Athletes+are+role+Models

Athletes/role models/enhancing drugs Feb. 24, 2009 Michael Phelps- 8 Olymic gold medals for swimming- caught smoking marijana- 3 month suspended Kobe Bryant- #1 basketball jersey sells- accused of rape- courts dropped charges- did cheat on wife with teenage hotel employee Micahel Vick- football- sponsored by Coca-Cola, Nike, Kraft- now behind bars in federal prison for dog-fighting- judge said ï¿½I think you should have also apologized to the millions of young people who look up to you.ï¿½ Santonio Holmes- game winning catch in this years super bowl- marijana found in his car and domestic violence reports- public still idealizing him Tim Tebow - a Heisman Trophy and Championship winning quarterback who is also a Christian missionary. (Los Angeles Loyolan) Athletes are role models Humans learn by imitation - children look up to and mirror Choose a professional that puts oneself in the eyes of scrutiny (though, they do it in an athletic sense, not a private life sense) They can disappoint people: "Kobe Bryant was the only thing little Billy believed in. Now he's lost all hopes and dreams" They give people hope, something to believe in and look forward to... something to worship They have their own posters! Athletes are humans can't hold them to such high standards - unfair Drugs during competition bad- on off time or for celebration, normal human qualities Role Models in the Athletic sense, Other Role Models (President, Models, anyone else famous) don't get such hard criticism in regaurds to drugs, some (like authors) even get accreditted more model of the specific role of the athlete, that we should judge our professional athletes; we can model them after their swing/shoot/backstoke/passing because that is their role in fame(The Sports Law Professor, blog) Public should think it right to spy on some people to then hold them to values society doesn't even live up to(The Sports Law Professor, blog) Drugs and Sports is fine What constitutes as a drug? Steroids vs. Protein Powder or Caffeine or alcohol or gatorade, etc Drugs to enhance performance - better for team and wins To help give them Energy from all their exercise - probably tiring Have stopped doing them while actually playing (once: baseball players drank beer while playing, basketball players did cocaine before tip-off, etc) Drugs in Sports is bad Again, good role model, kids will to drugs Unfair competition; gives them an advantage Drugs aren't healthy, bad for body = bad for game - should eat fruits and vegetables Sponsorships and Contracts- damage to body damage to what is being sponsored