In one of the more poignant sports commercials of all time, Charles Barkley told America that he was not a role model. Of course, Chuck was just trying to sell some shoes in the process but his point resonates to this day. Athletes are not role models. At least they haven’t been lately. Barkley continued that parents should be role models, grown-ups who have far more hands-on time (or at least should) in their child’s development and not some guy who dribbles a basketball or runs in touchdowns for a living. To this day, we lionize athletes because they do what we can’t but have always wanted to. We watch their every game, wear their jerseys, spend our money on tickets to see them and put our lives on hold when they take the field of play. Don’t believe me? Walk into any classroom, office or watering hole on Monday and see how many people are talking about what happened on the football field only twenty-four hours beforehand. More at: http://sportschump.net/2014/09/13/rethinking-modern-athletes-place-society/14391/
back in the day when children were behaving, athletes were role models. they actually gave a crap about the youth. now most are just wanting that cash money. kids see athletes acting a fool so they will emulate them.
