NFL is preaching sportsmanship

NFL is preaching sportsmanship

• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-will-hear-from-nfl-about-sportsmanship/article_eb7fbf09-8c4d-556b-b384-e8c0a1a10eb3.html

When a group of NFL game officials visits Rams Park at the end of this week, they are expected to show the players — and members of the media in a separate session — a video outlining what’s expected of them this year in terms of sportsmanship and workplace conduct.

Members of NFL officiating crews annually make trips to league training camps to review rules changes and underscore points of

emphasis for the upcoming season. But in light of the bullying scandal in Miami as well as what’s seen as a general deterioration in sportsmanship during games, the get-together takes on greater importance.

Line judges Byron Boston and Darryl Lewis are scheduled to be part of the officiating delegation to visit Rams Park, along with field judge Gary Cavaletto and NFL advanced developmental official Doug Wilson.

They will meet with the media on Friday. It’s not clear when they will make their presentation to the players, but most likely it will be today or Friday.

Fisher said the Rams will go beyond the officials’ presentation in driving home the workplace conduct and sportsmanship issues with their players.

“It’s a confidential meeting, so I’m not going to really go into it, but we’re going to have a guest speaker or two,” Fisher said.

The topic was one of the main issues at the NFL owners meetings last March in Orlando, Fla., and Fisher was right in the middle of things as a member of the NFL’s competition committee.

“We’re about respecting everybody in the building, and everybody outside the building for that matter,” Fisher said.

Workplace conduct and sportsmanship covers a wide area of conduct, from rookie hazing, to bullying and trash-talking on the field. The players are also expected to be informed that there will be zero tolerance for racial slurs, or remarks about sexual orientation — the latter taking on new meaning given defensive end Michael Sam’s quest to become the first openly gay player to make an NFL team.

The Rams do their share of trash-talking on the field; that can’t be disputed, although there have been no indications that it is over the top. But excessive trash-talking could lead to more unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during games, and possibly to further disciplinary action.

In terms of bullying or rookie hazing, that has not been a problem at Rams Park, particularly since Fisher took over in 2012.

“Yeah, we have a philosophy about that,” Fisher said. “The rookies are here to help us win, and if you treat a rookie like a rookie he’s gonna inevitably do something stupid — you know? — and act like a rookie. They’re part of the team and they’re treated with respect.”

The Rams don’t engage in the longstanding NFL tradition of having rookies sing in front of the entire team. Once in a while, you might see a rookie carrying a veteran’s helmet after practice. Or a rookie may have to buy candy or snacks for veterans in his position group. But that’s about it.

Given what appears to be a healthy situation at Rams Park, do the players even need to be reminded of all this?

“Better safe than sorry,” said Chris Long, the most tenured Ram in terms of time spent with the club. (He’s entering his seventh season in St. Louis.)

“But at the same time I think we’re a room full of professionals,” Long continued. “The NFL is a huge melting pot of people from different walks of life, family backgrounds, socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities. All that stuff.

“So people are used to playing with people who are not the same as them in any way.

“So it’s pretty easy for the guys. But I think Coach Fisher and the NFL do a good job of just trying to over-emphasize it.”

Linebacker James Laurinaitis said he’s sure some players will complain about having to sit through another meeting.

“But I don’t think it ever hurts to just talk about general respect for other people and other players,” Laurinaitis said. “And I think it’s a prevalent topic. Not only with the stuff that happened last year with everything down in Miami.

“But obviously with having Michael (Sam) in the locker room, there’s a need to talk about just general respect for people. … There’s not a problem in our locker room. However, it doesn’t hurt to go around and remind people about it. And just be sensitive to it. Everyone deserves to be treated as a human being and with respect.”

When it comes to rookies, Fisher emphasizes that they are here to help the team win. Not to be hazed or bullied.

“Coach Fisher does a good job of like letting everybody know when the rookies come in here, we want them to play as vets,” defensive end William Hayes said. “We’re gonna treat you as a grown man. If you’re here to help me win, I’m not gonna belittle you and make you feel like trash.”

That doesn’t mean a rookie won’t catch some grief from the veterans if he’s not working hard.

“The ice is thinner in that regard,” Long said. “We’re not gonna put up with a rookie not working hard. And we’re not gonna put up with a rookie not pulling his weight. But we have good rookies.”

TODAY’S PRACTICE CLOSED

Tonight’s 5:30 p.m. practice at Rams Park is closed to the general public because of a sponsors’ function.