Athletes: You Are Placed on a Pedestal, Now Act Like It!

If 2009 taught us anything, we learned that more and more athletes continue to make decisions which jeopardize their careers and their image to the public.

For years we, as fans, have seen many promising athletes make decisions that affect the rest of their lives, and all of these decisions could be easily avoided.

Some of the eyebrow raising incidents of 2009 include:

·         Most recently, we had two teammates pull guns on each other in their very own team locker room. If I was a part of the Washington Wizards organization, I would be looking for a way out.

·         Three Tennessee football players were charged with armed robbery and possession of marijuana after robbing two citizens in a gas station parking lot.

·         Four Tennessee basketball players were pulled over and charged with misdemeanor gun and drug charges after two guns and drugs were found inside the vehicle, one of which had the serial number scratched off. Both guns were accessible by the players sitting in the front seats and back seats.

·         Emanuel "Tiki" Mayben, star of Binghamton University's Men's Basketball team, was arrested and charged with two-counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony. He was then dismissed from the team; a team he led to a berth into the NCAA Tournament in March of 2009.

·         Plaxico Burress was sentenced to a prison term for his stellar nightclub shooting performance in late 2008.

·         Tiger Woods' has forever tainted his image due to his "indiscretions" with (and the list is still growing, however, how many to be sure we will never know) countless women. His wife and children have since been thrown to the media wolves due to Woods' worldwide fame.

·         In March of 2009, Donte Stallworth was convicted of DUI manslaughter when he hit and killed a pedestrian in Miami. He was suspended for the 2009 season and served only 24 days in prison.

It seems as the year’s progress, athletes on every level of competition continue to make questionable decision and not learn from peers' mistakes. It is a shame to see so many talented athletes throw their careers' away due to situations they can easily avoid.

As a college athlete, I can say that when you play a sport, you represent not only yourself, but your school, team, organization, etc. The decisions you make not only have repercussions on yourself, but those who surround you.

Athletes that make such terrible decisions are selfish, and they are not only hurting themselves but everyone around them.

For example, the recent situation in the Wizardss' locker room has shaken the NBA to its core. Every player has been asked about the situation and how it may apply to them. All because two players had to settle a bet? The league should toss these two thugs out on the street and tell them not to come back until they can handle situations like a mature adult.

It all comes down to the fact that many athletes have attention, money, whatever it may be, and they believe they are untouchable. This can apply to any athlete on any level.

You have high school kids who are absolute stars on their respected teams acting like criminals and, for lack of a better word, idiots. You have the same thing going on in college and it is very apparent in the professional ranks.

It is sad to see that these bad seeds are taking away from those who go about their business and are also productive citizens within the community.

Many young fans look up to athletes on any level as role models. When I was young, I looked up to a local high school football star; however, he went through a string of off the field issues that continued for a long time. As the year’s progress and I grew older, I saw he was no role model to anyone, and some athletes should never be role models to anyone.

But the fact of the matter is many people look up to these athletes, especially children.

What kind of example have these athletes from the University of Tennessee and the Washington Wizards organization set for the kids that look up to them?  

Yes athletes are human, and, of course, humans make mistakes. Everyone who has ever walked this Earth has something they are not proud of. But to athletes on any level, you are being watched. Every move you make is being recorded, it is being documented, and you are constantly being judged.

It seems like athletes are being mass produced, making sports in general one big revolving door. And it seems that athletes that make these blunders are being tossed out the door, while another comes in.

It is time they realized it, and put all of the nonsense to an end. It is unnecessary and it is upsetting to see so many athletes headed down paths with dead ends.

Any participant in athletics has to realize what kind of attention is on them, and they need to begin to act accordingly. If not, they are taking many down with them, and they will be replaced without any sympathy from those who are watching.