Aaron Hernandez : Olde American Paradox

This is my first post in a long time, welcome back to the few that have read before and greetings to the new ones.

I want to refine the structure of the site along with the new layout, not only to be a better read but easier to update and maintain. More about this to come, for now to the post

I will get out the few archived drafts that may still be ‘timely.’

Aaron Hernandez : Old American Paradox*

I was going to rAnt on the apparent absurdity of American Football player Aaron Hernandez, a 23 yr old who just signed a 35 million dollar contract with the New England Patriots, finds himself facing murder charges.

Why do people seem so surprised when someone does something they gave them the ability to do, and cheer them when they simply do what the ‘should’ rightfully be doing?

Despite the title this is not present only in the USA or in sports or may have ended up as a his seemed like a rather 1049 Reasons to Hate America topic, as season #81.

Living in America and playing the sport until college (d2, small school, don’t look for me), was and remains a big part my life. After leaving the States I stopped watching games and broadcasts and began reading about the professional (NFL) and collegiate (NCAA) leagues which resulted in being informed on stats and facts than of the personalities and characters. I rather prefer it this way, and as a result other than Aaron being one of the best Tigh-Ends with a bright future and a former teammate of Tim Tebow  during some of their college years at the University of Florida,  I didn’t know much about him.

In order for the rants to make sense, I began to read more.

I began to see his history.

I began to think he may be guilty.

Then I read an article of fans cheering him at the courthouse.

Read comments from teammates supporting him, some against, some washing their hands.

Read about how the team let him go a week after his arrest and then reimbursed.

It was decided I began to collect some articles to use as links in the post and I began to to read the comments. I began to see what I expected, I began to think I may be guilty of ignorance.

Then I read this…

… and decided to read more.

I couldn’t have said it better myself so i did not.

Since then i’ve read a ‘psycho analysis’ about how cold his stare was while just stretching on a regular day, to the owner of his former team, The New England Patriots expressing that he team was duped. You were not sir. You knew the risk, and at the moment the rewards his athleticism offered, far outweighed any current or future risk.

I was wrong to have been thinking to say what was rightly pointed out, people say one thing and then say another and they completely believe it each time… somewhat unnerving.

Whether or not hernandez did what he stands accused for was not my main annoyance, as I was unable to imagine him doing that from the little I knew. My grievance was with the court of public opinion.

Could there be unknown factors leading to a 23yr old troubled millionaire shooting a friend? If he did do it, I safely assume this be his first time. Though Hernandez may be criminally-athletic, the current breakdown of how events occurred do not read like those of someone who was enough of an athlete at crime to have evaded the law for any length of time.

Unless being a superstar athlete can lead to law enforcement being more lenient, no priOr Justification for that.

One would have to assume that any leniency the law may have toward a lowly player would pale to the reverence they would have for the top of the ladder front office officials. Average NFL player is in a city for 3 years whilst your average teams have been there for 30. Average player salary 300,000ish whilst averageish league revenue 30billionish. You do the math. Teams likely know  what crimes have been committed before the player even knows he’s been caught.

Worship of celebrity entitles celebrity to do comparatively insane things, which should then highlight the insanity of their very glorification, when some worshipers continue to worship. Do we live by our words? No. More likely an intricate combination of words, deeds, thoughts. American culture is by no stretch the first and or only one to do this, but currently being they followed closely by Britain are pushing the boundaries on celebrity demagoguery. (Has the child, influenced by many Aunts Uncles and cousins overshadowed their parent or are they still walking in their footsteps?)

People are worshiped for their percieved exeptional abililites then we are surprised and or blinded when they are accused of doing exceptional things.

Does the paradox come down to this ?

Post Post

When I heard or read the name Arron Hernandez  my mind associated it with “New England Patriot.” I am sure many in their front office also thought of that and I must admit they have done a good job of distancing themselves.

Hernandez lately received a charge for attacking an inmate during his continued incarceration awaiting trial, the well laid ‘Aaron Hernandez : Criminal’ association-cement is slowly drying.

*For sake of moving on to new material, I edited the draft from July 2013,  threw a title on the illustration as it was and posted this post. The subject of the rAnt happened also play American football, thus the USA-centric title and subject mater but the material discussed in this and in other subsequent rants under the general theme of ‘Olde American Paradox’, could generate from Canada, Brazil or any of the numerous countries that call one of the two American continents home.

Possibly other continents until clever titles are created for them.

Another paradox : DJ Kahled saying DJ Kahled in all his songs is enough to make me not listen to them but DJ Kahled making beats that DJ Kahled makes, makes me want to listen to songs DJ Kahled makes.