Jackson Free Press

If you're a sports fan, this weekend will be great for you. The NBA and NHL playoffs continue; the NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 30; the 141st Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 2; and on Saturday night, there's the long-awaited boxing match between heavy-hitters Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Two of those events will be interesting to watch given the current climate of sports in respect to violence against women. It presents the question: Does character really matter to teams and fans as much as coaches, general managers and others say?

It looks like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will use the first pick of the NFL Draft to select Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston. I'm not going to rehash Winston's bad behavior because other sportswriters and I have documented it well. Tampa Bay fans will probably hail Winston as the savior of the franchise and overlook his horrendous past behavior. All the character issues don't seem to hold back Winston at this point in his career. But will fans' tune change if Winston keeps up with his bad behavior, or do wins and losses on the field matter more? Time will tell.

While teams like to tout character, in reality, it only matters if said character flaws don't outpace talent. Take defensive lineman Greg Hardy, for example, whom the Dallas Cowboys just suspended for 10 games after his domestic-assault case in North Carolina. Like Winston, Hardy's bad behavior hasn't surpassed his talent. Teams seem to only begin to care about character when a player can't help them win anymore. In fact, the NFL Players Association is currently appealing Hardy's suspension.

Let's talk about the boxing match May 2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fights Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather was convicted of domestic violence, but how many folks will drop 90 bucks to watch this fight? Does Mayweather's undefeated record and place in boxing history matter more to fans than his past?

It seems like his past doesn't matter as his last few fights have drawn huge Pay-Per-View buys. I'm sure a few people will drop some cash in hopes of seeing Pacquiao beat Mayweather's head in, but that's another story.

We say we care about character, especially when it comes to violence against women, but does it really stop us from watching our favorite team or buying a PPV? Time and time again the answer is no. As long as we keep watching and cheering, teams will keep signing and drafting players like Winston, and athletes like Mayweather will keep laughing all the way to the bank. Character doesn't really matter because we don't make it matter.

Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports and facebook.com/jfpsports.