On revient sur l’éditorial : Saints star Alvin Kamara would be out of a job if NFL wanted ‘Justice’

I wonder if Darnell Greene was able, as a matter of health and regional availability, to watch last Sunday’s Giants-Saints.

That’s when the NFL unveiled its latest public relations image social con job by dressing sideline personnel in shirts that first and foremost called for “Justice.” The shirts were designed to duplicate spray-painted graffiti as per the artistry of urban vandals.

As for “Justice,” that likely would have made Mr. Greene cackle, as he has first-person knowledge of Roger Goodell’s and the NFLPA’s concept of justice.

On Feb. 5, 2022, at approximately 6 a.m. in a Las Vegas nightclub — Vegas was the NFL’s trouble-inviting chosen site for the Pro Bowl — star Saints running back Alvin Kamara and party pals refused Greene entrance to the elevator they occupied.

According to court records, when Greene protested, Kamara and his companions began to beat the hell out of him, eventually stomping him unconscious and into a hospital with a bloodied and deeply cut head.

Kamara & Co. had nearly beaten and stomped this man to death.

Justice? Eventually, Kamara cut a deal with prosecutors to reduce his felonious assault charge to a misdemeanor plea of “breach of the peace,” pay a $500 fine and $105,000 to cover Greene’s medical costs.

And as if Kamara had been caught throwing spitballs, he signed a vaguely worded letter apologizing to Greene for “this unfortunate incident” and was suspended for a measly three games.

Greene also quietly settled a civil suit against Kamara. Justice in a checkbook.

That’s a tough thing to reconcile about the NFL. Criminal behavior that would doubtless lead to our permanent dismissal by our employers, if not our incarceration, is indulged as expected and treated as no big deal.

Thus last Sunday on NFL Justice Shirt Weekend, Kamara, in the Saints’ win, caught five passes and ran the ball 16 times as per his $75 million contract.

The Saints, like most NFL teams, have an abundance of misanthropic professionals — from CB Marshon Lattimore (misdemeanor gun charge) to star WRs Chris Olave (accused of reckless driving) and Michael Thomas (accused of assault). All arrived in the NFL after an all-expenses-paid trip to play college football, a national “academic” con that teaches fundamental knowledge and socialization strictly as no-credit electives.

So, in addition to the NFL’s shallow, hypocritical painted sidelines and end zones social message showboating, these latest NFL issue shirts reading, “Justice. Opportunity. Freedom. Equity” were part of the NFL’s “Inspire Change” campaign.

But what and who inspires change in the NFL?

Covering pals isn’t credible coverage

It’s all a con, continued: After sideline reporter Erin Andrews, then with ESPN, suffered the national news crime of being eye-balled in her hotel room by a Peeping Tom, both she and ESPN made sure to declare her “a serious broadcast journalist.”

While that crime remains indefensibly sickening, there has been almost no evidence that she is or ever was “a serious broadcast journalist.”

In the latest example, Andrews, now with Fox, was seen in the postgame background last Sunday exchanging a hug and a smooch on the cheek with Bills QB Josh Allen just before Fox sent it down to her to interview him.

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As if Colorado’s football hasn’t been malodorous enough under flim-flammer Deion Sanders, it has added former Miami Hurricane and NFL Buccaneer defensive lineman miscreant Warren Sapp to its coaching staff.

If one shouldn’t say anything about a person if they can’t say something nice, Sapp merits total silence.

Though a very effective player, Sapp was mostly known — and even celebrated by pandering media — as a vulgar instigator who would ignite fights — pregame and during — while being among the lowest name-callers known to civilization, to which he barely qualified for membership.

Of course, this made him attractive to TV, thus he was hired by the NFL Network, which soon regretted and apologized for Sapp’s predictably low comportment.

NFLN nearly dropped Sapp after he was charged with domestic assault, but the charges were dropped. He was finally dumped when he was arrested for assaulting two women while soliciting a prostitute, though the charges were later dismissed after he completed programs following guilty pleas.

Sapp, despite millions in earnings, would file for bankruptcy as he was in arrears to the IRS and his ex-wife for child support. Yet, he owned 240 pairs of Nike Air Jordans, a $2,250 watch and a $1,300 lion rug. In 2012, his 10,000 square-foot Florida home sold at auction for $3 million.

And Sanders, who now apparently runs Colorado, figures Sapp’s the right guy to mentor his recruits.

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The con job continues, as NBC over the weekend predictably ignored all other father-son teams to focus on Tiger Woods and son as they rallied late to finish fifth. Analyst Peter Jacobsen stated that Woods’ kid is very fortunate “to have a role model” the likes of “Tiger.”

Of course, Woods’ son may not choose to OD on opiates until he passes out on the side of the road, fall asleep at the wheel and land in a ditch, or regularly fly in a doctor from Canada to treat his ailments until that doctor was arrested and lost his license for distributing illegal and falsely labeled drugs.

It remains a televised impossibility to say that Woods was a great golfer — perhaps the greatest of all — then leave it at that. Thus, despite piles of evidence to the stark contrary, Woods remains, at least on TV, the finest human in the history of humanity.

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You’ve got stat backward

Joe Flacco, now with the Browns as part of the NFL’s desperate body shop used parts replacements for injured QBs — soon teams may draft two QBs with their earliest picks — Sunday threw a pass that bounced off the receiver’s chest then was intercepted and returned by the Bears for a touchdown.

Applying NFL and media-parroted stats, this qualified as a deduction to Flacco’s QB passer rating, completion percentage and total interceptions. The Bears, on the other hand, added to their offensive scoring totals and averages. Got it?

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Parlay bets remain the biggest winners for sports book operators, with profits regularly bordering on 20 percent of money bet and bets totaling 25 percent of total money bet, according to the N.J. Division of Gambling Enforcement. Small wonder why parlays are so aggressively pitched and big parlay hits — uncommon — are so eagerly promoted.

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The Cavaliers attempted 96 field goals Wednesday, 51 of them — 53 percent — 3-point tries. Skee-Ball, anyone?

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Perhaps from being teamed with Greg Olsen, Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt has caught Long-Form Foolish Fever. He, too, now describes QB scrambles or runs — one-word clear descriptions — as “extending the play by using his legs.”

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Adult-Coached N.J. High School Basketball Game of the Week: St. Mary 84, Wallington 4.

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Christmas Moose: Fox has assigned Daryl “Moose” Johnston to destroy Christmas Day’s Giants-Eagles. Bah, humbug!