There’s that line from Rick and Morty people like, often invoked in situations just a bit different than the one I’m about to describe:
Your boos mean nothing, I’ve seen what makes you cheer.
The quote captures some of my feelings towards media members now getting floridly outraged at Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for the practice squad addition of a kicker who was accused of sexual misconduct at massage parlors between the years 2012-2016. Reid would mean very little to these people had he not employed players convicted of worse. Instead, “Big Red” brought in men who committed violent crimes, sometimes towards women, and won Super Bowls while drawing praise from the types who seek engagement by complaining today. When he lifts the trophy, this chattering class wants to bask in the glory, touting both coach and team. You were cheering then without regard to the criminals on roster. Now you want to boo?
If you praise the result, you’ve little standing to bitch about the process. Andy Reid is the NFL’s top paid coach at age 68. Had Reid signed players with cleaner records, he’d probably be watching these games on TV like the rest of us. This is just how Reid does things and we’re only talking about him because it worked. This is obvious, realists get it, so then why is there such a backlash right now over the practice squad addition of former Ravens elite kicker Justin Tucker? There’s a lot going on here.