An Absolute Shame

by Lanier63 on May 14, 2008 8:50 AM CDT

Pro Athletes as role models? I don't think so, those days are long gone. Gone are the days of Johnny Unitus and Bart Starr, Bronko Nagurski and Ray Nitschke, Otto Graham and Paul Hornung and yes Willie Lanier.

I write this because of what I saw this this morning. Every morning I look at the ESPN.com site just to glance at stories that might be of interest to me, especially any new news on the Chiefs. What I saw this morning probably isn't different from any morning the past few years, I just paid more attention I guess. Four of the nine top headlines dealt with Football and crime. What an absolute shame for Children everywhere to have to deal with this on a sports website.

Let me explain that last comment. I believe all children should be raised in a worldly fashion meaning they should know what is going on in the world, especially the City and neighborhood they are growing up in. But the one place they should be able to get a break is on a sports page. A place where they can just be kids and dream one day of possibly becoming the next superstar athlete one day. A place many of us probably had asperations at one time also. A place, to borrow the phrase, of Baseball and Apple pie. A place where dreams are made of.

I apologize for bringing this up, but sometimes you just have to have a place to vent about things.

ESPNEWS Headlines

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.

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It was inevitable

as football, and all pro sports in general, became 365 days-a-year jobs for players, and their salaries from playing those sports started reaching astronomical figures, this was bound to happen…you can’t give a bunch of 21 year olds millions of dollars and expect none of them to misbehave…most can handle themselves responsibly, but out of the 100 or so players drafted in the first three rounds this year, I would expect 2 or 3 to go nuts once they get paid…it is unfortunate, but its a fact of life.

by PVChiefsfan on May 14, 2008 9:50 AM CDT 0 recs

Evolution of the media

Pro Athletes as role models? I don’t think so, those days are long gone. Gone are the days of Johnny Unitus and Bart Starr, Bronko Nagurski and Ray Nitschke, Otto Graham and Paul Hornung and yes Willie Lanier.

Gone are the days with no internet, ESPN, and other 24-hour sports coverage. Remember, Lanier63, the thing you are complaining about is the amount of media attention on these players, which is coincidently the same reason you check AP everyday….for constantly updated news.

by primetime 07 on May 14, 2008 11:09 AM CDT 0 recs

You have me there...

by Lanier63 on May 14, 2008 12:02 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ummm what about...

Max McGee? I love how everyone idolizes this guy. I mean he did some good things in the early years of football as we know it, but come on. Imagine if one of our players went out drinking and showed up at the SB HUNGOVER!!! I think he would be lynched. I’m not sure that sports players were ever good role models. It’s just crazy how back then, everyone hears this story about Max McGee and thinks it’s great. He’s an idol now. (RIP Max). I guess it all worked out OK because he didn’t f up really badly during the game. I dunno, it probably is the media scrutinizing everyone. I mean, celebrities have always been crazy and stuff but there’s never been more media on them until lately. They can’t even take a crap without it being posted on the internet.

Madonna DEFINITELY should not have eaten that chili the other night!! WHAT WAS SHE THINKING????

by EyePod on May 14, 2008 12:29 PM CDT up 0 recs

throwin another log on the fire...

How about Leonard Little, who after his birthday party in 1999 drove off with a BAC double the legal limit and killed another motorist in an accident. That mofo got 90 days in the clink, 1000 hours of community service and 4 years probation. While it receives media attention, he still goes on to enjoy a solid career with the Lambs. Meanwhile Michael Vick kills dogs and goes to jail for almost two years and gets butchered by the media and his remaining career is questionable. That’s how much things have changed in just the last 10 years.

I see everyone’s point here, it has become a lot more sensationalized in the past decade. It’s following suit with most traditional media. I quit watching local news years ago because it’s basically a crime bulletin with a healthy dose of fear mongering with a tiny tiny spec of something uplifting and/or positive. Murder, murder, murder, robbery, the plague is coming, and a new baby panda was born at the zoo today!!

As a kid I think you naturally tend to filter that stuff out and the game(s) retain their magic regardless of current circumstance. If it’s not some bit of news that eventually brings things down to earth, it’s some asshole parent or little league/high school coach that eventually suck the fun out of it. I grew up loving baseball, but ended up hating it by the time I hit high school (it had nothing to do with the Royals, I promise). If I had loved football when I was a kid as much as I do now I may have made something of it. But as a kid I didn’t care about the football steroid scandal in the 80’s. It didn’t ruin my world when Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden became coke heads and ruined their careers. I can only hope that in spite of the current climate, kids can look past it and enjoy sports all the same.

sorry for the novella

by Ochophosphate on May 14, 2008 12:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

The world is changing but...

It’s like anything else today, greater exposure leads to new standards and new understandings of decency, decorum, etc. Look at politics, we used to ‘think’ that all politicians were dishonest. Now, we get enough disclosure to ‘know’ that they all are, and as result they’ve just gotten better at spinning or politicking.

There have always been poor role models in sports: Ty Cobb, Joe Nameth, Doc Ellis, and Wilt Chamberlain to name a few. I’m a huge fan of George Brett, but I can tell you from the stories I heard growing up around the KC area, his temper probably wouldn’t have gone over too well in today’s full disclosure media.

The point is kids know this, they still enjoy sports no matter the contraversy, from the black sox scandal to Charles Barkley this has remained true, it’s just the times that change.

It’s important to remember it’s always the next generation’s world we’re living in.

That said, I understand your point and what is really disturbing about the whole spygate thing is this.

by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on May 14, 2008 11:42 AM CDT 0 recs

Blame the media

The problem is that there are still good role models in sport but they are drowned out by the bad role models. It is easier to write an article about how many Cincinnati Bengals got arrested this week than an article about how player X turned up, played the game and didn’t get called for a foul all game again (or whatever).

For the good role models to get noticed they have to shout louder and often the good role models are the guys who just turn up every week with a good work ethic and do what they are paid to do. So they end up setting up foundations in their names or doing other high profile charity work.

Blame my wife!

by sir eccles on May 14, 2008 12:32 PM CDT 0 recs

or how Player X

is working on his Ph.D., has never been in any trouble, does a lot of charitable work, etc.

(hint – it’s Donnie Edwards)

by PVChiefsfan on May 14, 2008 1:37 PM CDT up 0 recs

There are lots of good role models.

The Chiefs website always has articles when Chiefs players give back to the community. I never read them though because it’s boring, lol… maybe troubled players just make better news?

by Vince D on May 14, 2008 1:39 PM CDT 0 recs

Athletes Were Never "Role Models"...Especially Football Players

Joe Namath – drunk; John Riggins – drunk, drug abuser; Mark Gastineau – drug addict; Jim Brown – alleged wife beater; Joe Theismann – cheated on wife; O.J. Simpson – murderer, wife beater; Hollywood Henderson – rapist; Bob Hayes – drug addict, alcoholic. That’s just what I named off the top of my head…don’t even get me started about baseball players.

Hell, Henderson was such a “role model” that he actually used cocaine on the sidelines…during Super Bowl XIII. You don’t see that these days, even Michael Irvin kept his baggage off the field. Trying to claim that athletes were somehow better than this back in the “good old days” is like trying to say that nobody makes cars as good as what they turned out in the ‘50s…it’s just nostalgia that blinds you to the fact that things were the same as (and usually worse than) they are now.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on May 14, 2008 4:35 PM CDT 0 recs

Completely agree.

Athletes were never one of my role models growing up. I seen them for what they were, guys that were physically gifted and got the privilege of playing kids games for money. I looked up to people in the business world. They are no better and I have found later in live there are good and bad in every aspect of life. I agree with UCrawford that its nostalgia that makes it seem like it was better back in the day.

by TXroyal on May 15, 2008 3:54 AM CDT up 0 recs

OJ

Wasn’t he not guilty? Alleged Murder…. I still wish we got to read “If I Did It.”

by EyePod on May 15, 2008 10:22 AM CDT up 0 recs

HA!!!

“Not guilty” is not the same thing as “innocent”...that’s just a distinction in a court of law. The state didn’t make their case because Darden and Clark (the prosecuting attorneys) were incompetent, so he didn’t get jail time, but Simpson committed those murders and as private citizens we’re under no obligation to pretend that he didn’t. And the wife beating was a matter of public record.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on May 15, 2008 1:02 PM CDT up 0 recs

Whoa

then I guess that throws out the “innocent until PROVEN guilty” thing…as far as the law is concerned, Simpson IS innocent (I think he did it, but my thoughts are irrelevant to the matter)

by PVChiefsfan on May 16, 2008 7:44 AM CDT up 0 recs

That's pretty much...

what UCrawford said. According to the law, O.J. is innocent. However, that does not prevent the general public from thinking otherwise (with good reason, from my admittedly limited perspective). Nowhere does it say that a legal ruling in any criminal proceeding prevents a person from having their own opinion as to the defendant’s guilt or innocence.

For my part, I agree with UCrawford. In my opinion, Simpson’s “not guilty” verdict was the result of prosecutorial incompetence.

by Seth_C on May 16, 2008 11:35 AM CDT up 0 recs

These days it is guilty until proven innocent.

OJ is still looking for the real killer.(oh crap need hip waders shit getting deep!)

by Eric Allen on May 17, 2008 8:20 AM CDT 0 recs

Wanna know what's worse?

Ever look at the people the run our lives and tell us what to do (I’m talking about politicians).
They are the most corrupt, vile, and shadey people. I don’t have the numbers because I deleted some files on my computer, but a lot of DUIs, a lot have “skeletons in their closet” concerning their sexlives, you wouldnt believe me if I told you how many cant get loans and whatnot because of their credit. More than half have written bad checks.
There was a list… I got it on the internet so if I find it I can post it.
I know it has nothing to do with football… but it’s something else to think about when talking about trusting people or role models.

by odendin on May 20, 2008 1:08 AM CDT 0 recs