Hey, Pretty Boy..

Heard that new Jets' QB Mark Sanchez will grace "GQ" soon. Evidently, his handlers want to make him a superstar before he's even earned a star in the No Fun League. Hey, Mark--and I'm going to put the responsibility on Mr. Sanchez more than his handlers because he could have said NO to them--why don't you go out and earn your spurs by putting ON a uniform, taking some hits, work for your teammates respect as their leader BEFORE you take your shirt OFF for Gentleman's Quarterly??!! Pretty boy, evidently.
Look, I've been called a "Pretty Boy" by some, so I know what it's like. Yes, I made my living in front of a camera. But I worked my ASS off with my work with a camera on my shoulder for years before and even during my time as a Sports Director on TV. My staff knew they could count on me to do the hard work first and lead by example. Mr. Sanchez? Hasn't even taken a snap. Hasn't even competed for the Jets' starter's job. Hasn't even strapped on the pads! What if you were one of his teammates? One who's equally as talented at one's respective position, who's been in a few NFL wars and has won some and lost some? Would you respect this "pretty boy"? I know I wouldn't.
I wish I knew why "earn" has become such an unspoken dirty word.
Now, if Mr. Sanchez goes out there in OTAs and training camp, competes for his job, and earns his teammates respect as a guy who's one of them and will go to the mat for them in the heat of battle--I won't have a leg to stand on calling him a "pretty boy". I'm just not so sure that's going to happen. He has one year as a starter at USC as the lone skin on his belt. One year. It was a good year, yes, but he didn't exactly impress me when he and the Trojans came up short at Oregon State last season. Some have said USC wasn't exactly focused when they took their rock-star act into Corvallis. Hey, pretty boy: try that when the Jets roll into Foxboro, or Dallas, or even Kansas City. Any defensive player from a big, fast lineman to a blizting safety would love to show the world how you look after getting pummeled compared to your summer-time GQ spread!
Now, to be fair, I have no problem with guys doing photo spreads. I just think that if you're a soon-to-be pro athlete, you should have some creds other than being a pretty boy.
So come on, rook, go out there and prove me wrong!