Or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe it took someone with Pacman's zest for life to finally find the soft, vulnerable underbelly of Jay Glazer. I don't know.

Either way, it's rare that an NFL writer will start a column by expressing a desire to choke an NFL player unconscious. But it's also rare that an NFL writer will ever write anything complimentary about Pacman Jones. I guess these are all things that make Jay Glazer special.

Glazer wrote a column yesterday afternoon about Pacman Jones and how, after spending time with Pacman on the set of Pros vs. Joes, he now really likes the guy. Here's a snippet:

... I came away hoping that the kid who seemed to "get it" in our few days together has turned the corner. He never once shied away and tried to say he did nothing wrong. To the contrary, he openly talked about how much he's screwed up and how he relished the chance to change and prove he has changed. I don't really know how I should feel about this.

"I got a little girl. I'm engaged now, so I have other things that interest me other than going to strip clubs, hanging out with 20 guys 'til four or five o'clock in the morning," Jones said in an exclusive interview. "I want to play football and you can't do those types of things with my lifestyle and all the controversy I've had."

We'll get to the rest of it in a minute, but if you don't mind, I'd like to talk for a minute about the notion that Pacman Jones is engaged.

I mean, I knew there are a lot of women out there with self-esteem problems, but that takes it to a whole new level, doesn't it?. Whose self-esteem is circling the drain to the point where it seems like a good idea to hitch their wagon to Pacman Jones? Whose life does that actually improve?

And how do you explain to your parents that you just decided to stick to Pacman Jones for better or for worse? Do you know what the "worse" involves with this fellow? Do you read a lot of newspapers, honey? I can't imagine being a father and having my little girl come home one day and say, "Daddy, I'm engaged to Pacman Jones!" I hope they'd at least postpone the wedding for a little bit after I wrapped my lips around the barrel of a shotgun.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand ... Pacman Jones's likeability. Jokes aside, I'm probably the wrong guy to ask about it, because I've always had a teeny tiny soft spot for Pacman. When he was in his prime with the Titans (and isn't it unbelievable that he's still only 25 years old?), I was president of the Pacman Jones on-the-field fan club. He shut down an entire side of the field, and was as dangerous as anyone else in the return game.

And I'm always holding out hope that a guy can get it turned around. I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to things like that. I'd probably buy a Mike Tyson fight on pay-per-view tomorrow.

And about the fight that Pacman had with a Pros vs. Joes contestant? According to Glazer, it wasn't Pacman being quick to swing a fist, but instead was a well-crafted bit of showmanship that they almost begged him for.

At one point he got into a scuffle with a young man named Dan Adams. A nice little football fight. It was perfect TV. Folks, this was not Pacman being a knucklehead. This was Pacman giving us exactly what we were asking for. Maybe it was that little stint he did in pro wrestling but the kid understands what would makes good TV. Even after his little tussle, he gave my co-host Michael Strahan and me a little wink as if to say, "I promised you guys I'd make it good for you."

So there's at least one vote of confidence for Pacman, coming from a hardened NFL writer who's been around countless young athletes (and apparently, really wants to choke some of them). I don't see that as small thing. If he can change Glazer's mind, maybe there's some hope yet.

I'll be rooting for him. And it won't happen, but I wouldn't mind if Pacman's return to football respectability happened on my favorite team.

Related: NFL Criminal Behavior, Players Your Sucky Team Can Buy