By Guest writer Antonia Morales.... Athletes and the Law

By: Antonia Morales

            As a young New York Giants fan, my happiest moment would be, hands down, the Super Bowl XLII win against the New England Patriots. My hero that game, and that year, was wide receiver Plaxico Burress. My admiration for him carried over to the next season.

            Then, the unthinkable happened. During what was starting out to be an amazing season for the Super Bowl champs, Burress decided to carry a loaded weapon into a nightclub. After accidently shooting himself in the leg, he got arrested for illegal gun possession.

My heart was broken.  My hopes were shattered. There was nothing more devastating than watching my Super Bowl hero fall from grace.

            There were a lot of questions surrounding the incident. How would it affect the team? How would it affect his future with the Giants? But I only had one question.

How could he be so stupid?

            In category of irresponsible athletes, Burress isn’t alone. Time and time again, another scandal sends shockwaves through the NFL when a player is discovered to have taken part in illegal or indecent activities.

            One of the most recent examples would be Brett Favre, aging quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, and his sexually explicit text messages to a young lady. Past scandals include other remarkable players such as Ray Lewis, Michael Vick, and Ben Roethlisberger. It seems to be a growing trend these days.

So what would drive a player who has such promise and potential to act so recklessly? How could they be so naïve to think they won’t get caught? And do all these players deserve second chances?

            Whether you’re a star quarterback or a talented wide receiver in the NFL, you have it all. You’re paid well (sometimes too well) to play a sport you love. Millions of your fans wait anxiously every week to see you compete for three hours. They watch with high hopes that you will perform your best and come out victorious. You’re a role model and young kids aspire to be just like you.

             This may be the reason why athletes think they can get away with murder. They’re special and important so nothing will bring them down. Pride and good sportsmanship is replaced with arrogance and a sense of entitlement. Athletes begin to think that laws and codes of conduct don’t apply to them. This is the dangerous mentality that leads to downfalls.

But with so much to lose, I would think they would be more careful. There is too much at risk to behave inappropriately.

            Athletes should also think about their integrity. A player represents himself, his team, and the league. An athlete should consider this an honor and take their role as a member of a respected organization seriously. Creating bad press disgraces a team and brings shame to the NFL.

Now, I strongly believe that an athlete’s private life should remain private. But this is wishful thinking. Unfortunately, with recognition comes consequences, and privacy is limited. In a time where everyone is obsessed with TMZ and other sources of celebrity gossip, athletes should realize that they can’t keep secrets for too long. When one is constantly in the spotlight, someone is always waiting for them to make a wrong move.

We are all prone to lapses in judgment and everyone makes mistakes. We shouldn’t expect athletes to be perfect. So, in my opinion, it seems fair if players such as Burress and Favre get second chances. Burress’s only victim was himself. And Favre has been in the league so long, it’s incredible that this is his first offense. There’s nothing fans enjoy more than redemption

But other players really should not have been allowed back to play in the NFL. Vick, who currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, was found guilty of taking part in illegal dog fighting. Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been accused of sexual assault. And Lewis, who plays for the Baltimore Raven, was arrested in connection with a double murder.

 There is nothing that anyone can say that will make me respect these men ever again. I would be ashamed to be their current teammates and would hate playing alongside someone who took part in such outrageous actions. When players like Vick and Lewis continue to play and receive paychecks, it feeds into the idea that athletes get special treatment.

There is no quick and easy solution that can put an end to this pattern of misbehavior. Fines and suspensions can only do so much. And not every offense can be punished the same way.

Players are really the only ones who can take action and make an effort to stop their teammates from figuratively, and literally, shooting themselves in the foot. Fans also need to voice their opinions and let the players know that we would not continue to support them if they use poor judgment.

I just hope that eventually, NFL players realize that they have worked too hard to throw away all that they have accomplished. Getting to the top isn’t easy, so once an athlete gets there, they should do all that they can to stay.