As philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The trouble with common sense is that no one uses it anymore.” Respect, I have always believed, is one of common sense. It comes from that Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.” It’s a tried-and-true statement that applies on the field/court/rink as well as on the street. As an example, fighting in the NHL is allowed. Olympic ice hockey nor collegiate nor high school ice hockey allow fighting. Further, in other professional sports e.g., NFL, NBA, while fighting may break out, players are subject to immediate ejection. Have we lost respect for our opponents?
While I’m at it, take football. Where is the respect of an opponent when a defensive lineman sacks the QB then “prances” away thumping on his chest like the warrior did when killing the lion in the arena? Isn’t that the object of a defensive lineman? To sack the QB for $18-20 million per year?
A bigger concern is the role model issue. Younger players who aspire to play in professional sports look up to those now on the field. Having played on the field in most of the sports, I realize their emotions and strong desire to win but outright fisticuffs are not the way to do it. Consider how you feel on the other end as your opponent is carrying on while you suffer the embarrassment.
Trash talk is often the beginning of the fighting, yet some of the renowned players feel it is funny to engage in such behavior. Unfortunately, because of their professional status, our young athletes tend to mimic their behavior. Perhaps I’m wrong here, but many watch stock car races for the crashes that happen. The racers themselves are not of that mindset. If they’re driving the car that is in that crash, their life is in the hands of others. They race for the sport of it — not that unfortunate accident.
How do we impress upon professional athletes the importance of proper conduct? Coaches in professional sports tell me that they are not responsible for a player’s 24/7 behavior. The recent loss of life due to the intoxication of an athlete (DUI) is an example of poor behavior. That athlete may never play again! This brings me to QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) whose selfish attitude toward COVID-19 has turned the focus of the Packers from an issue of the team to one of focusing on vaccinations.
Will you log in about the attitude of some of today’s pro athletes?
