Time To Pac It Up

Hey, Pacman, you got your chances. Probably about 20 of them. But now it’s all over. Pack it up, and pack it in. You’re done.

If I were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, I’d call Mr. Jones to my office and say to him, “Adam, good night, and good luck, and get the heck out of my office and out of my league.”

This time, the oft-troubled Titans cornerback has gone too far. Way too far.

Earlier in the week, he was sought in conjunction with a shooting that had occurred. The details were shady, but apparently his entourage fired shots at another group, but he wasn’t there – or he was there, but not then, and then he reappeared. Basically, a little more than a wrong place, wrong time situation.

But now the highly-talented yet incredibly-stubborn defender finds himself facing not one but two felony charges. We’re not talking misdemeanors or parking tickets – we’re talking full-blown felonies. He hadn’t been charged in any of the dozen or so incidents his name was associated with, and quite frankly, that’s all that kept Goodell from telling Jones to get out.

Now, Sergea- er, uh, Commissioner Goodell, has all the ammunition he needs to deliver the final blow.

Part of me feels really bad for the kid. He has all the talent in the world, and it could earn him a lot of money and fame over the next decade or so. This past season, he had four interceptions and three scores on punt returns, four for his career. That’s a lot of talent, and a lot of potential.

But part of me doesn’t feel bad. He had so many chances to get out of that crowd. He had so many chances to clean up his act. And when he took out a full-page ad in a local newspaper, I actually believed him. It’s because I wanted to believe him.

I wanted to give him another chance, even though he had had so many. But not anymore.

Now, it’s time for him to face the fact that he has completely messed up, that he’s crossed the line for the final time. If I were Roger Goodell, as Pacman starts walking out the door, I’d stop him and say “Adam, watch out, because sooner or later, if you continue down this path, you’ll lose something far more important than your football career. Think about that.”

Take care, Pacman Jones, and please, be safe.