With YouTube and Twitter, athletes have the potential to get a lot more personal with fans. The increased interaction can be too much of a responsibility because there are some players who don’t think of the consequences before they send their message out for the entire world to hear.
For example, Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson recently received a one game suspension due to his comments on Twitter and off the record remarks overheard by reporters following a Kansas City loss to San Diego Chargers.
Johnson used his Twitter account to respond with a gay slur to one of his followers. Johnson has also posted comments calling the qualifications of head coach Todd Haley into question.
Twenty-four hours after Johnson’s remarks, reporters overheard him repeat the gay slur after he declined to talk to the media. The Kansas City Star claims that they have a voice recording of the alleged comment.
Johnson issued an apology on Tuesday, but he and his agent are planning on appealing the suspension. As of now, Johnson will only miss the team’s Nov. 8, 2009 game at Jacksonville.
This is not the first time Johnson has gotten himself into trouble. In 2008, Johnson got benched for three games by coach Herman Edwards and suspended for another by the NFL following two separate incidents of assault at nightclubs. Johnson eventually ended up pleading guilty to two counts of disturbing the peace for each incident.
Our Take
Johnson has not looked anything like the Pro Bowl back he was in 2005 and 2006. In 2008 and 2009, he has been much more of a liability than an asset and new head coach Todd Haley is in the process of completely reshaping this team.
Even though Johnson signed a five-year contract extension in 2007 with a guaranteed $19 million, do not expect Larry Johnson to be around long. He is a cancer inside the Chiefs’ locker room.
If Kansas City keeps him on the roster going in to next year, the only thing that will come from it is more controversy than touchdowns.
Todd Haley and general manager Scott Pioli know they are in rebuilding mode. If you look at the model given by the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins (two bad teams in 2007 turned into playoff teams in 2008), it shows that drastically changing the roster and culture of a team can lead to success.
As for the slur, what was Larry Johnson thinking? Every bit of this suspension is valid. Johnson needs to be taught that his job is to play football and get the ball in the end zone, not run his mouth.
It was only a matter of time before an NFL player was suspended voicing discriminatory remarks on Twitter, and I am not surprised that it happens to be Larry Johnson. Talk after you win, not lose.
