Here’s a topic that I would prefer to avoid, given my own misadventures on this specific topic last year. Coincidentally, it comes on the 17th anniversary of the birth of my own son.
Per a league source, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco missed the birth of his second child as he prepared for Sunday’s home opener against the Browns.
Last year, the stated intention of Bears cornerback Charles Tillman to miss a game for the birth of his child prompted a knee-jerk reaction from yours truly that he should be at the game. After further consideration (and plenty of valid criticism), I concluded that it’s a personal decision for each family in that situation to make.
So if a guy chooses to miss a game to attend child birth, that’s fine. If he chooses to play, that’s fine, too.
That said, we’ve got a feeling that plenty of folks will have strong feelings about whether Flacco should have been present for the arrival of his second child, or whether he should be there for his team, especially in light of his $20.1 million average annual compensation.