Watch: Eagles Player Caught Confronting Camera Man After Tough Loss
There is nothing an activist can do to shoot his own cause in the foot more than to act in a manner where the public sees him less for his moral courage and more for his failings of character.
Enter Michael Bennett of the Philadelphia Eagles, a man known as much for his social activism as for his play on the football field.
Seahawk Michael Bennett sits during anthem, plans to continue to do so throughout 2017 season (@bcondotta) https://t.co/s1wL57YaNl pic.twitter.com/NppZ9WTzPY
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) August 14, 2017
Bennett’s public image took a hit in 2017 when he claimed he was the victim of excessive use of force and racial profiling at the hands of Las Vegas police, and video footage showed otherwise.
Now another video is putting him in a bad light.
This time, Bennett was captured as he confronted a cameraman after the Eagles’ soul-crushing loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC divisional playoff game Sunday.
Yes, emotions were running high, but that is no excuse for attacking someone who is only doing his job.
Ok, here is the video of #Eagles DT Michael Bennett walking off the field after #SaintsEagles playoff game confronting cameraman from CBS Philadelphia.
This video shot by our cameraman @lefteyedaquano as we were preparing for our coverage on @CoxSportsTV pic.twitter.com/9lWgU9eEB7— Eric Richey (@EricRicheyVSN) January 14, 2019
Making matters worse, by all accounts, Bennett flipped out on the guy for no well-explained reason whatsoever:
Derron says cameraman said nothing before Bennett approached him and could not tell what cameraman said when Bennett got in his grill. https://t.co/Coa5kC5i5L
— Eric Richey (@EricRicheyVSN) January 14, 2019
It wasn’t the first time Bennett got into an ugly confrontation after a game. He was hit with a felony charge after allegedly injuring a 66-year-old paraplegic who was working security at NRG Stadium to control access to the field at Super Bowl LI in Houston. Bennett was at the game to watch his brother, Martellus, play for the New England Patriots.
His emotions have gotten the best of him during games as well, as he’s earned a reputation as a dirty player.
Michael Bennett trying to rip someone’s head off on a kneel down. Just Michael Bennett things. pic.twitter.com/mubho6Xj6F
— Jordan Dajani (@JDnumba3) January 14, 2019
Bennett drew a $10,000 fine for taking a swing at the Chicago Bears’ Kyle Long during the Eagles’ win in the wild-card round, the kind of punch that in other sports draws an automatic one-game suspension.
Attacking a cameraman is one of the worst sins a celebrity athlete can commit.
After all, the reason sports is the multibillion-dollar industry it is comes in no small part from the leagues’ efforts to market their players and get them media coverage, making them household names the way movie and rock stars are.
Attacking the media machine is biting the hand that feeds you.
Bennett has been trying to use that same media attention to push his social justice narrative, but who’s going to want to listen to him when the carrier of the message is a guy known for dirty play on the field and outbursts of violence off it?
Bennett is going to have a few months on his hands to do the adult version of a kid going to his room and thinking about what he’s done.
In the meantime, the last memory the public will have of him before our attention moves on to the conference championships and the Super Bowl is of an activist having a public meltdown at a member of the media.
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