Breakoff Thread - Are Athletes Role Models?

[Rockford35]

As much as we all seem to have differing thoughts on this subject, I enjoy discussing it. No one it right, no one is wrong.

Good work lads. I tip my hat, for now....

R35

[Loop]

Originally Posted by rockford35

If you get fat and can't play golf anymore because you're too heavy, or a drunk, or stung out on coke, you're going to lose your sponsors....

Now now... Craig Stadler thinned and couldn't play anymore. He took back the lost weight, got fat and look at how he fared last year. Top notch golf.

And... who said anything about sponsorship? Has the discussion gone slightly off topic from the orginal title?
For my part, I tend to view athletes as role model on how they practice and play the game, not how they behave in their personal life.
Vijay is the perfect example: practice freak, course management, he has the talent and maturity of the best player in the world. This is the role model I'd look up to when I play Golf. How he fares in his private life is none of my concern (although I think he seems like a nice family guy).

There's an old saying that holds true for most: don't bring your work at home...

[RocklandGolf]

If the athlete in question purposely radiates an image of being an upstanding and honorable person whether through coincidence or as the result of a succesfull image campaign that person should be held resposible for any personal digression that is revealed.

As an example of this lets assume these allegations against Phil are true. He would deserve to be stripped of his endorsements and to be ridiculed by his former fan base. He has allowed a false image to be portrayed of him for the betterment of himself. He is aware of the image he carries within the golf community and by not correcting it or tempering it when opportunity arose he has accepted the responsibility to uphold it in his actions.

As another example to show the same principle applied to another player lets assume John Daly gets spotted tommorow in an hourly charged hotel room severely intoxicated and being escorted by the "girls gone wild" cast. John Daly as we all know has not portrayed himself as a strong moral character and has openly flaunted his flaws numerous times. As a result I would not expect any sanctions to be applied nor would I expect his fans to lose any respect for him resulting from this.

Seems like a double standard but when a person is in the public spotlight they do have the ability and the resources to choose the persona they show to the media and fans. There are extreme rewards for having a clean image but the penalties for it being tarnished are equally extreme.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by rockford35

As much as we all seem to have differing thoughts on this subject, I enjoy discussing it. No one it right, no one is wrong.

R35

I just got out of a moot ("fake" appeal)...and I must say...I'm right!