Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.
Here we sit, on the heels of yet another star athlete scandal.
Between Dog fighting, sex parties on boats, domestic violence, rape charges, drugs, drinking and driving, infidelity, and fighting in bars (just to name a few), I find myself thoroughly repulsed by the misdeeds of the athletic elite within our society today. And if the disturbing frequency with which new reports and allegations are released serves as any indication of what is really going on in the private lives of these people, then I am both saddened and alarmed.
Far too often, athletes have made poor decisions (that usually victimize another human being) and it is time that somebody took a SERIOUS stance against this deplorable behavior. A strong, clear, and consistent message must be communicated.
The Business of Sports
The “business” of professional sports is one of image. In a world where visibility and exposure is king, millions of dollars can hang in the balance. If an athlete wants to make millions on the field, they must portray success. If they want to make even more money in endorsements, they must appeal to the public. Simply put – Image is EVERYTHING!
Every business in America, including professional sports organizations, strives to portray an image of being a positive “corporate citizen.” There are plenty of “good guys” in sports today, like Phil Mickelson, who spend much of their time and money in philanthropic endeavors. Those deeds are publicized because they look good for everyone involved – The charity benefits from exposure, the athlete benefits from positive press, and the league benefits through the support of these good deeds.
While those organizations prosper from the radiating glow of being associated with an act of good PR at the hands of one of their representatives, they must avoid the radiating stench of bad press. The last thing that any organization wants to do is to condone or ignore inappropriate and illegal behavior.
The need for POSITIVE corporate citizenship is magnified in the world of sports, though, because of the added social responsibility that athletes have as role models to the public.
Social Responsibility
I don’t care that Charles Barkley uttered his famous line – “I am not a role model.” It is not up to him to decide. The very real fact in today’s society is that athletes ARE viewed as role models, whether they SHOULD be or not. Thanks to marketing campaigns from corporations such as Nike, Gatorade, and Gillette, society is led to believe that they can (and should) aspire to live the same lives as athletes.
And who can blame the youth of America for falling prey to this marketing strategy? After all, what part of life as a superstar athlete does NOT appeal to you? You can date super models, make millions of dollars, be adored by tens of thousands, and possibly be immortalized as a legend, all for playing a game that many would pay to play.
Clearly, people in America (and around the world) aspire to be like these athletes. Most athletes fell in love with a sport because they themselves idolized an athlete during their younger days. Whether it was watching Magic on the court, Montana on the field, or Nicklaus on the links, every single one of them had the same thought… “Someday, I’m gonna be like HIM!”
Fans idolize athletes – it is as simple as that.
A Matter of Protection
Unfortunately, many athletes today do not possess qualities that would make them WORTHY of being a Role Model. As pointed out by ESPN.com writer Tim Keown, there are just some people (like Roethlisberger) who don’t deserve life on the pedestal. Because we don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing the Role Models of society, though, there must be some other way to help protect us all from social rejects who have no regard for anyone other than themselves.
Society must be protected from idiots with too much money and ego, but too little common sense. The leagues must be protected from being associated with these dregs of society, and must take measures to protect their investment into the development of these athletes. And realistically, these players must be protected from themselves, before they do serious and irreparable harm to themselves and others.
This is where a strictly defined and enforced Moral Conduct Policy comes into play.
Keep in mind that I am not proposing that we strip athletes of their freedoms as if they were already criminals. I understand that they are grown adults who deserve the right to act freely. However, because much of their own livelihoods (and the success of the greater organizations that they represent) is based solely upon image, the various sports organizations should take the steps necessary to formally identify those actions that are viewed as being detrimental, and should impose severe penalties in discouragement of those actions.
For example:
Good – Going out to a bar with a couple friends for a celebration
Bad – Going out to a bar with a loaded gun in your pocket while sexually forcing yourself on an unwilling person
This SHOULD be common sense, but that is clearly missing in some people. Because many of these athletes have PROVEN incapability for governing their own behavior, someone must govern it for them. There is far too much at stake today, both from a social and a financial standpoint, for this type of self-destructive behavior to be permitted unchecked. By defining specific actions as appropriate or inappropriate, the officials within each league can establish a platform by which they can correct this disturbing trend.
