Jeremiah Trotter Fallout: Whatever Happened to Loyalty?

For too many years, we've seen athletes take the game away from the fans and put the focus on themselves.

Now the selfishness baton has been passed to the owners.

The thing I love about pro sports, beyond the sheer athletic grace, is team chemistry—when  players  respect each other and want to play not just for themselves, but for their teammates and the fans. 

It was beautiful to see Tedy Bruschi come back from a life-threatening heart condition out of loyalty to his Patriots teammates—and it was beautiful to see the respect the franchise and its fans gave him in return. 

Which brings me to the City of Brotherly Love, where something other than loyalty has broken the hearts of Eagles fans.

Philadelphia prides itself on character and hard work. The city lost one of its  shinning  stars this week, when the Eagles cut ties with linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. 

How do you get rid of a guy who was the heart and soul of the team? Forget the alleged "lost step"—Trotter was the guy who provided the spark when the defense needed it. Speed and talent can get you through the first three quaters—but focus and determination win games in the fourth.

The Eagles, by any measure, are a worse team without Trotter's presence.

Bu that's the nature  of the game, I guess, even if it isn't fair. Jeremiah Trotter was cut because he might not be quite as fast as a guy seven or eight years young than him. His influence on his teammates, his contributions to the franchise—the Eagles overlooked all those when they let Jeremiah go.

And seriously—whatever happened to loyalty?