Rose Vs. Pacman: What's wrong with sports today?

The great Sir Charles Barkley once said, "I don't believe professional athletes should be role models. I believe parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids. Parents have to take better control."

But just recently Adam "Pacman" Jones was reinstated by the NFL after his seventeen month suspension due to his off-field conduct which has included 10 incidents where he was interviewed by police. His most recent run in with the law took place in Las Vegas in February.

Las Vegas police have recommended felony and misdemeanor charges against Jones after a fight and shooting at a strip club that left one man paralyzed.

Chris Henry has had his share of trouble with the law, and has been arrested and accused of drunken driving, speeding, assault on a teenager, providing alcohol to minors, marijuana possession, driving without a valid license, gun charges including concealment and aggravated assault with a firearm, and possible sex charges in a hotel room.

Yet Henry gets to play every Sunday and keep making millions because the Cincinnati Bengals couldn't stick with their punishment after releasing him and re-signed the 25 year-old receiver.

However, former Cincinnati Reds star and manager Pete Rose admitted to betting on baseball while playing for and managing the Reds. Rose claims he never bet against the Reds while playing for them.

Rose received a lifetime ban from the game of baseball and was never inducted into the Hall of Fame despite holding major league records for most career hits (4,256), Most career at-bats (14,053), games played (3,562), seasons with 200 or more hits (10), consecutive seasons with 100 or more hits (23). He also holds National League records in career runs (2,165), and career doubles (746).

Rose is arguably the greatest hitter of all-time and deserves to be in the MLB Hall of Fame. If players such as Pacman and Henry can play and have the potential to make their Hall of Fame, then why can't Rose.

Players such as Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire will someday reach the Hall of Fame because of their numbers even though they tarnished the game of baseball by using steroids to enhance their abilities.

Rose bet on his team, so if anything that would make him play even harder. I'm not saying what Rose did wasn't wrong, but if we are giving second chances to players such as Andy Pettite who admitted to using human growth hormones (HGH) while playing and not to Rose, then something is wrong with sports.

I agree with Barkley that players shouldn't be punished because they're supposed to be role models, but what kind of example are we setting if a player can shoot up a night club and still play, while one of the greatest players ever has to live out the rest of his life without receiving the rewards he deserves.