Trouble in Sports

Why is there so much trouble in sports? Why is it that whenever I turn on the TV to watch sportscenter, some athlete has been doing something illegal? When is it going to stop?

The mind of an athlete is a curious one indeed. They are gifted with some of the greatest talent in the world, they do things that some can’t even imagine doing, and yet they do stupid things. I turn on the TV to check the scores of some basketball games. I watch for literally 3 minutes, I learn 3 things. One, Alex Rodriguez did steroids. Two, Terrell Owens is causeing trouble for the Cowboys. Three, Manny Ramirez wants more money from Dodgers before he signs a new contract. Three of the biggest stars in sports, three people that I greatly respected, being stupid and making bad decisions. Its seems like everyday someone wants a bigger contract, or is getting shot, or shooting someone. It’s getting to the point where the storylines just don’t end. I do not understand why these people do not see what they have and realize that they cant be stupid.

A few weeks ago, I was watching Sportscenter. All the talk was about Terrell Owens, Alex Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez. So much of the show was on those three, that stories were somewhat ignored. The same week, Marvin Harrison asked for his release from the Colts. I did not understand why this was not getting coverage. Sure he is on the downside of his career, and he is coming off one of the worst seasons he has ever had, but still he is one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He has been one of the most unspoken players in the league. He is a big star, an all pro, a first ballot hall of famer, and yet he doesn’t do interviews, press conferences. He doesn’t trash talk or cause trouble; he just goes along being great. And now he is asking for his release, from the only team he has ever been on, and it’s not a big story. That’s what I mean. Sure Terrell Owens, Alex Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez are most interesting, but hasn’t Marvin Harrison done enough to be a top story?

Baseball and steroids. The two words are now forever connected. Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clements, and many more have been exposed and/or alleged steroid users. Whose fault is this? The players? The coaches? The owners? The Commissioner? Is it even possible to put the blame on one group? I think that it is a combination of all of them. The players are always going to look for a competitive edge. The players want to be the best of the best, and if certain steroids or types of HGH aren’t “banned” then I don’t blame them for taking them, I would do the same. If the coaches knew that this was going on then they should have confronted the players about it, and not pretend it didn’t happen. The coaches should have spoken up then, not years later when information starts to surface.

That is another issue. I wish that athletes would step up and admit that they did something wrong. Not admitting you mistake, but instead denying it, makes it a million times worse when you are caught. The only person, whom I can think of, that went above and beyond to prove they were innocent was Bo Jackson. Bo Jackson was a great NFL running back, as well as a great MLB outfielder. When people questioned whether Bo Jackson did steroids, Jackson sued the man and took him to court. The man then retracted his comments, and the charges were dropped. Actions like that show that this is something that athletes find offensive, and if someone really is innocent, then they should stand up and take some action to stop the rumors. And if actions like that are not taken then I would say that it would be safe to assume that the person is guilty.

The media also must stop provoke the athletes. The media always takes statements, twists them around and makes a story out of it. I know that it is their job to find stories, but they do not need to make stories. Terrell Owens is very emotional; he speaks his mind and lets people know what he thinks. The media does not need to make Owens look like the bad guy. There is no reason why the media needs to provoke teams and athletes into doing something.

What’s going to happen in 10 years? Are all sports athletes going to join Michael Vick and Adam “Pacman” Jones in jail? Are children not going to have heroes and idols to look up to? Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Shaq, aren’t going to be around forever. The young athletes must change the landscape, and set a good example for the children that will model themselves after the sports heroes of tomorrow. And hopefully they will grow up to make this world a better place all together.