Sports stars who commit crimes
Athletes are supposed to be the icons of millions of fans around the world; they are supposed to be role models for children and are followed and loved all across the globe. So when an athlete commits a crime or is involved with some nefarious activity, it comes as a shock to everyone who loves that person. Why do they do it, why do they break the hearts of so many people and bring shame to themselves and ruin their reputations?
Athletes are people who have larger than life personas and for this reason, they get paid to the tune of millions every year. So in spite of all this money, some of them still commit crimes and ruin their careers. A very plausible reason could be that they feel they can get away with the crime so why not do it. Maybe they get a rush out of it or probably they take too many steroids and experience a serious case of road rage. At the end of the day, many athletes get off very lightly with only a slap on the wrist as what is common with all celebrities.
The most infamous criminal athlete has been OJ Simpson. He was accused of killing his ex-wife and her lover Ron Goldman in a fit of jealous rage. OJ was a brilliant athlete before his downfall and he shocked the nation with this accusation and his fans deserted him in droves. The strangest part of this case was the fact that he was found not guilty during his trial to the surprise and shock of everyone involved. He didn't get away scotch-free because he “was later found guilty in a civil suit and was ordered to pay $33.5 million dollars to the Goldman family”. His sordid tale doesn't end there because he then committed and was this time found guilty of burglary with a weapon and many other charges in a botched attempt to steal some of his own merchandise. Simpson was found guilty and was sentenced to serve at least nine years in prison.
As the case of OJ shows us, athletes have the ability to get away with a lot of criminal activity that would lead to serious consequences for normal folks like us. An American newspaper examined the records of 40 professional athletes who had been given sentences of community service. “Their crimes: assaulting fans, cops, wives and girlfriends; s*x with minors; drunken driving; hit-and-run; possession of illegal drugs; carrying concealed weapons; firing pistols in public; and vehicular homicide”. These are serious crimes that any normal person would be immediately locked up for. The saddest part of the article says that the community service that the athletes were ordered to serve in many cases was something as simple as signing autographs for fans or throwing the first pitch at a baseball game.
Why do so many of them get away with such relaxed punishments. The answer is that whenever someone is rich and powerful, they usually get away with all kinds of crimes. “With the money to hire top lawyers, almost all reached plea bargains or agreed to a pre-trial diversion program. In these programs, no plea is required and charges are dismissed once community service is completed and fines are paid. In some cases, records are then expunged”. So money can really buy a person freedom, if they have enough of it.
The question that needs answers is: are there ways or means to reduce criminal activity in athletes and how can it be done? One article gives the reason that coaches and managers should be more careful about whom they pick for their teams and also help troubled athletes with counselling and advice. “A partial solution is for team managers to perform extensive background checks on college prospects before drafting them. Since teams are quick to draft potential troublemakers who have outstanding skills but a penchant for problems, perhaps owners, general managers, and coaches should not be so willing to overlook past misconduct, poor reputations, questionable character, and other warning signs”.
Once a criminal act is committed by an athlete, judges should ensure that they get the appropriate sentencing and not get off so lightly. It is only through various programs and systems that athletes can get back on the right track. Having athletes in the news for sensational performance on the field as opposed to criminal activity off the field will be a welcome change.
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