The Blade
Runner, Oscar Pistorius, was one of my favorite athletes. He is a track star
who made history by becoming the first double leg amputee athlete to ever
compete in the Olympics. A man worthy of being called a sports hero, right?
Perhaps not. In case you haven’t
heard, Pistorius has been in the news a lot lately because of the ongoing trial
in which he is being charged for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend. On
Valentine’s Day of last year, Pistorius fatally shot Reeva Steenkamp. However, Oscar
claims that the murder of Steenkamp was “a tragic error” and that he “mistook
her for an intruder” (CNN article). Nonetheless,
things are not looking too great for Oscar right now. If he is found guilty,
Pistorius will join a long list of professional athletes who have been found
guilty of committing murder or other serious crimes.
For example, the percentage of
players in the NFL with criminal records is alarmingly high (football is by far
the most popular sport in America, according to the Harris Poll). In Pros and Cons: The
criminals who play in the NFL, a book written by Jeff Benedict and Don Yaeger, it is
revealed that 21 percent of NFL players have been arrested or charged for
felonies. In addition, here a list of the NFLers who have been arrested in the
past four months (list taken from the NFL Arrests Database).
As you can
see, these pro athletes, the idols of so many young Americans, are commonly
charged with serious crimes. As professional athletes, I would argue that they
have an increased responsibility to behave in a respectable and responsible
manner. As the stars of America’s favorite sport, they are highly visible and
attract a lot of attention. Because of this, it is that much more important for
them to set a good example. They have the privilege of being famous, and with
that privilege comes responsibility. They need to give back to their fans by being
good role models. Yet, clearly, many of them are doing just the opposite.
What do you
think? What, if anything, should be done to rectify this issue? Perhaps a
system of league punishments…?
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