The Jason Pierre-Paul scam

Idle thoughts: It was big news that Johnny Manzeil finally threw a, gasp, pass in a preseason game? Shut up. Who cares? He's a back up QB on a bad Cleveland Browns team that is going nowhere this year, except for the basement of the AFC Central. And isn't this the same team whose GM got suspended for 4 games for sending texts to the sidelines? How stupid was that in this day and age, when all such communications are monitored? Lebron may be back, but a lot of idiocy is still very much alive and well in the city of shitty, or the flake by the lake -- take your pick. Still think it would be pretty cool if Tampa Bay Ray player James Loney changed his first name to Buh. It would dovetail nicely with their playoff chances -- and their ballpark, for that matter.

And then there's the mysterious, or maybe not, case of Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP was a ferocious defensive lineman for the NY Giants, routinely leading them in sacks, tackles for losses, and very strange on-field antics after making a good play. Frere PeePee could be an absolute beast at times, though maybe not wrapped too tight.

But as we know, Pierre Paul experienced a minor inconvenience during the last off-season. Seems he was playing with fireworks and somehow managed to maim his right index finger. Most of us know to throw the firecracker before the fuse gets short, but perhaps this concept was lost on JPP. In any case, it went bang and his own doctors tried to save the finger, but could not. It was amputated. Ouch. Can JPP now only count to nine?

So OK, stuff happens. But Pierre-Paul's behavior since that incident has been quite baffling. He wouldn't allow the Giants and their team doctors to examine him. Did the team have an absolute right to do so? Maybe not, but it's usually a good idea for an employee to keep his employer up to date on his medical condition -- especially when said employee stands to keep making millions of dollars.

But not Jason. He kept the Giants in the dark all through summer camp and the preseason games. Further, he has yet to sign the $14.8 million contract tender the Giants placed on him. That WAS a team right contractually. Put another way, if JPP doesn't sign the deal with the Giants, he doesn't play for anybody this year. If he doesn't know that, his agent surely does. And let's face it. Almost 15 million bucks isn't exactly chump change.

So now with the regular season about to begin, Jason has finally decided to report. No doubt, the team doctors and coaching staff are eager to find out just how much the loss of his index finger might affect his production. If he was a concert piano player or a sign language teacher, this might well be a catastrophe, but being a defensive end -- who knows?

Yet here's the real deal. JPP has long been healed up. His hand is what it is. Of course he has to sign the $14.8 M contract. He has no choice. But in prolonging it until the dawn of the regular season, Paul was able to skip out on all the drills, workouts and practices that come with the training camp and preseason regimen for any other player.

He just wants to show up at the last second, jump into the starting line-up when the REAL season starts, and start collecting his hefty game checks.

This is wrong. If the Giants had any cajones, this is what they would tell dear JPP.

OK, if our doctors even clear you, you're back on the team, but you're not starting just yet. You have to prove to US you're still in shape after your disappearing act. You're going to run, run, and run some more. When you're not doing gassers, you'll be in the weight room pumping iron. After that, welcome back to the tackling dummies. Hundred of reps. Let's see what you've got. Yeah, we'll feed and pay you along the way, and maybe, just maybe, if everything works out, you could be back in the starting line-up in Week 3 or 4. But for now, you have some serious work to do and a whole lot to prove. It didn't have to be this way, but it was of your making, not ours. If that's not good enough, then fine. Sit on the bench until we find a way to trade you. How does Cleveland sound?