Well....if you are a sports watcher like my family then you couldn't help but notice the trouble Johnny Manziel - quarterback for Texas A&M - got himself in to. If you are reading my blog then you probably already know what I am about to say but I'll say it any way :)
In a sense, I agree with the fact that he's just a kid, won't be perfect and shouldn't necessarily have to live up to the standards other people put on him....HOWEVER, as a coach I believe he has to know that there are eyes everywhere watching him! Some little boy, in some small Texas town like the one he came from is watching him, mimicking him wanting to be him. And whether he likes it or not, because of what he does and who he does it for, there are little boys everywhere, not just in Texas, that look at him, see him, read about him and want to be JUST LIKE HIM. What you do, athlete or not, is a direct reflection on you, your family and any organization you are associated with. Even to the girls I coach (not near the same caliber as Texas A&M) I stress the importance of what they do off the court is just as important as what they do on. And if it is negative it reflects negatively on me as a coach, on our team and on our school and on their own families. This can be anything from how they talk, how they dress, where they go and who they hang out with.
I disagree with the fact that he's said I'm just 20 doing what every other college student is doing. WRONG! Some athletes are so goal focused knowing that any of that stuff (drinking, clubbing, etc) could and probably will be detrimental to what they hope to accomplish! The fact is, if he was drinking then it was wrong anyway because he's not 21, so technically it would be illegal.
Charles Barkely once said, "I'm not a role model...Just becasue I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." And I've heard people say this now, in this case. However, someone needs to guide this young man, lead him and show him the positive way to influence the people in his realm....and his realm is quite larger than most. Someone please step in and be this kids mentor! I admire the Alabama quaterback for his comments on the whole situation.
Our time here on Earth is so short and even shorter will be Manziel's football career - even if he does go far. Is this really how he wants to be remembered...as the quarterback who won the Heisman, had so much potential but couldn't handle the limelight or wasn't a positive role model for young people? (or just did't care :/.....)
so very true. And the saddest part is that our society has expected so little of young people that his behavior is typical, though it shouldn't be.
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