34Views
Davante Adams pushes cameraman, Bobby Wagner tackles protestor
According to ESPN, Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams was charged with misdemeanor assault of a stadium employee following a tough loss.
After losing Monday night in Kansas City to the Chiefs, Adams shoved a photographer to the ground while leaving the field, an inexcusable act that cannot go unnoticed by the media.
Ryan Zebley, the freelancing cameraman working for ESPN during the contest – claimed to have suffered whiplash, headaches, and a minor concussion after Adams pushed him on his way to the locker room.
The 29-year-old wideout is set to appear in court on Nov. 10. If Adams is convicted, he is looking at up to six months of jail time or a fine that can be upwards of $1,000.
Adams apologizes
Adams, after the game, went on social media and immediately apologized for his actions. And immediately following the game, he addressed it to reporters saying, Adams told reporters after the loss saying,
“Before I answer anything else, I want to apologize to the guys and some guy running off the field. He ran and jumped in front of me, we are coming off the field, and I bumped into him and kind of pushed him, and he ended up on the ground. So, I want to say sorry to him for that. That was frustration mixed with him literally just running in front of me. I shouldn’t have responded that way, but that’s how I initially responded, so I want to apologize to him for that,”
Should we accept his apology?
Despite the apologies, Adams’ actions were completely uncalled for – as one of, if not the best, receiver in the league, he cannot allow other players to think this behavior is acceptable.
The damage cannot be undone; a tough loss likely to diminish the Raiders’ chances of making the playoffs does not mean players can take their frustrations out violently against innocent people.
Bobby Wagner’s incident
What Adams did is entirely different than Los Angeles Rams (2-3) middle linebacker Bobby Wagner’s tackle on a fan during his game versus the San Francisco 49ers (3-2).
Wagner laid out a protestor who ran onto the field during intermission; in Wagner’s defense – he tackled him out of safety concerns.
Wagner told reporters after the Monday night affair,
“We don’t know what that fan got or what they are doing. You see it all the time, and we don’t know what they’re carrying in their pockets… I think security is doing the best they can, and that was an opportunity for me to help,”
The media reacts
It is clear that Adams’ and Wagner’s intentions were different; the star receiver wrongfully acted with pure emotion without any remorse for the bystander. While the veteran linebacker was trying to diffuse the situation and ensure everyone was safe.
Thankfully, Adams’ actions are not going unrecognized in the media’s eye:
What should the NFL do?
The NFL needs to start producing more ways to keep staff safe – violence outside of the game itself should not be tolerated.
Players need to understand that Adams’ egregious acts are unacceptable and hold no place on live television or sports, for that matter.