The start of NFL training camp means a lot of things to a lot of people. I personally don't get caught up in anything that goes on except for the wonderful hazing rituals that rookies go through.
Every year we see the footage of a rookie being duct-taped to a goal post only to have freezing cold Gatorade poured on them. We watch the highlights, have a slight chuckle and move on. This year, however, rookie hazing has taken over entire segments on Sportscenter. It started with Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant refusing to carry Roy Williams shoulder pads. Ed Werner was treating the story in the same manner as if Tony Romo had just injured his knee for the year. Two weeks later, Tim Tebow got his head shaved to look like Friar Tuck. The entire sports world felt uneasy about what happened to God's messenger and all of a sudden we are all rethinking the idea of rookie hazing.
I am hear to say that people need to chill out. I am in no way condoning hazing within our high schools or colleges, but we are talking about professional athletes who are getting a shit ton of money to play sports. Hazing at the professional level consists of serving food for veterans, carrying the veterans' pads, dressing up in embarrassing outfits and singing for the veterans, getting terrible haircuts and having cold Gatorade thrown on you. These are all harmless acts and are meant to instill the idea of team into the rookies. I'm not a Tim Tebow fan, but I have to say that if I'm his teammate, I have suddenly gained a lot of respect for him after he went along with the Friar Tuck haircut. We are talking about a guy who is going to be endorsement gold and who will need to continue looking pretty. Yet he allowed his teammates to give him an embarrassing look because he is willing to do whatever it takes to be part of the team. That right there is the key to it all - you do what your teammates say because you are part of a team.
Of course the problem with this all is that high school and college kids read about this and start to believe that hazing is ok. Because they often can't control their emotions, hazing rituals go from wacky haircuts to cleaning up poop to drinking excessive alcohol to demeaning sexual acts to criminal acts. I still remember the stories of what my high school's football team had to do and it still repulses me to this day. Yes, professional athletes played a role in this, but policing of demeaning hazing is the responsibility of coaches, administrators, teachers and of course, parents. Kids need to realize the importance of being part of a team. They need to realize that to be part of a team you often need to sacrifice. But they also need to realize that no other person should be allowed to take their dignity.
Don't get rid of rookie hazing in professional sports. Giving the veterans respect (in an era where #1 draft picks become the highest paid players on the team before ever playing a down) and showing everyone that you are willing to sacrifice for the good of the team should be part of the game. Instead, let's come up with a new term to use when rookies carry shoulder pads, equipment or water coolers. Allow these acts to be praised, but make sure that the hazing rituals often seen with high school football teams or college fraternities are condemned.
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