Chris Borland raised plenty of eyebrows this week in an interview with ESPN, noting he and other rookies were told to have a “fall guy” in their crews to take responsibility for any wrongdoings.
The man responsible for that comment is none other than Cris Carter, the Hall of Fame wide receiver and current ESPN employee.
Here is the link to the NFL.com video in which Carter and Warren Sapp address the crowd of rookies (starts around the 17:00 mark).
This is what Carter said:
“Just in case y’all gonna decide to not do the right thing, and y’all got a crew, you got to have a fall guy in your crew.”
At this point in the video, Sapp doubles over in laughter.
Carter then goes on to explain, using Teddy Bridgewater as a prop, how it’s essentially the duty of the guys in the crew to take on the role of “fall guy” because they’re getting all the benefit of the player’s money and fame.
He then tells all the impressionable rookies—who are there, mind you, to learn “life lessons” with Sapp and Carter—that he’s there to help them learn how to get around the rules.
“One of them fools got to know HE’S going to jail,” Carter says. “We’ll get him out.”
Sapp rolls again, repeating, “We’ll get him out,” while chuckling to himself.
It’s really a sick argument, perpetuating a sick double-standard that has permeated the NFL for decades.
Sapp has already been exposed for his sins, having recently been arrested for soliciting a prostitute. He was summarily fired from his job with NFL Network.
Based on Carter’s comments, one wonders what kind of mischief he’s been up to over the years that has gone unnoticed because he utilized the system he promoted to the rookies.
This story likely is just beginning, and the NFL has some serious explaining to do regarding the way it has allowed this kind of culture to continue thriving in this day and age.