Athletes as Role Models

Most people who know me are aware that I am an avid football fan and follow the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Vikings very close.  Fortunately the Hawks had a great season and came home with their first BCS Championship.  Unfortunately the Vikings came up one game short (that's okay, we always have next year!)

Anyway, I digress.  The point I want to share with you today is the impact that athletes have on our young people.  Often times they are looked up to as role models.  The problem is that our athlete role models typically fall short of our expectations.  The latest athlete to fall from grace was the great Tiger Woods, which was just one more in the long line of people that, sadly have not lived up to expectations.

It seems like a pretty regular occurrence these days, whenever an athlete is arrested for domestic violence, disorderly conduct, or even possession of a firearm in the locker room; as a society we don't even bat an eye.  It is almost as if the expectation for athletes is that they perform well in competition, and what ever happens outside the arena is acceptable.  Well, not acceptable but the 'norm', and it doesn't get a whole lot of press.

What is shocking is that the positive athletic roles models we do have get very little press for their good deeds, or the good they do is seen as abnormal or even offensive.  Take, for example Tim Tebow, the quarterback for the Florida Gators (for the record, I am not a Florida fan).  If you haven't heard, Tebow is being featured in a 30 second pro-life add during the Superbowl.  According to Catholic Online, Tebow is receiving criticism from many pro-choice groups stating that the Super Bowl is no place for this type of debate.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!

Last week, Tebow 'shocked' the media during an SEC media conference when he told reporters that he was saving himself for marriage.  Tebow makes no apologies for his faith and says that people will just have to deal with it.  He enters the NFL draft this year, and there is speculation from some that this could hurt his career.  I don't know what kind of quarterback Tim Tebow will be in the NFL, if you listen to the pundits it is not promising.  I can tell you this, I would be proud of the Vikings if they drafted Tebow.  I think they will probably be looking for a quarterback next year!