No punter in the NFL is discussed as often as Marquette King of the Oakland Raiders. Some applaud his exceptional punting, some discuss his wacky personality, and others question if he’s a distraction to the team. During the week of the Pro Bowl, Marquette King didn’t do himself any favors.
The Raider Nation Should Let Marquette King Be
For those who have forgotten, when the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos met in Week 17, Aqib Talib ripped Michael Crabtree‘s chain off of his neck. This is obviously not a very polite thing to do, and is consistent with Talib’s less than favorable reputation. To anyone that likes the Raiders, chains, or common decency, Talib immediately became a very unpopular player.
But on the surface, things were actually fine. It was a jerk move, but all it did was add some more bad blood to one of the NFL’s oldest rivalries. Both teams will be fighting over the AFC West until the wheels come off the world, and all Talib’s actions did was make things more interesting. The Raiders have Crabtree and Amari Cooper to terrorize Talib and the Broncos secondary for years to come.
The Pro Bowl
Then the Pro Bowl happened. Marquette King was at the Pro Bowl, even though he wasn’t participating, and he ruffled some feathers. On social media, he showed himself hanging out with Travis Kelce, the tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, who had mocked King earlier in the season.
This upset some fans, but most people were willing to overlook it because it was between the two of them. Maybe Kelce and King made up, and it’s not really a big issue. Then King really made things interesting.
— AqibTalib21 (@AqibTalib21) January 30, 2017
The Raider Nation was not amused by King’s joke. And as Bruce Irvin and Crabtree unfollowed King on social media, it seemed like the Raiders weren’t chuckling either. King has developed a bit of a reputation as a troublemaker, but upsetting his teammates is a much larger offense.
Locker Room Blues
Unlike Raider teams of the past, this Raiders unit has a strong locker room. They have a few young leaders that will sort this out. Marquette King might have offended Crabtree by joking around about something that wasn’t funny or settled, but it’s none of the Nation’s business. One way or another, the Raiders will not let this stupid joke divide them. The fans don’t need to get involved in something that has nothing to do with football.
