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Welcome
to our World by Steve Hokenson For many in the world of the NFL, Ricky Williams fell off the face of the earth when they saw the 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace. Ricky has now gone where they just can't understand. Williams was an all-star running back who spent his pro career avoiding as much public contact as possible, because he's afflicted by an anxiety disorder. He has been treated with "legitimate" medication...and he also smokes marijuana. Seems Ricky liked to play the game of football, but pretty everything else about the job was in contrast with his quest to be free. When it was going to become public that he failed his third drug test, and that he smokes weed -- and doesn't plan to stop -- that was something that would not be tolerated, in any way. You know -- the whole role model thing with which the NFL likes to portray itself. So Ricky had to quit -- football. If only he was physically abusive, or got involved in a gang-related drive-by, for these are circumstances the NFL can explain away, and still keep him around. But with smoking this particular substance, Ricky has just gone too far. This is not to condone or critcize Williams' chosen lifestyle, but in this case Ricky is heading into a realm Cultural Creatives are all too familiar with: where things you say can hardly be digested. Here's an exchange from the 60 Minutes interview: Wallace: "So you're still smoking marijuana? Anything worse than that?" Williams: "Worse. What do you mean by worse?" Wallace: "More addictive, more dangerous -- conceiveably." Williams: "Sometimes I have sweets." At this, Wallace had a double-take. Welcome to our world, Ricky. |
