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Mike McKenzie - Mane concerns
« on: April 01, 2008, 01:59:32 PM »
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/04/01/mailbag/

Mane concerns
Long-haired players speak, Rooney's hypocrisy, more


PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Roger Goodell asked for some players' perspective on Hairgate. Here it is.

"I have never seen a game where hair was a factor,'' Packers cornerback Al Harris, with braided hair down to mid-back, tells me. "Never. It's meaningless to try to control our hair. It seems like someone in the NFL is fishing for something.''

"What is the true issue, really?'' says New Orleans corner Mike McKenzie, who actually cut his hair by personal choice last year. "Is it power over us? Is it a control thing? At what point are there enough rules? Ask the fans: Do they really care how long our hair is? It's taking away one of our rights, and I don't like it.''

I've never once heard a fan talk about how long hair looks stupid on players. And it looks like the Kansas City proposal to police hair length won't be resolved here this week; it will be tabled 'til the May NFL meeting, when I predict it will die a underpublicized death.

"I want to hear the players' perspective on it first,'' Goodell said Monday. When he hears from the players, my guess is Goodell won't hear a soul who agrees with the Kansas City proposal. Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said he does not want hair to obscure the name and number on players' backs, and he wants the flowing locks to be tucked away so they don't interfere with the uniform. He said he felt it was not an issue of race or culture.

"They must be serious about it,'' Harris said. "I can't talk for everyone else, but I can say as far as I'm concerned that my hair is a part of me, and it's a part of my strength. I guess the gentleman from Pittsburgh, Troy Polamalu, got tackled by his hair once, but it's his choice to wear his hair like that.''

"My mom comes from Trinidad, my dad from Tobago,'' said McKenzie. "Down there, hair is naturally grown long. You leave your hair alone.
Me personally, I cut my hair before the season. It was personal preference. But I wish I knew the core issue. I wonder if it's a racial issue.''

Edwards, of course, is black. He was adamant about it not being about race, and I truly don't think it is. But there will be a firestorm -- not just from black players, but from Polynesian players, who believe, like Harris, that some strength is derived from hair length -- if a rule gets passed over hair length. Look for the union to draw a line in the sand over this one. At this time of sensitive relations between the owners and players in the wake of the likely collective bargaining agreement opt-out in November, the owners would be foolish to make a move to anger players right now.

 

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