m about the value of an athlete. He writes: “The catch is that athletes have attained this surety in something that has almost nothing to do with the real world. But we don’t care. Our own lives are so vague and mundane; these jocks, these winners, will be our role models, or else!” You can’t just hold athletes to the fact that they just play sports. Athletes are not just jocks, most of them have a college degree so that when they are ready to hang up their shoes they can still live a productive life. Athletes are part of the real world and just like anyone else have a responsibility to family and to others to behave well. Young people, or even adults, chose to idolize athletes as role models because they provide a sense of inspiration and are a guiding light in the lives of many. Rick Telander also uses another hasty generalization, which downgrades the role of an athlete: “Athletes are so ill-prepared to lead the way because they have worked exclusively to become successes at these amusing things-- these games--which, as we know, are not like life. . . . . . . their jobs are simple and do not require reflection.” Like life itself, athletes are always trying to improve. Just because athletes aren’t the CEO of a finance company doesn’t mean that their job isn’t challenging or important. Their job requires an abundance of hard work and dedication. As humans, no matter what the job, we always run into pitfalls and error. So it is quite unfair to judge the jobs of athletes. Top athletes are constantly trying to improve. What’s more, they can stay focused, often under intense pressure. Who can forget the gymnast Kerri Strug’s stunning vault, despite an injured leg, that sent her team to a gold medal finish at the 1996 Olympic Games? Hard-working and highly motivated athletes understand that there is more to sports than winning. To rise to the top of any pr...
