Joseph Randle, Adrian Peterson, and Ray Rice: Athletes Gone Bad – But Are They Really?
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By Debbie Edwards
Adrian Peterson. Ray Rice. Ben Roethlisberger. Darren Sharper. Joseph Randle. Ray McDonald. The aforementioned athletes/former athletes have been implicated in wrong doings that could have or could potentially have landed them in prison. Whether the accusations were a misdemeanor, such as stealing cologne or underwear, or a felony, such as rape, child abuse, or domestic violence, there has certainly been a trend of athletes behaving badly. But is this really the case? Or is it that society’s expectations are higher of athletes, a hero worship of sorts, and disappointment occurs when they fail to live up to those standards?
According to a 2014 report published by the National Research Council, 1/4 of the world’s prisoners are confined in the United States of America. If we paralleled that number to the 1696 active football players in the National Football League, 424 players in the NFL would be incarcerated. And if we compared the nearly 1% of all adults in the United States that were incarcerated at the end of 2011 (US Bureau of Justice statistic) to 1 percent of active football players (roughly 17 players), the NFL still has less of an issue with crime than the United States does. Clearly, the numbers of athletes having brushes with the law is less than everyday citizens who are. So why does the sound of an athlete getting in trouble with the law resonate so loudly with the average fan?
Fan is defined as a person who is enthusiastically devoted to something. The word was derived from fanatic, which suggests an extreme enthusiasm or zeal for something. A lot of emotion is involved in being a fan, and it spills over from competitive games or matches into life. A fan cringes when his favorite quarterback throws interceptions. The disgust is heightened tenfold when a player or players bring disgrace to an organization by being arrested and charged with theft, rape, domestic violence and the like. The degree of disappointment is, for various reasons, greater when our favorite football player is accused of stealing cologne and boxers from a department store when his base salary is close to $500K. It is unfathomable. Superman on Sunday but a common thief on Friday? America cringed when we saw the video of a star running back coldly knocking out cold his then fiancé . The game savior on Sunday a savage Saturday night? It defies logic.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment comes from what we perceive as wasted talent. For a person to perform at the level that many pro athletes do is truly a gift. Many athletes have managed to rise above difficult situations in their personal lives to financial reward, fame, and success. Yet, the trappings of life seem to ensnare some of them. What we as fans need to remember is to keep things in perspective. Just as narcissists, bipolar, histrionic, or individuals with unresolved anger issues live and work with us, they also exist in sports. And while sports may be a temporary break from our day to day, mundane activities, we must remember that regardless of the game winning tackles, circus catches, or passes between the numbers on a jersey, athletes are human too.
Yes, some athletes are behaving badly. And yes, some in our society are behaving badly too. Regardless of where we see this behavior, we need to take a stand against it. Our society is a civilized one. When anyone acts contrary to this, they must be held accountable, regardless of what their role is.