It’s an age-old argument: Should pro athletes be expected to act as role models for young sports fanatics? I believe Chuck said it best in ’93, “I’m not a role model. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”
"Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids."
This past weekend, four-time Pro Bowler and Dancing with the Stars 2011 winner Hines Ward was charged for DUI in DeKalb county Georgia. Representatives for Ward deny that the Steelers Wide Receiver was under the influence and offered an apology from Ward to his fans for the distraction. In my opinion, any distraction from this lockout is welcomed if it is going to remind us that there are still football players out there and the NFL wasn’t just some perfect entity I dreamed up on Sundays. But that’s for another day. After the news of the arrest, sportscasters began to question whether or not Ward’s legacy as a pro football player had been tarnished. To me, this is ludicrous. Hines Ward is not only a pro football player, but he is, believe it or not, a human being. Yes, pro athletes are human beings just like you and me. Continue reading
