Rory Sabbatini, Michael Vick and Barry Bonds. Three different sports figures, three role models… is this what modern sports is all about? We make them millionaires, put them on pedestals and label them heros… and when they don’t measure up we make excuses for them. Or for ourselves for being so engrossed in their abilities and successes in the first place.
Sabbatini opens mouth and inserts foot. Claims Tiger Woods is primed to be beaten but blows his chances to put his money where his mouth is. Then he gets ticked off when an onlooker questions him during a tournament and has him thrown out. Sorry dude, you set yourself up for that one. Nothing wrong with putting the monkey on your back but if you get caca on your golf shoes, don’t blame the spectators who call you out for it.
Michael Vick is a victim, I’ve heard it said. The poor guy was coddled, made rich and famous before he was able to get the ghetto completely out of his system. Deion Sanders said it wasn’t his fault, dogfighting is a heritage. I can’t imagine such cruelty in the name of sport, and then the consequences facing the animals win or lose is appalling. What mentality makes a man so indifferent to the suffering of man’s best friend? I think of Lady and the Tramp, Old Yeller, Benji or Lassie and feel Michael must have missed out on those growing up. I don’t care how well he plays football; his heart is prone to sick, sadistic, blood thirsty violence.
Barry Bonds, home run king. Not a media darling. Angry with his image. Feels he hasn’t been given his due. Alright, maybe so. But baseball has a legacy. Statistics rule in this game. Home runs by mere mortals like the Babe and Hank Aaron have been counted and replayed over and over again. If steriods play a part in those stats, Barry has added a new column. Mark McGwire should take notice.
Oh, there are others, too. It is probably a testament to where we are in the world today. I read in the paper this morning they are drug testing high school students for steriods now… 16, 17, 18 year olds, possibly younger. Where are the parents? Looking out for that next hero’s paycheck…
Why am I not surprised?
peace.
advantages of mutual respect and fair play 
August 12, 2007 at 11:49 pm |
Since Bonds has no hope of achieving what Ruth or Aaron have, he’s nothing in my books, except for overpaid.
August 13, 2007 at 4:42 am |
Great Read. Couldn’t agree with you more.
http://alltalksports.wordpress.com/
August 14, 2007 at 5:26 am |
Too many parents don’t feel like it is their responsibility to police their children. They expect society to dictate to the child what is appropriate and acceptable and don’t seem to care that society is not up to the task. The youngest child I’ve gotten calls on before was four years old. The parent couldn’t control her and wanted the police to come out to do it. Can you believe it? I wanted to tell the parent that they are the ones who chose to have children – they needed to learn how to discipline. It is ridiculous to say the very least.
August 14, 2007 at 12:46 pm |
I’m so thankful that my ‘baby’ is 27 now. I had my kids when parents used dicipline. I did on mine. He remembers getting his butt spanked, IN THE STORE, if he threw a fit for something. Try it now. About 10 or so years ago, my son was with me in the check out line at a Wal-Mart. (He, at that time, was his full height of 5’10” & weighed about 200 pounds, which was mostly in his chest, shoulders, & arms. A big kid. I stand about 5’3″.) He tried to snatch the change from my hand. I slapped him on the arm pretty soundly. I told him to get the bags, & meet me in the car. After I left, the woman behind him actually asked him if I had hurt him! He told her, without laughing at her, that I was mad because I hurt my hand, not him. This could be part of the reason that parents won’t dicipline their kids. I don’t know. Or, they count on the one-eyed monster to do it. Then wonder why their kids are the way they are. I have no grandchildren, & am almost thankful for that.
August 14, 2007 at 9:18 pm |
Sad days when heroes are proving scarce.
Good piece, mister.
August 15, 2007 at 7:05 am |
I agree with everything you said. What a profound question you ask – Where are the parents?
What a shame children are not taught to look for the real life heroes in their own families, their grandparents, aunts and uncles, men and women who worked hard and taught lasting values and were examples to their families and friends.
We live in a feel good world and for many parents it doesn’t feel good to discipline your kids, so why would you put yourself through all of that? Too many parents think they are supposed to be their child’s best friend.
I must add a shameless plug here for the wonderful effect Storybooking has on families when children see their parents and other family members as important and how much a child’s self-esteem is raised when they see themselves in their very own book with their very own stories and their memories – they know that their lives are significant and they are little heroes and will grow up to become people of character.
Love your blog and the comments too…
August 15, 2007 at 6:12 pm |
As a spokesperson (devil’s advocate) for struggling parents, this is not an easy time in American history to be raising children — it could in fact be the most difficult of eras. Our society pushes a lot of subtle rubbish down the throats of our youths. Sheltering them from it is virtually impossible beyond a certain age. The behavior of children is probably the most telling symptom of a society’s ills. It’s more than ‘bad’ or absent parenting. Denying that is just sticking your head in the sand. Children don’t determine the priorities of a corrupt, immoral or detached society, and they certainly don’t fund it. So who does?
There are plenty of ‘good’ parents out there that have kids shooting up between their toes in the locker room, and they have no idea; and how could they? Unless a child becomes blatantly obvious or symptomatic on some level, how would they know? I don’t inspect my boy’s feet when he comes home from practice. I suppose that might be considered abuse and neglect according to some sand dwellers of superior character.
August 15, 2007 at 8:12 pm |
Ouch! dame,
I did not mean to generalize bad parenting with steriod using kids… and you are right, kids can be very crafty when it comes to using an illegal substance. I should know, I used drugs right under my mom’s nose and while she did have her suspicions she never actually caught me in the act.
I wish I knew how we could protect our youths… there are patterns of behavior to look for but the actual preventing of it may prove perplexing.
I had always been an advocate of practicing what I preach and trying to show a sermon rather than vocalize one… in other words, lead by example. If I say don’t smoke… do I smoke? etc.
But sadly, even with the best of intentions of the parents some kids are going to go their own way and make mistakes, just like we did. And I agree that this generation has probably the greatest challenge to avoid those pitfalls and enticements of the world than any other.
But what we condone as parents can easily be picked up by our children. We may say to them, don’t do drugs… but what of the atheletes we admire? or what of the entertainers that we listen to? or what kind of movies do we watch? By our actions we could be saying that “under these circumstances, drug use is okay…” and that sends a mixed message to our kids. We may say one thing, but our actions speak something else.
I admire the fact that you are willing to put me in my place here in full view of the world…
I remain humbly contrite.
peace.
August 15, 2007 at 9:43 pm |
By no means was i attempting to put you (or anyone) in your place. I just noticed the flow of the comments seemed absent of objectivity regarding parenting. Parents can ‘lose’ their children on so many levels and for so many various reasons. Bad parenting is not the sole reason we have a generation of kids lost in thick woods. Take for example, a young woman is suddenly widowed with children, without resources or support, so she’s forced to work extreme hours to provide, and hardly makes enough for child care; so there are casualties. Or a woman (or man) who flees an abusive woman or man, again without support, and only able to care for a family on a basal level. Leaving kids with needs that can’t be met. Kids that wander, kids that stray — kids subjected to the underbelly of negligent and indifferent society. (The ‘Not in my backyard!’ mentality) Just a couple examples, but significant examples when you look at the number of single households, and the social issues defining them.
I don’t believe in extremes, and i don’t believe in hardcore finger pointing. I think people have a tendency to believe that there are social services to supplement and cure said issues. And to that i’d have to say, do you really think your government is that capable or efficient? It’s just not that simple. Long gone seem the days of supportive neighbors and social involvement. And i tend to speculate that those things have a much greater impact than suspected. Just my silly opinion.
Please forgive me if i came off sassy. You know i have the utmost respect for you, my friend.
August 15, 2007 at 9:53 pm |
well said…
there are Hurricane Katrina victims out there that would agree with your assessment of our government’s inability to fix societies ills…
I like you sassy… keeps me on my toes.
peace.
August 17, 2007 at 11:17 am |
[…] – : bad-attitudes-sick-bastards-and-cheaters-win […]
August 17, 2007 at 10:49 pm |
Well, I’m not answering on the same day but I will put in my two cents’ worth. As a mother of a now 33-year old and a 17-year old I have basically raised two generations of children. The oldest one got spanked and even today says that when I spanked him, it “taught him a lesson.” The youngest has rarely had spankings (probably five in his whole life). One reason is I don’t have the energy like I did before and another is if you spank your kid these days you can get arrested and have them taken away from you. There is a huge difference between spanking and beating–but I digress.
At 16 my oldest still minded me, I could stand in front of him giving him a lecture and shaking my finger at him and he at 6 foot, 175 pounds took it from me because he respected me. The younger argues with me some, but he also respects me. I feel what is lacking is children learning respect and courtesy for themselves and others.
By the way, I made plenty of mistakes raising my boys, but I did three things right: I made sure they always knew they were loved, I spent time with them (and yes, sometimes I worked two jobs), and when I was wrong I admitted it and apologized.
Sorry this ended up being so long.
Love ya.
February 27, 2010 at 11:50 am |
Wow.. Nice post.. Thanks for the nice info