Athletes & Ethics
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Traditionally, professional athletes were role models both on and off the playing field and court. A true passion for the game being played was the defining characteristic of the majority of players, despite the occasional off-field antics of immortals like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. Still, compared with today’s violence, lack of loyalty, erosion of morality, and increasingly self-interested behavior in professional athletes, athletes of yesteryear remind us of the days when players like Jim Brown and Gayle Sayers were role models on and off the field. As James Michener (195) relates in his Sports In America, it was easy for millions of youth to identify with figures like these because they had not only athletic talent and financial success but also the respect of an entire nation “It would be reasonable for any young black to dream of being a Willie Mays or a Jim Brown or a Bill Russell, for these extraordinary men had not only the approbation of an entire society but also a financial success which should keep them solvent for the rest of their lives.”When athletes like Gayle Sayers played the game of football, players were loyal to their teams but they also recognized the importance of promoting morality and right conduct off the field. They recognized their impact on society at large and young people “It required more than physical superiority for a Bill Russell or a Gayle Sayers to excel” (Michener
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ing off in the media at fellow players, his teams, and anything else he can comment on negatively. He is a perfect example of the lack of team community generated by today’s high-priced, celebrity athletes. Keyshawn demonstrates how the increased media focus on athletes leads to a celebrity status and bad-boy behavior like Keyshawn caught on tape a few weeks earlier this season “making an obscene gesture at a cameraman during practice” (Cummings 1). In comparison, those like Michael Johnson who seldom run afoul of morality, act unethically, or get themselves involved with the law, are even more revered in an era when most professional athletes demonstrate an appalling lack of right conduct on and off the field “In this day of spoiled millionaire athletes who sulk at perceived slights, throttle their coaches, and get nabbed doing drugs or worse, Michael’s exemplary attitude and behavior were not small things. Millions of kids looked up to him” (Weiner 1).
IV. Impact on External Community
The impact on the external community has been negative when it comes to the erosion of morals and ethical behavior by professional athletes. Pro athletes routinely ignore fans who come early to games, refuse to sign autographs, treat fans as
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2286
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)
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