Another life for Pacman

It's almost time for another NFL season with all the preseason games finalizing this week and the final roster cuts being executed so they can get down to brass tacks. For the Dallas Cowboys, they actually activated one player to their roster for regular season activity today, thanks to the pardon of league commissioner Roger Goddell. Oh, that's right. Pacman Jones. The man responsible for a strip club shooting in Vegas during NBA All-Star weekend two years ago.

Owner Jerry Jones has put together a contending football club with only the biggest of knuckleheads in the league that have either smeared the good name of the NFL with gun violations, stripclub shootings or just plain running of the mouth. Terrell Owens, Tank Johnson, Mr. Jones... they all are high-caliber players who had burned every previous bridge they crossed before. Whether its the media circuit or being suspended for over a year, these guys have apparently squared up with the house and paid their dues. Do I think so? No. Should they be allowed to make millions of dollars again and face "possible future suspensions"? No. Should they even be allowed to have jerseys sold with their names on them for children to idolize and wear? Again, no.

I've always looked at every professional sport league as a privledge to participate in. It's something that was there before any player arrived and it'll be there after they leave . No one is bigger than the game. So, why do these guys all get a second chance at the opportunity to play, make the money and potentially screw up again? Because the league apparently can make more money and attention with these guys than some college grad walk-on who has never had a parking ticket in his life. And of course, because Jerry Jones is the godfather of gathering the poor, tired, huddled masses yearing to breath free... and the 'boys get more tv time than Ryan Seacrest once the season starts, the NFL is going to have hot topics and potential feel-good stories with these guys that is going to make the team, the owner and the commissioner look like a f*cking genius.

And in the end, even if any of these guys don't perform up to their superstar playing status, they're all winners because they didn't shoot anyone, badmouth the team or get caught with assault weapons in their SUV this season. The NFL fraternity doesn't have to keep things fair or justified. They just have to keep people glued to their televisions every sunday until late January.

Go Cowboys.