Yesterday I finished reading two books, "Pros and Cons: Criminals who Play in the NFL" by Jeff Benedict and Don Yaeger (who co-wrote Walter Payton's autobiography). Two of my favorite things: true crime and football! It was very fascinating to see how criminals are treated in the NFL. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for giving people second chances, but when it gets to ridiculous measures like it has, then the line has to be drawn somewhere. These guys are supposed to be role models, after all. Thankfully, Green Bay has not harbored any serious criminals.
I also read Gale Sayers' autobiography, "My Life and Times: Sayers". Like Payton, he was a great player for the Chicago Bears, and broke and set a lot of records in a few short years. Unlike Payton, however, his book came off as a lot of sour grapes. He mentions the fact that back when he played (1965-1971), players didn't make much money, not like they do now. He kept pointing out that he wasn't bitter, which just reminded me of Shakespeare's "methink he doth protest too much". It was still an interesting story of one player's experience in the NFL during that time, it's just unfortunate that he chose to dwell on so much negativity.
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