Maybe He Should Shut Up and Play

New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle steps in it big time with his comments this week. On his WFAN spot this week, he claimed that booing NFL players on the field is so wrong that it is comparable to booing soldiers coming home from Iraq.

Rolle's comments and comparison is disgusting and it denigrates the sacrifices our servicemen and women make while they are over there in the sandbox away from their families. Remember, Rolle is making $37 million over 5 years while members of the military are being paid significantly less. Rolle can see his family any time he wants and drive over there in his Land Rover, Cadillac or whatever he drives, while members of our military are away from their families for very long periods of time, and every day they wake up, they risk a chance that they may never see them again. In New York, the sportswriters and fans aren't shooting at Rolle or booby trapping his path with IEDs, while our troops have to deal with those chances every day they are in the sandbox.

It's comments like these that make it not surprising that athletes aren't respected as they were a few years ago. It's difficult to pin an exact date on this waining level of respect, but a great solution to stop the booing would be to shut up and play to their potential. And Rolle as a Giant has made some great plays, but he needs to be more consistent and earn his money. Rolle and the defense apparently did not do this in the two consecutive weeks they lost to the Cowboys and the Eagles. The controversy is not new to Rolle, as he previously flapped his mouth about the Giants' organization earlier this season. It is good to see that his teammates on the Giants defense did not join in agreement with his thoughts on fan booing.

If I know Tom Coughlin, Antrel Rolle will be in his office ASAP to discuss his mouth flapping and how it is detrimental to a team that needs a strong December performance. It is my hope that Coughlin fines him for his insensitive and egotistical remark and donates the fine to the Freedom Alliance or Wounded Warriors to remind him of the clear sacrifices members of our military make. In the end, I hope Antrel Rolle realizes that the job he does every Sunday is insignificant to what the American military does, and it's because of what the American military does that allows Antrel Rolle to play football on any given Sunday.

UPDATE 12/2/10: Rolle apologized, but I still think Coughlin should fine him, even though that will not be a likelihood now.