Today’s athletes deal with added pressures, unfair standards

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Column by Tim Riley

There are many excellent reasons to become agitated. If someone plows into your car and totals it, then anger is justifiable. Whenever the UK basketball team loses is, likewise, a time to let madness flow forth. On the other side of the equation though, there are many times when people should not make a big deal out a situation. An excellent example of this would be if someone just so happened to snap a picture of a world-famous athlete taking a hit off a bong.

Thanks to the wonders of the British tabloids, it was recently revealed that Michael Phelps might have engaged in illegal narcotic activity at a party while visiting the University of South Carolina. One on-camera hit later, the swimming superstar is losing sponsors and receiving a suspension from competition. USA Swimming remarked that, despite Phelps not violating any anti-doping rules, he still deserved a reprimand “because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming-member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero.”

In the end, one has to wonder though: Did Phelps really do anything that bad? Granted, he has a history with incidents such as this. After winning six gold medals in 2004, he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence at the age of 19. But, after spending years training to break a seemingly insurmountable record at the Olympics last year, is it so bad to relax a little bit?

Ignoring the legal ramifications of his actions, as men of his age, especially college students, are apt to do, there is always the role model argument. Charles Barkley famously remarked that he was not a role model, but unfortunately, for him wishing it does not make it true. It is undeniable that the actions of famous athletes influence the younger generation; however, what does this mean for the athletes?

Is it enough that Phelps dedicates himself to a worthy cause, works hard at accomplishing goals, and perseveres through the difficulties of achievement? Does the modern athlete, because modern society has completely removed their privacy, now have to live the life of a monk to please us? That is an unfair standard, especially when one remembers how unevenly it is applied.

The hero of this year’s Super Bowl, Santonio Holmes, has admitted to selling drugs in his youth and has been cited by the police multiple times since entering the NFL—including one for marijuana possession. Over the coming months, he is sure to cash in quite nicely on his newfound national fame after returning home from Disney World. Unfortunately for Phelps, he only has one chance every four years to do things to distract people from his personal life.

As anyone should know, his actions with drugs were not exactly performance enhancing. He was simply engaging in an act that a large population of the country has, at one time or another, done for their own personal enjoyment. Because of the requirement for large companies to appeal to the broadest demographics possible though, they have to actively speak out against Phelps for his actions lest they encourage the ire of the disapproving populous portion.

Of all the destructive and terrible things that a person can do, Phelps’ actions have to rank rather low on the list. He did not harm anyone and destroyed nothing. He simply acted against a series of oft-ignored laws and was unfortunate enough to be caught by a bystander due to his celebrity status. If everyone were held to the lofty ideals we hold a person such as Phelps, then it would be mighty hard filling out the classrooms and boardrooms of America.

Babe Ruth was a womanizer and loved to drink, but he was lucky enough to enjoy his vices in privacy. Sadly, for the modern athlete, their entire lifestyle is subject to examination by a society increasingly obsessed with treating the lives of the well known as reality television. For what would amount to a minor citation, Michael Phelps is receiving a fine amounting to millions of dollars because of the standards placed upon a person who is famous for athletic exertion, not his personal responsibility. Outrage has to be prioritized, and in this instance, there is an endless array of anger-inducements to work our way through before worrying about the party-time habits of someone who swims for a living.

Tim Riley is a mechanical engineering senior. E-mail opinions@kykernel.com.