Shawn Bellesine
Andy Jones
English 102
28 September 2014
Our mouths are closed:Locker room camaraderie in sports today

In his article,”Locker Room Cultivates a Reluctance to Criticize” published in the September issue of the New York Times, author Ben Shpigel discusses the growing trend of deviant behavior amongst professional football players: the alarming increase of anomie among their teammates in the locker room. Shpigel agrees and argues with other columnists and authors, that the reason behind most of this deviant behavior stems from a fast and rapid change in wealth, the stress and burden that it brings with it, when dealing with fortune and fame. The two most recent cases of player misconduct have caused an outbreak of cries from players and fans, when running back Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens was caught on an elevator camera knocking his fiance out cold and running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings charged with child abuse for beating his son with a switch. The sports industry has been under extreme scrutiny for years now: with its rules of engagment towards the misconduct of players, but none more than ever with what we are seeing in the news and media today with the N.F.L. Ben Shpigel a sports journalist for the New York Times, has covered the New York Jets since 2011, the Yankees since 2010 and the Mets since 2005. Shpigel was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 23, 1980. Shpigel has since received a bachelors degree for English and Journalism at Emory University and a Masters degree for Journalism at Columbia University. Shpigel was also the first student to receive the Dave Marr Scholarship by Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. Shpigel begins his article by pointing out how this trend started in sports: when cyclists started banning together to protect not only themselves from the doping rumors spreading through the media like a fire storm. Then he stated how professional baseball players hardly complained in a public manner about their fellow teammates in the locker room. In his article Shpigel also comments on “Boys Gone Wild: Fame, Fortune, and Deviance Among Professional Football Players” a book by author Dr. Eric M. Carter, a professor of Sociology at Georgetown college. Shpigel says in his article that Carter states “ players act out in deviance because they have a lot to loose, or they at least they think that they do”. (Carter) Shpigel says that in his book that Carter, interviewed at least 104 professional athletes during his research for his book. In his book Carter, writes that he was surprised with the mixed emotions that he got from players in the locker room amongst their peers and other athletes in the locker room. He was startled to see how many players would rarely throw their fellow teammates into the media storm, while others are not shy to frown upon the players that are committing the misconduct. Shpigel says in his article also that with the latest actions by both Rice and Peterson” while some athletes shun upon domestic violence some players are still defending them to the public”.(Shpigel) In Carters book Antonio Pierce a former N.F.L linebacker quotes, “most guys in the locker room will not be quick when criticizing another teammates until they know the whole story”.(Pierce) Another player Chris Therien said that locker room morals and standards are like a penitentiary when a guy has a bar fight its looked at as horseplay: when it involves assaulting woman or abusing children you will not get the same support in the locker room. Jeff Lageman a former professional football player now turned on air sports analyst said the most intriguing quote of the essay “ what makes the situation hard to handle is if the player involved in the misconduct is a valuable member of the team that might make the decision to criticize or not. Respect is what matters the most in the locker room that's what players want is trust” In the beginning of his article Shpigel points out a growing number of problems in locker rooms around the leagues in today's sports: none more prevalent than in the N.F.L with domestic violence and performance enhancing drugs. Shpigel also points out how the public and media have made such a sight of the the current violations amongst N.F.L players . Everyone, but the N.F.L it seems. The article also clearly points out the lack of camaraderie among players in the locker room rather than being a strong bond as you would think.
My argument on the subject is yes, when professional athletes are given a lot of money or fame bad things may come of the situation. But, someone has to draw the line somewhere. When players such as Rice or Peterson commit such violent acts they should be made examples of. Player misconduct has been going on for to long and at what point is enough, enough. Not only does the N.F.L need to make examples of them so do there team owners and couches. We all know that if it were us just some regular Joe off the street our face would be posted all over the television and local news as a violent and dangerous person. Yet, when there is fame and fortune behind it people seem to stick up for people or turn the other cheek. Does someone have to die for any of this to make sense? It seems to me that is what it has come down to and if something major is not done soon than the sports world before the talking stops. The article is well laid out and easy to read and provides some reliable sources of information. The author seems to stay on topic without wondering or confusing the reader from the beginning of the article to the end. Shpigel uses quotes and phrases from other known authors and other professional athletes to back his research and sources. Although, I do believe that whats said in this article is true, it is hard for me to feel how Shpigel feels on the subject. The author has sources that seem to back up his article but fails to right about enough arguments that he on the subject. He never states whether he agrees or disagrees with what Carter or other athletes are saying. Shpigel, would have my attention more if would he would state more opinions and arguments on the subject rather than use to much of other peoples material although they are reliable sources.

Work cited http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/sports/football/in-nfl-and-other-sports-players-have-a-muted-reaction-to-teammates-wrongdoing.html?action=click&contentCollection=Pro%20Football&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article
Carter, Eric M.. Boys gone wild: fame, fortune, and deviance among professional football players. Lanham: University Press of America, 2009. Print.