U.S. Athletes Need to Follow Euro Athletes Examples | steven_gerrard's Blog

Hey everyone, this is my first blog, so please bear with it. In the recent days everything is coming to the surface about this STUPID Plaxico Burress situation. And I myself am sick of hearing about these high price prima donnas, wasting all the talent in the world and being awful role models to children everywhere. This is going after you too Mr. Vick and Mr. Jones.

I am an avid soccer fan, and support Liverpool FC of the Premier League. And the more international soccer I watch, the more amazed I am. Fans of soccer get a bad rap for riots and etc. but its superstars don't nearly get the credit they deserve. On all platforms, soccer is bigger than every American sport throughout the world. These superstars are bigger names than Plaxico and Pacman. Steven Gerrard, Ronaldo, Thierry Henry are all amazing examples of what you would want your children to grow up to be like. You never hear about them going out, getting drunk, shooting themselves or others, or killing helpless animals. These men have even more of a burden on them, more so then the burden on a few two-bit football players from the NFL.

Roger Goodell has done so much to help try and clean up the league and then you have idiotic "superstars" ruining his good name. If it were up to me, Plax would be gone, Pacman would be gone, Vick wouldn't get a second chance and it would send a message to everyone else. From now on I want my role models to be upstanding citizens who also star athletes. These European stars give it their all everyday, if not more than American sports stars. They make more money then most of them, and yet you NEVER hear about these horrible acts that are being committed by these "superstars.

You make me sick, why can't we go back to a time where these athletes should be idolized?

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December 2, 2008 07:20 PM ET

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I am an avid soccer fan and player also, but I don't necessarily agree with your argument. Ronaldo has never been a devote role model with his late night ways and partying antics. There seems to be an obvious reason for the why he has continually gotten in worse shape from year to year. Ronaldinho is also speculated to be a socialite of sorts.

I think this is more a model of the media coverage and the vehicle that they can be. It is sad, but soccer is probably the 7th (maybe) most popular sport in the US. It is all they can do to let you know the score of the MLS games and you have to wait for the ESPN Deportes segment before you see a score of any EPL games or UEFA. American Football in a landslide is the #1 sport in the US and as such, dominates the coverage of sports programs. Thus, the clowns in the league are a consistent topic of coversation.

Afroin

Total Comments (42)

December 2, 2008 08:06 PM ET

There are bad apples in every bunch, but the "gun culture" of this country certainly doesn't help our reputation over there and adds some fuel to the fire of our misbehaved sports stars.

Plaxico is an idiot, but Europeans have their fair share of idiots as well I'm sure. Their idiots just aren't carrying guns like our idots are ...

Good post. Looking forward to seeing Team USA in South Africa in 2010 ...