FanNation - The Republic of Sport

I think that, for most of these athletes, it's that they've never been punished for doing wrong. Instead, because of their athletic ability, they get special treatment for everything they do, and it furthers the thought that they are above everyone else, that they are invincible and nothing can stop them. If they don't have the same consequences that everyone else does, they'll think they can do anything they want, and get away with it. Fact is: the police usually don't care whether you're a celebrity, or athlete, or anything else; if you get arrested, you'll be treated like any other person who broke the law.

What we can do about it? Well, as a society, we need to stop putting these athletes up on a pedestal. We need to stop giving them special treatment because they have great athletic abilities. If they see that they're no different than anyone else, then they probably won't keep commiting crimes thinking they won't get in trouble for it.

I know none of this probably made any sense, but I'm done ranting, so it's okay. I think. I just confused myself there.

College football players all have the superman syndrome....

it is for sure the coddling parents......................kids today dont know how to take responsibility for their actions........................mom and dad have taken care of that for their entire life

First, before I lead you to believe that I endorse criminality as a whole, I want to say that I agree with previous posters that the problem lies in young athletes growing up believing that they are above the law. Now that I have said my PC piece I am going to blame some other people for the actions of these athletes, or rather blame some other people for the REPORTING of these actions.
We are living in an age of ever-increasing media coverage of every event: from wars to politics to sports to the guy who has to have 26 metal washers removed from his colon. The athletes today are no more treated like demigods than their predecessors (they do make more money though). In fact, I would argue that athletes of generations past were given more leeway than athletes today. Most athletes in previous generations played their entire careers for one franchise. In that city, the star athletes were given free passes by not only their teams, but by local law enforcement as well. The athletes were so engrained into the culture of that city that many people were afraid to report any crimes for fear of retaliation from the team's fanbase.
The reason that law enforcement and the public cracks down harder now is because it is now acceptable for them to do so, and the progression will, hopefully, inspire future generations of athletes to walk the straight and narrow.

Oh, and how are you doing buck? I saw you had a new blog and had to drop a couple pennies on it.

Good blog. I agree with everyone else. I think that the problem lies in the athletes themselves...they've always been able to get away with anything they wanted and were never held accountable. Now, all of a sudden in college you're the one whose responsible for yourself...and they're not used to it.

They think that things in college are going to be just like high school..I can get away with anything I want. And for the most part the universities try their hardest to hide whatever they can..but then there's the stuff that just can't be overlooked that these kids do. I think parents of the athletes need to do a better job of preparing their kids for what's going to happen.

Like Uncle Ben kinda said, we live in an age of ever increasing media. I was caught for drinking underage in my own dorm at UGA b/c I was being too loud at 4am (I brought it on myself). No one reported that. In fact, UGA kept it inside the collegiate system b/c they don't want to see my life go down in shambles. I just had to take an alcohol and drug class once a week for a month. The better I look, the better they look. That's how it goes. Now, when an athlete gets in trouble, everyone knows about it, and that is a tad unfair to ostracize a college student for engaging in "normal" college activities. That's just the price one pays for having a celebrity status.

As a substance abuse counselor, who would've thought, I don't think there is any way to stop it besides training cops and preparing them for the field. If someone wants to commit a crime or do a drug, then they're gonna do it. We, the citizens, should just treat these athletes like everyone else. They should receive fair and just treatment for stupid decisions.

Having Pacmans and Ron Mexicos in the NFL doesn't help the situation either (imagine Vick getting back into the game b/c I think it will happen. I just hope the Falcons don't take him back.)

I don't think you can put it on the coaches or programs. Most of these kids were doing these sorts of things in high school.

I am not talking about the under age drinking, etc. deviances (you can chalk these up to college and late teens/early 20s)... but when I see theft, assault, concealed wapons, etc. it's a problem embedded in their values long before the coach made a recruiting visit.