Pacman - Should We Even Be Surprised?

Dallas Cowboys’ CB, Adam (Pacman) Jones, found himself in new controversy this Thursday after an alleged altercation took place at a swank hotel in Dallas the evening before. At some point, Pacman got into an argument with his bodyguard and it led to blows being thrown. Cops were called, and the story became headline news, rather than just news among those who witnessed the incident.

Should we even be surprised? Nope. This is the same guy, who after being summoned to the Commissioner’s office in NY after the strip club shooting incident in early ‘07, decided to stop into another one the night before the meeting, the same meeting where he found out he’d be suspended for the season. When asked why he chose to go to a strip club, he said that he got hungry. An interesting response considering he was in Manhattan, a place that must have over 25,000 places to eat alone.

After his year long suspension in 2007, for the latest of his numerous run-ins with the law over his 1st two seasons, the Titans decided to part ways. The NFL is extremely tough on players who commit offenses, and with the new rules in place, teams can now be held liable for its players’ actions, so most wise teams would choose to steer clear of a player like Pacman Jones. But not the Dallas Rehab Center, otherwise known as the Cowboys; they welcome everyone to Valley Ranch. In the past few years, they’ve brought in other trouble makers such as Tank Johnson and TO (although Owens’ troubles are never for breaking the law), and they’ve developed an idea that they’re the proper rehab center for talented NFL misfits. I know Deion Sanders thinks that his years on this earth have certified him as a licensed psychologist, and I know he spent a good deal of time with Pacman this off-season, but sorry, telling Jones to advise people not to call him “Pacman” anymore won’t resolve the issues that lie beneath the surface.

If Pacman’s already getting into altercations, and with of all people, the man who’s been sent to make sure he doesn’t get in trouble, I’m afraid there’s nothing else that can be done. At one point, he was on the verge of becoming a star in this league, and perhaps I’m being a little harsh because he’s probably rusty after sitting out for an entire season, but he’s looked everything but a good NFL corner in his 1st five games back and I can’t see why the Cowboys would want to deal with this headache as it tries to remain focused in a division that won’t be as easy to win as they initially thought.

I think we all knew Pacman would find himself back in controversy - the old saying that a leopard can’t change its spots rings true here - but I don’t think we thought he’d find his name associated with trouble so soon into his reinstatement year. This shows me just how foolish this guy really is and if the Cowboys keep him, how foolish they are. Although the 4th rounder he cost them will sting a bit, it’s far less painful than what they’ll feel by keeping him around, and dealing with this issue, and the others that are waiting just around the corner. NFL teams are here to win football games, not rehabilitate players who have the ability to fracture a team, and if Dallas forgets where its allegiance lies, Wade Phillips will be looking for a new job in 2009, Romo will be 0-3 in the playoffs and Jerry Jones will be forced to put a sly smile on his face when he asks Cowboys’ fans to dole out thousands of extra dollars to pay the increases for their new seats in the 1.3 billion dollar stadium they’re opening up in ‘09.