Dez Bryant Shouldn’t Have Picked Up the Tab: Why We Shouldn’t Celebrate Hazing

September 30, 2010   ·   Kelly Scaletta   ·   Jump to comments

The story seems innocent. The rookie doesn't carry the pads so he picks up a $55,000 tab. Ha ha ha! Very funny! That'll learn the rook! Maybe next time he won't think he's bigger than the team.
The problem with that portrayal of the story is that it is an endorsement of hazing, and hazing is not only dangerous, it's deadly. So deadly in fact that every year kids die in hazing incidents. Since 1970, there has been at least one death every year directly attributed to hazing. Not just one a year, but at least one each year. That tells me that it's not an isolated incident, it's systemic.
Hazing is a part of our culture, it's not just bound to sports. It's in colleges, high schools, the military, and variations of it are in many professions. Proponents state it's virtues: it helps build camaraderie, teaches the initiates, rookies, freshmen, and so on to respect those who have been there.
The arguments tend to the line that by suffering through tribulation together, the hazed...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL
Article is property of BleacherReport.com