Hear the term “national treasure” and chances are you think of someone like Dolly Parton, Betty White, Simone Biles or Tom Hanks. They are comforting, widely admired, and have an undeniable history.
And then there's Jameis Winston.
To celebrate Winston getting the call as the New York Giants' starting cornerback last weekend, the NFL created a promotional video putting together some of his silliest quotes as he wandered around various NFL teams. Also, somewhat dubiously, the video was accompanied by a commentary. calling him a “national treasure”.
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There was nothing in the video that showed off Winston's insane talent or love for interceptions. It didn't remind us of Winston's historic 2019 season, in which he led NFL Player with 30 touchdowns and 30 picks in a season. And there was definitely no mention of the many problems in Winston's past that would automatically disqualify him from being a national treasure.
This is the same Winston who was accused of sexual assault while at Florida State (he was never charged with these charges, but he reach an out-of-court settlement in 2015). The same Winston who received the citation for stealing crab legs from a store at a Publix grocery store in 2014. The same Winston who allegedly groped the Uber driver (he was not charged with these charges, but reached an agreement with a woman in 2018. None of Winston's agreements contained an admission of liability.) The same Winston who told a group of elementary school students that boys should “stand up” and “be strong” and girls should be “quiet, polite and gentle” (he later apologized). And the same Winston who fiercely defended Deshaun Watson last year. Yes, this Deshaun Watsonwhen he was his backup with the Cleveland Browns. “I am grateful that I had the chance to serve Deshaun, but I am very upset by the reaction to the man who turned the world against him for the last four years as he put his body and life on the line every day for this city,” Winston said.
In case you need a reminder, the world was against Watson because he was accused of sexual assault. from dozens of women (Watson was never criminally charged for these allegations, but the NFL suspended him for 11 games of the 2022 season after its own investigation. He also out-of-court settlement reached with almost two dozen of his accusers, without admitting responsibility). The world was so against Watson that the Browns gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.
What makes Winston's praise around the league so jarring is that the NFL itself has punished him in the past. It put him off for three games on Uber charges after an investigation “concluded that Winston violated the personal conduct policy by touching a driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent, and that disciplinary action was necessary and appropriate.”
I'm not saying Winston shouldn't have a career in the NFL. But you'd think that any player suspended by the NFL for anything related to sexual misconduct would automatically be suspended due to off-field adulation from the league. It should be noted that the NFL is not the only organization portraying Winston as a lovable fool. The Athletic praised him this week:carefree personality“
Of course, Winston is an attractive, sometimes emotional character who can act convincingly. But a national treasure? Come on NFL, unless the people running your social media are 12 years old and have researched his history, they should know better.
The NFL has a history with this. Players like Tyreek Hill and Ben Roethlisberger have had amazing careers and been the subject of serious allegations off the field, and yet we've seen the NFL blow it out of proportion.
There's no denying that Winston is a fan favorite. While looking through the comments on a post about national treasures, I noticed that one of them represented the majority opinion. Jamis alone could get me to go to church again. I don't believe in God, but I do believe in Jameys.
Do we really need the Yameis Church? Before we create one, how about exploring Winston's personal growth? During last Sunday's Falcons-Dolphins game, broadcasters focused on Mike McDaniel's performance. the path to sobrietyand the support of fellow head coach Dan Quinn. It was a wonderful and enlightening few minutes.
Where is the evidence that Winston grew up? A year ago he was still keen to portray Watson as some kind of victim. Sometimes it seems that we are too enamored with a player's ability or charisma rather than the quality of his character.
Most fans don't want to think about whether their quarterback raped a woman. They want to know if he can help their fantasy team win. And most young people have no idea what some of their heroes are accused of. How would they?
Of course, the NFL's first priority is to advertise its product. This means you can share lots of exciting videos of plays and players. Want to collect some Jameis Winston promotional videos? Great. But please, please be careful before turning it into a national treasure.
