Athletes as role models?
...a result, fans, the general public, and athletes themselves have begun to question the price of the sports-money game" (Judson 13). Another side of money and sports is the amount of money spent on athletics on the non-Professional level. Odessa-Permian High School is well known for their high school football team and their long string of state championships. The town built a new 19,032 seat stadium at the cost of $5.6 million. A full-time caretaker even lives on the premises. This seems to be taking amateur athletics to a new level. Ken Griffey Jr., who many people consider the best baseball player today, could have had the most lucrative monetary baseball package of all times. Instead, he shocked the sports world and accepted a contract much less than he could have easily gotten, because he wanted to play for Cincinnati, where his father is a coach. Griffey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team because he simply wanted to play ball under his dad. Griffey’s acceptance of a lower salary may help put an end to sky-rocketing salaries for athletes. According to Tim Cowlishaw, "This wasn’t about the money, it was about a dream a kid had of playing for his dad in a town where he first learned to love the game" (B5). Ken Griffey Jr. emerges as a hero. "Athletic heroes were held by our society as role models, and yet the best models were hidden away" (Aaseng vii). Cal Ripkin Jr., of the Baltimore Orioles, is an example of someone with a great work ethic. He played a record of 2000 games in a row. When asking about his long playing streak, he simply stated that his team members expected him to be there. Lack of education also hurts the images of athletes. Blue chip athletes can receive a four-year college scholarship that includes free room and board, tuition, food, and many fees. Surprisingly though, many college athletes have never finished their degrees, so when their days in professional sports are over, they don’t have their education to fall back on for a career. Athletes usually don’t graduate at the same rate as non-athletes. In fact, John Thornton, the Assistant Athletic Director at Texas A&M University, says "their athletes graduate at a rate of approximately 17% less than the conventional student" (Thornton 1). The grueling practice schedule of most athletes very often keeps them out of the classroom. Luckily though, athletes have more opportunities to receive free academic help than other students. "This special status gives a sense of false security because in the long run, academics and vocational success depends on a young person’s ability to take responsibility on himself" (Funk 34). For years people have speculated that college athletes received perks on the side–everything from cash, jewelry, and cars to loans and great summer jobs. Until recently, college athletes even had their own dorm, complete with a kitchen and dining hall. To stay within the law, colleges now build athletic complexes with every modern convenience imaginable, just for their athletes to use. Most athletes refuse to ever speak to this side of amateur sports, so it is difficult to know how often these perks really do happen. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is supposed to monitor these infractions, but since the numbers are not declining, something must be wrong. Author Andrew Zimbalist contends "There are too many boosters, too many athletes, and too many venues for the NCAA to police" (Zimbalist 46). It all boils down to amateur athletes being offered cash payments for athletic services. Proposals are being sent to the NCAA aiming to regain control of academics by several universities. "Determined to clean their campuses of what they say is corruption caused by big money in college athletics, some academics and administrators are moving to take back their classrooms" (Branom A3). Even when all of the evidence comes to light, athletes are still seen as role models. The alumni and hometown crowds manage to overlook the shortcomings, especially on a winning team, even if illegal payments are brought to light. A home game is good for the local economy, because it brings in the fans that book hotel rooms, eat at local restaurants, buy souvenirs and purchase gas for the trip home. A winning team also sells more tickets to the home games. During a winning season, a university has the opportunity for their games to be televised either locally or nationally. This can produce large revenues for both schools playing. It also produced a lot of publicity for the players. Bowl games were started in the 1930's to help produce tourism in the host city. Minor bowl games don’t generate much money for either team, but the Alliance Bowls, with a television contract, can produce revenues in excess of $100 million for the conference. With the recent arrest of a Baylor basketball player for murder, many people think that all athletes are bad. The stereotype is thought to be more violent than non-athletes, with football and basketball players being worse than other athletes. "Nothing could be further from the truth", states Kevin Blackistone, but "...there are people who will syllogize and reach that very conclusion" (Blackistone C1). Rae Carruth, of the Carolina Panthers, was arrested in late 1999 for the drive-by shooting of his pregnant girlfriend. Before his arrest, Carruth was described as friendly, reserved and somewhat mysterious. How did he end up in the trunk of a car hiding from the police? According to his mother, he seemed "more pressured about money and how much the baby was going to cost him" (Bamberger 2). Violent people do not come from any particular category or occupation. Before Super Bowl XXXIV was played, it was reported that the arrest rate of both team members combined was 11%. Athletes are still well below the national crime average, but it is still shocking. In April of 1999, the Baltimore Ravens football team started a seven-part lecture series for their players. They were taught topics ranging from personal conduct both on and off the field, male/female issues, and received drug counseling. Lew Lyon, a sports psychologist from Baltimore’s Good Samaritan Hospital reports that almost every week an NFL player is getting into some kind of trouble. "You’re talking about a person who has a high self-worth and a lot of money who is probably thinking ‘this won’t happen to me’" (Ginsburg B5). The National Convention Against Violent Athletes was formed in 1998 by Kathy Redmond, who was raped by a football player while in college. Unfortunately, athletes do have a higher incident of violence towards women. "Athletes’ popularity and prowess often make their teams unwillingness to hold them accoun...