Now-former NFL player Vontae Davis decided, apparently, that he’d had enough of playing in the NFL and announced his retirement.
This is not big news — players leave the game all the time; some, like Davis, are lucky enough to get to do so voluntarily. The news is that Davis did so not just during the season, but at halftime of a game. He showered, put on his street clothes and left the venue while the game was still happening.
From the responses I saw, I’d guess Vontae was the first player ever to do this.
Many ex-player analysts were incredulous, some intimating that, had they been on Davis’ team, they’d seek a physical altercation with Vontae for leaving his teammates out to dry the way he did.
There are a couple sides to see in this one.
For Your Game
I understand the angry deserted teammates: Football is even more of a “team” sport than basketball, for the fact that players are more specifically limited in their duties. Most players play only half the game — offense or defense — and play only one position. Everyone is dependent on someone else to do their job so you can do yours. So when one player just bails out, during the game at that, there are reasons, of principle and of strategy, to be pissed.
#WorkOnYourGame