EAGLEMANIACAL.com

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THEY put too much balsamic vinaigrette on my turkey hoagie, and I practically had to drain the damned thing before it overpowered the sandwich. Del Rossi’s uses a Sarcone’s roll, so you know I didn’t want the taste from that pushed down too far.

I was shaking my head and saying, “They’re against me and NFL RB’s this week”. Then a question hit me that made me put my hoagie down.

WHY ARE RB’S GETTING PUNISHED HARDER FOR THAN OTHER POSITIONS FOR SIMILAR INFRACTIONS?

For example:

San Francisco DE Ray McDonald is accused of hitting a pregnant woman. Criminal proceedings may follow. He’s still playing.

Carolina DE Greg Hardy was convicted of assaulting a woman. He continues to play as he appeals the conviction.

Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger settled with a woman who accused him of rape. He continues to play.

Now on the flip side:

Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson is deactivated due to an indictment of negligent injury.

Former Baltimore RB Ray Rice knocked his fiancé out in an elevator and she felt bad enough about it to marry him. No conviction or likely trial. Despite that, Rice has effectively been kicked out of the NFL.

There are more examples, but when you couple it with the NFL’s sudden and systematic devaluation of the position in general over these last few years, these examples make you wonder why the playing field is being stacked so steeply against RB’s. Especially after decades of it being the sports longest tenured high honor position. (Seriously. Before the forward pass, HB’s and FB’s were the key offensive positions.)

Former Steelers RB and certain HOFer Jerome Bettis links the devaluation to the new rules in the concussion savvy NFL. Whatever the case, the fact that RB’s seem to be the NFL’s punching bag right now is getting harder and harder to ignore or dismiss as circumstantial.

Eyes peeled.