Young's strip club flub will cost him dearly -- in trust
"I pray to God that Roger Goodell doesn't come down hard on me." -- Vince Young
This is how low things have fallen for one of the most charismatic players in recent college football history: He's preemptively begging for mercy.
What you're about to read will be unique because few people feel sorry for Vince Young, but I do. I do because things will not end well for him.
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| Even if he only draws a small fine from the NFL, Vince Young might pay a heavy price for his latest misstep. (Getty Images) |
Not that I'm Stephen Hawking, I'm not even Stephen Baldwin. But I can figure out that when you're on super duper football probation and the Titans are wondering if you are truly serious about being a professional, a temporary ban on strip clubs might be a good idea.
The only T & A the Tennessee quarterback should be pursuing is film study of Tampa and Atlanta.
Study film, not breasts -- that should be Young's motto for the next few months.
Young was caught on video fighting in a strip club. The only thing dumber than fighting in a strip club is stripping in a fight club.
Is Young a bad guy? No, not even close. Young hasn't reached elite jerk status of toads like Pacman Jones and Ben "Pants on the Ground" Roethlisberger. One league source said that Young will likely avoid a suspension from Goodell because Young has no other criminal offense while accusations against Roethlisberger are stacked so high, he should change his name to John Dillinger.
Yet Young remains remarkably immature. He's a little boy in big boy shoulder pads. How the Titans still trust Young is amazing. Not certain if that says more about Young or the Titans.
They've put up with Young's weirdness, aloofness and at times, lack of work ethic. Now, they have to deal with this nonsense.
The Titans forgave Young when he openly discussed in an NFL.com article how he almost retired from football because it wasn't fun any longer. They overlooked his benching in a preseason game for violating a minor team rule. Let's not forget that strange episode with Young in 2008 where he disappeared for four hours and Fisher was so concerned about Young's well being he contacted Nashville police. This happened after Young was booed following the Titans' game against Jacksonville.
If you took the number of second chances the Titans have given Young and transformed them into a sponge, it could soak up the BP oil spill.
He's getting another one and my guess is Young will flub this chance as well.
This was a player that finished second in the Heisman voting to Reggie Bush which means Young is a Heisman Trophy winner. So much was expected of him and at times, he's been brilliant. Yet in others, he's acted like a toddler.
How much of a child do you have to be to get angry over some loser flashing an upside-down "Hook 'em Horns' sign? You're Vince Young. You're an NFL quarterback. You don't let fake tough guys drag you to their subterranean level. You certainly don't throw down over it.
Young has to realize in that situation he has more to lose than some taunting punk.
Young shouldn't be suspended over this by Goodell but the misdemeanor citation will cost Young dearly, far more than the potential $500 fine for a class C assault.
It'll cost the Titans their trust in him. Once again.
"I'm disappointed," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. "He's taken responsibility for it. I like to think he's learned a lesson. He had no business making the decision that he made and obviously he's got to deal with those consequences."
The Dallas Morning News reported that until Young's fight, the dance club hadn't experienced any other type of complaints or enforcement action since it was purchased in 2008. So Young made history at a strip club.
Not the kind Young thought he'd be making in the NFL.
