so anything goes? Poison the lockerrom included? or worse? I expect a competitive athlete to try and earn the job of the guy in front of him. I wouldn't want guys on my team that would steal anything. I'd want them to earn it.

I expect a competitive athlete playing a team sport to have the team and his teammates best interests also somewhere near the top of their priorities. Winning the game should be more important than "stealing" the job from the guy in front of you.

Everyone wants to play but not everyone gets to. Sometimes sacrifice is important too for the good of the team. If the HC says they need you to play another position for the good of the team do you flip him off and tell him heck no you're not doing it? At what point should team goals matter more than personal desires for glory?

I blame Bronco for being too trusting and too blind when it came to his faith in Riley. I blame Riley for not being honest when coaches came to him about his readiness to play. He knew they were preparing to start someone else the week of the Utah game. Everyone knows the Lou Gehrig/Wally Pipp story, I'm sure Riley worried about losing his starting job to his supposed "best friend" James Lark a lot more than he worried about winning or losing the Utah game. He acknowledged later that he was only 65% (which is very possibly an exaggeration in his favor) and then threw coaches under the bus and said they should've known he'd never willingly take himself out. That indicates that he didn't tell them the truth (in other words, he lied to his coaches and teammates).

Doesn't sound like a guy who was showing any loyalty to his team, his coaches or his teammates. Sounds very much like a guy who was in it for himself and getting personal rewards. he's not evil but he's no saint either.