quote:Originally posted by coach2709:
I think cabbagedad has made a great post on this. Overall I think the vast majority of athletes in all sports are the role model we would want from them. They show up for work, do their job, pay their bills, love their families and we never hear one single solitary thing about it due to the media. But we will definitely hear about John Rocker and his ignorant racist filled comments and him justify it by saying it's free speech and that's how he was raised. We will hear about Dennis Rodman and see him dolled up in a wedding dress acting like a freak show once again justifying it that's who he is.
Good parents (and being in education I'm starting to think this might be an endangered species) are smart enough to tell their kids "hey this guy is who you should model your game after. He hustles everything out, his teammates love him and he shows up everyday". Nothing wrong with kids mimicing playing styles because I tell my guys all the time to mimic a Dustin Pedroia or a Peyton Manning because they do their job to the best of their ability. Let them see mom and dad do their job at home by loving each other and going to work everyday and sacrificing their wants and needs in favor of the kids. Yeah your kids are going to ask about the freaks and idiots but instead of saying their bad and don't do it - teach them why they are bad role models (and sometimes people). You do that and your kids will figure out what to do and what not to do.
John Rocker and Dennis Rodman stayed true to themselves and what they believe in, and I can't say how much respect I have for that.
"We never hear one single solitary thing about it due to the media" is very true. They feed on anything scandalous, athletes' mistakes (they are human too!), and blow things out of proportion. But with the materialistic society we live in, people automatically buy into most of the **** that the media puts out there... even leading some kids like myself to blindly look up to someone for the wrong reasons.