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Competition. It is the essence of sport. It is the fuel that makes the sport engine go. I, for one, love it. It is what makes me better both in sports and in life, and I relish the chance to compete. With that being said, here goes.
Is it just me or do all athletes sound the same nowadays. After a close win, here's the cliche, "Well, we just pulled together as a team, and got the victory. The other team came out and played hard, but we just made the plays at the end." How about the common phrase when a team is going on the road against a tough opponent "We're just gonna go out there and try to execute. They're gonna have their fans goin crazy and we just have to stay poised. They're gonna be pumped up and playin hard so we gotta try to take the crowd out of the game and work together." Its just plain boring to watch these "drones" talk. With the recent elections behind us, it made think that of who was the last athlete that transcended the game. Recently, Curt Schilling, pitcher on the champion Red Sox team apologized because he had made some pro-George Bush statements. Apologized!?!??!!!
Where are the modern day Bill Russell, Jim Brown and Mohammed Ali's? Who was the last athlete that said more than those quotes up above. Who was the last athlete who opposed a war by saying "ain't no Vietcong ever call me a nigger"(Mohammad Ali). Where are they?? Athletes have more power than ever and have more influence, yet are very much lacking on social responsiblity. Just because they donate a couple of legos to a school doesn't mean that they are demonstrating a social conscienousness. Athletes are often born into less than ideal situations. They often come out of improvished homes and would be ideal advocates of social awareness and change. There are a few who do make some financial change, such as Warwick Dunn of the Atlanta Falcons, but it is much too little. "Rumble, young man rumble", was one of Ali's favorite sayings in the ring. We need some of these young men and women to make some rumblings outside of the ring.
Did anyone ever see Kill Bill 2. Uma Thurman is on a quest to find David Carradine who previously attempted to kill her. In the movie, Uma ends up finally finding Carradine. Now everyone thought that they would have this gory fight scene. Nope. They sit around, reminisce, and have some cocktails. Finally when Uma ends up killing "Bill", she does so with this 5-step heart exploding punch. Once Bill is hit by this, he knows what has befallen him and now knows that if he takes 5 steps he will surely die. He then says "How do I look" (this is where they lose me) and takes the 5 steps & dies. Huh??? I would've been hoppin' on one foot, or got a wheelchair or something. I would have not just given up and taken those 5 steps. However, all too often professional sportsmen are much more worried about their image, than displaying bravery and courage on the field. Shaquille O'Neal pretty much sabotaged the Lakers run at four consecutive titles by delaying TOE surgery. Many baseball players sit out weeks at a time for the most miniscule of reasons. As fans we deserve better. I understand that image sells, but winning sells even more.
Let's talk about two situations in which the popularity of an athlete has gone up or down in regards to their responsibilities to themselves, their teammates and their fans.
Terrell Owens was the personification of the "me first" athlete. His celebration on the "Big D" in Dallas, and his Sharpie stunts are infamous. However, he has resurrected his popularity with the fans with his performance in this year's Superbowl. He went out on the field with a broken ankle and had one of the best games of his career. Even Terrell's most harsh critics had to give him kudos for one of the best performances in Superbowl history.
Kobe Bryant was the most marketable athlete since Michael Jordan. He had it all. His combination of movie-star looks, basketball prowess, and an unflappable will to win made him the ideal spokesperson. His intelligence and savvy made him appeal to a wide variety of people, including ones who had never even watched him play. Unfortunately for him, he threw that all away on that night in Colorado. Whether he had sex with that yound lady or raped her is irrelevant. His popularity has steeply declined. His #8 jersey, which used to be the best seller in the NBA, is not even in the top 20 now. America has decided not to condone athletes who do not honor their social responsibility. Amen.
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