Anybody who has ever experienced frustration in life, knows that sometimes, in the heat of the moment, people tend to act hastily and say and do things that they do not mean. The latest victim of a frustration no-no is Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs. 
Following his team’s 6th loss in 7 games this season, Johnson used Twitter to insult his Head Coach, Todd Haley. Johnson totally tried to belittle the coach, and he displayed an extreme lack of respect in a very public way.
I do not blame Johnson for being frustrated about his team’s horrible output this season. However, the way that he dealt with his frustration is something that I cannot give a pass on. Twitter is extremely popular right now, and by him using it to share his true feelings with thousands of people, it leaves nothing to the imagination. There are no journalists that could possibly twist his words, and everything he said is his responsibility. It is like a T.O. press conference only worse. Because Johnson has the ability to control his emotions when he is typing, and also because he is not being badgered by reporters, he has no excuse for the way he behaved.
Once he decided to click submit, Johnson made one of his biggest mistakes in his professional career. He went too far, and he should know better than to be Tweeting in that state of mind. Johnson’s blunder reminds of people who ”drunk dial” and end up regretting the stupidity that occurs when they are in the wrong state of mind. That is why a lot of people use preventative measures before-hand so that the wrong type of behavior is not displayed.
If I was Larry Johnson, I would have had somebody hold on to my phone in case of a loss to the Chargers. That way, when Johnson wanted to vent, he would not have been able to.
But what is done is done, and you cannot change it.
Johnson did offer an apology on Twitter for what he did today, but to me, the damage is already done. At this point, the apology was a requirement, and it is not something that I would take too sincerely.
Maybe Dick Vermeil was right 5 years ago. Maybe it is time for Johnson to ”Take the diapers off.”
Filed under: NFL
