In today’s society, people idolize and adore athletes and some are even known all across the world for their accomplishments in their sport. On the other hand, though, certain athletes are known for less reputable things. Some athletes, both college and professional, have a bad habit of getting into trouble and are constantly breaking the rules. Even after getting caught, they never seem to learn their lesson because they never face any serious consequences. The punishments regular people receive for breaking a law or rule are far worse than the punishments athletes receive for breaking the same law or rule. Because of their fame and impact on the sport they play, athletes who break the rules are given special treatment and shown various …show more content…
According to David Legesse, a writer for the U.S. News and World Report, some schools are trying to prevent this from happening by hiring compliance officers to police and monitor athletic departments. These compliance officers effectively make sure colleges maintain their academic integrity, but they cannot completely eliminate colleges’ special treatment of student athletes as academic obligations are not the only things they get a free pass on. College athletes who have run ins with the law face minimal consequences, mainly due to the influence of athletic programs. Since student athletes would be unable to compete in any college sport if found guilty of a crime, they are bailed out by their athletic program. While some may argue that athletes are given preferential treatment from law enforcement, ESPN investigative reporter Paula Lavigne says that most student athletes who commit a crime are benefited by several factors from major sports programs including “the near-immediate access to high-profile attorneys, the intimidation that is felt by witnesses who accuse athletes, and the higher bar some criminal justice officials feel needs to …show more content…
It is fairly common for professional athletes to have run ins with law enforcement at some point in their career. Whether it is domestic violence, drug use, assault, or even murder, athletes are constantly getting in trouble with the law and they are essentially getting away with it. For example, famous boxer Floyd Mayweather “was once arrested for attacking the mother of his child with a car door in the face. His sentence was suspended on numerous occasions, as this was not the first time” (10 Athletes Forgiven for Horrible Crimes). A person of lesser stature would be charged and face jail time if they committed a similar crime. Since there was no indisputable evidence against him, Mayweather received the benefit of the doubt and avoided more serious penalties because of his reputation as a great athlete. The reason that he has committed assault multiple times is because he keeps getting away with it. Without fair and proper punishments, Mayweather will never realize the seriousness of his actions. Another example of athletes receiving minimal punishments for crimes are defensive ends Ray McDonald and Greg Hardy who, as stated by Boston Globe Media writer Eric Wilbur, continued to play “for the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers, respectively, with accusations of beating women tied to their names.”
Athletes do not always get in trouble, but when they do some athletes tend to have favoritism shown to them by the law enforcement. When it comes to athletes that break the law, one major viewpoint is that some athletes tend to get special treatment when they commit crimes because they are famous, but with harsher consequences. Athletes are supposed to be role models for younger kids who look up to them, but they are getting in trouble and causing controversy for all the wrong reasons and it is affecting their careers, the athletes might not think that it is because of the favoritism that law enforcement shows them, but it is. When athletes do commit crimes law enforcement tends to be bias toward them because they are known around the world (Withers). Therefore, this causes a lot of controversy surrounding the athlete because many people believe that they do not get disciplined like they should.
This research paper will determine whether professional athletes deserve a second chance to play in professional sports after inappropriate behaviors. Professional athletes are considered idols and are often held to higher standards. Society has become concerned with so many of today’s athletes making the evening news for their unsuitable behaviors.
People believe that paying college athletes will ruin the tradition and innocence of the game. However, people forget that Olympians get paid, and most of them are amateur athletes. "Gold medallists from the United States receive a minimum of $15,000 for their success (from the U.S. Olympic Committee and the national governing body of the winner's sport), USA Today, Final Ed." These Olympians can also capitalize on endorsement deals and other additional bonuses, most of which are illegal in college athletics. The innocence of the game is already in jeopardy, in a June 24th, 1996 issue of The NCAA News, " Studies indicate that 75 percent of underclassmen have received cash or gifts from an agent." That’s a pretty high number, three out of every four are involved in illegal activities involving agents, and 90...
College athletes are manipulated every day. Student athletes are working day in and day out to meet academic standards and to keep their level of play competitive. These athletes need to be rewarded and credited for their achievements. Not only are these athletes not being rewarded but they are also living with no money. Because the athletes are living off of no money they are very vulnerable to taking money from boosters and others that are willing to help them out. The problem with this is that the athletes are not only getting themselves in trouble but their athletic departments as well.
Some Athletes in society today are considered heroes despite their double lives. Their drug use and violence are brushed aside while leading their teams to victory.
Many people believe that professional athletes are “above the law”. In reality, they are human beings like you and me who, no matter what the circumstances, can and will be charged like an average person. The offense of the crime can certainly come into play on whether or not a professional athlete who commits a crime should be allowed to play again.
Sexual assault, abuse, and rape by athletes is a devastating crime. These crimes by themselves are horrendous, but when committed by athletes there are many different factors involved. Through extensive research this paper will show contributing factors that may result in assault, abuse, or rape by athletes. Special treatment for athletes throughout their career, belief in sexual male dominance, and the role of alcohol are all important factors. Other crucial factors are the attitudes and responses of: society, juries, victims, coaches, and athletes. This paper will explore all these issues and show that changes need to be made in all the areas to combat the growing percentages of sport assault, abuse, and rape against women.
Athletes are national heroes who are held in high regard. When their reputation gets very high and they fail to realize that they are still accountable for their actions regardless of the position they hold in their societies, athletes can turn into violent activities. They become egocentric and selfish-centered, forgetting that their moral conduct should be put at check just as any other citizen.
If looked upon meticulously, one can see the evidence of special treatment in several cases to be knowledgeable of the fact that athletes and celebrities receive special treatment when it comes to breaking the law. The several cases and, especially, the O.J. Simpson show that the unfairness is evident. Our favorite singers and basketball players may be guilty, but they never cease to not have the star of
College sports has become like a job with players getting paid in scholarships, and the coach being the boss. The players must do what the coaches tell them to, and that is not always the best thing because coaches will do whatever it takes to win and earn money, even encouraging the use of drugs (Peck 36). Sometimes when coaches want players to come to their schools, they will give them preferential treatment and benefits while they participate in college sports regardless of NCAA rules (Saffici and Pellegrino 1 of 6). There is no doubt that college athletics are changing and becoming a big business, so the rules associated with how student-athletes are treated must change too (Saffici and Pellegrino 1 of 6).
Emil Zatopek once said “An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.” This quote applies to every college athlete. The quote means that an athlete may not be getting paid in college, but if they put in the hard work and dedication they can make it to the big leagues. College football is the second most watched sport in America. And the athletes playing the game do not even get paid a penny to play the game. In the sports world. this has been talked about for an extremely long time. College athletes put their body on the line for injury. They put their grades in on the line because of the hours they put on the court, or field (Keolanui). They also sell their apparel at the game and at stores and they get no money at all (Keolanui).
In the sports world, as much as in the political, social or corporate world, ethics is put to the test at all times. Most athletes spend their career trying to overcome many barriers in order to gain notoriety and achieve good results with the objective of winning titles and, especially, to have great future opportunities, as for example, being awarded with an athletic scholarship.
People either say yes or no when it comes to an athlete’s paychecks. Athletes’ paychecks have risen a lot over the years, and it is safe to say that some of these athletes have more money than most people can earn in their entire lifetime. Some people may disagree and say that athletes don’t deserve all this cash flow, but athletes deserve their high salaries for various reasons, such as their aid to the community, hard work, injury time, and the passion they have for their sport. The highly controversial topic of athlete’s salaries has received mixed messages, but most athletes’ usage of their money is more helpful than unhelpful. Athletes help society by using a portion of their salary and serving as an inspiration at all times.
One issue that these high salaries cause is that having all this money spoils the athletes. Athletes buy so much unnecessary stuff after they get their money. For example, Michael Jordan has about 28 cars. Who needs all these cars? He didn’t buy all of these, but there is a certain limit on how many cars a person needs. Athletes spend their money on cars, entertainment, clothes, and their big mansions. Another instance of athletes spoiling themselves is the use of illegal drugs (“Pro Salaries”). Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys has been involved in many of these altercations. He has been through all the punishments there possibly is and still makes his money (“Pro Salaries”). Athletes think they are at a higher level and that they can do whatever they want. An issue that everyone hears about everyday that a pro athlete has committed a murder/crime. Ray Lewis, a safety for the Baltimore Ravens, is being tried for two accounts of murder. He is an excellent athlete. He is on the pro-bowl team for the 1999 season and led the league in tackles. He has just ruined his career by even being involved in a situation like this. Another player is Robert Lewis, a 20 year-old basketball player from the Dallas Mavericks. He was convicted of beating his girlfriend almost to death. A 20-year-old basketball star doesn’t need to feel that he is a king to be a leader. What kind of role model is he setting to other youngsters that want to follow in the same footsteps?
Sport is never far from controversy. Whether it be alcohol-fuelled misbehaviour, allegations of drug abuse or inappropriate public musings on a thorny political issue, the national press is filled to the brim with sports stars dragging the image of their employers — and the sports they represent — through the proverbial mud.