Are Athletes Good Role Models?
The term role model is defined as “a person whose behavior, example,
or success is or can be emulated by others, especially younger people”. Growing up we all had that one athlete that
we really wanted to be. For me it was
Michael Jordan, I loved the way he flew around the court but what I loved most
about him, was that he always won. This was before the age of social media and
gossip bloggers. In reality we knew very
little about the men and women we worshipped.
Now with 24- hour news cycles and our sports obsessed culture we have
uncovered a horrible truth; athletes are not all good people. Some of them are actually horrible people,
who are just very physically talented. So this begs the questions, knowing all we know about athletes why do
we still see them as role models? Would
you want your future kids idolizing an athlete?
Athletes may have money, fame
and take up a significant amount of your screen time but underneath some of
their squeaky-clean images, the media finds ways to make good people villains.
For example, LeBron James is a great role model, but the media paints a totally
different picture. He grew up in a very rough neighborhood, to a single mother
but continued to chase his dream and is now giving his community something he
never had. But everything he does is
under such a small microscope, that he gets a bad reputation. A New
York Daily News article talks about how it has become a huge news story
that LeBron James un-followed the Cavaliers twitter account and has been sending
out ‘cryptic tweets’, supposedly about his teammates (Healy 2016). This is such a non-story, but because people
are so obsessed with LeBron, they make a big deal about every move he makes. This intense scrutiny has seen LeBron accused
of being a non devoted self-centered diva, who screwed his hometown and is the
reason his teams have issues and don’t win championships. This always made me wonder that if Michael
Jordan played in the same era as LeBron James, would he be viewed the same? In
retrospect, the “mistakes” LeBron has made to earn this reputation, pale in
comparison to his peers.
Another reason to question
athletes as role models is the culture of sport itself. When we turn on the TV to watch sports we are
not looking at a group of choirboys and girls. We know too well, cheating (in
both senses of the word), drug and alcohol abuse and violence are ingrained in
the culture of professional sports. From Ray Rice and Greg Hardy to Alex
Rodriguez and Lance Armstrong, once the golden boys of their sport are now
nothing more than pathetic, disgraced former stars (Mendes 2014). These athletes are prime examples of
physically gifted individuals who never deserved they fame they got. Meanwhile,
you have kids who are wearing their jerseys, buying their products and
emulating their styles. Is that really
something you want to be apart of or want your kids to be? This just further shows that athletes live a rock
star life that knows no true limit and because of their money and status, they
believe they can’t get in caught and if they do, they won’t get in trouble.
That’s also not
to say that some athletes can’t be great on and off the field. With the culture of sports and the lens the
media shows them through, this creates a perfect storm for athletes to be
viewed negatively. But for every stupid athlete there are many who are doing
great things. According to a Forbes article, when
Heavyweight Boxing Champion Lennox Lewis made a great contribution to young
people’s perception of what is embodied in true masculinity when he said on a
public service announcement that “Real Men Don’t Hit Women” (Steinberg 2013). There
are many great athletes who we should want our kids to be like, people who
break barriers and stand up for what is right while also succeeding in their
field. They may not be able to help your
kids through tough times but at least they are setting a good example of
something to strive toward. Are there
enough of these athletes in the business to outweigh the bad ones?
I think to answer this question you have to ask the athletes
themselves. Do
they view themselves as role models? The answer to this question comes from
none other than Charles Barkley (a
former NBA player and current NBA broadcaster) in a television ad proclaiming, “I am not a role model.” *see link at bottom*
In this commercial he emphasized that athletes’ ability to make baskets or catch touchdown passes has nothing to do with being a role model. That is, having sporting ability doesn’t automatically qualify a person to be a role model. Telling kids to look up to someone they can’t become, because not many people can be like we are (Smoll 2015). In an article by Todays Parent it says, “Barkley may have ruffled some feathers years ago, but he was accurate with his statements that athletes aren’t role models for children” (Mendes 2014). Rather, Barkley believed that’s a job for parents. I agree and would include teachers and coaches who spend a huge amount of time with kids and influence their upbringing and future success. Kids need to have role models they can interact with on a daily basis and have a meaningful relationship with (Steinberg 2013). This is why parents, teachers, coaches and other adults should be the primary role models in a young person’s life. The posters on the walls can’t talk back to kids and give them any meaningful tips on how to navigate life. The relationship between an athlete and their fans is skin-deep—limited to sound-bytes on television and carefully crafted PR images (Mendes 2014).
In this commercial he emphasized that athletes’ ability to make baskets or catch touchdown passes has nothing to do with being a role model. That is, having sporting ability doesn’t automatically qualify a person to be a role model. Telling kids to look up to someone they can’t become, because not many people can be like we are (Smoll 2015). In an article by Todays Parent it says, “Barkley may have ruffled some feathers years ago, but he was accurate with his statements that athletes aren’t role models for children” (Mendes 2014). Rather, Barkley believed that’s a job for parents. I agree and would include teachers and coaches who spend a huge amount of time with kids and influence their upbringing and future success. Kids need to have role models they can interact with on a daily basis and have a meaningful relationship with (Steinberg 2013). This is why parents, teachers, coaches and other adults should be the primary role models in a young person’s life. The posters on the walls can’t talk back to kids and give them any meaningful tips on how to navigate life. The relationship between an athlete and their fans is skin-deep—limited to sound-bytes on television and carefully crafted PR images (Mendes 2014).
Whether or not you think athletes are good role models, I think the
point is clear: athletes have an incredible opportunity to use their celebrity
power to positively influence the next generation, I just hope they make the
best of it.
Works
Cited:
Healy, John.
"LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web.
09 Apr. 2016.
Mendes, Ian. "Why
Athletes Should Never Be Role Models for Kids - Today's Parent." Todays
Parent. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Smoll, Frank. "Are
Athletes Good Role Models?" Psychology
Today. N.p., 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Steinberg, Leigh.
"Why Do We Make Athletes Role Models?" Forbes. Forbes
Magazine, 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.
Links:
I really enjoyed your post. This is often an interesting question that follows athletes and celebrities, the idea of being a “role-model.” There are definitely arguments to be made for both sides and you presented that information well. I have to agree with you that celebrities definitely have an amazing opportunity with the platform that they are given. Badenhausen says in his article, “the top 100 [athletes] earned a total of 3.2 billion over the last 12 months.” That is an incredible amount of money that can buy a lot of exposure. Not to mention how our world is more connected than ever with “the NFL and MLB have global ambitions” (Baudenhausen). However, I do believe that when it comes to the actual responsibility of “being” a role model to kids, that’s up to the parents. It’s not an athlete’s job to teach kids right from wrong. Athletes are just like employees to their teams. Their job is to win and to align themselves with their team’s image. What they do on their own time is their own business. If these athletes are going to aspire to be role models it should be for how to play the sport. Which would be to the best of their ability and fair. Sometimes this can be tricky because what happens when someone who was once considered to be the prodigy for their sport, turns out to not only be a bad person but also a liar.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Lance Armstrong has disgraced himself along with the entire sport of cycling after it came out in in 2013 that he was apart of the most sophisticated doping scandal within modern sports history. We later came to find out how the worst part about that whole scandal wasn’t the doping itself, but the venomous campaign he went on to deny it for years. He was willing to destroy people’s careers for the sake of saving his own name. He consciously lied repeatedly to the faces of millions. Granted, he did raise millions of dollars for cancer research with his Livestrong organization. This is where the question comes to play though. Do we discredit the massive amount of money he donated to cancer research because he based his entire success that gave him access to that platform, on a lie?
Armstrong is an extreme example of a “role-model” fallen from grace. And this is not to say that doing illegal things is to be accepted. When athletes break rules, there should be consequences. They should lose those endorsements and the respect that they once had. That’s how you teach kids about right and wrong. By showing that people who work hard and do the right thing are rewarded, and those who don’t are not. But I believe there will always be a grey line that we have to use our own discretion in defining. I would like to think that if anyone had access to incredible resources and platform to educate people that they would do the best with it. But athletes are people. They aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. If they do decide to take on the responsibility of being a role model I only hope they understand the responsibilities and consequences that come with it. I hope parents also teach their kids to be able to understand the difference between these athletes actions, both good and bad.
Work Cited
Baudenhausen, Kurt. “The Worlds Highest Paid Athletes 2015: Behind The Numbers.” Forbes. Web. 10 Jun. 2015.
Baudenhausen, Kurt. “Barcelona and Real Madrid Head The Most Popular Sports Teams On Social Media.” Forbes. Web. 15 Jul.2015.
Zach Caldicott
ReplyDeleteAthletes today have the incredible opportunity to be role models and influence the younger generation, but unfortunately, only a handful of them use their “power” in a positive way. When I was younger, my favorite athlete was New York Mets pitcher, David Wright. I wore his jersey, collected his baseball cards, and never missed a game that he was playing in. I considered him a role model and thankfully, he is a player who has gone through his career without any major issues
However, the one player that is a prime example of a role model is Derek Jeter. He showed us that it’s more than just a player’s performance on the field that determines what kind of person you are. In Entrepreneur magazine, there was an written by a die-hard Boston fan about what makes Jeter a true role model. The article, “Farewell Derek Jeter, a True Role Model and Leader” talks about the fact that a real role model is someone who is a success both on and off the field. In Jeter’s case, it wasn’t just that he had an amazing career, it was also the fact that he gave back to his community. Jeter was involved in many charities, including the Turn 2 Foundation which educates young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. According to the article, Jeter has a lot to brag about, but you never see him praising himself on social media (Fell). The opinion that an athlete has to have more than just athletic ability is what Charles Barkley spoke about more than 20 years ago in the 1993 Nike commercial “I am not a role model.”
Unfortunately, there are many great athletes who should be considered role models, but the media puts them under a microscope and finds the one minor thing that puts them in a negative light. According to a recent article in the New York Daily News, Lebron James unfollowed his current NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Twitter. Although this is so minor and trivial, it was made into a bigger deal than it should have been. The focus should be on his performance as well as all of the other great things he has done off the court in his community. James was asked about the “unfollow”, but the All-Star forward refused to answer, replying, "next question." (Healy). In my opinion, an athlete unfollowing his/her team on Twitter doesn’t require a media circus.
Before the emergence of the internet and social media, there were many athletes who were considered heroes despite their flaws off the field. Even though the public may have been aware of their faults, they just didn’t seem to find that information to be important and were more concerned with their athletic ability (Abrams). Mickey Mantle, for example, talked about his alcoholism and his wild partying days while he was a NY Yankee. After he retired, he admitted that he would show up to games hung over from the night before. However, he was loved by his fans and held up high on a pedestal. It was only his teammates and those close to him who really knew about his dark side because sportswriters back then did a good job of hiding that kind of information (Bowden).
As technology continues to grow, it will become harder and harder for athletes to keep their personal lives private and stay out of the media. Based on that, there will probably be fewer athletes who will be looked up to as true role models.
Work Cited
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Fell, Jason, “Farewell Derek Jeter, a True Role Model and Leader.” Entrepreneur. 24 Sept. 2014, Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Abrams, Roger, “The Athlete As Role Model.” Huffpost Sports, 23 Nov. 2014, Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Bowden, Mark, “Cancer Claims A Baseball Icon Loved By Millions.” Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 August 1995, Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Kevin Pollard
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that athletes have an incredible opportunity to provide children and young adults with someone to look up to. I myself have always been inspired by someone who recently has caused a stir about whether or not he actually is someone to look up to: Tom Brady. The New England Patriots quarterback has been praised for his success, persistent work ethic, and respectable family life. However, last year he found himself in the midst of a scandal where the NFL accused Brady of tampering with footballs during an AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Although his suspension was eventually overturned, many people still look at Brady with a questioning and accusatory eye over the controversy and the potential “cheating” that took place.
In my opinion, Brady is absolutely a great athlete to look up to. He prides himself on hard work, dedication to team and family, and playing the game the right way. His story is also one to admire, as he went from barely being drafted to winning a Super Bowl in just a few years. I myself questioned why the NFL would try so hard to tarnish Brady’s reputation when there was, in actuality, little to no evidence against him. The fact of the matter is the NFL is incredibly powerful. In an article from Yahoo Finance, the author places the NFL into two categories, one as “a massive corporation, versus the game of the players- which are completely separate things” (Subramanian). Another interesting element of this case is the fact that the New England Patriots are the sixth most valuable sports team in the world at 2.6 billion dollars (Badenhausen).
Overall, I feel like professional sports will always be a place where people have heroes. It is inevitable; sports are such a huge part of our culture, people can’t help but idolize their favorite players. However, as you mention in your post, it is up to parents and people close to the kids that are most influential in molding young people. Parents need to highlight the positive attributes of professional athletes (hard work, sacrifice, dedication, exercise) as the reasons why they should look up to them.
Works Cited
Badenhausen, Kurt. "The Worlds Most Valuable Sports Teams." Forbes. Forbes, 15 July 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Subramanian, Pras. ""Concussion" Director Reveals the Cold Business Side of the NFL." Yahoo Finance. Yahoo, 23 Dec. 2015. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
I’m personally not much of sports person, the only athlete I follow on social media is Tom Brady. I am actually a Patriots fan but Tom Brady is family goals, that’s literally the only reason I follow him. Based on just following him on Twitter I cant really tell if he’s a good role model or not, it’s not an account that I closely follow. I liked how you used the definition of a role model in your blog post; everyone though has very different reasons for someone being their role model.
ReplyDeleteFor me a role model is someone I look up too and want to be like but I don’t feel as though any celebrities or athletes are role models to me. I would think of celebrities to be more on an inspiration, someone who makes me want to be a better person or strive for my goals. Many celebrities and athletes work hard to get to where they are so that inspires me to be my best to get to where I want to be.
In the Forbes article, “Why do we make athletes role models?” They raise the question of if athletes should be held to such levels of conduct. My answer is no. Just like celebrities athletes are held to such high expectations and the general public is watching every move they make. Like you mentioned in your blog, because of the 24 hour news cycle reporters are forced to report on things that really aren’t news but shed bad light on people in the spotlight such as athletes. I don’t think we can expect just because someone is a good athlete that they are also a good person. We’re not all good people, we all make mistakes, lie, cheat and steal but we’re not all in the public eye.
I have to say I agree with the article on Todays Parent, parents should be role models and mine are. I’m not saying that athletes should be able to get away with whatever they want but some of the things they do, like LeBron unfollowing the Cavilers on Twitter, should not be news. Some athletes are good role models naturally but we have to look further into it. Some athletes are only involved in their community or doing good because it looks good, its what a publicist tells them to do. I’m not saying that all athletes do good things because of that, but it is why some of them do it.
Athletes didn’t get to where they are because they were good people; they got to where they were because they are good at what they do. Just like celebrities they are put under so much pressure to be what the public expects them to be. Athletes and celebrities shouldn’t change who they are to make the public like them. They should have to abide by all the same rules as regular people but they shouldn’t be held to higher standards than we are. So should they be role models? I don’t know I think that’s a difficult question and it depends who you ask but I personally agree with Charles Barkley, parents should be role models.
Works Cited:
Mendes, Ian. "Why Athletes Should Never Be Role Models for Kids –
Today's Parent." Todays Parent. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Steinberg, Leigh. "Why Do We Make Athletes Role Models?" Forbes.
Forbes Magazine, 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Based on the definition of a role model you have given in the beginning of your post I would say that anyone could be a role mode; whether you are a regular person of a famous athlete. But like you said when growing up kids look up to athletes in particular. Personally I never looked to an athlete as a role model, I usually looked towards singers or actresses for a role model. But it is extremely true that many young boys and girls look towards athletes to be a role model. When a kid is getting into sports it is important for them to have good examples to inspire them. Because of this it is extremely important for athletes at least in their public lives to uphold a good image.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned in the case of Charles Barkley and the statements he made as far as not being a role model and the video I think the whole thing is bullshit. When you go into a very public career whether you are an athlete or not; you should be aware that people are going to be looking up to you from that point on because you are in a very public position. Yes I understand Barkley did not become a professional basketball player to be a role model for young people he did it because he wanted to play basketball. But at the same time it comes with the territory that people will look to you as a role model.
In regard to the notion that for every athlete isn’t a great role model there are others who are doing great things. This is completely true, but I feel that athletes who are not great role models receive attention more so than athletes that are great role models. The cases in both Nick Young’s recorded conversation with D’Angelo Russell (Dwyer) and LeBron James unfollowing the Cavallers on twitter (Healy) are both great examples of this. These are both situations where an athlete who is a role models for young aspiring athletes gets a ton of attention and press for a negative situation.
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. N.p., 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Dwyer, Kelly. "Report: Lakers Angry at D'Angelo Russell for Taping Convo with Nick
Young." Yahoo Sports. N.p., 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Ben, your post was an interesting read. I’ve never really taken the time to compare sports athletes from today vs. 20 years ago, but your insight offers a really interesting perspective.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a “role model” should absolutely be a person that we can look up to, regularly interact with, and obtain meaningful advice from in order to truly be emulated by others. It only makes sense, right? Well, I don’t believe that will really change much moving forward. The problem with how America seems to define role models in this day and age is through success, fame, and fortune. Think about it: who wouldn’t want to actually someday be that star athlete that has it all?
Let’s take a look at the classic example of Tiger Woods. He’s arguably the best golfer in the world, has had multiple homes, multiple luxury vehicles – and despite his long-lasting marriage – has had multiple women along the way (Schoch). This scandal was perhaps one of the largest stories circulating through the media at the time, and the picture-perfect life we all envisioned him as having was soon beat to a pulp. My brother, captain of his high school golf team and now in college for PGA golf management, once looked up to Woods all throughout the 2000s. Whenever we purchased the newest Tiger Woods PGA Tour for Playstation, he would perch himself in front of the TV for hours on end. Let’s just say that ever since the scandal back in 2010 had painted him in disloyalty and distrust, he has now moved onto Rory McIlroy to look up to.
Social media and the extended amount of news coverage has redefined the way that we perceive people, and this goes beyond just celebrities and athletes. With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat readily available for fans to follow them on, their personal lives immediately pierce our lives through this little screen, revealing what happens off-camera within their personal lives. It makes me wonder: would Woods have been exposed earlier than he was via some sort of social media leak by him or one of these women?
We will begin to see a crossover between this newer outlet for personal publication and the traditional means of broadcasting, as NFL announced on April 5 that Thursday Night Football will soon be live-streamed across Twitter with hopes that, “the deal is seen as the first step in moving outside the traditional broadcast system and will help the sports league reach "cord cutters" without a cable or satellite subscription” (Urbain). This act of digital progression can then raise future questions: how long until professional athletes themselves will be able to publish their events live across their own personal accounts, like Twitter or Facebook? If this happens, what sorts of events may they choose to share with us, whether it be PR events or personal getaways with friends?
Whether you’re Lebron James, who shadily and arrogantly unfollowed his own basketball team’s account on Twitter (Healy), or D’Angelo Russell, who publicly exposed Nick Young’s infidelity with Iggy Azalia online (Dwyer), that behavior does not reflect that of a role model. Tiger Woods learned this the hard way, obviously. The younger generation needs to realize that role models are not the ones painted in the public eye, but are those who are actively beside us as we grow as individuals.
Works Cited
Dwyer, Kelly. "Report: Lakers Angry at D'Angelo Russell for Taping Convo with Nick Young."Yahoo Sports. Yahoo, 30 Mar. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016. .
Healy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016. .
Schoch, Josh. "20 Athletes We Wish Were Better Role Models." Bleacher Report. 9 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2016. .
Urbain, Thomas, and Rob Lever. "Twitter Wins Rights to Stream Thursday Night NFL Games."Yahoo Finance. Yahoo, 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016. .
(1/2) You bring up some great points about whether or not athletes are good role models in your blog. Whether they are good role models or bad role models, nonetheless they are role models to young kids and even adults. Of course, we would like them to be good role models, but as it seems, most of the time athletes are not good role models for kids. Growing up I never played sports leisurely on recreational teams after school, but was never a big sports fan to the point where I looked up to the pros. That's not to say I didn't have my fair share of bad role models. Just look at Britney Spears. She was probably the worst role model a five year old little girl could have between they way she dress and the lyrics to her songs like "Hit me baby one more time." My mom vividly remembers the day I came home from kindergarten and asked if I could get a "belly shirt." And yet, here I am 17 years later I turned out fine. However, I do see there being a difference between kids looking up to athletes vs most celebrities. The reason being, so many kids look up to professional athletes as role models, because so many kids play sports.
ReplyDeleteI think what we have to put into perspective is that athletes are just like any other people in that they have both a professional and personal life. And, quite frankly sometimes, actually a lot of the time, these two lives become meshed. This happens much more with athletes and other celebrities, due to the fact that their life are watched more and are constantly in the media and even more so now through social media. Take for example a teacher. A teacher could be a great role model for a child in the classroom with a pristine career and professional track record. Yet, they could have a personal life that depicts they are not the good role model they are in the classroom to their children. Since teachers are (usually) not famous, their personal lives, like our lives, are private, making them a good role model regardless of their personal life. While athletes could very well be fantastic role models for children on the court or in the field, the media gets too caught up in the personal lives. Athletes and celebrities have a very fine line between their professional career and personal lives and the media makes it non-existent anyway.
(2/2) It always seems to be that the athletes receive more press than the ones that do good. Then again, this seems to be the case in general with celebrities, public figures and politicians. Like you said the media always finds a way to make good people look like villains. For example, while LeBron James might be an excellent role model on the court, his childish acts and remarks on social media, don't portray him in such a way. A New York Daily News article notes LeBron un-followed the Cleveland Cavaliers on Twitter and posted "cryptic subtweets on social media" (Healy 2016). This reminds me all too much of Kanye's Twitter rant with Wiz Khalifa, both childish and unnecessary. However, the difference between the two cases, are that more kids look up to athletes like LeBron versus rappers like Kanye and Wiz, or rather I’d hope so. Instead of acting childish and inappropriate on social media and in the press, athletes could very well take advantage of their spotlight in a positive manner. I wonder how much athletes realize they are such big role models to children across the world. Maybe if athletes took this into perspective they would act differently. For example, in a Psychology Today article, the source brings up a good point that it is for athletes to be good role models they must “present himself or herself in a realistic and responsible manner—“I’m not a role model because I’m a superstar jock, but because I’m a great person.” The athlete also helps fans realize that he or she isn’t perfect”” (Smoll 2015). Using fame and stardom isn’t the reason athletes should be better role models. Athletes should be good role models, because they want to from the heart and want fans to know they are a good person for their children to look up to. If we had more athletes with this mindset, I believe athletes would make great role models for kids.
ReplyDeleteHealy, John. "LeBron James Unfollows Cavaliers on Twitter." NY Daily News. 22 Mar. 2016.
Smoll, Frank. "Are Athletes Good Role Models?" Psychology Today. 20 Apr. 2015.
Taylor Hoblitzell
ReplyDeleteI like that you have defined the term, role model, for us in your blog. I think that athletes are often simply grouped together under the title “role model” whether they are all deserving of the title or not. It is interesting that the definition reads “a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially younger people”. Two key points stick out to me here. The first point is that “behavior, example or success” is highlighted on its own. Nowhere does is read that a role model’s best behavior, or inspiring success, or positive example. Secondly, “especially younger people” admire role models. Meaning that whether or not a role model is making a good or bad example, younger people are looking up to them. And everyone is always watching. Athletes are elected as role models not because they have done some sort of humanitarian amazing task, but usually because they are the center of attention. This is something that many people look up to them for because they are so physically talented and gifted. Many people actually inspire to achieve what these great athletes have achieved.
You bring up a good point about role model athletes and the culture of sport itself. This culture involves cheating, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and violence. If you found an ordinary man who is not an athlete partaking in this behavior, a reasonable parent would never want their kid to look up to that type of behavior. Since 2001, Tiger Wood was the highest-paid athlete for 15 years. (Badenhausen) He made most of his money from endorsements, proving that not so nice athletes can still be role models. Especially in 2016, it is much easier for kids in society today to find means to watch their role model. With the growth of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, apps, and streaming services, kids can go anywhere to find out information about their favorite athlete. Within the past month, the NFL announced that Twitter would help them stream the 10 Thursday Night Football games. (Urbain)This is just one closer step to allowing kids to be able to reach their role models. Now, they are right at their fingertips.
We still see athletes as role models because at the end of the day, they still accomplish extraordinary tasks that regular men or women do not. They demonstrate great strength, endurance, and practice. While not all athletes are stable people who we should look up to, they are still people who have accomplished a great amount. This is why they are looked up to. If my future kids idolize an athlete, I hope it will be someone with genuine strength, talent, and respect for the game. However, I do not want my future children looking up to someone with an image as crippling as Tiger Woods’. The unfortunate part about this is that we never know who the crazy athletes getting into trouble are until they find themselves waist deep in the media trying to dig their way out of trouble.
Works Cited
Badenhausen, Kurt. "The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2015: Behind The Numbers." Forbes. N.p., 10 June 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.
Urbain, Thomas, and Rob Lever. "Twitter Wins Rights to Stream Thursday Night NFL Games." Yahoo Finance. N.p., 5 Apr. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.