What does it take to have adoration, fans, money and endorsements stripped from you? Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick and Sammy Sosa can definitely give the answer to this question, but it seems like an unprecedented amount of athletes are being added to this list of asterisks and shame in recent years.
The latest names to be added to the list of asterisks and shame are Alex Rodriguez and Michael Phelps. Two highly regarded young athletes in their prime lives changed at the release of a picture and the issuance of a statement. Although these individuals are human and will make mistakes like any other, the crimes they committed have the potential to tarnish an entire generation.
Before the steroid plague in Major League Baseball and illegal drug usage across the field of sports, Americans expected their poster boys to be exempt from such activities. In recent years star athletes have given fans a reason to be doubtful that monumental accomplishments were achieved as a result of pure skill. Making mistakes are human and should be forgiven as a result of the person being apologetic but the individuals who are in the limelight are held to a different standard. Even though human, these celebrities are thrown into the fire whenever the slightest mistake is made on their part and rightfully so.
When athletes such as Michael Phelps and A-Rod sign their names to lucrative contracts that will pay them millions in endorsements and salaries, they do much more than just add their name to a paper overloaded with contractual jargon. When they sign their names they become a role model.
According to Webster's Dictionary, a role model is defined as a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others. So this is the problem. When you have athletes who sign their names over to be role models to kids across the country as well as the entire world, the young fans are going to imitate all they see their role models portraying.
The mindset of kids who see picture of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana or see Alex Rodriguez admitting to using performance enhancing drugs is being tarnished with thoughts that these crimes are acceptable as long as an apology is issued shortly afterwards. The mentality of this generation, which believes in having a competitive edge at all cost and using illegal drugs in order to have a good time is acceptable, will carry over into the next generation if the actions of this generation are not changed.
How do we want America portrayed to the rest of the country? These athletes have certainly not been a role model according to Webster's definition or most of American's definition. Before signing their name to the dotted line, athletes should know exactly what they are getting into. Instead of being dazed by the money, fame and stardom, they should all be thinking about the effect they will have on the future.
