YOU CAN BET THEY WONT BE LIKE I WAS

AS OF THIS SATURDAY I WILL BE TURNING 26 YEARS OLD. I FEEL THIS MAKES ME OLD ENOUGH TO STATE THE FACT THAT SPORTS SURE ARENT LIKE THEY USED TO BE WHEN I WAS A KID. I WAS JUST THINKING THE OTHER DAY WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE WHEN I HAVE A CHILD OLD ENOUGH TO FOLLOW AND UNDERSTAND SPORTS. OF COURSE I HOPE THAT WHETHER A BOY OR A GIRL, THAT THEY GET INTO SOME SORT OF SPORTS OR COMPETITION. WILL I LOVE THEM ANY LESS? OF COURSE NOT, BUT IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER FOR ME SINCE IT IS AN INTEREST AND A PASSION THAT I HAVE. I REMEMBER REALLY GETTING INTO SPORTS AROUND THE MID TO LATE 80'S ERA. I STARTED FOLLOWING THE CUBS AND THE 49ERS MOSTLY. I WORSHIPPED THESE ATHLETES. WHEN A TEACHER ASKED WHO YOUR ROLE MODEL WAS, YOU CAN BET I PUT SOME SORT OF SPORTS FIGURE DOWN. BOY WAS I MAKING A MISTAKE. THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING TO STRESS TO MY KIDS GROWING UP. THE ONLY THING THEY KNOW ABOUT THESE PEOPLE IS HOW THEY PERFORM. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR SPARE TIME OR HOW THEY REALLY ACT. DONT GET ME WRONG, I KNOW THERE ARE STILL SOME GREAT PEOPLE OUT THERE, BUT WE DONT HERE ABOUT THEM IN THE SPORTS WORLD. WE JUST HEAR ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUSING TROUBLE OR WHO ARE BEGGING FOR MORE MONEY. I KNOW I KNOW, IT IS TOUGH TO LIVE OFF OF 5 MILLION A YEAR. I JUST WANNA HIT SOME OF THESE IDIOTS. A LOT OF THESE GUYS HAVE ALL THE TALENT IN THE WORLD AND THEY HAVE NO CLASS WHATSOEVER. THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO GROW UP AND ACT LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO ACT. THESE GUYS FORGET THAT THERE ARE 5 AND 6 YEAR OLD KIDS IN THE BACK YARD IMITATING THEIR EVERY MOVE IN HOPES TO DO WHAT THEY DO ONE DAY. I WOULD BE TICKLED TO DEATH IF ONE OF MY KIDS WOULD SAY DAD, " I WANT TO BE A SALES REP FOR A TRUCKING COMPANY JUST LIKE YOU ONE DAY." UNREALISTIC I KNOW, BUT IT WOULD SHOCK ME NONETHELESS. WHY WOULDNT THEY WANT TO BE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES? OBVIOUSLY THAT IS WHERE THE MONEY IS. YOU WOULD BE SET FOR LIFE. I JUST KNOW HOW EASY I FELL INTO THE TRAP OF WORSHIPPING SOME OF THESE PEOPLE AND THEN TO BE LET DOWN LATER. ONE THING THAT HIT ME PRETTY HARD WAS WHEN MAGIC JOHNSON, IN 1992, ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD THE HIV VIRUS. I WAS VERY SAD ABOUT THAT. I THOUGHT THAT MAN WAS SUPER HUMAN AND HERE HE IS, A MAN THAT HAD MULTIPLE PARTNERS AND CHEATED ON HIS WIFE. I LIKE HOW HE IS HANDLING IT NOW AND WHAT HE DOES TO PROMOTE IT, BUT IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE AT THE TIME. I THOUGHT OF A FEW OTHER ATHLETES. TIGER WOODS IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ATHLETES IN THE WORLD TODAY. I HAVE SEEN HIM MANY TIMES DROP THE F BOMB ON TV AFTER HE HITS A BAD SHOT. COULD A YOUNG KID IMITATE THAT? YES THEY COULD. MICHAEL JORDAN WAS CAUGHT GAMBLING A LOT. I EVEN SAW A YOUNG KID ONCE WITH A TERRELL OWENS JERSEY ON. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THE POINT IS, THESE PEOPLE ARE HUMAN AND THEY HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE YOU AND ME, AND THEY HANDLE THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS. WHAT YOU SEE ON THE FIELD OF PLAY, MAY NOT BE A REFLECTION OF HOW THEY ARE IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. IT REALLY MAKES ME NERVOUS TO THINK THAT MY KIDS MAY WANT TO BE LIKE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE. I AM GOING TO DO MY BEST TO TELL THEM TO BE THEMSELVES, WORK HARD, ACT WITH RESPECT AND CLASS, AND GOOD THINGS WILL COME TO THEM IF THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES. IF THEY DONT WORSHIP SOME OF THESE ATHLETES, THERE IS NO CHANCE OF A LET DOWN LATER IN THEIR LIVES. BOY DO I SOUND OLD NOW OR WHAT? DOES THIS SOUND LIKE ANYTHING OUR FATHERS MAY HAVE TOLD US EARLIER IN OUR LIVES? WELL GUESS WHAT? MAYBE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT AND THEY TRIED TO HELP US TOO. I WISH I WOULD HAVE LISTENED SOONER, BUT I CAUGHT ON EVENTUALLY AND I STILL HAVE TIME TO PASS THIS ON. SPORTS ARE WONDERFUL, AND I WOULD BE BORED OUT OF MY MIND IF WE DIDNT HAVE THEM. HOW MUCH WORSE THOUGH CAN SOME OF THESE ATHLETES GET? I LOVE WATCHING ATHLETES IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, BUT HAND THESE YOUNG KIDS A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AND SEE HOW THEY ACT. WILL THEY RESPECT THEIR GAME LIKE THEY ONCE DID? THESE DAYS, IT APPEARS AS IF MOST OF THEM WONT!!