Aldon Smith in trouble .......AGAIN!!!!

     Aldon Smith was pulled over last Thursday while driving his car recklessly through the streets of San Francisco. The cop then had Smith complete a field sobriety test, which Smith failed miserably. Then to add to the situation the cop had the car searched and possession of marijuana was added to Smith's list of criminal offenses. As if this wasn't bad enough, the time of the traffic stop was at 7:00 a.m. on the morning of a 49ers practice. The time of the stop alone should've been enough to suspend Smith immediately, however not only did Aldon attend practice that day, but he STARTED the game on Sunday, This decision by the team not to suspend their star  defensive end created an extreme double standard with the media. Months before the 49ers suspended a player for half the season for marijuana possession the day the news broke, but he was only a second string linemen who most likely would never see the field. This brought big concerns from the league and the media. So what can Aldon Smith and the Niners do to begin saving face

     First Aldon has the biggest step, he must come out to the media and admit his mistakes and also admit that he may have a problem. This being his second offense is huge considering the league commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, never takes second time offenders lightly. However, if Smith does not come out, apologize and explain what he is doing to help the situation he will be hit with much bigger consequences from the league office; Goodell has been known to be harsher on those who do not give a sincere apology.
   
     Smith has already taken a step towards turning his reputation around by, reportedly, attending drug abuse counseling. This is a big step, whether its helping or not, because it shows he is attempting to better himself. If he continues on this path he may not only be able to return faster to the league, but also return with a better understanding of his action and how to carry himself and his stardom.

     The 49ers on the other hand really screwed up by not taking affirmative action the second they found out he was stopped at 7 a.m. on the morning of a practice. By allowing him to play, and creating the double standard that they did, the league will  feel the need to step in on any other violations in the Niners future. Also, the media has been badgering the 49ers front office with questions of fairness and equality among players.

     The front office did rectify the situation some what when they came out with a report of suspending Aldon Smith "indefinitely." Plus, the organization even forced Aldon's locker to be cleaned and his face plate removed. This show of harsh punishment, though late, was the only option the 49ers franchise had after the stupid mistake of allowing him to start Sunday's game. This is a step in the right direction for a team that badly need to save face, as far as punishment goes.

     After the league comes down on Aldon Smith with their final punishment for his infractions, we may not be seeing Mr. Smith for a long, long time. This gives Aldon plenty of time to better himself and his reputation off the field.

Johnny Football and his Problems

Johnny Manziel has had his fair share of problems this summer, many of which have hurt his image with the media and fans. Whether it be his late night escapades drinking beer and eating skittles, or his autograph scandal, which yielded him a half game suspension in the first game of the year.  This suspension was Manziel’s only punishment because he really hasn’t broken any rules according to the NCAA or at least that they can prove. However, I do use the term punishment lightly, because a half game suspension in the first game of a major college football team’s schedule is equitable to getting a warning from a speeding violation.

So, how can Manziel improve this bad boy image with the media and fans? Well he has already improved his reputation the best way possible in a sports controversial situation, winning. By crushing the first two teams on the schedule, and putting up gaudy stats in the process, Manziel has shifted the focus of the general public from his off the field behavior to his on the field brilliance. Any player will improve his or her image if they produce on the field of play. Also, the biggest game of week three and possibly of the year put him in great position to improve the public opinion of him.

 Texas A&M played unbeaten and defending champion Alabama. Johnny Manziel used this game to the best he could in two ways. The first is the obvious on the field play, which exemplified all of Johnny’s great talent. However this was not the only thing that gave him points with the media. His off the field leaderships on the bench during the fourth quarter when A&M was mounting there comeback was impeccable. Most of the time when the camera flashed to the sidelines Johnny was either pumping up his offense or congratulating the defense on their tough play. This show of leadership was even mentioned by the commentators calling the game. It is shows of maturity like this that will propel Manziel back into the public’s good graces.

Introductory Post

Every sports fan of any kind knows that collegiate and professional sports is a hot bed for controversy. This blog will break down those controversy asses the public relations side of those controversies. Every sport has its problem children and this blog will give those players options for improving their reputation in the public eye. Next week's post will be breaking down the ever popular "Johnny Football" saga and how he could better his standing publicly.