Hear the term “national treasure” and odds are you think of someone like Dolly Parton, Betty White, Simone Biles or Tom Hanks. They are comforting, widely admired and have uncontroversial histories.
And then there’s Jameis Winston.
To celebrate Winston getting the call as the New York Giants starting quarterback last weekend, the NFL created a hype video, splicing a bunch of his goofiest quotes during his meandering journey through various NFL teams. It also, somewhat dubiously, accompanied the video with a comment calling him “a national treasure”.
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There was nothing in the video showcasing Winston’s insane arm talent or his fondness for throwing interceptions. It didn’t remind us of Winston’s historic 2019 season, in which he became the first NFL player to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 picks in a season. And there was definitely no mention about the myriad issues in Winston’s past that automatically disqualify him from national treasure status.
This is the same Winston who was accused of sexual assault while at Florida State (he was never charged over the allegations but did reach an out of court settlement in 2015). The same Winston who received a citation for shoplifting crab legs at a Publix grocery store in 2014. The same Winston who allegedly groped an Uber driver (he wasn’t charged over those claims either but reached a settlement with the woman in 2018. None of Winston’s settlements contained an admission of liability). The same Winston who told a group of elementary students that boys should “stand up” and “be strong” and girls ought to be “silent, polite, and gentle” (he later apologized). And the same Winston who last year came to the fierce defense of Deshaun Watson. Yes, that Deshaun Watson, when he was his backup at the Cleveland Browns. “I’m grateful I had a chance to serve Deshaun, but I’m very upset with the reaction to a man that has the world against him for the past four years when he put his body and life on the line for this city every day,” Winston said.
In case you need reminding, the world was “against” Watson because he was accused of sexual assault by dozens of women (Watson never faced criminal charges over the allegations but the NFL suspended him for 11 games of the 2022 season after its own investigation. He also reached out of court settlements with nearly two dozen of his accusers, without an admission of liability). The world was so against Watson, in fact, that the Browns gave him a fully guaranteed $230m contract.
What makes the league’s praise of Winston so jarring is that the NFL itself has punished him in the past. It suspended him for three games over the Uber allegations after its investigation “concluded that Winston violated the personal conduct policy by touching the driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent and that disciplinary action was necessary and appropriate.”
I am not arguing that Winston shouldn’t have an NFL career. But you would think any player suspended by the NFL for anything in the sphere of sexual misconduct would automatically be disqualified from off-the-field adulation by the league. It should be noted that the NFL isn’t the only entity presenting Winston as a lovable goofball. This week, the Athletic praised his “carefree personality”.
Sure, Winston is a personable, sometimes electric personality capable of compelling play. But a national treasure? C’mon NFL, unless the people running your social media are 12 and haven’t researched his history, they should know better.
The NFL has history with this. Players like Tyreek Hill and Ben Roethlisberger have had fascinating careers, and been the subject of serious off-the-field accusations, and yet we have seen the NFL hype them up.
There’s no denying Winston is a fan favorite. Scrolling through the comments on the national treasure post, one stuck out as representing the majority opinion. Jameis single-handedly could get me to go to church again. I don’t believe in god, but I do believe in Jameis.
Do we really need a church of Jameis? Before we build one, how about examining Winston’s personal growth? During this past Sunday’s Falcons-Dolphins game, the broadcasters focused on Mike McDaniel’s journey towards sobriety, and the support of his fellow head coach, Dan Quinn. It was a beautiful, teachable few minutes.
Where is the evidence that Winston has grown? A year ago he was still keen to depict Watson as some kind of victim. Sometimes it seems we’re too enamored with a player’s ability or his charisma rather than the quality of his character.
Most fans don’t want to think about whether their quarterback sexually assaulted a woman. They want to know if he’s going to help their fantasy team win. And most youngsters have no idea what some of their heroes are accused of. How would they?
Of course, the NFL’s first order of business is to hype its product. That means sharing a boatload of enthralling clips of plays and players. Want to throw together some Jameis Winston hype videos? Fine. But please, please be more thoughtful before making him out to be a national treasure.
