Buccaneers: The Continued Double Standard for Jameis Winston
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston sees a double standard even with the slightest of slips.
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The Buccaneers have been very fortunate to have a quarterback like Jameis Winston. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, and has grown with every snap. His command of the offense has grown and he nearly led his team to the playoffs in 2016.
He has also behaved himself off of the field. The concerns that many had when Winston was drafted have been unfounded, as the Bucs quarterback has been an active member of the community, representing the team with gusto.
So it’s a wonder that if Winston has a small slip, there is this grave double standard thrown his way.
We all know the story about Winston at the elementary school. He made the statement asking the girls to sit down and the boys to act tough. It happened, although he shouldn’t be vilified for it, there was an outcry of disapproval. Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times wrote:
"At a time in this country when women are still fighting the battle to be equal to men, to be paid like men, to be respected like men, the last thing a little girl should ever be told is to be silent. At a time when little girls, including the ones at Melrose Elementary, are struggling with their identity and roles in this world, they should never get the message that they are to be quiet.By anyone, but especially by someone held up as a hero and a leader in the community."
This was clearly an overreaction, but he wasn’t the only one. The Good Men Project wrote an article about Winston and other “Men Who Silence Women”. Really? This was an isolated incident where he misspoke. Winston was trying to fire the boys up and that was all. But, it came out wrong, and the outrage was so severe that he had to apologize. He did it, and did it gracefully, but the overreaction by the media is worth noting.
Contrast that with the Ezekiel Elliott situation. You have all heard about it by now. He was already under investigation for domestic violence and has been for months. Now we have the St. Patrick’s Day incident. Here is a link to the video if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s abhorrent. Why would a kid with all of talent get caught on video doing something so stupid? Well, let’s be honest, this is something we wonder about often in today’s NFL.
The issue of whether or not Elliot will receive any disciplinary action remains to be seen. But where is the media outrage? Where is the demand for an apology? Yes, Stephen A. Smith called him out, but it has hardly been a majority. Some wonder about using Stephen A. Smith and “journalist” in the same sentence, so there is that.
The point is, Elliot exposes a woman’s breasts and there is no outrage. Winston has a poor choice of words and the cavalry is out to get him. It seems odd. Maybe Winston isn’t as big of a star as Elliott yet, though he will be. Maybe Elliott’s employer, “America’s Team”, is what gets him a free pass. Using Winston’s history is plain unfair. Elliott’s history is much more recent, as the domestic violence case is still ongoing.
Whatever the reason, it simply isn’t fair. The world comes after Winston and not Elliott. It’s plain wrong.