Athletes as Role Models

Athletes as Role Models

The media's role in the portrayal of athletes as role models in history

ay it ain't so, Joe.' During the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal, in which the team deliberately 'threw' the World Series for a bribe, the players' betrayal was depicted as being particularly hurtful to young people who idolized the SOX (Everstein 1998). Babe Ruth was also portrayed as a hero during this era, as he slugged out record numbers of hits, often specifically asked to do so by his adoring young fans. Even today, whenever a new scandal about an athlete erupts, from steroids to Michael Phelps smoking pot, the media seldom portrays this as bad behavior by an individual. Rather it is portrayed as cultural event, and a betrayal of all the fans, particularly the young fans, of the sport. As athletics have become more and more central to everyday life -- and more and more lucrative -- the moral expectations for athletes have grown, even while people are daily reminded that many athletes are role models with feet of clay, guilty of everything from dog-fighting to weapons possession and even murder.

How 'they' (the media) do it

"Spoiled-athlete syndrome begins early in sports socialization. From the time they could be picked out of a lineup because of their exceptional athletic ability, they've been pampered and catered to by coaches, classmates, teammates, family members and partners. As they get older, this becomes a pattern. Because they're spoiled, they feel they aren't accountable for their behaviors off the field. They're so used to people looking the other way" (Ma 2007). The media lionizes athletes because part of the compelling nature of sports is the drama of the individual triumphing over the odds, by breaking a long-standing record or winning a championship. Inevitably, when a single figure is 'built up' so much, whenever he or she commits a transgression, the media will be quick to tear him or her down, since this is also a good story. The fact that athletes are frequently thrust into the limelight very young and have poor emotional and psychological coping skills to deal with fame and the responsibilities of handling large amounts of money further contributes to the apparent betrayal of the ideals that the athlete once 'stood for.'

What the media tells us and presents to us

Of course, no athlete really stands for and symbolizes anything other than a combination of genetic gifts, skill, and hard work. The idea that the athlete symbolizes higher moral values is a projection of the media. It is not enough to generate interest in an athletic story, beyond a narrow fan base, to merely focus on wins and losses. Instead the media must tell a striking parable about an athlete, such as the tale of Tiger Woods' purity and dedication -- a story which took an unexpected turn when Woods' marital infidelity was revealed.

What the media doesn't tell us and present to us

Inevitably, a one-sided portrait emerges of athletes. And perhaps with even greater negative consequences is the fact that the media does not show the many aspiring athletes who do not 'make it' and instead sacrifice long hours to excelling in a sport that does not provide them with a profession.

Why the media have an interest in presenting athletes as role models

Stories about athletic glory are more marketable than stories about scientists discovering great inventions or writers writing great novels because it is easy to televise an athletic drama from start to finish. There are great rivalries in sports -- and also a great deal of money to be made in terms of marketing and selling jerseys and tickets.