Players on the pedestal

Plaxico Burress, Alex Rodriguez, Michael Phelps, Marion Jones, Michael Vick: the list goes on and on. It seems that every time sports news stories start to dry up, another high profile athlete gets him or herself into trouble. Some sports stars can get away with murder – Ray Lewis is one that comes to mind – and others are made examples of. Normally our society does not care if one single person is arrested, but because these wrongdoers are also role models to many of our children every twist and turn in their respective cases is followed by the public. Those athletes who have committed crimes are not to be exonerated of any blame, but the role given to them in our culture is a major cause of their behavior.
Athletes come in all shapes and sizes; it’s just the ones doing stupid things that we hear about on ESPN. Unfortunately, the fact that we are hearing about these stories on the news is a big reason why they happen. From being the high school star quarterback to the big man on campus to the multimillion-dollar crowd pleaser, high profile athletes are idolized the moment their talent is discovered. Colleges offer lax admissions standards and personal tutors to recruited “student-athletes.” (Too bad our men’s football and basketball teams haven’t returned on that investment.) The prima donna attitude we see in many sports starts is a result of them growing up with everything handed to them on a silver platter.
This phenomenon is not surprising in the least. Talented athletes are a hot commodity and contribute significantly to high schools, college environments, and professional sports teams. In an attempt to woo them, or maybe just out of pure admiration of their skills, sports stars bask in the limelight from a very young age. They are given a little slack in other areas as long as they get the job done on the field. If our society engages in this (I am certainly guilty myself) then we should not be horrified when our “role models” think they are invincible and have run-ins with the law.
Instead, we should emphasize other aspirations, especially education, with our youth. Children need to get involved with the arts and sciences at an earlier age; this will stimulate creativity and an academic curiosity as well as improve cultural appreciation and the advancement of our society. There is nothing wrong with dreaming of growing up to be an all star, but athletic talent is not worth shooting yourself in the thigh for.