WOW! I just finished reading the book "Out of Bounds" by Jeff Bendict for the same class that I'm doing this blog for, and it was amazing.
I've never followed sports, but I have followed some crime, and I was still floored at the statistics of athletes as perpetrators of violence. There were two articles by Jeff Benedict that appeared in Sports Illustrated, at least on their online postings. Both of the articles speak about violence in sports, and an alarming statisic made itself known in one of them.
Did you know this crazy fact?
"So far this year through August, 125 college and professional football and basketball players have been arrested on serious charges. By that I mean felonies or misdemeanors involving violence, weapons or substance abuse. That's pretty astounding. At this rate, the number will be up around 200 by year's end."
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jeff_benedict/09/08/athletes.crime/index.html#ixzz0yyoOQB43
This was taken directly from the article, and it honestly scared me a little. I am so very glad that I didn't stay at my previous university, because the chances of something violent with athletes happening there is extremely high. The university I'm at now has high standards and I'm very grateful for that feeling of protection, unlike other universities.
However, I was unsurprised that it was common among athletes, especially pros. It's a natural inclination of anyone who gets used to having such a nomadic life and having things handed to them on silver platters, figuratively and literally. This merely enforces the idea that they can have anything that they want, especially with the money that they make. In our modern society, money is everything. It may be an awful thing to say, but the truth is, money can make lots of things go away, and these athletes believe in it.
Thankfully, though, there are still athletes who do understand consequences and responsibility. These few are even more highly regarded, as they know not to use their positions of money and power in abusive ways. We need athletes to understand a few things about responsibility, and not just get used to being handed things all of the time.
Well, I digress. Tell me, what are your thoughts on the matter?
I was surprised at the statistics! Athletes are role models for many of our youth, and I think it is the responsibility of those individuals who manage our college and professional sports to impress this awareness on the players; emphasizing how important it is to be good examples not only publically, but privately as well. Thanks for sharing this article!
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