Pacman Jones: game over

I have an understanding about addiction through life experience. I have oh to much understanding about messing up your life, I got that through life experience too.


Now I don't know for a fact that Adam Jones is an addict. No one can or should say that about anyone until the individual is ready to admit that for themselves.


Because of that I try not to judge guys like Adam "Pacman" Jones too harshly. There was a time I would have been very ticked off at how a guy with so much talent could just basically throw his career today.

I have read the response threads on internet sites that ran the story of how Mr Jones pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a Cincinnati bar.  That incident happened last July when Mr Jones was still on probation for his 2007 "make it rain money" incident. And in between there was one other disorderly conduct in a bar incident that I know of.

I have read and seen several response to other players who have basically thrown there careers away over other incidents. Most of the responses seem to be, "How could a guy throw a career away playing sports away like that.

For a while I wondered the same thing. How could these guys with talent I would give anything to have do such stupid things and throw it all away.

For those who may not know it I am a sports nut. Sports, particularly baseball, is one of the few things I have ever been passionate about. Just about the hardest thing for me to do was watch my friends play little league baseball while all I could do is stand by and watch.

So yes, I would give anything to have the ability to do what these guys can do; if even I was given the ability on a small scale. So there was a time when I was truly appalled when athletes would do stupid things like Pacman has done.

But as I look back over my life I can see that I was given my own kind of chances to have a different life than what I have.  After  high school I was able to get into college. If I had done things differently I could have gotten a degree and probably a good career. But I chose to party and do bad things.

In the early 90's I was given an opportunity to turn things around. And for a few years I did, I got married and when back to school. But I wasn't really ready; I had wildness to get out of my system. And the things I did in the late 90"s were worse than what I experienced after high school.

But Adam Jones seems to only see nothing but himself and his enjoyment. I understand that because I have been there.

I understand  being young and thinking you're Superman. And believe me even when your disabled you can think that nothing is going to change you and that you can party and do what you want with no consequences.

And I think Mr Jones is about to find out about the other side of things. I had a friend whose favorite saying was, "If you play, you pay." and that's one of the truest sayings I have heard.

Good luck to you Pacman. Because I think the game is over for you and real life is about to take over.