Christien Louviere

In sports, especially professional sports, we can almost assume that once a month we will see some criminal activity taking place.  Certain people get stabbed, certain people take gun shots, certain millionaires shoplift (I’m a thousandaire and don’t really understand this) or certain people hit some racing their new Modena, but for some reason the stupid crazy stuff  always happens to the loneliest guy on the team…the kicker/punter.  Almost without exception on any football team, the wide receivers are prima donnas and the kickers have something mentally challenging about them.  When it comes to the kickers, I think all the pressure and loneliness is getting to them.  Each team needs to hire a sports psychologist just to handle these people. 

Let’s look at the past…Martin Gramatica self-mutilated his hamstring after making a field goal, a Chris Hanson  from Jacksonville chopped into his foot with an axe  and who can forget Ray Finkel going off on Dan Marino.  Now, the reserve punter, Mitch Cozad, from the might Bears of the University of Northern Colorado football team has pulled a Tonya Harding by stabbing the starter, Rafael Mendoza.  What the hell?  Couldn’t he just have thrown a fist in face and got in a fight like most guys do or how about focus on getting better?  Instead he thought, "Nah, let me stab this dude, then we’ll see who’s punting on Saturday." 

I don’t know why maybe it’s the isolation or lack of parental support, maybe Adam Sandler was right on the money or maybe they just aren’t wired right in the first place.

If you’re mad right now, because you’re thinking, "Hey, don’t pick on kickers.  Don’t say those things.  You don’t understand the pressure."  I do.  I was a kicker at two levels…high school and college.  I was the starter in high school, but in college I never pulled a Harding.  Of course, my friends and family always told me that something was different about me.  I thought Harding was kind of weak in her approach.  When I did something, I really…