Our Children’s Heroes

By Bob Loring
Written for the Zephyrhills News
Jan 22, 2008

The year 2007 was, indeed, a bad year for sports. With a landslide of controversy and some really ugly, yet well deserved press, we now must face our children. When you add up all the offences the short list must include: university athletes and a pro football head coach cheating, wide spread professional baseball and Olympic steroids use, and a dog fighting ring organized and operated by one of football’s best known sport figures. With such high profile examples of rule bending what might our children be learning from such outrageous, illegal and immoral behavior?

The high profile cheating scandals involving scores of student athletes at two of Florida’s most respected universities loom large. And it was painful for FSU and USF alumni and fans to imagine. If the cheating had been detected amongst other non-sports related undergraduates, likely it would not even made the news. But here, of course, we are talking about the future of big time ball players with pending mega-buck contracts. Such stories are hard news; and it is responsibility of our sports reporters to cover these stories and explore their root causes. Sadly it seems, that only through such extreme examination can pressure be exerted on offending university administers and their coaching staff.

And last year’s pro football news was also disturbing. The only team that apparently did not need any help was flagged for cheating. The ever victorious New England Patriots were caught taping the pre-game signals of their opponent. In another high profile case, an NFL player was involved in a strip-club shooting; and two other players were murdered. Can you remember the days when football was a sport, and not a business equipped with a sports betting-line?

Better living through chemistry – NOT! Professional baseball seems to be in a negative spiral of steroid nightmares. Will fans, ever again, celebrate a new achieved baseball record? Here, not only the ball players are involved, but it now seems that the franchise management, coaches, and trainers have also taken an active part in these illegal activities. Steroid-laced players trade all their tomorrows for today. The athletic edge they received is only temporary; a quick fix that will continue to have a negative impact on the players’ health as time marches along. Not only do they hurt themselves, but they hurt the game that gave them their opportunity for wealth and fame. If our children, attempt to follow these destructive patterns, will not collegiate and prep school steroid scandals soon follow? And though 2007 yielded no steroid scandals in professional football, it’s hard to believe that some of our Sunday warriors are not injecting some form of muscle-stimulating cocktails, as I type. What is sure is, many NFL players, past and present, are engaged in seeking pain killing relief for their sports related injuries. If not steroids, then it’s a morphine derivative. And, sadly, our children are watching.

Animal abuse: my God! (I’ll need an antacid to write this paragraph.) The bottom of the sporting barrel was indisputably reached early last year. Michel Vick, an overpaid professional quarterback, was arrested and convicted of running a dogfighting ring. Folks, I submit, this may be the sporting crime story of the 21st Century. Is not training dogs to kill other animals a higher crime than cheating or self abuse?

We, parents and family, are the ‘first line’ role models for our kids. Who are your heroes, and do they truly deserve hero worship? As conflicted as many Noles, Bulls, Patriots, Falcon, and many baseball fans must be, it is our duty to roar with outrage at such unacceptable behavior. For our children’s shake, we need to openly display our anger and indignation. It’s time we reconsider our interest and support for what educators’ term: character education. Faced with ever increasing high profile cheating, self-abuse and sports related crime we will have an ever mounting challenge to mold our kids towards the light.

What needs to be said is that most college level players, both male and female, earn their degrees the old fashion way; with hard work. They attend classes and meet all of their course requirements before move on to their non-sport related vocation. Thankfully, we can point with pride to many examples of honor and sportsmanship among many athletes. I have watched the splendid deeds of former Buck, Warrick Dunn, as a high-quality example. Both on and off the field, Dunn continues to present a healthy image of how an athlete might serve himself and his community. I was also highly impressed with the actions of the Florida States quarterback, Drew Weatherford. Though benched early in the season, he remained the teams most vigorous and vocal sideline cheerleader. Restored to play he was again sidelined briefly due to a concussion; never the less he returned to the gridiron but fell short of leading his team to a spirited comeback in the Music City Bowl.

Oh, and for the record, my nominee for a true American sports hero goes to a US Army Ranger. My hero, Cpl. Pat Tillman, was tragically killed in a friendly-fire incident while fighting in Afghanistan. It should be remembered, Cpl. Tillman gave up a promising career in the NFL to join up, and nobly serve his country. RIP Cpl. Tillman!