You know what? It isn't a shame. There comes a point where you lose all sympathy for a professional athlete who continues to make horrible choices. When it comes to Justin Blackmon, that point for me has long since passed. His suspension today for the rest of 2013 should be that point for the Jacksonville Jaguars. They are already the laughingstock of the league and this just adds fuel to the fire. He's been a waste of talent since his days at Oklahoma State but the glimmers of promise he has shown has kept him employed this long. And you know what? That promise is going to keep him employed next year and beyond.
Don't read this the wrong way, I am not saying to dispose of people with substance abuse problems. There are weak-willed people in this world who have succumbed to addiction and need help. You can't let a person suffer when they are at their lowest. It is inhumane and unjust. I just don't see this as the case with Justin Blackmon. He has a problem. His "problem" is that he thinks he is above it all because he is really good at catching a football. The Jaguars have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their attempts at his rehabilitation because of that ability between the numbers. How many times can one person get busted for the same thing? It's mind boggling how arrogant he is. But do you know why someone that self-centered can stay that way? When the people who write his checks let him do so. The saying goes that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The real definition is a mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. I'd say both the colloquialism and the word of the law are both quite applicable to Blackmon's case.
Image Credit: Justin Blackmon (USA Today)