LIGHTS OUT:
The Shawne Merriman Hypocrisy

We are merely weeks away from the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl. The league's best (healthy) players at the best positions will play in Hawaii in the annual "All-Star" game. One player will be attending, but absolutely should not be: San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman. Shawne is a cheater, bottom line. Mr. Merriman likes to call himself "Lights Out," but we at XEKE.com have come up with a couple of new nicknames for the drug abusing linebacker from San Diego- Shawne "Needle Mark" Merriman and Shawne "Roid Rage" Merriman.

"Needle Mark" proved again that he is a classless cheat, who only cares about himself, and will stop at nothing, literally, to advance his NFL career.

We encourage you to write us at XEKE.com before the Pro Bowl game with your best nickname for Mr. Merriman.

"Needle Mark" has drawn some very honest, open, and opinionated remarks from true NFL Pro Bowlers, such as Dwight Freeney and Jason Taylor. Both players have spoken out against allowing cheaters such as "Roid Rage" Merriman to be considered for post season awards, such as the Defensive Player of the Year. "Needle Mark" decided that he would send the classy, future hall of fame defensive end from Miami a gift package that included “Lights Out” clothing and popcorn so that Taylor could watch him in the playoffs (since the Dolphins did not make the playoffs, but the Chargers did). "Needle Mark" proved again that he is a classless cheat, who only cares about himself, and will stop at nothing, literally, to advance his NFL career.

In light of the "Roid Rage" incident, it is clear that the NFL drug policy is weak and is in dire need of stricter punishments. First of all, XEKE.com suggests punishing the team for the acts of the individuals. See, the NFL has a salary cap. XEKE GUARANTEES that if the team was hit with a cap reduction for the failed test of a player, steroid abuse would cease to exist in the NFL.

In baseball, he would have been publicly and privately outed from the game.

Next, XEKE says that a four game suspension is simply not enough of a punishment. "Needle Mark" obviously did not learn his lesson, as he was able to play in the 2007 Playoffs, be considered for the Defensive Player of the Year, and play in Hawaii in the 2007 Pro Bowl. Four regular season games may not be enough, but four regular season games, as well as a ban from playoffs, the Pro Bowl, and any post season accolades would surely make a player think twice about abusing performance enhancing drugs.

Why does "Roid Rage" Merriman get a free pass? In baseball, he would have been publicly and privately outed from the game (see Sammy Sosa, Raphael Palmeiro, and Mark McGwire). McGwire and Sosa have been ostracized from the baseball community, and neither one of them ever tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. In the NFL, the media loves to attack T-O. T-O may be perceived as a poor teammate, but he is one of the top wide receivers in the game, and he does not cheat. Shawne "Needle Mark" Merriman tests positive for performance enhancing drugs, and the NFL cannot wait until his four game suspension is over with, so they can go back to crown him as the next great line backer. In Cleveland, Kamerion Wimbley set a team record for sacks in a season by a rookie. He did not get the national publicity that Shawne "Roid Rage" Merriman received. Could this be that Wimbley played the game by the rules, and was not hopped up on performance enhancing drugs? The NFL needs to clamp down on players who abuse and violate the league’s substance abuse rules, especially when it comes to performance enhancing drugs. It may be too late to make an example of Shawne "Needle Mark" Merriman, but it is not too late to right the ship, and strengthen substance abuse policy and punishment.