So you are a kid growing up practicing your jump shot. You make the varsity team, next you get a scholarship and finally you are in the NBA. Time to act wild and crazy, right? Well, I would argue that athletes don't behave themselves because they are worried about people emulating them.
They are more worried about what the corporate sponsors will have to say about their conduct. Because if Madison Avenue isn't happy, you don't get paid. That leads us back to what do athletes owe us?When I stand outside after a game and a player is going out to their car and I want an autograph, does he owe me one? What if he doesn't give me an autograph, is he a jerk? I think it is hard for any of us to say what an athlete's obligation is to us, the fans. I mean, we do ultimately pay their salary, but does that get us some type of credit that the athletes need to continuously pay against? So next time you walk out of your office and on your way to your car, imagine people rushing up to you and asking for your autograph. Or what about when you make a mistake at work and get chewed out by the boss, are you ready to tell the office about it? Sometimes we do look at athletes as larger then life. True, they do make a great amount of money, but as Barkley said, "I'm not a role model. Parents are role models. I get paid to reek havoc on the floor!"
Comments....love 'em!
Posts
Players don't owe us a thing. We choose to follow them. They answer to the person paying their check. Of course they get paid because we watch them or buy products they endorse, but that is my point; if we really cared, we’d speak with our wallets and our remotes. I'd like to share a utopian ideal of how they should be responsible, decent, and caring role models, but I don't. They are free to choose the type of person they want to be and we are free to choose our tolerance of it. We will always know how much we care by how quickly a face gets back on a cereal box---(Michael Phelps). As a parent, I will share the role models in my life with my children, and if they ask about the prolific Kobe, I'll say, "yes, he can play ball, but he's a cheating scum-bag who wrecks families." To which they will reply, "Ohhh, is that why you like John Beck Daddy."
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. When I set out to write this I started with thought that they do owe us. However as I went along, I realized just what you said. We are our kids role models. If we want to voice our displeasure with their actions, just change the channel!
ReplyDelete"With great talent comes great responsibility." It's not exactly what Uncle Ben told Peter Parker in Spiderman but it seems pretty fitting here. Exceptional athletes stand out in the public eye just like rock stars. Fame is fame. Does this mean they have an obligation to be a role model? Not at all. They are only obligated to fill the seats and justify that fat contract.
ReplyDelete