Poor decisions lead to trouble
Lately, when picking up the sports section of the newspaper, Brett Favre and Manny Ramirez have dominated the headlines. Unfortunately those two soap operas are not the only subjects dominating the sports news.
What crushes me is the lack of accountability and responsibility of student-athletes. Recently there have been several troubling stories. You pick up the paper and there are concerns about people representing the sport of college basketball.
West Virginia's Joe Mazzulla and Cameron Thoroughman were recently arrested at PNC Park in Pittsburgh following allegations of aggravated assault, hindering prosecution and underage drinking. The two were attending a Pirates-Rockies game when the incident occurred. Reports indicated the two athletes were out of control. It comes down to one simple word: DRINKING.
Illinois guard Jamar Smith was dismissed from the school after a prosecutor asked a judge to revoke a probation order. Smith was accused of drinking. That's right, the same young man who was in a car accident which injured teammate Brian Carlwell in 2007 was accused of poor judgment again.
You hear one story after another. It is time for these athletes to realize that they are not invincible. They do have a responsibility to the jersey and the school they represent. They also have a responsibility to the coaches that bust their gut trying to preach to them to do the right thing.
It is amazing. It breaks my heart.
As a father and as a person who cares for young people, you want to see kids make good decisions in their personal life. In too many situations, it comes down to drugs and alcohol. Nothing good comes playing in that arena.
Hopefully in the future we don't have to deal with too many stories like this. It would be nice if other kids would learn from the mistakes of others, understanding the repercussions. They should be accountable and take on the responsibility.
They should have a sense of pride over what they do. They should care about their families and themselves, understanding what life is all about.
