Why Josh Howard's Marijuana Confession Makes Him a Good Role Model

"I was raised on being truthful and honest with myself and my family, so I can say it with no problems and go out there and perform to the best of my abilities tonight and not even think about it."

I read this quote late Friday afternoon as the controversy took shape.  Am I the only one who got in Josh Howard's corner right then and there?

Let's just take this all in for a second: League officials and/or Josh Howard's PR guru want him to recognize that he's a role model for children.  They want America to think of him as an honest, decent man—a walking endorsement for the NBA.

So instead of encouraging him to discuss his life as an athlete, his values as a person, and his opinion on a controversial league issue, they instead coerce him into telling a bald-faced lie so that parents across the nation can kid themselves into thinking that their children are now safe from danger.

Josh Howard 1, League Officials 0, American Public -10.

We all know that Josh Howard isn't sorry for what he said.  Nor should he be.

I could go on a rant about how the league has no business testing for marijuana in the first place, as it's a drug that if anything decreases performance on the court.

But I won't.

Instead, what I'll say is this: Josh Howard ought to follow his instincts more frequently.

During a time when multiple professional athletes are being investigated for lying under oath, an honest guy like Josh Howard is a breath of fresh air.

I don't know Josh Howard personally and I'm not pretending to vouch for his character.  But I do know that he conducted himself in a classy manner in this instance—well before he read that pre-typed apology. 

You may or may not agree with Josh Howard's fondness for puffing the whacky tobaccy—that's your choice as an American.  Josh Howard's an American just like you, and as such has the ability to make his own choices as well. 

He chose to smoke marijuana, knowing the potential legal and health risks in play.  He also made the choice to talk about this fact publicly, and as such will have to live with the consequences.

But like any prideful person, Josh Howard isn't afraid of who he is and will always opt for the truth when in doubt.  That in itself is an admirable characteristic that every athlete—and more importantly, every role model—ought to follow.

For a second there, we didn't just have another athlete trying to win favor with the media and fans.  Rather, we had a shining example of a young man who demonstrated the characteristics we as people value in each other as human beings—dignity, honesty, and imperfection.

If we as a society could embrace these values in our athletes rather than clinging to sugar-coated idealism, perhaps Josh Howard could show his true colors more often.  Instead, he's being taught that his public image and the league's opinion of him are more important than telling the truth.

That surely isn't the message we want to send to our children.  Perhaps next time around, we should allow Josh Howard to decide for himself what a good role model really is.  

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