Time for Athletes to Step Up and Affect Positive Societal Change
In his famous Nike commercial in 1993, the controversial Charles Barkley stated to all who listened that he was, "not a role model. At the time, this statement was seen as very controversial for it's candidness. It also drove significant conversation that perhaps society should stop looking to athletes to set the societal bar of personal conduct both on and off the playing-field. The reality is that whether they like it or not elite athletes in our society are held in high regard and therefore have a significant platform to affect positive and significant societal change. The question then becomes this; Why do so many of today's athletes not only fail to use their influential platform but actually do things that influence society in a very negative way?
According to USA Today, the NFL has seen 28 of its athletes arrested on a variety of charges including domestic violence, drugs, gun violence, assault, evading police and interfering with police etc., in 2017 alone. Moreover, the NFL's crime statistics are joined at the professional level by the NBA with 5 arrests, MLB with 6 and the NHL has had 2 athletes arrested thus far this year according to "Arrest Nation," who obviously think athlete crime is serious enough to warrant keeping a database on the subject. Not to be outdone, the NCAA's big-time football and basketball programs have seen an astounding 203 and 58 athletes arrested respectively so far this year as well.
In the immortal words of the great Nelson Mandela; “Sport has the power to change the world,” Mandela said. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
One can travel the world and see case after case proving these words to be true. We need to see more athletes like Pittsburgh Steeler, Lamar Woodley who donated $60 000 to ensure student-athletes in Saginaw, MI, didn't have to pay to play sports, or David Beckham who donated $3 Million to a children's charity in 2013, or MLB's Nelson Cruz who actually purchased and donated a new Fire Truck to his hometown in the Dominican Republic because they did not have fire trucks or ambulances there.
While nobody expects perfection among athletes in today's society, we do expect them to be held to a higher standard of conduct, not a lower one. Here's hoping that more professional athletes will take advantage of the opportunities to affect positive societal change and the take actions necessary to do so.