It's time to end the unfair scrutiny of Lions receiver Jameson Williams
Lions safety Kerby Joseph recently spoke to the media during OTAs not long ago. He was his usual boisterous self during this meeting. He continues to show the type of energy that's quickly making him a fan favorite around Detroit. The loudest thing he said that day didn't come out of his mouth. It came […]
Lions safety Kerby Joseph recently spoke to the media during OTAs not long ago. He was his usual boisterous self during this meeting. He continues to show the type of energy that's quickly making him a fan favorite around Detroit. The loudest thing he said that day didn't come out of his mouth. It came from his shirt.
"Free Jamo." I couldn't agree with this statement more. I'm not agreeing because I think he should be freed from his suspension following the NFL's investigation that found that he had been gambling on non NFL games while at an NFL facility.
Don't get me wrong, I think he should definitely be able to appeal his suspension. Especially after we've recently learned that players weren't exactly taught about this in the best possible way.
The thing I think Williams should really be freed from is the scrutiny that's both come along with this suspension and the scrutiny that was here long before it.
There's been a unfair level of scrutiny on Williams since day one with the Lions. Fans and some sports media didn't like the way that he initially responded to being drafted by the Lions. Some perceived that he was upset about being drafted by Detroit. They totally ignored every other moment from that night that showed Williams excited and having fun with fans.
The suspension is bad and in terms of image, it was the worst thing that could happen to Williams. Still, in an odd turn of events, the only thing that people seem to want to talk to Williams or the Lions about is what Williams does on social media.
Williams recently liked a tweet that had something to do with Lamar Jackson playing for the Lions. While most seem to understand that Williams is just a kid who's on social media and likes other football players, others acted as if he publicly lit Jared Goff on fire and then spray painted NWO on his car like he was Buff Bagwell or something.
Questions about this just won't seem to go away. Even on on Monday when the Lions were starting up mandatory mini camp and everyone's heads should be focused on getting a snapshot at what the team is going to look like for the first time, people were asking Jared Goff about Williams' social media stuff.
What are we doing here? I've brought up this comparison before, but I still feel it's apt. This is Eric Ebron all over again. People could not wait to find something wrong with the guy and once they did, they swarmed all over it immediately and just never let it go.
I fully understand that after a while, Ebron did himself no favors. He went back at everyone and it only drew more attention to it. In a way I can't blame him. It has to be difficult to have nearly an entire fanbase disliking you.
It just makes you wonder about how this could all affect Williams in the long run. The discussion surrounding him has been that he was unhappy he got drafted here, he's immature, he doesn't care, he dislikes his teammates and he never plays. There were even fans calling to trade the kid. This type of stuff can mess with your head and mess with your confidence.
People like to believe that athletes are these machines that feel no emotion or don't deal with any type of mental health issues and just spend all their time in a gym lifting weights and reading the playbook at the same time, but that's just not the truth.
This has all just got way too out of hand. It's time to just let it go and move on. The coaches don't care and the players don't either. Fans and media should be right along side them. There's no conspiracy here. It's nothing. Move on.
There will be plenty of time to do the only real scrutiny we should be doing of Williams. That's the scrutiny of his game. By all accounts, he looks like he's for real out there in the short little bit that we've seen him play on the field and during OTA's and mini camp. You have to hope this all goes away for good when he racks up his first game that features multiple receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.
It really should go away much sooner though.
Featured image via Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
