Call from the Bullpen by David Maull
The Bullpen | Sports Front Page
Looks Can Often Be Deceiving
From the Feb. 11, 1999 TV Times
Like a steely blade in a silken sheath, we don't see what they're made of. They shout about love, but when push come to shove, they live for things they're afraid of. -- Rush
The search for a poster child to illustrate why professional athletes should not be role models has turned up the perfect candidate -- Eugene Robinson.
Within a span of 12 hours last week in Miami, the Atlanta Falcons' safety went from religious family man and popular team leader to a name on the city police blotter.
On the Saturday morning before his team played Denver in Super Bowl XXXIII, Robinson was presented the Bart Starr Award by the religious group Athletes in Action. The honor goes to those who display high moral character.
About 12 hours later Robinson was arrested on Miami's Biscayne Boulevard for allegedly soliciting an undercover police officer for oral sex. To make matters worse, his wife and children were in town at the time.
The publicity surrounding the event was the kind of distraction the Falcons did not need during preparations for the biggest game in franchise history.
When a highly-respected player, who was one of the few Falcons to have Super Bowl experience (he was a member of the Green Packer Packers for the previous two title games), is nabbed in a police sting operation less than 24 hours before a championship contest, it doesn't bode well for the team's mental state.
Not surprisingly, the Falcons lost 34-19.
Even more disturbing is that when the Falcons were introduced at a rally in Atlanta the following day, Robinson was cheered while quarterback Chris Chandler, who threw three interceptions in the Super Bowl but was the main reason the Falcons got there in the first place, was booed loudly.
Apparently, you can be quickly forgiven for misleading your family, friends, fans and teammates but God forbid you be human in front of 80,000 screaming fans and a worldwide television audience.
These days we hear athletes spewing their religious beliefs almost on a daily basis. It has become a part of nearly every postgame interview.
But who can be believed?
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Jim Harbaugh constantly sings God's praises but a few years ago, while a member of the Indianapolis Colts, was reported to have assaulted television analyst Jim Kelly during an interview.
Yankees outfielder Darryl Strawberry has supposedly found religion numerous times, only to again fall prey to drugs and other personal problems.
We're in an age where no athlete, no matter how squeaky clean his public image, is what he appears to be. There's always another scandal waiting around the corner.
Even Michael Jordan, the most revered athlete of our generation, was involved in a gambling scandal a few years back and reportedly lost thousands of dollars on the golf course.
The point is that the fan who places all of his or her affections on the shoulders of even the most upstanding athlete is bound to be disappointed.
And no realm of sports is exempt.
The event that should be the model of morals and good sportsmanship, the Olympic Games, has now been cheapened by a bribery scandal, the inclusion of professional athletes and incessant allegations of illegal drug use.
Role models should be parents, teachers and mentors, not athletes who make millions of dollars and believe they are above the law.
When a person like Robinson ends up cruising a section of town frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, it makes you wonder if anyone out there is who they appear to be.
Reality provides another sobering lesson.
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