With the start of this year’s baseball season, I found myself desperate for a season without drug, violence or crime scandals. These past few years have seen more than their fair share of fallen idols and horrific tragedies. Memories of a champion bicyclist who took on mountains, both physical and metaphorical, are now replaced with tales of a man who would stop at nothing to win. A sprinter who decided disabilities wouldn’t stop him from competing is now setting a new example about the connection between crime and punishment. The list of stories could go on and on, suffice to say though, I feel like my sports idols are dropping like flies.
My wish for a scandal-free season is a sad reflection of the recent state of affairs for sports. I no longer expect as much from top athletes, and my moral line in the sand now resembles a canyon. Athletes no longer feel the same obligation to upstanding character that they once did. Part of the blame sits with us (sports fans), but in this chicken or egg situation there is a way to break the cycle. We need a hero.
This is not to say that there aren’t already people who could be defined as heroes, it’s just that we don’t recognize them. Potential sports stars are everywhere, even in our communities. This new generation of sports role models should be an even mix of national and local athletes. Local sports idols and their fans will have a stronger connection, and each will strive to represent their community well. As for national sports stars, it’s time to bite the bullet and offer this ultimatum: Shape up or ship out.
It might come as a surprise to some of today’s sports stars that no, it is not okay to cheat, dope, beat, lie, blackmail, cover up or murder. Winning at any cost isn’t really a win at all. Plenty of athletes before today’s were able to maintain good character and be highly successful, so asking the same of current athletes isn’t outrageous. It doesn’t matter whether or not they craved the fame. They have it now, so they should be held to a higher standard.
As for the athletes who refuse to set a better example, they have to be let go. We need to create a situation where sports stars of loose character are too costly to keep around, both economically and morally. Perhaps my appeal is naïve, but is it impossible to have a child-like admiration for a sports star turn out to actually be correct? Let’s make the next generation of athletes super heroes as much as they are super stars.