Schmuck of the Week: Vontaze Burfict edition

I don’t think Vontaze Burfict is at fault for Vontaze Burfict still being in the news. A combined 13 suspensions and fines later, he’s reached a collision point with the NFL. In other words, there will be no more collisions for Burfict this year: He’s been suspended for the remainder of the season.

An honorable mention (or is it dishonorable?) runner-up finish goes to a challenger who just cannot seem to learn his lesson. Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was maligned by his teammates in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) for showboating over a ball that just missed sailing over the fence instead of running out of the box. Benched earlier in the season for a similar incident, Acuña likely would have scored if he had even reached second on what should have been at least a triple. 

The Braves fell by one run to the Cardinals. 

Compounding on the lunacy in the ninth inning, Acuña hit a no-doubt home run to left-center and decided once again to showboat in the batter's box. If everthere were a time to be in a dead sprint for a no-doubt blast, it would be then. 

But every single person involved in Burfict even being on the football field in 2019 can throw their hat into the Schmucks of the Week Hall of F(Sh)ame. Burfict leveled wounded Colt tight end Jack Doyle in a matchup this season worthy enough for me to seriously believe an article from The Onion titled “Vontaze Burfict expresses deep regret for letting Jack Doyle live.” 

But Burfict has been a schmuck for a rather long time. In a 2017 game, he absolutely leveled Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman in an off-the-ball scenario, earning himself a five-game suspension (later shortened to three). Here’s the catch — it was a PRESEASON contest. 

Prior to those shenanigans, Burfict inflicted a shattering challenge on Antonio Brown (a terrible human being in his own right) in the Wild Card game of the 2016 playoffs. Brown would miss the next game with a concussion, and almost two years after the incident, Burfict was quoted saying that he thought Brown “faked it.” 

Burfict is appealing his rest-of-the-season suspension, but his chances of reinstatement took another blow when the NFL found another illegal hit from the maligned linebacker. Of course, the hit occurred IN THE SAME QUARTER as the one on Doyle. 

Playing the “fool me once” game or pulling the “a leopard cannot change its spots” card seems necessary, but they feel tired. Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders are not only absolute fools for believing they could rely on Burfict (who is now being replaced at middle linebacker by a seventh-round rookie), but should be considered complicit in the future injuries sustained by any player as a result of Burfict. I have no choice. If the leopard is Vontaze Burfict, it cannot change its spots.

As for the man of the hour, Burfict has totally played himself. As a result of his suspensions, he has lost over $4 million dollars for on-field hits; your schmuck of the week, everyone.