THE GRAY BETWEEN SILVER AND BLACK

Former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jamarcus Russell is the subject of blog chatter these days because of his release from the abysmal Oakland Raiders organization. Abject football aside, Russell is being and has been chided for being an utter disappointment since his selection three years ago after a star-studded career at Louisiana State University. They call it bust when you’re expected to do great but don’t. And it’s funny because the term “bust” has no conditions. If you’re supposed to be great and you’re not, you are a bust. So if you’re like Russell and you can’t control your weight, you’re a bust. If you’re Matt Leinart who played behind future hall-of-famer Kurt Warner, it doesn’t matter, you’re still the subject of Bust talk.

But what happens when a $36 million man gets cut from a team? Russell has three years professional football experience. What else goes on his resume? I didn’t have much to put on mine when I was 24 years old. If the rumors about Russell’s laziness are true, how will he ever gainfully and meaningfully fulfill the time in his life that remains? Talk about a fall from grace. I reckon the only thing worse then not making it to the professional level of sports is making it and being stripped of the accomplishment because you couldn’t deliver even a little bit on the promise to give your best in a quagmire called Raider Nation.

The media doesn’t feel sorry for Jamarcus Russell which makes sense given the fact that pity is of little use to a grown man who can throw a football 60 yards while on his knees. But something about a man failing at his dream job is sickening no matter whose fault it is.  I never said I wanted to play in the NBA for 3 years and then go back to a regular job. I used to say, “I want to play in the NBA…” with the transitive verb PLAY having the sense of unceasing activity. It was everything and the only thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine having such a dream realized and extinguished so abruptly. There will be emotional, mental, spiritual and physical implications for Jamarcus Russell. If ever there was a fight worth his attention, it’s this one. If no team is willing to take a chance on him, he ain’t seen a gridiron gala like the one he’s about to attend. For the record, I’m rooting for the dude. He’s obviously a great talent and maybe he’s an epiphany away from maximizing it. Shouldn’t we want him to wake up and redeem his draft status? I love stories of repentance. Stay tuned if you’re into case studies on how athletes deal with failure.