Martellus Bennett had a lot to say about how fans perceive NFL players
Rarely one to be shy with his words, Martellus Bennett unleashed a flurry of thoughts via Twitter early Tuesday afternoon.
The 31-year-old tight end — who was recently cut by the Patriots, despite reportedly wanting to extend his career — sent over 40 tweets to address some of the negative responses he’s received from fans since New England released him.
“It’s always funny and sad how fans ridicule players after they lose their jobs,” he tweeted. “You would never do that to another person who loses a job.”
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/973601327958904833
Bennett penned a sample tweet of the fan reaction he was referencing: “Hahaha. You don’t have a job. Lol. I hope you never get a job or play again. Lmfao.”
Although the Super Bowl LI champ said the remarks don’t “really bother” him like they did when he was younger, he also noted the apparent lack of empathy as something he finds “interesting.”
“We can all sympathize,” he wrote. “The real emotion that the world seems to be missing these days is EMPATHY. There’s a huge difference.”
“These guys are young, hard-working individuals who developed skills to perform at a high level and compete for 1,500 jobs ever year,” Bennett continued.
The free agent called it “pretty f—– up” for fans to laugh when players are trying to find a job in order to feed their families.
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/973603764404879363
When one Twitter user said it’s important to acknowledge the differences in finances between a pro athlete and an average person, Bennett argued people should be treated equally regardless of their income and pointed out money doesn’t necessarily eliminate problems.
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/973604162033381376
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Bennett also explained how typical athletes have a narrow window of time to make enough money to support themselves in the long term. Once his NFL career is over, Bennett said he must develop another skill in order to maintain an income.
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/973609907999117312
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In response to another user who compared the differences in annual salary between a pro athlete and an average person, Bennett said it’s important to recognize the amount of time that’s spent in order to earn a high-paying contract.
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/973613678137413632
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When a user called Bennett “lucky” because he made it in a profession that can offer such high paychecks, he strongly disagreed.
https://twitter.com/MartysaurusRex/status/973630411212509184
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Bennett defended his argument against a number of other users’ replies — a mixed bag of people agreeing and disagreeing with him. Here’s some of what he had to say:
In response to someone who said “no one feels bad” for him because he’s “made millions for catching a ball”: “Again, I developed a skill that people pay a premium for. You can do the same. As I said, no one wants your sympathy. You’re just proving what I’m saying.”
In response to someone who asked if he wanted to trade net worth: “Nope. But you can develop a skill that gives you the net worth you would like to have. I started developing mine at age 5. I’m 31 now.”
In response to someone who said he “quit” on his team: “I was cut. Lol. Didn’t quit. Don’t get the quit thing. Quite frankly it’s just silly. Lol.”
