The Other Side of the Athlete: How we should judge them

          When the Atlanta Falcons picked Michael Vick with the first pick of the 2001 NFL entry draft, owner Arthur Bank reportedly boasted that Vick will be the face of the franchise for at least a decade. Turns out he was right for six years. Before Michael Vick was shipped off to jail, he has been considered by many to be the best QB in the NFL in terms of his mobility and leadership. He was especially role-modeled in the black communities, where kids look up to him as an example. He was even on the cover of EA Sport's Madden NFL 04. When news broke out that he was running a dog fighting ring, people's attitude towards him changed faster than lightning. Once considered to be a exemplary role model, he was immediately labeled as a monster, an idiot, a thug and other names that you must all heard said.

       This has become the staple of athletes nowadays. They just can not seem to keep their private lives away from the stat sheet. Reading about the indictment of Willie Clark, the accused in the murder trial of Darrent Williams, it makes me wonder; are we right to judge an athlete on all scales of their lives? Should we just criticize them on their performance instead of where they go at 2 o'clock in the morning? Are athletes now becoming the new celebrities? Certainly, a large percentage of athletes in all major leagues have come under fire once or twice during their career for something they've said or done, even when ordinary Joes are doing it as we speak. I'm sure all of you have heard of Pacman Jones and all his troubles. Just recently, he's been fighting with his bodyguard. Think about it for a moment, if one of us were to fight with our bodyguard or friends, will it be such a big deal? When we joke around with our friends behind closed doors about politics, will the reaction be different if Terell Owens were there instead of John Smith cracking us up with jokes about the Iraqi War? Will we perceive Mr. Owens as insensitive and make him apologize? Definitely, it's hard for athletes to speak their mind and cover up their life when everything they say has to be taken offically. They have become a whole row of monotonous robots all chanting the same thing in fear of being fined or suspended. This is what the world of sports has become. Is it right? Maybe, maybe not. But that is what it has become.

        This brings me to my next question. Should athletes have to be role models? Certainly, some of them are exceptional role models, but should they be? One might argue that with all the money they're making, the least they can do is to be civilized citizens that dont look like gangbangers and thugs. But should their lives be constantly under the microscope? When Darrent Williams was murdered, many people wanted to execute whomever was responsible, even those who was opposed capital punishment before. The influence of an athlete is so great that we can not keep our views straight. If some ordinary person was murdered by a gangmember, we'd probably say "oh well, tough luck. Shows what happens when gangs rule the streets." I am in NO way defending the murderer, but let us think; has  athletes greatly impaired our sense of logic and perspective? Should they? Many "great" athletes have sunk greatly in the eyes of the public for matters off the field. Athletes like Travis Henry, Lawrence Philips, Maurice Clarett, Michael Irving, etc. Are athletes truly heros? They certainly are in some people's eyes.

        In the end, an athlete's life is our life. I remember I cried when Williams was shot, and when Everett was carted off the field. Whether we want it or not, they connect us, and make us feel closer to them even when we're not. Maybe that's what fans are. When an athlete does something wrong, we feel it's our responsiblity to blame, to criticize. Athletes have a high social status that the rest of us, so they should be examined more carefully, right? We'd obviously like to think so.

Please think about the questions i've asked, and feel free to discuss and comment. After all, as fans, that IS our responsibility, isn't it?