The Invincibility of the Modern Athlete

I feel like we live in a time where I can't turn on the news or scroll on social media without hearing about another pro athlete being arrested, pulled over for driving drunk or high, or is somehow in legal trouble. It's so bad, in fact, that USA Today has found it helpful to have an NFL Arrest Database to keep track of the legal adventures of many young peoples role models, and adults favorite weekend entertainers.

After hearing about yet another arrest today, as well as current-former (for those of you who do not watch football, he is currently not allowed to partake in any NFL activities as a result of sanctions handed down by the league) NFL player Adrian Peterson pleading 'No Contest' to child abuse allegations, I began to rack my brain about why so many professional athletes find themselves in legal trouble. We do not find actors or musicians or even politicians in as much trouble as we seem to find athletes, despite being in just as much of a spotlight. There have been 28 NFL players arrested, cited, or detained in the last 6 months (updated as of 10/24/14). That does not include players in other leagues, players not on rosters, players on practice rosters, or who simply were not caught. But why are so many living lives that are putting them in this position?

I believe we give them a sense of invicibility from a young age through their participation in athletics.

One month ago, 7 high school football players were arrested and subsequently charged for sexually assaulted and hazing of fellow teammates. The remainder of the season for this high school team was ultimately canceled, sparking rage in the community. One student tweeted about truly hating the freshmen now. A mother stated "They were talking about a butt being grabbed. That's about it. No one was hurt. No one died."

I'd like to take this time to note that the victims spoke of multiple occasions where they would were slammed to the floor, kicked, and occasionally sodomized with the fingers of the convicted players. But "No one was hurt. No one died," so it's not a big deal, right? A mother and a community is trying to protect rapists and abusers, who would potentially go on to do more harm in their futures, instead of taking a stand for what is moral and what is right.

I'm sure we all remember the Stubenville rape case, where two football players raped and filmed a young girl while she was unconscious, and then passed around the video their friends and fellow teammates. In response to the video and the rape allegations, people from Stubenville (including adults unrelated to the rapists) claimed that the young woman put herself in a position to be raped by being "too drunk," and even the defense attorney argued that since the victim did not verbally reject the boys advances that she did not deny consent.

In the Stubenville case, people took sides, saying it would be unfortunate for these two young men to lose their "bright futures" over such an incident where they seemingly did nothing wrong. You know, nothing but rape a girl.

And of course, my personal favorite, we have the coddled Jameis Winston. The NCAA and Florida State University alike will do anything to make Winston believe that he can do no wrong, down to disciplining him with a one game suspension for actions that many players (and normal students) could be suspended indefinitely and potentially expelled for. Winston has legal troubles that include: shoplifting, shouting sexual explicit vulgarities in a public places (while standing on a table, might I add), rape allegations, firing a BB gun at squirrels on FSU property, and allegedly selling autographs (a huge NCAA no-no).

Despite all of this, Winston has a Heisman Trophy, a National Championship, and has only ever been sanctioned to miss one game, which was originally a mere half-game suspension, during his time as a player at FSU. Additionally, I find it necessary to add that during his suspended game, Winston showed up suited up on the sidelines, as if the team would be ready to throw him into the game if injury were to require such circumstance.

Effectively, the NCAA and FSU are setting precedent for all NCAA athletes, and not a good one. They are saying that as long as you can perform on the field, your off the field conduct does not matter. They are saying that your potential as an athlete is more important that your moral and legal practices. They are saying that athletes, as long as they are good ones, are invincible. The NCAA and FSU are creating the NFL players that we find on USA Today's arrest database.

Occasionally we even find ourselves cheering for the athlete. In the wake of the Oscar Pistorius trial I found myself heartbroken that this man I looked up to as a fellow disabled athlete could have possibly killed anyone, even accidentally. And after his sentencing I was once again heartbroken that he would have to serve 5 years in prison for it. "But he's an athlete, what about his potential? He won't be able to run in prison," I caught myself saying. It didn't matter to me that he had shot his girlfriend, accidental or not. It mattered to me that he was a role model to me. It's that attitude that creates these invincible athletes. "But I'm an athlete, I can't be arrested," or "But I'm an athlete, you wouldn't ruin my career and future for this."

It's not athletes who are creating the idea that athletes are invincible. It's the public and the organizations that are. We are contributing to this, whether we realize it or not.