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Paul Daugherty
Enquirer columnist files news and observations

Paul Daugherty
Paul Daugherty has been an Enquirer sports columnist since 1994 and has been chronicling Cincinnati sports since 1988. He has covered almost every major sporting event in America, as well as five Summer Olympics. Along the way, he has been named one of the country's top-5 sports columnists four times, and Ohio columnist of the year on seven different occasions. Last year, he was voted 2nd-best sports columnist in the country, by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

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Thursday, January 25, 2007

one last Joseph rant

Of all the silly things we see in sports, nothing is sillier than the notion of athletes as role models. I wrote a column the other day, after J. Joseph's bust, suggesting that a little perspective might be in order. He wasn't driving. He wasnt field-tested, so we don't know if he was high. Cops found a misdemeanor amount of dope in his bag. Maybe it wasnt even his, though, obviously, it probably was. Point is, leaping to judgment before facts are established is a great way to look stupid. We were ready to banish Mike Vick to Rickey Williams Land last week. Until all the accusations were wrong. Oh. Never mind.

Anyway, I was bombarded with indignant e-mails, from apparent parents convinced that I must smoke more dope than Jerry Garcia (rest his hippie soul) and that, given what I wrote, I must not have kids or if I do, they must spend their days in a purple haze. I even had 1 guy tell me I was corrupting his children. To That Guy: You are insane.

What Joseph did was mindless and illegal. That we should expect better of him is obvious. That we continue to expect pro jocks to be better behaved than the rest of us -- or even as well-behaved -- is naive. Has been since, I dunno, Babe Ruth. Further, to think athletes should have any bearing on how our children act is so far beyond naive, I wouldnt know where to begin.

Let's try this: Admire athletes for what they do. Not who they are. That distinction is as obvious as Barry Bonds' big ol' Buddha head. Athletes aren't role models, no matter how much we try to make them that way. Most athletes need role models.

If you suggest that athletes influence how your children act, that's your issue. Not theirs.


13 Comments:

at 12:59 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm sure Vick didn't really have any dope. Funny how it took them a week to conclude that. I guess Ray Lewis and O.J. had nothing to do with their respective murder cases either. Talk about "beyond naive."

 
at 1:08 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

a little weed here and there never hurt anybody. it must be hell for some people to be scared of everything.

 
at 2:32 PM Blogger Jason and Jill said...

Paul, you were right on the other day and you're right on again. I'm so tired of all the examples in society of parents blaming someone else for their kids growing up incorrectly. I know parenting is not easy, but so few people hold themselves accountable for their children's problems. I love your comment about athletes not being role models, yet needing them (or babysitters - whatever). Couldn't be more true with some of our immature Bengals... and I'm sure a job like that could pay really well... where do I sign up!?
Keep up the good work,
Jason Hurley

 
at 2:44 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sure is much easier to blame an athlete for your childs behavior problems than it is to blame yourself. You (as in America, not you as in Paul) need to raise your kids.

 
at 3:16 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul, I've despised you for years, but you're dead right on this issue. Let's put it this way: as a small boy I ADORED Dave Parker. I even met him a couple times through the years and have some of his autographs. As a baseball player myself, he was my rolemodel. He was also a model of what not to be off the field. Occasionally, immature or crimial sports stars can send the right message too (i'm in jail because i'm an idiot)

 
at 3:38 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree , these guys are in their 20's and aren't Boy Scouts .Ihear Cunningham and Oconell ranting about how if it happened at your job , these guys would all be fired , but I work for the large Airline in town , and it does happen ,probably at about the same percentages , and my employer knows you can't fire someone for a misdemeanor , or you will face a law suit .

 
at 6:50 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

When I was growing up my hero was Mickey Mantle , and we all know how that turned out . Iadmired him for what he could do on the baseball field , and as I grew older , I appreciated the fact that he wasn't perfect , that he was flawed and had demons like everybody else . His greatest moment was when a dying Mick , gave his "don't be like me " speech. These people aren't idols , they're ballplayers .

 
at 9:14 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

All talk about sports and its participants fall under the category of diminishing returns.This dialogue speaks to my conclusion that our society is a replica of the Roman Empire. A total cluster, with everyone pointing a finger. Think quick, what can we do to prevent a repeat performance?

 
at 10:26 AM Blogger Jim McAllister said...

Good call, Paul. We must never underestimate the stupidity and lack of common sense most parents have.

 
at 12:36 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul, You are absolutely right. Any parent who relies on sports figures as role models for their children should have been neutered early in life.

 
at 3:12 PM Blogger RedScoop said...

Paul -- Just so you don't say that nobody disgreed with you, I officially hereby disagree with you.

(For the record, I think you do a great job. But, here goes ... )

In an "Art of War" sort of a way, you did the classic "reposition the eneny" by misrepresenting the objection some people had to your column. I heard no one say that the public demands that athletes are the models for their children instead of parents. So, when you claim that to be the position of people who disagree with you -- when that's not the idea that they objected to -- that's makes "clever" writing, but not good. (Note all the "me toos!" who have taken your bait in this thread.)

People who drive drunk (or under the influence) kill innocent people. It's not a victimless crime. If no one gets hurt, it just means they are lucky. Athlete's who sign a contract that includes promises about beghavior -- and then violate the contract they sign -- should be held accountable as any other person who signed a similar contract would be.

Most of us don't sign such contracts in our work. Yet, as a right-to-work state, we can be terminated at the employer's discretion. The difference is that we don't have the sense of "entitlement" that some pro athletes do.

Carson said -- basically -- we can live without these clowns. If they are left to pursue their life's work in another city, so be it. They make a mistake -- there are consequences. The same is true for all of us.

 
at 4:14 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

The same ones who say that drunk drivers kill innocent people ,are the same people crying about the new smoking law , but I'll bet you a dollar to a dime that more people die , ten times more , of second hand smoke , than drunk drivers . But somehow the right has jumped on this as an infridgement of rights cause .

 
at 12:50 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I'll bet you a dollar to a dime that more people die , ten times more , of second hand smoke , than drunk drivers ."

You'd be 100% wrong on that..check the UN study on 2nd hand smoke--no difference in controls over those exposed. Also...there are significantly more carcinogens in ppm in auto exhaust than 2nd hand smoke.. It's fairly easy to track who gets killed when drunk driving is involved...

 
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