The Hope That the NFL Doesn't Turn into the "National Felony League"

I am a huge football fan, and it is by far my favorite sport. My favorite team in the league is the New Orleans Saints and I will always be both a fan of them and of football in general. However, the recent troubles of players in the NFL causes me to worry, as I'm sure it worries many other fans as well.

The recent off-the-field legal drama involves a former Saints player, Donte' Stallworth, who a few weeks ago ran over and accidentally killed a man with his vehicle. If I remember correctly, it was confirmed that he was driving with his blood-alcohol level well over the legal limit and unfortunately it resulted in the victim's death.

We all remember the Michael Vick saga and how a once heralded player's reputation was forever tarnished. Plaxico Burress, whose last minute TD catch against the Patriots helped the Giants to win the Super Bowl, was carrying a weapon illegally and shot himself accidentally. Once again, as we have seen especially with the Pacman Jones soap opera, NFL players should not be at places where they would need to carry a gun. It's ridiculous!

My main point here is that in the past several years, the legal issues of certain players in the league have dominated both inseason and offseason news. I understand that when people are put into positions of great wealth and fame, they are tempted to make bad choices and often run into legal trouble. However, it's just a shame about what some of these guys have gotten themselves into.

So my hope is that the NFL returns to just being the "National Football League" instead of the "National Felony League" and that somehow, someway, its players can learn from the mistakes of their peers and stay on the right path