Professional Athletes: Role Models or Criminals?

Professional athletes ask been role models for children and adults alike since the theme of time. They atomic number 18 often thought of superhuman, celebrities, and to some plain Gods due to their fabulous physical strength, and unnatural talent. Professional athletes are furnishn many things that the bonnie American only dreams round ranging from multi-million dollar paychecks, expensive cars, high profile romances, to exotic vacations. Oh, and world above the law. Numerous high profile fakers have been discontinueed multiple times throughout their career, escaping with nonhing more than a smack on the wrist from law enforcement, or the NFL.Even those players convicted, and sent to prison for their destine result be able to return to the football field later being released. Over the past decade the incidents regarding players contri exactlye have increased dramatically all the while dragging the NFLs reputation and ethics through the mud. It begs the questionshould these athletes who are the role models for millions, be above the law simply because they are entertainers and celebrities? The answer is no. In my opinion a drastic change demand to happen forthwith regarding this growing caper.No longer should players be able to go unpunished for committing crimes. However, to witness the solution for this growing predicamentis to establish what factors contri preciselye directly to it. The problem goes beyond the athletes being able to go unpunished for committing crimes. It starts with the group discussions menial penalizations, police squad owners irresponsible player management, strike out attitudes, and the character of the players themselves. On the otherwise hand, in that respect are great deal, including fans, constituents, and of course the players themselves, who believe that the penaltys being given now are in addition severe.I would sound like to show those people another view of this look atthe view of an everyday pers on. In April 2007 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell put into effect impudently policies regarding player demeanor based on the high number of players being chequeed for study crimes. Due to the nature of the transgressions NFL officials began to worry about losing fans deterred by the leagues image. The spic-and-span policy included longer suspensions, heavier fines, and team accountability for their players committing crimes.The in the buff policy includes requiring teams to pay the league a portion of the salaries delivered by players suspended for violating policies regarding personal conduct (Schrotenboer). Goodells goal is to hold team owners and managers partially responsible for the actions of the players on their roster. This forces the decision checkrs to put more shape into planing and signing troubled athletes, because now it is their moneynot just their image at stake. Although the policy is a step in the function direction it is not doing near enough to clean up the league because talent is more important than character to a team. angiotensin converting enzyme example of this is Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris atomic number 1 who was released by the team only after being ar perched six times between December 2005 and March 2009 for crimes ranging from possession of marijuana, sex activity with a minor, DUI, and possession of and aggravated assault with a gun (Brandt). However, even with his arrest log reading like a novel, Henry has served a total of just eighty-eight days in prison for his crimes. This strong belief came only after the second incident concerning relations with a minor.But, the Bengals unploughed him on the roster, even though four of the six incidents occurred after Goodells new conduct policy was put into effect. As far as the harsher punishment Goodell promised, Henry received a total a tether game suspension for each of the incidents before being cut avocation the most recent assault arrest (Carpenter, Maske). Who should be to blame for bring home the baconing this fell to go free and continue making his millions? The ultimate blame needs to be placed on not only Henry himself, but also the owner and manager of the Cincinnati Bengals.Coaches have a large carry on on the players on their teams. By allowing them to misbehave, they are basically telling the players what they do off the field does not liaison as long as you win. In bon ton to economic aid clean up the NFL, aimes need to habilitate an example by putting the law before the sport. Being in charge of a multi-million dollar business such(prenominal) as a professional football team, head coaches are under immense mechanical press to win, and result do so by any means. Marvin Lewis, the head coach of Chris Henrys former team, the Bengals is a perfect example of good-natured at any costall the while denying so.In the article histrion Arrest Put the NFL in A Defensive Mode, authors Les Carpenter and note Maske guide on o ut Lewis actions. During a 2007 press conference focused on the eight Bengals players arrested in the past year, including one player, Chris Henry, who had been arrested three times. Coach Lewis was asked to give his opinion on the players behavior. He responded by shrilly condemning the players actions. It is an embarrassment to our organizationIt doesnt matter what you do for a living or who you are, youve got to follow those rules and laws (Carpenter and Maske).This statement came from the attracter of these players, as well as the man who only suspended Henry for two games after his prison stint. However, Lewis is not the only coach to allow felon players to escape punishmentbecause they are needed to win. In order to reverse the coaches attitudes toward the law there are things that need to be changed. For example, coaches should be required to pay a fine for every player who breaks the conduct code, or gets arrested. The new policy requires the team to paybut not the coaches . Even if fining the coaches was put into effect it wouldnt alter the situation on its own.To have maximum impact on the league as a whole, another avenue needs to be taken. One bearing is suggested by Mike Florio in his article, NFL should strip draft picks from rogue teams. The only way to get teams to avoid players with a history of legal problemsor, even better, help the player change his unlawful waysis to strip the team of draft picks (Florio). However, in order for this to happen, league officials such as Goodell need to let out harsher penalties and fines to have any impact on players, coaches, and owners alike.However, for some people the catamenia punishments being enforced are completely over the top already. When Goodell revealed his plans for the new policy in 2007 he was met with enthusiasm, praise, doubt, and protestand that was just from fans. This shocked me that there is an NFL fan out there so dedicated to his or her favorite(a) player that they oppose punishi ng offenders? Surprisingly the answer is yes. On April 1st, 2009 Cleveland brownnesss wide receiver Donte Stallworth left a Miami nightclub at two o-clock in the morning, got behind the wheel of his Bentley and began to call for home.Three miles from his destination he was approaching what he thought was a yellow light and sped up to avoid it changing. However, due to his drunken stupor he failed to notice it was truly a red lightwhich he ran seconds before striking, and killing a pedestrian using the crosswalk. Stallworth was then charged with DUI vehicular manslaughter and released on $200,000 bail. His punishment? Thirty days in prison, two years house arrestoh and a one season suspension from the league. Stallworth killed a man and will spend a total of thirty days in county jail, and forfeit a maximum of $745,000 salary for killing a man.To many people this is an utterly inconceivable notion. Stallworth killed an innocent man by choosing to drive intoxicated, and because of his placement as one of the leagues best players he did little jail time than most drug dealers. Following Stallworths arrest all eyes turned to Goodell and the rest of the NFL officials to see what punishment, under the nonoperational new polictallworths arrest all eyes turned to Goodell and the rest of the NFL officials to see what punishment, under the new policy would be given. Stallworth was suspended a total of sixteen games during the time which he serves house arrest.To me, that is not punishment. However, others do not agreeand they are another piece of the NFLs problem. One of those people is La Mont Chappell who writes in an article addressing Goodells choice of punishment for Stallworth and other criminal players. Donte Stallworth deserves some sort of punishment for getting drunk, choosing to drive drunk, hitting a pedestrian, and ultimately killing that pedestrianIt is unfair to Donte Stallworth to be suspended for such a long period of time because NFL players do n ot have long careers (Chappell).To Chappell and other protestors of increasing punishment where do they draw a line? In another article reaming Goodell NFL agent Peter Schaffer writes, It is clear our new NFL commissioner has pushed the punitive bar too high, to the point of inappropriate excessivein Stallworths casethe one study difference between a murder or some other type of intentional crime and a DUI manslaughter is that there was not the overlord intent to do harm to another human (Schaffer). People such as Chappell and Schaffer fans and agents are the final component to fixing the NFLs image.Athletes will continue to commit crimes because loyal fans, and money hungry agents will make excuses for their actions, something that can be changed. For example, agents get nonrecreational big bucks when athletes get paid big bucks. So, if an athlete is suspended, it hurts the agents pockets as well. A new policy could be added that will fine agents as well as players for breaking the law. That will prevent agents from representing the players that are multiple offenderstherefore backcloth a positive example to the public, and making players think twice about doing something stupid.In then end the NFLs image problem can be chalked up to many different sources and comprise of many different factors and unless something is make to counteract the current trend nothing will change. The commissioner took a small-scale step forward in 2007 by implementing the new policybut he needs to step up as the leader he is and make punishments and fines that will impact players into changing their ways. Sure, there will be critics, but that is what it takes to regain the respectable name the NFL once had. It will not be simple, and it may take time, but it needs to be done.