Athletes and Community

I worry about a growing trend. Not so much the athlete who thinks he is larger than society, but the society which allows the athlete to be too special, too pampered, too invaluable to the game.

Recently, the Peter Warrick story has been plastered all over the sports pages. Peter Warrick, the Heisman Trophy candidate and Florida State wide receiver, has been accused of receiving merchandise at an absurdly markdowned price, resulting in theft charges. That he is playing football now is the decision of his coach and university - I personally would like to see coaches and schools and leagues come down harder on athletes who commit crimes, as an example for other players that illegal activities will not be tolerated. I've read comments along the line of "if Warrick weren't a star athlete, this wouldn't be an issue."

That's absolutely true. If Warrick weren't a star athlete, the young woman in the department store would not have been inclined to give him and his teammate their bargain-basement prices on expensive clothes. For this, I don't really blame the athlete. He's like anyone else, taking advantage of what he's offered. No, I blame the community for this one.

You may argue that Warrick should have known better to do something so stupid, and I'd agree, to a point. I'm sure that this young man, like so many others with athletic talent, has had a life paved with special favors. It seems to be the trend.

I remember when my cousin was an 11-year-old football player. He was one of the best players on a championship team. My aunt and uncle also paid my cousin $5 for every touchdown he made and if he reached certain goals, his sister was given his chores that week. This set up a competition with another family, who also began paying their son for scores and providing other "incentives." As the two boys grew, they (and a few other star athletes in my high school) received special favors as their talent became more prominent. They drove nice cars they couldn't afford, did well in classes they never attended, were promised good jobs. They liked to drink in high school. The authorities would wink and nod and let it slide, just as long as there would be victories on the field that weekend. Unfortunately, that winking and nodding led to the death of my cousin's friend, in a drunk driving accident.

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