"Javon Walker was asking for it"

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker was brutally beaten, robbed, and left unconscious in a Las Vegas street early Monday morning after a night of partying. After being treated for serious injuries, including facial fractures, he is likely to be released from the hospital today. This looks like just the latest in a line of violence against pro athletes who are targeted for their money.

I would hope people would have a little more sympathy for someone who was just assaulted, but somehow they seem to believe that Walker was asking to be beaten and robbed.

These guys are supposed to live in seclusion because they're wealthy? I think a lot of this sentiment comes from people who are jealous of that wealth. "If I was rich, I wouldn't 'make it rain' in the club," they preach. But that's hard to say without ever having been in a position where that was a reality. I'm willing to bet that anybody with that kind of disposable income would choose to enjoy it by indulging in some of life's frivolities. For some, that's houses and cars, and for others, it's expensive nights out on the town.

While it may be a good idea for these high-profile athletes to take extra precautions (hiring bodyguards, etc.), there's no reason to insinuate that they're bringing it on themselves. There's no indication that Walker was engaging in any questionable behavior other than living a life of excess like any celebrity.

I'll reconsider my position if it comes out that this is the result of a confrontation earlier in the night, but consider that this is the same guy who was in the limo with Darrent Williams when he was shot and killed in Denver last January. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, believing that he would avoid those situations as a result.