Athletes and Drug Use (not exactly new news)
After reading the headlines on Michael Phelps, I began to wonder why we (the public) always tend to be astonished when we read/hear about a high profile athlete being caught in some kind of scandal. There are many that have fallen to the struggle of drugs/alcohol or anything else. Think about it: the continuing story of steriods in the MLB, the multiple athletes from college level to professional level that have been arrested for DUI, and then there are the NBA and NFL boards fighting against marijauna use in the leagues. Is it really too much for us to expect them to be REAL role models? They have the ability and power to influence so many, but so many times they are the ones that are so easily influenced.
I would not be telling the truth if I said that I had not jumped on the Michael Phelps band wagon while he was competing in the 2008, Bejing Olympics. I enjoyed cheering for him in every race. I loved reading all the stories about him and hearing about how he can/does eat 12,000 calories a day (that is insane). However, I did not find myself totally discouraged and let down when I read that he had been seen smoking pot. There were a few questions that soon crossed my mind. Have we become desensitized to the immoral actions of the people that live in the lime light? Should we let the actions of a highly celebrated athlete slide as “bad judgement” and “youthful behaviour” when they have seen the results of “bad judgement” more closely than some of us?
While pondering all of this, there was a song that came to mind. In the Toby Mac song “Lose My Soul”, Kirk Franklin sings the second verse that says:
“The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it’s you, But they don’t know that who you are is not what you do, True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts, Yo before we part from the start, Where’s your heart? You a pimp, hustler? Tell me what’s your title, America has no more stars, now we call them idols, You sit idle, While we teach prosperity, The first thing to prosper should be inside of me… “
Kirk Franklin, being a man of fame and prosperity as a Christian artist who fell into the slippery slope of poor moral decisions, sums it up by stating that as Americans we “idolize” the people in the spot light when they are people just like us. Have we added to the problems and pressures that so many “American Idols” face? How forgiving should we be to the failures of those that easily mold the views and aspirations of those of our sons and daughters?
As I am sure that Phelps’ pipe picture does not depict one of his proudest moments, I do believe that we should realize that we all have had moments in our lives that we are not too proud of. This can be used as a learning moment for us and our children to see that no matter who you are, where your from, or what you do, you are never excluded from falling and making mistakes. The difference is where do you turn once you have fallen and who do you have help you back up. So many fall and can never seem to get out of their self-chosen pit, where others rely on their faith and their promise of forgiveness to pull them back to their feet.
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