Athletes as role models

[Jake]

WHY WE DON'T WANT OUR CHILDREN (OR GRANDCHILDREN) TO BE JOCKS

1. Chicago Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson on being a role model: "I wan' all dem kids to do what I do, to look up to me. I wn' all the kids to copulate me."

2. New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers when asked about the upcoming season:
"I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first."

3. And, upon hearing Joe Jacobi of the 'Skins say:
"I'd run over my own mother to win the Super Bowl," Matt Millen of the Raiders said: "To win, I'd run over Joe's Mom, too."

4. Torrin Polk, University of Houston receiver, on his coach, John Jenkins:
"He treats us like men.. He let's us wear earrings."

5. Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann, 1996: "Nobody in
football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."

6. Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh
"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." (now that is beautiful)

7. Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach: "You guys line up
alphabetically by height." And, "You guys pair up in groups of three, and
then line up in a circle."

8. Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson going to prison:
"Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton .."

9. Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a
color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to
spell my name, I can still find my clothes."

10. Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regime of
heavyweight Andrew Golota: "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the
morning, regardless of what time it is."

11. Chuck Nevitt , North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to
Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at practice:
"My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an
uncle or an aunt."
(I wonder if his IQ ever hit room temperature in January)

12. Frank Layden , Utah Jazz president, on a former player:
"I told him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He
said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.'"

13. Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a player who received four F's and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're
spending too much time on one subject."

14. Amarillo High School and Oiler coach Bum Phillips when asked by Bob
Costas why he takes his wife on all the road trips, Phillips responded:
"Because she is too damn ugly to kiss good-bye."

15. These are right in the ballpark with Mike Tyson's answer to what he will
do when he retires..."I guess I'll just fade into Bolivia ."

[Defend Tacoma]

Wow! To borrow from the Mantra thread, this could be some good advice for our sports overlords... "It is better to be quiet and perceived a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt."

[raisindot]

Wow. And you got all that in there without needing a single Yogi Berra quote!




Jeff in Boston

[Jake]

And how much do we pay -- contributing to their mythic hero nature? Amazing -- and unfortunate.

[Greybeard]

WHY WE DON'T WANT OUR CHILDREN (OR GRANDCHILDREN) TO BE JOCKS

9. Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a
color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to
spell my name, I can still find my clothes."

Ah! Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson. Like many hockey goons he is actually a very articulate and intelligent man and that was a joke (one of many) he played on the team reporters.
This was also from Stu Grimson.
Since hockey is such a tough game, he was once asked if he thought playing for the expansion "Mighty Ducks" would draw less respect from other players. His reply "My team mates and I don't consider ourselves Mighty Ducks. We're really the Very Muscular Waterfowl". He went back to school when he finished playing and graduated from Memphis Law School near the top of his class.

Just like every other profession there are good and bad individuals. Playing sports professionally does not require that one be well-educated or articulate. In fact, some of those quotes reminded me of utterings from the mouths of George Bush and Dan Quayle. Now that's scary.
Teach your kids that they can admire achievement and strive to be the best that they can be, but role models should be those that make the world a better place.

Just to add my favorite sports quote. From John McKay, late coach of the expansion and winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Asked after another loss when his team had again made numerous turnovers and mistakes. "What do you think about your team's execution?"
His reply. "I think it's a good idea".