By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor
The sad part of the Aaron Hernandez story is reality that an all purpose talent never got that opportunity to complete a mission of purpose and partly that is blamed off the field he knew as Hard Knocks. Success got in the way and the game of fame got in the way for the former New England Patriots tight end.
Aaron Hernandez, a former NFL star, committed suicide while serving a life sentence for murder.
And you never know why such a talent can turn so bad with blame on a society of violence or someone, and in this case Hernandez, who chose another lifestyle that unfortunately can be the price of fame. Hernandez had all the criteria of looks, personality and talent and of course the financial means that come with the rich and famous.
So a murder conviction and another that was lessened last week, all of the cost that Hernandez had with fame, ended with his tragic suicide in a prison cell Wednesday morning. There is sympathy to his loved ones and of course those who have not shed a tear because Hernandez was a convicted murderer and became a victim of his society.
From this perspective, Aaron Hernandez was a football god. One look and the presence was evident about a competitor and teammate that could dot it all, and of course do nothing wrong with a five-year $40 million contract signed with the New England Patriots.
The unfortunate ending is a question that is difficult to comprehend. But, as is too often the situation, this was not the first nor will it be the last of the gifted athletes that went to the other side of the playing field in a society of Hard Knocks.
Society and athletes have always been linked to good and bad. The overall premise is how to deal with the fame and cost of talent that was a sad part of the Aaron Hernandez story. Unfortunately one can never understand how to comprehend or see the distinction.
Because Aaron Hernandez had the talent that gave him the fame, he may have been a victim. Like him or not, the NFL had another sad case of a violent and torn athlete on their field of play that was not evident until the intense trouble got out of hand.
A school of hard knocks it became for Aaron Hernandez, but it did not have to end this way as we will never know what transpired in the mind of such a gifted and talented athlete. He was one of the few that had it all and we will never know what it could have been.
But we do know for sure, that a society of violence became the playing field for Aaron Hernandez and the victims were those he harmed.
Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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