In today’s world of sports, fans and media look at athletes around the world through a magnifying glass. The life of an athlete, both in their respected sport and in their personal life, is plastered across television sets and billboards everyday for millions to see and hear.
Besides being a religious figure such as the Pope or President of a major country like President George W. Bush, there is no other profession on earth that gets more publicity-and in some cases money-than an athlete.
The performance of athletes like Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, Mia Hamm, Mike Tyson and Michael Jordan are celebrated everyday for their accomplishments in their respected sports. When one hits the game winning shot or scores the winning touchdown, they are made famous and become legends of sport.
But what happens when an athlete is involved in a crime or scandal? It is then that everyone wants to run around all-emotional, like it is a big surprise.
Just because an athlete has a pocketbook the size of a steam engine and is examined like a biology project it does not make them any less human than the average Joe on the street.
They have feelings, friends and families just like everyone else. They also make mistakes just like everyone else. No person on earth is exempt from making mistakes, whether the mistake is small or huge.
Also, just because an athlete is rich and famous does not exempt him from being prosecuted by the court of law for any mistake that he makes. Just like everyone else, they can be fined or sentenced to jailtime for the choices they make.
Another problem in the world of sports is the constant stereotyping of all athletes. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, stereotyping is an oversimplified standardized image or idea held by one person or group about another.
For example, some fans and media personalities in the past months have publically said all National Basketball Players cheat on their wives and commit adultery like Kobe Bryant just because they are rich and famous.
Another common stereotype made public in the past year is that all Major League baseball players take steroids because former baseball player Ken Caminiti said he did.
I feel bad for the Major Leaguers who never took steroids. Now they are branded because they play in a league where everyone is thought to be drug-enhanced pill-poppers.
Even here at Nicholls, there are stereotypes I have heard about student-athletes. Before one of my classes in the Spring 2003 semester, I was talking to a male who plays a University sponsored sport. While we were talking, another person walks up to the student-athlete and asks him, “When you going to let me borrow that crack pipe that you and your teammates are hitting.”
Although the student-athlete did not punch this person to the next millennium, he did let him know in a strict tone that he never smoked anything and that he attends church every Sunday.
Personally, I have always hated negative stereotypes. It is wrong to judge someone else by the life another person live. In the world of sports, it is getting way out of hand.