ChevyVanMiller Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Great column in the Buffalo News this morning about the Army FB and the Armed Forces' new rule allowing pro athletes to resist deployment to the Middle East in return for serving as a recruiter. Just wondering: If it came down to Viti and another FB at the end of training camp could the Bills possibly cut the kid knowing that it was a one-way ticket to Iraq? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricojes Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Great column in the Buffalo News this morning about the Army FB and the Armed Forces' new rule allowing pro athletes to resist deployment to the Middle East in return for serving as a recruiter. Just wondering: If it came down to Viti and another FB at the end of training camp could the Bills possibly cut the kid knowing that it was a one-way ticket to Iraq? It was a very good article, I was wondering how that worked as not many athletes in the armed forces get to the NFL. To answer your question...if they knew it was indeed going to be a one-way ticket, they may have to seriously consider keeping him. But I'm sure the tax payers of this great nation would buy a return ticket to bring the soldier back home if necessary and the Bills could rest easy with their decision... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Just wondering: If it came down to Viti and another FB at the end of training camp could the Bills possibly cut the kid knowing that it was a one-way ticket to Iraq? Unlike all those other kids with one way tickets to Iraq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I think the larger question is that of special treatment. What the Army is saying is that Viti and any other Army athlete who is good enough to go pro doesn't have to face combat. As far as Viti's comment about "serving the Army in different ways" I don't think you face too many IED's at the recruiting office. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Great column in the Buffalo News this morning about the Army FB and the Armed Forces' new rule allowing pro athletes to resist deployment to the Middle East in return for serving as a recruiter. Just wondering: If it came down to Viti and another FB at the end of training camp could the Bills possibly cut the kid knowing that it was a one-way ticket to Iraq? This seems like a generally awkward situation. It seems more like he wants the chance to play professional football rather than get out of his service commitment. I do not think this guy is like "yay, now I don't have to go to Iraq." Otherwise, it would be hard for him to serve as a recruiter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Note that this is a guy who decided to go to West Point in 2004 when the army was well-engaged in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The chances of him knowing that both (1) he would be good enough to play professional football and (2) that the Army would develop this program are virtually nil. I really doubt that he is just looking for a way to avoid his service commitment based on these facts. He simply wants to play pro football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 He simply wants to play pro football. In the old days he would have honored his commitment like Roger Staubach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevyVanMiller Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 It was a very good article, I was wondering how that worked as not many athletes in the armed forces get to the NFL. To answer your question...if they knew it was indeed going to be a one-way ticket, they may have to seriously consider keeping him. But I'm sure the tax payers of this great nation would buy a return ticket to bring the soldier back home if necessary and the Bills could rest easy with their decision... You know what I meant. If you're the GM are you thinking, how will I feel if I cut this exemplary young man and he's killed in combat overseas? You know if that happened this board would be filled with posts about how he'd still be alive if he were on the roster. I know if I was the GM it would give me great pause for concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 You know what I meant. If you're the GM are you thinking, how will I feel if I cut this exemplary young man and he's killed in combat overseas? You know if that happened this board would be filled with posts about how he'd still be alive if he were on the roster. I know if I was the GM it would give me great pause for concern. I doubt he would like being kept on because of that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevyVanMiller Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 I doubt he would like being kept on because for that reason. I meant if everything else was equal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 some of you guys make me laugh! just cuz this guy enrolled at army doesn't mean he absolutely has to storm bunkers all day overseas -- if they guys go pro then he has every damn right to take them up on that if an nfl team will take him on. as far as the initial question starting this thread -- i think that's a good one. if i were the gm it would have absolutely zero impact on my decision. if i thought another player (who i can also get as an undrafted FA) out there was even a little bit better for my team i wouldn't hesistate to cut the army kid. fans buy tickets to see the best team possible, and that's the ethics a gm must follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cincinnati Kid Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I do not think that this guy, or any one who enrolls at the Armed Forces Academies wants to get out of their service. I think that most of the people who are saying the guy just wants to keep playing football are right. He just wants to knock some heads off. I am sure that he wants to serve the USA the best he can, and if the best way for him to serve the contry is play in the NFL with the Bills or another team and then recruit for West Point Football and be in the active reserves, then thats the best way for him to serve the contry. There are guys doing all sorts of jobs in the Army in Iraq that are not on the front lines being shot at all day. A buddy of mine is building runways in Iraq right now (well maybe not at the moment because its after sundown over there). There are lots of ways for a kid in the Army to serve the Army. If this guy's calling in the serve the Army in this fashion then by all means Mr. Viti, do it up! I don't think it has anything to do with not wanting to honor his contract like the guys of the old days (Staubach). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I do not think that this guy, or any one who enrolls at the Armed Forces Academies wants to get out of their service. I think that most of the people who are saying the guy just wants to keep playing football are right. He just wants to knock some heads off. I am sure that he wants to serve the USA the best he can, and if the best way for him to serve the contry is play in the NFL with the Bills or another team and then recruit for West Point Football and be in the active reserves, then thats the best way for him to serve the contry. There are guys doing all sorts of jobs in the Army in Iraq that are not on the front lines being shot at all day. A buddy of mine is building runways in Iraq right now (well maybe not at the moment because its after sundown over there). There are lots of ways for a kid in the Army to serve the Army. If this guy's calling in the serve the Army in this fashion then by all means Mr. Viti, do it up! I don't think it has anything to do with not wanting to honor his contract like the guys of the old days (Staubach). ANYONE WHO DOESN'T THROW THEMSELVES ON A GERNADE IS A DESERTER!!!!!111111111ONEONEONE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCinBuffalo Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 ANYONE WHO DOESN'T THROW THEMSELVES ON A GERNADE IS A DESERTER!!!!!111111111ONEONEONE This is asinine. Anyway, the fact is that anyone who has been there will tell you that the furthest thing from one's mind is finding a way to get out of doing one's duty. I honestly don't see how one can be in that environment and not come away with a deep sense of Duty, Honor, and Country. As such, the notion that somehow he is trying to "get out" of something or that he would be unhappy to join the rest of his classmates, basically the people he has eaten, slept, drank, pissed, dug holes, sweat, bled, and had to put up with through good and bad, is not even close to reality. The reason West Point people are so highly sought after in every profession is because they are carefully selected before they even get there, and a large part of that selection process has to do with weeding out the weak, and that continues right through graduation, especially those who would look at going to war with/being there for one's classmates as something to "get out of". Perhaps it's the Honor part that's hard to understand? Or is it the Duty? I don't think most people even care about the Country part anymore, so maybe that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 oc, that's quite a strong sense of irony you have there. are you a genius? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCinBuffalo Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 oc, that's quite a strong sense of irony you have there. are you a genius? I don't even know how to respond to that. Perhaps a trip to dictionary.com and a search on the word irony would help? The fact is I'm not really sure what you are trying to say. Edit: Hmm. Perhaps this will help--> you do understand that the Army has Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Psychologists, hell, they even need dirtbag software Project Managers once in a while, right? Where do you think most of them come from? That's right, West Point. More insight: many of those who graduate 3rd in their class(like Viti) get to choose one of the open slots available(just like a reverse draft, they have so many slots for each thing, i.e. 5 slots for going to Medical School, and picking starts with the top). So, if Viti wasn't playing football, he basically would have the third pick of the slots available. So, essentially he could do whatever he wanted, go to Iraq with the Airborne and serve his 5 years(or stay in and be a General someday), or go to Wharton and work in Ordinance/Supply for free, he would just have to pay in years of service(big bucks when he gets out), or go to Medical School and in that case he might as well stay in and get his 20. Does that make it clearer? This guy has a boatload of options available to him, and NFL football is merely one. In all cases, this notion that getting cut = one way ticket to Iraq is ridiculous, unless he chooses it, which, given his cadet rank, is actually the most likely. Edit: perhaps that's the irony you are referring to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I don't even know how to respond to that. Perhaps a trip to dictionary.com and a search on the word irony would help? THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START SMARY PANTS!! then you'll learn what the word means, then you might be able see that the line you quoted might not be meant to be taken literally!! isn't learning fun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beausox Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Note that this is a guy who decided to go to West Point in 2004 when the army was well-engaged in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The chances of him knowing that both (1) he would be good enough to play professional football and (2) that the Army would develop this program are virtually nil. I really doubt that he is just looking for a way to avoid his service commitment based on these facts. He simply wants to play pro football. Completely agree. This program was not instituted by Cadets. It was an Armed Forces idea designed to increase enlistment in general ( as a recruiter) and admission to Academy's. Otto Graham, Bobby Wanzer, Glenn Miller and a host of others served in WWII in various athletic, musical and general entertainment roles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCinBuffalo Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START SMARY PANTS!! then you'll learn what the word means, then you might be able see that the line you quoted might not be meant to be taken literally!! isn't learning fun? Yeah, right, but I still don't see how what you wrote isn't asinine. So, what's the point you are trying to illustrate with your expert literary skill? Because it's really not that ironic, in fact it's kind of silly, and based on the rest of your posts, I decided to edit mine so that you would better understand this situation. Oh I think I see what happened. You didn't pick up on the fact that my original post is a two parter separated by my "Anyways,". The asinine comment was for you because your post doesn't do much for anyone. The rest was for the rest of the thread. Maybe I'll use bullets next time...my bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricojes Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I meant if everything else was equal. Easy solution....practice squad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts