Who Is Your Hero

I haven't written in awhile because of vacation and family time and various other reasons, but watching the news coverage of the sports "scandals" causes me to get sick. This time I am really not ranting at the news, but at organized sports and "athletes".

I am old enough to remember when men of integrity played the games as professionals. Oh, I know there were always bad apples, but the conferences had more control over behavior. Now with player unions you can even "dis" a coach and get away it. There seems to be no respect for authority. When a player is paid more than the coach what can you expect?

Now I am about to say something and no one is to read between the lines because there is no hidden agenda. We all know that a lot of our current pro athletes are from very poor backgrounds. By living in that socio-economic background, where the kinds of activities we are seeing today are common place, they have to take some if not all of that with them. We all do. We all are human beings. You place more money than they, for that matter, I have ever seen and you fund those activities they are accustomed to. Maybe they are legal and maybe not. It's the "not" that gets you into trouble. I don't mean to imply that everyone would behave that way, but some do while others rise above it all.

One person interviewed about bad sports in general said that we shouldn't put people on a pedestal because when they fall we become disappointed. True, but to ask someone to not do sot goes against human nature. For example, should pastors be held to a higher standard than church members? In God's eyes, the answer is no. But as humans, we do hold them to a higher standard. And it goes even further, we hold their families to the same standard. I know because I grew up as a child of a pastor. As Christians we are to all live by a higher standard set by Jesus himself.

In a limited response to the man interviewed, the Gospel of Luke said this; "To whom much is given, much is expected" Luke 12:48. Should we expect more from those in professional sports? Absolutely! Should they meet the moral standards set by society? You betcha ya! Should they pay the price when they fall? Yes. Not that they cannot be restored, but for awhile they should be removed from the limelight until which time they prove they can offer a worthy example.

Just so you know. I don't watch the NBA and very little professional football. I do not buy tickets and don't plan to help fund this behavior. I don't buy sports memorabilia with any one's name on it.

If you sick and tired as I am with all these highly paid hula gins running around like no one can touch them then do I as do in this matter. Don't pay them to do it. Quit going to games and buying stuff with their names on it. Support those who provide good examples and forget the ones who wish to endeavor in criminal and immoral behavior.