There’s a lot of excitement building for the Governor’s Cup football game between Brown and URI under the lights at Brown Stadium October 1st.
-As much as we love Kevin Faulk, he has a lot to prove if he is going to take Danny Woodhead’s spot as the third down back on the Patriots offense.
-That John Lackey may be the third man in a possible 3-man playoff rotation for the Red Sox is scary.
-What are the chances that Randy Moss stays retired?
-Circle October 9th and November 13th on your calendars. Those are the dates for this year’s Patriots-Jets games.
-Can’t we just close down Wall Street? I’m sick of seeing the Dow go down day after day.
-Unlike the NFL lockout, not one person has asked me about whether or not the NBA lockout will end before the start of next season.
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It