Over the last couple of weeks, many different professional athletes have been in the news, and not for good reasons. Zac Stacy, a former NFL player for the Jets, is wanted in Florida in regards to recent domestic violence charges. Antonio Brown, a wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is under investigation for acquiring a fake COVID-19 vaccination card in order to continue playing under the new COVID-19 sports mandates. Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs was arrested for a drunk driving accident that killed someone, but was able to post bail. Even back in October, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers began spreading false information about COVID-19 and the subsequent vaccines available. Yet, after a few days, these names fall out of the limelight and the most many of them will receive is a fine and maybe a few months of probation. In some cases, they face no punishment at all.
I’m tired of reading about athletes who make awful decisions and do awful things coming back into the limelight for their amazing plays in the game, just a week after everyone was criticizing them. No one is perfect, but the list of athletes who have committed heinous crimes or spread debilitating misinformation goes on and on.
While lots of people may condemn their actions, they always seem to get a lighter punishment or no punishment at all because they’re either just an athlete, and therefore not smart enough to make responsible decisions, or too famous. Yet, we still idolize them and pay them thousands of dollars and watch as they repeatedly get off the hook for their actions. If we want to put these people on a pedestal, then we must also admit, as fans, that they are capable of making their own decisions and those decisions shouldn’t be treated as lesser just because of their status.
We should hold everyone accountable for their actions, regardless of their star level. Athletes should be held accountable for their actions just like any other person, and certainly don’t deserve to continue to be idolized by fans for tossing a ball. We especially shouldn’t be showing the many young children who are sports fans that this sort of behavior is okay as long as you’re rich and talented enough. It does not matter to me, and it shouldn’t matter to any other fan, if they will be able to continue their career as an athlete. It doesn’t matter if they’re a great player, or seem like a nice person, or are a household name. Some things just shouldn’t be excused.
