Stop shaming NFL players for missing 'voluntary' OTAs

Voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) have commenced in the NFL. I include “voluntary” because the word seems to have lost its meaning with many football fans, as well with some in the media.

You can’t go a day this time of year without reading a story about a star player skipping OTAs, followed by a sort of shaming from various corners of the football world. So far, Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), Le’Veon Bell (Jets) and Antonio Brown (Raiders) have received the treatment.

Talk to any beat writer, though, and they’ll tell you that “football in shorts” isn’t an activity from which teams draw significant conclusions — or any conclusions. The fact OTAs are voluntary should alone answer any question regarding their importance. I say “should” because the years-long obsession with OTAs by militaristic NFL types like Tom Coughlin has infected fans everywhere. 

Absent players are referred to as “NO-SHOWS” in breathless headlines, or ripped in hot takes from the talk show crowd. The negativity is palpable.

Underperform when the season starts? It must be because you missed OTAs. Suffer a soft-tissue injury? Should have been at OTAs. The yearly outcry about voluntary workouts is a sobering reminder of how most fans typically support owners over labor.

It’s a neat trick, especially considering the fact that the owners of the Browns, Jets and Raiders have all done more damage to their respective franchises than any of the players mentioned above.

Where are the condemnations of Jimmy Haslam for his track record as Browns owner? Cleveland went 1-31 over a two-year stretch with Haslam running things, and his penchant for meddling looms over even the most optimistic Browns off-season in years. The talk show circuit can pillory Beckham ad infinitum, but the fact of the matter is that, since taking over as owner, Haslam has done more damage to the Browns than anyone.

Then there’s Christopher Johnson. He’s presiding over a royal mess in Florham Park, N.J., at the moment. Johnson fired general manager Mike Maccagnan after allowing him to sign Bell in free agency and  conduct the Jets’ draft.

Johnson and Adam Gase, currently inhabiting the role of head coach as well as interim general manager, have denied that there was any sort of “power struggle” between Gase and Maccagnan.  Gase reportedly was not on board with signing Bell, at least not for such a hefty financial commitment, and not enamored with the selection of Quinnen Williams as the Jets' top draft pick. A friend of Johnson may be helping with the search for a new full-time GM.  Sure seems Johnson is doing his best to turn the Jets into a circus.

Oakland’s Mark Davis soon will move one of the NFL’s most storied franchises to Las Vegas after failing to hold the city hostage for a new stadium. Although he has plenty of eccentricities, just like his father Al did, he has none of the substance underneath it all. Oh, and he also gave Jon Gruden $100 million to coach the Raiders (and apparently function as their general manager). Gruden hadn’t coached in a decade. If you think the once-proud silver and black is now a laughingstock, it’s probably because of Davis.

Fans have complained about all three owners. But the nature of the anger is different. It’s more sanitized. It’s frustration about how wealthy men choose to conduct their business.

When a player skips OTAs, it isn’t business, it’s personal. You can feel the righteous indignation, the comparisons to how such behavior would be handled at a “regular” job.

Perhaps fans fantasize about being owners more than they do players. Maybe they relate to an owner more, despite having more in common with guys on the field than the ones in the luxury box.

“They’re the owners, it’s their franchise, they can and should do what they want.”

“The players should show up and be there for their teammates.” (Even if they’re under no obligation to.)

A suggestion: If your team is hurting and you’re looking for a scapegoat, don’t point a finger at the guy skipping voluntary workouts. Point it at the owner. There is a good chance they are more deserving of your anger.