who, made athletes role models?

...better than leaning on Tom Cruise...

I have never considered pro athletes as "role models". I am aware that many do but I could never understand why

My parents were my role models. I wanted to be like my dad. I hope that I have set good examples for my children. I have never understood this idea that you should want to be like someone you do not even know. I hope my children set good examples for their children and dont rely on someone else to be their role models.

Why athletes?

A kid loves a sport. Any sport. Because this is a baseball site, we'll say he loves baseball. Baseball becomes his passion. He will strive to be the best in baseball. He will follow baseball and pick the top athletes and want to be just like them. Why? Because they are the best at baseball- he wants to also.

Top athletes are being admired by kids who have the same dream they did 15 years earlier. I'm sure if someone wants to be a policeman and he sees a video of a heroic story involving a policeman, he'll say, "I want to be just like him."

I don’t care if its sports, movies, politics or whatever, the news media and the public love our stars and love to put them on a pedestal. Then for some strange reason are infatuated to watch them fall……weird!

When I was a kid, my hero was Mickey Mantle.


My dad was my dad, just a regular guy. Seemed like everyone had one. No big deal. At age 8 who would I rather be, my dad or Mickey? I wanted to wear pinstripes, not a suit.

I never heard of his off-field exploits until decades later. I don't know if it would have made a difference if I knew and could understand them then.

Who was your hero or fantasy wanna-be?

Role models are necessity of life and have been around since the first time someone looked up to another. It could have been the best hunter in your caveman clan, the SS of your favorite team, a business mogul, or your Dad. Regardless of who it is, they are benchmarks of where we set our goals. Unfortunately, there are some who's role model may be the leader of a gang, drug dealer, professional crook, or a gambler, and we see where they end up. It's human nature, and anyone who says they have no role model, has no dream or aspirations because role models drive those dreams .