Wake up, Adam Jones.
Or are you back to "Pacman" now after your most recent debacle?
Really? Fighting your bodyguard? Your latest fiasco will cost you a huge sum of money and time on the field. Save your apologies for someone else, Adam.
You have been given several opportunities, but you still manage to channel your old self whenever there is a hint of trouble. In any other walk of life, you would be unemployed after the first mistake you made.
Because you're in the NFL, you have been afforded several chances, but perhaps your time is finally up.
Why must you embarrass your teammates, humiliate the coaching staff and worst of all, humiliate the man who risked his reputation by giving you a contract, Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones?
You're playing for the Cowboys, one of the most storied franchises in the league. They are not the Cincinnati "Bungles." You don't deserve to wear any jersey in the NFL, let alone one attached to so many Super Bowl titles.
What is it going to take for you to finally grow up?
With all the criminal charges and foul play under your belt, it's a wonder you aren't already dead.
Do I need to list the countless talented young athletes who have gotten themselves into trouble and ended their careers with a leg amputated or zipped up in a body bag?
You are a talented young player who would be a welcome addition to any roster if we're talking strictly about ability, but you are not a game changer. You are not worth the trouble your personality factors into the equation.
You cannot get mad at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He's the closest thing you have to someone looking out for your best interests.
If Jerry Jones had his way, you'd be suiting up on Sunday no matter what you had done. He doesn't give a damn about you. All he cares about is the bottom line. In the NFL, that's winning Lombardi Trophies.
You have to understand that as an NFL player, you are held to a higher standard than a chump like me. The verbiage gets repeated each time someone in the NFL makes an off-field mistake. Don't put yourself in the situation to begin with. If you can't handle your alcohol, don't have a drink.
Is this too much to ask of a professional football player given the type of paycheck you take home each week?
I don't have some quick remedy to fix your career, Adam. There is no over-the-counter solution that will magically keep you from turning into "Pacman."
I'm tired of people asking how willing you are to make football your first priority and to let nothing else stand in the way of that. You don't have to answer that question anymore - your latest stunt has spoken for you.
Your legacy?
You will be briefly remembered as nothing more than the poster boy for what to avoid on draft day. You will be quickly forgotten as a bundle of talent negated by the fact that you couldn't avoid off-the-field temptations that have claimed the careers of promising NFL players like Lawrence Phillips and Michael Vick.
It's only a matter of time before Goodell rips up your contract into a million little pieces.
Don't forget to make it rain, Roger.
Daniel Seco is a journalism graduate student. His column appears on Thursdays.
